So you are working in a field that you actually love to do.
 2
00:00:06.039 --> 00:00:09.042 And I see that is calling you because of the customer service
 3
00:00:09.042 --> 00:00:11.644 and being able to, work directly with people.
 4
00:00:11.644 --> 00:00:16.216 Is that the reason why you chose this field because it's fulfilling?
 5
00:00:16.216 --> 00:00:17.517 Or do you feel like,
 6
00:00:17.517 --> 00:00:20.453 it was just something that was calling you because of the trade?
 7
00:00:20.453 --> 00:00:24.224 It was a little bit of both, but the real motivator
 8
00:00:24.224 --> 00:00:27.660 was helping people, specifically women.
 9
00:00:27.794 --> 00:00:32.132 I don't know if you've ever had hired anybody to come and work in your home.
 10
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.269 But, you know, you can get condescending men.
 11
00:00:36.269 --> 00:00:37.904 They come in and.
 12
00:00:37.904 --> 00:00:40.974 Oh, pretty little lady, you just step by and I'll take care of this.
 13
00:00:40.974 --> 00:00:43.676 And I've been fortunate enough.
 14
00:00:43.676 --> 00:00:46.679 The universe has had my back to be successful at it,
 15
00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:51.151 but I go to these, women in trades events, and and it's it's very sad
 16
00:00:51.151 --> 00:00:55.088 to see the majority of the topics that are talked about are,
 17
00:00:55.088 --> 00:00:58.058 are how hard it is for the women to be in the trades.
 18
00:00:58.058 --> 00:01:02.328 And, just asking for, you know, a separate bathroom
 19
00:01:02.862 --> 00:01:07.033 or asking for feminine products And I didn't like that.
 20
00:01:07.033 --> 00:01:10.937 And I have tried my entire 15 years in business
 21
00:01:11.304 --> 00:01:16.304 to fought against that general contractor reputation that we have.
 22
00:01:16.576 --> 00:01:19.512 And I think I've done a pretty good job providing,
 23
00:01:19.512 --> 00:01:22.715 communication and support and being there for the clients.
 24
00:01:23.183 --> 00:01:25.919 And it's, you know, this is their home.
 25
00:01:25.919 --> 00:01:27.454 This is their biggest investment.
 26
00:01:27.454 --> 00:01:29.789 This is their I mean, they love their home.
 27
00:01:29.789 --> 00:01:33.927 And and I want to be able to help them with that and keep it healthy and
 28
00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:35.228 make it beautiful.
 

My days are a mix of networking, managing our team, and guiding clients through the remodeling process. I don’t swing the hammer much anymore, but I keep the business humming, from sales calls to subcontractor schedules. I love helping people turn their homes into places they truly love.

Owner

Negativity

Fighting Against Gender Stigma In The Trades

tell me about, like, some
 2
00:00:00.967 --> 00:00:03.970 roadblocks or adversities you faced, like getting to where you are?
 3
00:00:04.104 --> 00:00:07.207 I would say the big thing in general is just how society is.
 4
00:00:07.207 --> 00:00:09.109 They have a certain perception of black women.
 5
00:00:09.109 --> 00:00:12.912 You're either too loud, you're too aggressive, all of those types of things.
 6
00:00:12.912 --> 00:00:16.016 And it can't be that I'm competent or I know what I'm talking about
 7
00:00:16.182 --> 00:00:17.951 or I'm confident in what I'm doing.
 8
00:00:17.951 --> 00:00:19.953 And so a lot of times, I would say, I would feel like
 9
00:00:19.953 --> 00:00:21.421 I'd have to shrink myself
 10
00:00:21.421 --> 00:00:25.458 so that I would not let other people feel like inferior or whatever
 11
00:00:25.458 --> 00:00:29.396 the case may be, because I did have a diverse array of experiences.
 12
00:00:29.629 --> 00:00:33.400 I have lots of people that I have contacts with, and so a lot of people say that
 13
00:00:33.400 --> 00:00:34.434 that's intimidating.
 14
00:00:34.434 --> 00:00:36.770 I think also I'm just a very direct person.
 15
00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:40.140 And so learning how to temper my conversations with people.
 16
00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:42.542 Luckily, like my my boss is a black woman as well.
 17
00:00:42.542 --> 00:00:45.211 She implores me to say, you know what?
 18
00:00:45.211 --> 00:00:46.479 Like take a step back.
 19
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.481 You get it, but they don't get it.
 20
00:00:48.481 --> 00:00:52.318 How can we help them get it rather than resorting to just being like,
 21
00:00:52.318 --> 00:00:53.386 okay, you know what? I'm done with these people.
 22
00:00:53.386 --> 00:00:54.287 I'm just going to walk away.
 23
00:00:54.287 --> 00:00:56.823 So those are kind of like roadblocks that I'm still kind of learning,
 24
00:00:56.823 --> 00:00:58.491 especially now that I'm trying to transition
 25
00:00:58.491 --> 00:01:02.362 to more of a senior leadership role at the Kapor foundation is how to work
 26
00:01:02.362 --> 00:01:03.296 well with other adults.
 27
00:01:03.296 --> 00:01:06.499 I can always work well with kids, and I think that's my teacher side of me.
 28
00:01:06.566 --> 00:01:09.736 So it's how do I work better with adults to achieve a common goal?
 29
00:01:09.736 --> 00:01:12.672 Because I have a vision for where I want to take things,
 30
00:01:12.672 --> 00:01:15.775 and I need to get other people involved in that vision as well.
 31
00:01:15.775 --> 00:01:17.210 And I know I can't do it by myself.
 32
00:01:17.210 --> 00:01:18.445 So it's being able to communicate
 33
00:01:18.445 --> 00:01:22.315 that vision in a way that people can feel, where they can plug in with whatever
 34
00:01:22.315 --> 00:01:23.383 skill set that they have.
 

2025 SXSW Conference
Interviewed in Austin, TX but works in Atlanta, GA USA.
advanced-degree
career-change

I work at the intersection of racial justice and tech, aiming to close gaps for marginalized students in technology and computer science. I support teachers with professional development, help students explore their dreams, and uplift parents’ voices in education. I help build community in classrooms, expand access to computer science, and empower young people to thrive with honesty, confidence, and joy.

Director of CS Equity Initiatives

Facing Negativity As A Black Woman

What adversities or like roadblocks did you face getting to where you are now?
 2
00:00:04.204 --> 00:00:06.673 So I was born in Egypt.
 3
00:00:06.673 --> 00:00:09.676 To a middle class family that was all about education.
 4
00:00:09.943 --> 00:00:12.579 We weren't wealthy, but we were very well educated.
 5
00:00:12.579 --> 00:00:17.450 However, I was born into one where my parents didn't see value in having girls.
 6
00:00:18.284 --> 00:00:20.587 So I was, kind of left behind
 7
00:00:20.587 --> 00:00:24.124 by my mom and dad because I came out a female, and left
 8
00:00:24.124 --> 00:00:28.228 to kind of the family to take care of me while they went off and did their thing.
 9
00:00:28.528 --> 00:00:31.931 That's why I went into medical school, because I had this thing where
 10
00:00:32.465 --> 00:00:34.501 I was always sad as a kid.
 11
00:00:34.501 --> 00:00:37.070 And I wanted to help make people feel better.
 12
00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:38.171 Make kids feel better.
 13
00:00:38.171 --> 00:00:42.142 So I went into medical school wanting to be a pediatrician, wanting to
 14
00:00:42.642 --> 00:00:45.278 help kids, but then I went into medical school,
 15
00:00:45.278 --> 00:00:46.246 and I realized this.
 16
00:00:46.246 --> 00:00:50.717 It wasn't designed the way I would have wanted a health care system
 17
00:00:50.717 --> 00:00:51.651 to be designed.
 18
00:00:51.651 --> 00:00:55.588 And I was like, you know, I want to fix the system, not just be another doctor.
 19
00:00:55.655 --> 00:01:00.655 So I left medicine, and when I did, I come from a family of all doctors and stuff.
 20
00:01:01.428 --> 00:01:04.431 So my parents disowned me for, like, three years
 21
00:01:04.564 --> 00:01:09.035 because I left the career that all of my cousins are in and stuff like that.
 22
00:01:09.202 --> 00:01:12.806 And then I got married and my marriage didn't work out, and I had to,
 23
00:01:12.806 --> 00:01:15.141 like, escape the country and, come back.
 24
00:01:15.141 --> 00:01:19.345 So adversity has been a core thread in my whole life.
 25
00:01:19.345 --> 00:01:21.915 It's not been something that's, like, new to me.
 26
00:01:21.915 --> 00:01:25.485 But I think landing in this space of diversity, equity, inclusion
 27
00:01:25.985 --> 00:01:30.985 is rooted in my history of pain and trauma in my youth, because I
 28
00:01:31.724 --> 00:01:35.695 look at diversity, equity, inclusion as healing corporate consciousness.
 29
00:01:36.563 --> 00:01:41.534 You know, to help people feel valued and seen and heard, no matter who they are
 30
00:01:41.534 --> 00:01:46.039 and what they are and what walk of life they came from is probably rooted in,
 31
00:01:46.206 --> 00:01:50.610 my origin story of feeling like I didn't matter because I was a girl.
 32
00:01:52.245 --> 00:01:53.813 I love that you-
 33
00:01:53.813 --> 00:01:56.182 you're really just, like, turned everything around from that.
 34
00:01:56.182 --> 00:01:58.118 And I really love what you were saying about, like,
 35
00:01:58.118 --> 00:01:59.619 wanting to help the kids and stuff like that.
 36
00:01:59.619 --> 00:02:01.721 Like I want to, like, make people smile.
 37
00:02:01.721 --> 00:02:03.156 That's why I wanted to be the child psychiatrist
 38
00:02:03.156 --> 00:02:06.292 or orthodontist because, like, giving them that, like
 39
00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.263 happiness, like it's I don't know, there's so much like darkness
 40
00:02:10.263 --> 00:02:11.698 going on in the world and stuff like that.
 41
00:02:11.698 --> 00:02:13.867 It's why not be a light, you know?
 42
00:02:13.867 --> 00:02:15.502 Why not not be a light. Exactly.
 43
00:02:15.502 --> 00:02:20.373 And we need more people like you like that who are taking whatever their life story
 44
00:02:20.373 --> 00:02:24.477 is, and not thinking that your life story is who you are.
 45
00:02:24.477 --> 00:02:26.412 It's just the story you're living.
 46
00:02:26.412 --> 00:02:29.916 And then how do you transform that into giving and into light?
 47
00:02:30.049 --> 00:02:33.052 And so I'm happy that you're on this journey.
 48
00:02:33.086 --> 00:02:33.786 Thank you, earlier
 

2025 SXSW Conference
Interviewed in Austin, TX but works in Minneapolis, MN USA.
advanced-degree
career-change

Build your network. It's important to be a person of increase. When you meet someone, make sure they walk away with value from you. Don't just wait to network when you need something. The best way to make connections that will benefit you in the future is to make sure you're benefitting others and helping them too.

I was born in Egypt to a family that didn't see value in women. I was essentially left behind by my parents because I was born a girl. I was always sad as a child so I decided to pursue medical school so that I could help other children feel good.

Every day, I work to weave equity and inclusion into the fabric of our global company. I lead with heart, strategy, and urgency—whether I’m reviewing diversity metrics, shaping policy, or mentoring young talent. I collaborate with leaders to design inclusive systems and launch programs that open doors to education and careers. It’s about healing corporate culture so everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

Foundation President & Global Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer

You're not worthy because you're not a doctor anymore.

Adversity

Family

Adversity Has Been A Core Thread In My Journey

Throughout your life, career or life,
 2
00:00:02.235 --> 00:00:05.839 what challenges have you faced and how do you overcome it?
 3
00:00:05.905 --> 00:00:10.905 The biggest challenge first that I face is covert racism.
 4
00:00:11.044 --> 00:00:13.346 And I ran into that a lot.
 5
00:00:13.346 --> 00:00:16.883 And that's kind of held me back where there's a times I'm like, man,
 6
00:00:16.916 --> 00:00:18.918 why I didn't get that job when I went to the interview?
 7
00:00:18.918 --> 00:00:20.320 I know I was qualified.
 8
00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:21.421 Those are some challenges.
 9
00:00:21.421 --> 00:00:25.625 Other challenges I faced was just myself, when I was working in
 10
00:00:25.625 --> 00:00:29.863 financial institutions, most of the people who were working there had degrees.
 11
00:00:29.929 --> 00:00:30.897 They were MBAs.
 12
00:00:30.897 --> 00:00:32.132 They were CPAs.
 13
00:00:32.132 --> 00:00:34.100 They were certified financial analysts.
 14
00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:35.568 And I had a sociology degree.
 15
00:00:35.568 --> 00:00:37.504 And they're like, what is he doing in finance?
 16
00:00:37.504 --> 00:00:40.507 So at first I felt a little bit inferior.
 17
00:00:40.507 --> 00:00:44.511 As I gained experience and actually learned how to produce a good product,
 18
00:00:44.577 --> 00:00:47.647 I realized I overcame that fear that
 19
00:00:47.647 --> 00:00:50.984 sometimes these people had a better opinion than me.
 20
00:00:50.984 --> 00:00:52.819 But confidence is so important.
 21
00:00:52.819 --> 00:00:56.122 And that's one thing I've learned when I got into the financial world
 22
00:00:56.523 --> 00:00:57.657 to be more confident.
 23
00:00:57.657 --> 00:01:01.461 But in order to be confident, what builds confidence is really getting
 24
00:01:01.461 --> 00:01:04.364 the foundation. I went back and took those classes.
 25
00:01:04.364 --> 00:01:06.332 I went did those special projects
 26
00:01:06.332 --> 00:01:10.170 that nobody else wanted to do, and it gave me the experience.
 27
00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:14.407 It gave me, the track and the knowledge to be able to feel more confident
 28
00:01:14.674 --> 00:01:16.843 and approach some of those barriers that were ahead of me.
 

One of the bigger struggles I've encountered in my career is racial discrimination. I've been left wondering why I wasn't selected for a position despite being qualified. It's held me back at times but I stayed motivated and found success regardless.

Every day, I work to break down the barriers that keep people from financial freedom. As the president of LIFE, a nonprofit for financial literacy, I teach workshops in schools, churches, and community centers. I give people real, practical tools to manage money wisely. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about changing mindsets, challenging a system that holds people back, and making financial knowledge accessible.

President

I need to get an advanced degree in order to compete with my peers.

Confidence

Challenges I’ve Faced In My Career

As a successful black woman, did you encounter anybody trying to hate
 2
00:00:05.338 --> 00:00:08.975 on your success or hate on the growth that you were trying to achieve?
 3
00:00:09.075 --> 00:00:10.310 Of course.
 4
00:00:10.310 --> 00:00:14.748 If you're, if there's no one trying to pull you down, you're not doing it right.
 5
00:00:14.748 --> 00:00:17.450 I'm not a maliceful person.
 6
00:00:17.450 --> 00:00:21.287 So even if you have an attitude with me, I'm not going to give that back to you
 7
00:00:21.421 --> 00:00:24.424 just because at the end of the day, I don't take it personally.
 8
00:00:24.791 --> 00:00:28.061 And if you take it personally, of course you're going to do that.
 9
00:00:28.061 --> 00:00:31.431 But it's like you, you're not even going to see them tomorrow.
 10
00:00:31.498 --> 00:00:34.501 So what effect does that have on your life today.
 11
00:00:34.801 --> 00:00:37.037 Just you know let it go.
 12
00:00:37.037 --> 00:00:40.040 I've only been in business with the event venue
 13
00:00:40.306 --> 00:00:43.309 for two and a half years, so it'll be three years in June.
 14
00:00:43.343 --> 00:00:44.044 I've had
 15
00:00:45.111 --> 00:00:47.814 40 reviews, which isn't a lot,
 16
00:00:47.814 --> 00:00:51.618 but to me it is, because a lot of times people don't even do reviews.
 17
00:00:51.618 --> 00:00:53.553 And I'm at a 4.9%.
 18
00:00:53.553 --> 00:00:57.757 So, that's again the customer service, the customer touch
 19
00:00:57.957 --> 00:01:01.961 that you're able to give people, to get them to value your business.
 

No two days are the same as an entrepreneur. My mornings start by responding to client inquiries—sometimes sent in the middle of the night! I give venue tours, plan networking events, and guide my employees to keep everything running smoothly. I chase leads, promote my business, and make sure events go off without a hitch. The best part is hearing people say they’ve enjoyed my venue, knowing I’ve created a space that brings people together.

President & CEO

Overcoming Negativity

A question I have to ask about the center and also just the work that you do.
 2
00:00:04.104 --> 00:00:08.641 Like there is a level of rage that comes with doing just diversity
 3
00:00:08.641 --> 00:00:13.079 and work related to like race and racism because of just how pervasive it is.
 4
00:00:13.079 --> 00:00:14.381 And I'm just curious about your overall
 5
00:00:14.381 --> 00:00:17.917 general thoughts about that and even the center's response to just
 6
00:00:17.984 --> 00:00:19.552 a lot of things that are happening in the political
 7
00:00:19.552 --> 00:00:22.422 and educational atmosphere as it relates to diversity and inclusion.
 8
00:00:22.422 --> 00:00:26.192 Emotional suppression is not healthy.
 9
00:00:26.259 --> 00:00:30.830 But I want to confess that I have to suppress
 10
00:00:30.830 --> 00:00:35.268 a lot of my emotions around racism.
 11
00:00:35.335 --> 00:00:37.804 Racism pisses me off.
 12
00:00:37.804 --> 00:00:38.972 It angers me.
 13
00:00:38.972 --> 00:00:41.241 Unacceptable. Unforgivable.
 14
00:00:41.241 --> 00:00:44.244 But I, over the course of my career,
 15
00:00:44.444 --> 00:00:49.444 I've had to at times suppress that anger, at other times
 16
00:00:50.083 --> 00:00:54.254 figure out how to productively channel it through my work.
 17
00:00:54.287 --> 00:00:57.657 You know, it's the disgusting nature of those things
 18
00:00:57.757 --> 00:01:01.361 that actually take me to work every day.
 19
00:01:01.561 --> 00:01:04.998 What we're doing in response to this moment
 20
00:01:04.998 --> 00:01:08.334 in which there are these politicized attacks on DEI.
 21
00:01:08.334 --> 00:01:12.372 First off, we produced the report that is titled
 22
00:01:12.405 --> 00:01:15.809 Truths About DEI on College Campuses,
 23
00:01:15.809 --> 00:01:20.413 and it takes on many of the myths and the misinformation
 24
00:01:20.413 --> 00:01:25.018 and disinformation, and we refute that with facts, data.
 25
00:01:25.051 --> 00:01:27.020 I've done television interviews about it.
 26
00:01:27.020 --> 00:01:28.721 I've done podcasts about it.
 27
00:01:28.721 --> 00:01:32.692 We've gotten it literally in the hands of millions of Americans.
 28
00:01:33.093 --> 00:01:34.094 But that's not enough.
 29
00:01:34.094 --> 00:01:38.798 I also created what I call the National DEI Defense Commission,
 30
00:01:38.798 --> 00:01:41.401 and it is a commission that brings together
 31
00:01:41.701 --> 00:01:46.701 higher education leaders, practitioners, scholars, college students
 32
00:01:47.173 --> 00:01:52.045 to collectively fight back against the politicized assault on DEI.
 

I didn't come out until I was in my early thirties. If I could give my younger self advice, I'd tell myself to be more comfortably queer sooner.

As a professor at USC in the fields of education, business, and public policy, and the founder of the USC Race and Equity Center, my days are filled with meetings and diverse responsibilities. I engage with colleges, K-12 school districts, corporations, and government agencies on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I also write for major publications and lead initiatives like a grant prep academy that guides young men of color into academic careers.

Founder & Executive Director

Addressing DEI And Racism In The Current Political Climate

The overwhelming majority of my teachers
 2
00:00:03.370 --> 00:00:06.539 in my K-12 schools were white women.
 3
00:00:06.673 --> 00:00:11.211 I didn't have my first black male teacher, for example, until seventh grade.
 4
00:00:11.378 --> 00:00:12.512 Mr. Moreau.
 5
00:00:12.512 --> 00:00:17.512 It was Mr. Moreau who saw something in me that previous teachers have failed to see.
 6
00:00:20.520 --> 00:00:24.991 So, you know, that was my experience for much of my K-12 schooling.
 7
00:00:25.025 --> 00:00:28.862 I read very, very, very little about black people,
 8
00:00:28.862 --> 00:00:30.330 black history.
 9
00:00:30.330 --> 00:00:33.066 You know, like, it was Martin Luther King,
 10
00:00:33.066 --> 00:00:36.069 Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall.
 11
00:00:36.202 --> 00:00:40.340 Right? Like, that was kind of the extent of my black curricular exposure.
 12
00:00:40.407 --> 00:00:44.411 But then I got to Albany State, and like a light bulb, right?
 13
00:00:44.611 --> 00:00:49.611 I had all of these black, brilliant PhDs who were my professors,
 14
00:00:50.884 --> 00:00:55.884 who knew how to teach in a culturally relevant way.
 15
00:00:56.823 --> 00:00:59.793 That made me very, very excited about learning,
 16
00:00:59.793 --> 00:01:02.762 and it translated through my academic performance.
 17
00:01:02.762 --> 00:01:05.565 Albany State, like every HBCU that I know,
 18
00:01:05.565 --> 00:01:07.133 not only teaches you
 19
00:01:07.167 --> 00:01:09.202 that black people are beautiful and brilliant
 20
00:01:09.202 --> 00:01:11.104 and all the things right?
 21
00:01:11.104 --> 00:01:12.872 But it also teaches you
 22
00:01:13.173 --> 00:01:18.173 how to survive in contexts that are not overwhelmingly black.
 23
00:01:18.711 --> 00:01:23.711 You know, it was Albany State that taught me how to navigate a racist,
 24
00:01:23.983 --> 00:01:28.321 predominantly white academia and other spaces where I go
 25
00:01:28.321 --> 00:01:32.425 where there's not acceptable levels of black representation.
 26
00:01:32.759 --> 00:01:34.327 So that was it for me.
 27
00:01:34.327 --> 00:01:37.297 And then, you know, I went to Indiana for grad school.
 28
00:01:37.297 --> 00:01:41.668 It is a very white town, a predominantly white university
 29
00:01:41.701 --> 00:01:42.936 for real, for real.
 30
00:01:42.936 --> 00:01:47.674 But yet the PhD program in higher ed there has this long history
 31
00:01:47.774 --> 00:01:52.479 of recruiting and admitting and graduating black PhD students.
 32
00:01:52.479 --> 00:01:57.217 It is the largest producer of black PhDs in my field.
 33
00:01:57.383 --> 00:02:00.887 What I will also say, though, the disciplinary elitism
 34
00:02:01.087 --> 00:02:05.291 at predominantly white institutions would have us believe that
 35
00:02:05.458 --> 00:02:09.062 economics is more prestigious than African-American studies.
 36
00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:11.631 Says who?
 37
00:02:12.465 --> 00:02:15.301 Did you run that by some black folks first before
 38
00:02:15.301 --> 00:02:18.771 such declarations and determinations were made?
 39
00:02:18.838 --> 00:02:19.772 Right?
 40
00:02:19.772 --> 00:02:23.309 Black folks are underrepresented everywhere,
 41
00:02:24.077 --> 00:02:27.247 even in fields like education.
 42
00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:28.381 What I mean by that.
 43
00:02:28.381 --> 00:02:30.483 Two things could be simultaneously true.
 44
00:02:30.483 --> 00:02:33.453 Education is, in fact, the field in which
 45
00:02:33.453 --> 00:02:36.723 the highest number of doctorates are awarded to black people.
 46
00:02:36.956 --> 00:02:39.792 But are still so many schools of education
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00:02:39.792 --> 00:02:42.795 all across the country at predominantly white institutions,
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00:02:42.929 --> 00:02:46.266 that ain't got no black faculty member, that has never had
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00:02:46.266 --> 00:02:49.269 a black department chair or a black dean.
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00:02:49.369 --> 00:02:52.772 All the disciplines suffer from
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00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:56.209 an underrepresentation of black faculty.
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00:02:56.543 --> 00:03:01.080 So then it raises the question for me, is it white supremacy that you're
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00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:05.818 attempting to protect through these elitist disciplinary logics?
 

Education

Support & Encouragement

Finding Support As A Black Student In Higher Education

I'm curious if you have any challenges trying to get people
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00:00:03.870 --> 00:00:07.741 to see healthy food as worth it or maybe even cultural?
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00:00:08.208 --> 00:00:09.275 We've had several.
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00:00:09.275 --> 00:00:12.812 We've had significant pushback on people trying to see healthy food.
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00:00:12.946 --> 00:00:15.482 That's why we did this program the way we did it
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00:00:15.982 --> 00:00:18.485 with the culturally relevant, as we call them, meals,
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00:00:18.485 --> 00:00:22.422 because anybody that's from around here know that we love greens.
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00:00:22.489 --> 00:00:24.858 And people were like, Well, I'm not going to eat that
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00:00:24.858 --> 00:00:28.561 because everything that I get that's healthy is disgusting.
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00:00:28.561 --> 00:00:30.130 That's why we worked with the chef.
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00:00:30.130 --> 00:00:33.633 So he knows how to cook these meals in a culturally relevant way.
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00:00:33.666 --> 00:00:37.170 I mean, I've had to show people like we grew acorn squash
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00:00:37.470 --> 00:00:39.572 and they were like, oh, what do we do with that.
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00:00:39.739 --> 00:00:41.341 But once you show people how to cook it,
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00:00:41.341 --> 00:00:43.543 that's why we're doing more of the education.
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00:00:43.543 --> 00:00:46.346 Once you show people how to cook it, you know, turned upside down
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00:00:46.346 --> 00:00:48.481 and just a little bit of honey and a little bit of cinnamon.
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00:00:48.481 --> 00:00:49.983 Oh, that's the best thing I ever had.
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00:00:49.983 --> 00:00:51.785 They come back for acorn squash.
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00:00:51.785 --> 00:00:54.020 So we've had pushback and we've had people to say that
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00:00:54.020 --> 00:00:56.990 I'm not going to eat that until you show them in a different way.
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00:00:57.357 --> 00:01:00.126 So we're starting with this program to show them in a different way
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00:01:00.126 --> 00:01:01.194 how to eat it.
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00:01:01.194 --> 00:01:03.663 So I think it's opening up more now.
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00:01:04.597 --> 00:01:06.533 We still have a long way to go.
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00:01:06.533 --> 00:01:09.702 On people being educated about you can eat it this way
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00:01:09.869 --> 00:01:12.372 and there's still a lot of I don't want to say education
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00:01:12.372 --> 00:01:14.474 because it makes it seem like I'm talking down to people.
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00:01:14.474 --> 00:01:17.110 But if you don't know, you don't know. It's things I didn't know.
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00:01:17.377 --> 00:01:20.280 I learn new things every day, every week, every year.
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00:01:20.747 --> 00:01:22.749 So we're still learning.
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00:01:22.782 --> 00:01:25.185 We're still showing people have do things in a different way.
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00:01:25.418 --> 00:01:30.418 So I think now I feel at least I feel in my spirit that it's opening up more now.
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00:01:30.423 --> 00:01:34.160 People are learning more about how to eat culturally relevant, but eat
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00:01:34.861 --> 00:01:35.762 in a different way.
 

While my nursing background was helpful for the Food is Medicine portion, I'd recommend pursuing a degree in agriculture, food justice, public health, or environmental justice.

Negativity

Fighting Against Gender Stigma In The Trades

Fighting Against Gender Stigma In The Trades

Amy Ecklund

289 videos on Negativity: