Organic Love: A celebration of BLACK Love on the Forty Acres
Written by Brianna Mattis
Illustrated by Kaitlan Howard
Allow me to set the scene by planting a seed…
It was 1995, and the unsuspecting Natalie Cooper, then Natalie Coles, was making her way down the “Nupe Stoop” towards the Perry Castañeda Library. As that day would have it, Rodolfo “RJ” Cooper saw her from afar, and ran up behind her to introduce himself. The rest, as they say, was history…
In celebration of Valentine’s Day and Black History Month, I reached out to this dynamic and beautiful couple for an interview via Zoom. When all was said and done, I was taken on an “unmuted” and “cameras on'' journey through the Coopers’ UT experience as Black alumni, the genesis of their careers, and of course, love.
... Click.
With the tap of a button, I unmute myself to greet the Coopers. It’s early Sunday morning, and through my screen, I can see the golden hues of the sun peek through the curtains behind them. Every now and then, I hear the quiet shuffle of tiny feet in the background. It tells me that their son must also be wide awake, listening and participating offscreen in a way only a six-year-old boy knows how to.
Rodolfo Cooper, BA Mathematics ‘00 graduate and CNS Advisory Council member, has not always known what he wanted to do in life. Entering UT as a Freshman, he began his journey in the School of Engineering with the goal of becoming an electrical engineer. By his junior year, he decided it was time to switch over to the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), where he chose to pursue mathematics. Presently, Rodolfo now works on Wall Street, nourishing his love for numbers through the world of finance.
“Don’t worry about what people tell you to get into, or what people tell you not to get into,” he says. “My mom actually told me to stop worrying about false pride and what people think, if you quit this, or if you quit that … just do what’s right for you.”
His wife, Natalie Cooper (BA Corporate Communications ‘00) originally started her “hook-story” — a term I hope catches on — in CNS as a Kinesiology major before switching over briefly to Nursing and ultimately landing in the Moody College of Communications. Though her initial love for sports and medicine guided her decision in choosing Kinesiology, it was an Intro to Communications class that eventually won her over. Currently, you will find Natalie working at one of the big four professional services firms in the field of corporate governance and simultaneously reclaiming her passion for creativity outside of the office.
Looking back, Natalie and Rodolfo both agreed that despite having a few detours woven in the tapestry of their academic journeys, it was ultimately in that hodgepodge of finding themselves and their passions, that they were able to find each other.
When the couple first met, there wasn’t any initial spark. In fact, after they met on the “Nupe Stoop,” they didn’t connect right away. “I remember seeing her and thinking, ‘Wow, I need to talk to her.’ UT is a huge campus. You never know if you’re going to see people again. I could not let this moment pass,” says Rodolfo about first laying eyes on his beautiful wife. It was clear that in that moment, things added up perfectly for him (pun intended), but the timing just wasn’t right.
It wasn’t until two years later at the Intramural Fields that the couple-to-be saw each other again while Natalie was playing flag football. Rodolfo happened to be the game’s referee. The pair was reunited.
Now more than ever, the timing was perfect.
Instantly, they began to hang out every day! From getting out of their classes and heading to Gregory Gym to play basketball and tennis, to seemingly living at the Undergraduate Library (UGL) and PCL (where they sometimes studied for their only shared class of First-Year Spanish), the pair became inseparable. As they recounted the details of their first date, I couldn’t help but grin incandescently. They had visited TGI Friday’s and shared a milkshake, a style that nods to what I like to call the “classic Disney fairy tale trope.” On their way back to campus, Rodolfo’s car broke down that night. Not wanting to be upstaged, their second date continued the trend of disaster when Rodolfo left his wallet behind. As the pair giggled at the novelty of their past dates, I couldn’t help but feel comforted. It proved what I’m sure we’re all already aware of: love can be messy and silly. In fact, it should be!
“It was easy,” says Natalie in regards to balancing their love with higher education. The pair noted that attending the University of Texas at Austin made “having a good time” simple. There were always things to do. As students in Black UT (which back then, was only 2-3% of the student population), they frequented the Malcolm X Lounge in Jester and visited the Texas Union for “Soul Nights” every Thursday. During his time at UT, Rodolfo pledged to the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and became heavily involved in Greek life. They both shared a deep love for sports and loved going to the once precarious Gregory Gym, which would now stand in stark contrast to the state-of-the-art facility that current students know so well.
Okay, let’s pause. I do have a slight caveat to unveil, but don’t get all “albino squirrely” on me.
Post college, Rodolfo and Natalie broke up. I know … but hear them out before you mislabel this fairytale!
Unbeknownst to them, they both chose to pursue MBAs at Houston universities (Rice University and the University of Houston, respectively). After not speaking to each other for nearly two years, their final reconnection came at an event they both attended. A mutual friend convinced them to speak to each other, and from that nudge they began to rekindle their love. During grad school they also did study abroad, taking their already long-distance relationship to the next level.
Post-grad school, the couple’s career and relationship took off. Literally. Rodolfo decided to fly down from New York to stage a mock meeting/proposal for Natalie while she was at work. “It was a really awesome proposal. He collaborated with my work team, and flew in from New York. It was a big surprise. They organized a staged meeting that had to be ‘filmed’. My back was strategically placed to the door of the office room, and then I turned around and there he was,” said Natalie.
When I asked them how they celebrate Valentine's Day, the answer was clear: it depends. As they’ve gotten older, their Valentine’s ritual has changed. With a young son and now COVID-19, they have had to amend their celebration even more. Still, even through my small Zoom screen, I can see how important the holiday is to the pair.
“I think that Valentine’s Day is a great way to show love and affection...but I’m also a believer in ‘let it not just be Valentine’s Day,’” says Natalie as she grips her “I love RJ” mug.
On the topic of Black love and its meaning, the couple were pensive. After a few seconds, Rodolfo stated simply, “I’ve never really thought about that … I always thought love was love, but I know that there are certain experiences that are probably even harder to explain or articulate that you have, as a Black person.”
Natalie added, “I think there’s a certain kind of underlying strength, through experiences that we’ve had that have really come to light in the past few years. A connection ... an unspoken strength.”
Rodolfo dove deeper into the subject of Black love by touching on fatherhood as a Black man. He reflected on the unexpected occurrence of people coming up to him and his son, stating how great it is to see them together. As odd of a compliment as it is, the three of us knew the gravity it held. If you’re Black and reading this, you may understand firsthand just how uncommon it is, outside some circles, to see Black fathers raising their children.
This year, and throughout Black History Month, Natalie, Rodolfo, and their son, Quentin, have chosen to give back to the community as a family. Their new tradition is to participate in Generation Serve, an organization that finds volunteer opportunities for families to participate in together.
Every summer since Quentin was three years old, Natalie and Rodolfo have given him important historical and current Black figures to research and present on as part of a fun family presentation. “It's teaching him to be able to present, and speak, and be confident, but it’s also teaching him about people he’s not going to learn about in school,” says Rodolfo.
Not only are Natalie and Rodolfo Cooper riding the waves of Black excellence and love in corporate America, they are showing their son that he can exist in a space where there was once initially no room for him, and if need be, he can create a new space.
PATIENCE. This is the word that Mrs. Cooper leaves for those of us – and by us, I mean any human being or member of the Longhorn Nation reading this – looking or waiting for love. Throughout their relationship, the Coopers had to keep patience in the forefront of their minds. The times they were distant allowed them to grow as individuals so that they could someday facilitate all their future had to hold.
“For people looking for love, it’s best leaving things organic,” said Rodolfo. The pair are firm believers in getting introduced through mutual friends. The key is to try new activities outside of your comfort zone, or to simply continue doing the things you enjoy. Don’t underestimate the power of shared experience.
I know it may seem that another V-Day has come and gone, but don’t lose hope so soon. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the love of your life strolling down Speedway …
My advice? Take it from the Coopers, and let love’s timing be one thing: organic.
THE BLACK-GLOSSARY (UT/COOPER EDITION):
BLACK UT: The Black student body of the University of Texas at Austin. Composing 5-6% of the total UT student body (as of Fall 2021), Black UT is filled with students who identify as African American, African, Caribbean, and other ethnicities/nationalities that make up the Diaspora.
NUPE STOOP: The nickname given to the set of stairs that once led from the side of Jester West to Gregory Gym. The term “Nupe” refers to a member or brother of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Brothers of the chapter, the Kappas, used to sit down and hang around the Nupe Stoop in their leisure time. Sadly, the Nupe Stoop no longer exists on campus.
THE MALCOLM X LOUNGE: An inclusive lounge located on the first floor of Jester Center (directly facing Jesta’ Pizza). This lounge has been a haven for African American students to come and relax, study, and commune.
SOUL NIGHTS: A free event that was hosted at the Texas Union for Black UT Students (although all were welcomed). The night was filled with lively music, dancing, and FUN.
UGL (Undergraduate Library): The UGL used to be a popular library on campus, and a favorite study spot of Rodolfo & Natalie’s. It is now known as the Peter T. Flawn Academic Center, and is home to part of the School of Undergraduate Studies.