Black Women Magic! What lessons I learned, as a hispanic student, from Tonya Veasey, Gloria Blackwell, and Angela Sailor to further my path as a global citizen.
Obstacles do NOT define you.
As students and members of the FIU community, we all have different stories to tell; we have different cultures and backgrounds that allows us to embrace our individuality. However, some upbringings are not as celebrated and kept in the darkness of our academic paths. Tonya Veasey's upbringing really resonated with me and made me reflect on my own upbringing. Tonya Veasey was born as the youngest of ten to a widowed mother. Her grandmother was an integral part of her life and gave up much to ensure Tonya's success in becoming more than just another statistic. Although our stories will never be equal to each other, I empathize and I was moved. My mother had me when she was nineteen and shortly after I was born, my father went to jail. My mother did the best that she could, but my grandmother was a very important part of my life. Both women did everything they could to support my endeavors and my education; without their constant encouragement, I would not be the global citizen I am today. Tonya Veasey inspired me to continue to use my upbringing as my strength and not my weakness, and to use that drive to further my academic career and my future career in International Relations.
Diversity is KEY!
What makes the United States great is the diversity of different cultures, languages, and experiences that blend together. This allows us to learn from each other and transforms our way of thinking to be more inclusive and understanding. This same ideology applies to the workplace, but it is not without overcoming obstacles and hardship, especially for Black women. Angela Sailor built career in the Heritage Foundation up by marketing to white communities and Black communities alike. It is imperative to market towards demographics that you may not fit into. The conversations to find a common ground and common goal are not only necessary, but very needed in today's workforce. As companies expand and re-market themselves, inclusivity of POC's (people of color) and Black men and women need to be a priority. Black women, in particular, should have a seat at the table; their experiences and educational backgrounds are extremely important, if not more important, than the white-male dominated workforce. In terms of politics and international relations, Black women are a dominant source of lobbying for policies and political candidates. Forbes, as mentioned by Tonya Veasey, wrote an article solidifying that diversity is key for growth.
Hold organizations accountable.
With promoting diversity in the workforce and in organizations, there comes accountability. As a society, we must continue to push passed assumptions based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. However, this ideology is paramount towards Black women. As employers, as students, and as Americans, we must break down our assumptions of or personal bias against Black men and women and truly see what they can accomplish. However, it doesn't stop here. The next step is to not accept lip service from companies and organizations and not accept inclusivity and advocacy as a facade. In our political climate, there have been numerous companies who use Black advocacy as a social media facade instead of taking a step back, listening, and making real change. To my fellow women, POCs, and to my white peers, we must continue to raise the voices of Black men and women - not overshadow them. We are their allies, not their enemies or competitors. We must continue to hold ourselves, our peers, families, organizations, etc. accountable. We can do better and we will not accept less. Systemic racism will not change unless we make it change.
Reach Out! Keep Going!
My favorite part of this panel was when a fellow International Relations student asked a question about what to do next. Throughout my time at FIU in both the Asian Studies and International Relations departments, and while attending Global Learning panels, I have been so inspired. I have numerous goals and ideas running through my head and as my graduation approaches, it is hard to figure out what to do next and how to get there. Gloria Blackwell's advice to this is to continue to educate yourself and to continue talking to people. As as an introvert, it is important that I go outside of my comfort zone and talk to more individuals and educate myself not only academically, but with experiences as well. It's important to remember to take a step back and to either learn about or remember what drives you. What are your goals? What's your inspiration? What caused you to choose this path? Gloria Blackwell also suggested reaching out to leaders in your respective fields and figuring out ways to work together with them to bring about change. This inspired me to reach out to other Asian-American Foundations in Florida and figure out how I can further my path with Asian Studies and make a change.
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