Q10. Vision
· I am inspired by a lot of people. Currently, I am inspired by all the people of color who work around the clock to bring forth change. I'm inspired by Bakari Sellers - who is a great CNN correspondent, author, father, and overall great black man. I think he challenges the idea of the status quo by showing how far we've come as a people and how far we have still to go. I'm also inspired by all the local organizers and protesters who channel their passion into creating movements that people can follow.
· Believe it or not, I don’t have a specific person. I thought of Angela Davis and her longtime championing of prison abolition, but as far as someone who is galvanizing the movement right now, no one in particular. I think the originators of the BLM movement, who shall remain namelss, the Black queer women who have stayed outside the public eye, have been inspirational because they refuse to use this movement to elevate their personal agenda.
· To a degree… Tony Campolo and of course MLK jr.
· Nelson Mandela pour son sacrifice dans la lutte contre le racisme.
Nelson Mandela for his sacrifice in the fight against racism.
· My best friend/ my soul sister Noni Grear has a vision to feed her community through healthy food and listening to your body in a holistic way has inspired me a lot to change what I put in my body, my mind, and my heart. She and I are the same age. We meet in 2005 as freshmen in high school and I have watched her grow as the powerful woman she is today and yet to become and I just admire her strength and her knowledge. She wants to give that and more to the community but she lacks support, help with her business ventures and audience. People should listen to her- she is gifted and she wants our community to change for the better. [Noni's Linkedin here]
· Niiamah Ashong's voice has stood out for me. Niiamah is someone I knew, though not very well, from undergrad at Cornell. I’ve been very grateful for his video posts to facebook, which are deeply vulnerable and insightful. What is so powerful is how he probes sensitive questions, unpacking his thoughts in real time and really inviting people to the table to join in and question him too. I guess we often think of a “vision” as a desired end point, but in this case it’s more about the process. He’s a role model for me as a communicator and creator of constructive spaces, which we so keenly need today. [Niiamah's "trailblazer" website here]
· Luster Singleton. My mentor. Without them, I would not be who I am and be able to do what I do. They have given me the most in my vision to see what is really going on and ways to address and serve. [Luster was featured in an episode of Story Corps, if you want to take a listen!]
· Brendon Burchard. He has forever changed my life by teaching me how to fight for everything I care for and believe with every ounce of my soul, with a willingness to give-up whatever necessary. [Burchard's website here]
· Our lord Bilal, companion of Prophet Muhammad. His attitude under torture perfectly embodies the spirit of Islam. I wrote a piece on that once [here]. If it makes any difference, he was a Black man. But... I'd find him inspiring even if he was white. [Race shouldn't be] a matter of adding or deducting points.
· I derive inspiration from my own belief system. God has played a part in this. My parents have. Different people I have met have. Different people who have done good for mankind have played a part. My close friends from far away lands have always supported a just cause. My journalist friends have always talked about BLM. Some of these people are way more well-read than I am on these matters. I respect them and their ideas, as well as mine, did help in forming my opinions and values.
A brief conclusion from Matt & Jane:
We hope you enjoyed this interview series, as we certainly did!! A HUGE thank you to all our interviewee friends for sharing your thoughtful responses.
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