In celebration of Black History Month, Through the Gates' shorts, The Sample, sat down with Maria Hamilton Abegunde to discuss how the intersections of past and present, trauma and healing, influence the ways we, "witness and testify to lived experiences..." Among a wide array of accomplishments and experiences, Dr. Abegunde is an award-winning poet, the founding director of The Graduate Mentoring Center, and a visiting faculty member in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. She is a memory keeper, and author of one collection of poetry and two poetry chapbooks.