Interview with Class of 2017 graduate Trey Johnston
Interview with Class of 2008 graduate Andrea M. Pagano-Reyez
Interview with Class of 2018 graduate Yelana Sims
Interview with Class of 2019 graduate Ashley Atilano
Interview with Class of 2020 graduate Breya Johnson
Interview with Class of 2017 graduate Trey Johnston
Trey Johnston is a 2017 MA graduate of the Liberal Arts track. Trey is currently the Associate Director of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute at GW.
Q. Can you please share more about your MA experience and what made you take this academic route?
A. I was really excited about the GW MA program because of the opportunity to effectively design my own concentration. I was one of those people that had too many undergraduate majors, but my WGSS major was where I found a place to bring everything together. My first fem theory course was an aha moment where I realized we can (and should!) consider material conditions alongside symbolic ones and that there was a reason only reading hundreds to thousands-year-old white men in other courses felt insufficient. So, when I was applying to grad school, I knew interdisciplinarity was key for me to scratch the itch to dive deeper into the field. I spent a lot of time during my Masters really exploring questions like, “What does women’s studies mean in the global? How does considering Black women’s experiences change the way we approach entire disciplines? What does gender inclusion and justice look like when we center dis/ability?” It was about giving myself the chance to really think through gender in all facets of life, but from a much more complex intersectional lens. In addition to meeting incredible professors and classmates, I am thankful for my MA experience, because it gave me the opportunity to explore, deepen my critical thinking, and write a cathartic thesis that I don’t think could have been possible in another discipline.
Q. How do you think your MA in WGSS has shaped your professional choices/work? And specifically, at the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute?
A. My job directly engages with research and program design related to Hispanics/Latinos, but a lot of the work I do at the Institute and throughout GW is really informed by the work I did in the WGSS program. In addition to the work exploring how race/ethnicity and gender are intimately intertwined, “Research Methods” – that I took with Dr. Deitch – was incredibly formative, because it really changed the way that I think about research and program design. I still use a lot of the theories and methods that I gained from my WGSS classes alongside my own experiences as a Latino. It helps me think about the value and limits of my own experience, as well as the context in which we do our equity work. These lessons are relevant to our recruitment, the language we use, the partnerships we form, and the conversations we bring into our community of Scholars.
For example, we have had really powerful conversations about sexism in the Latinx community at the Institute. For me, these conversations have to be informed by both the cultural relevance of its specific forms, while also accounting for the ways that overusing words like machismo outside of intra-group conversations can slip into the rhetoric of “saving brown women from brown men” that Spivak warns us of. WGSS helps me both recognize and not shy away from those complexities. Working within higher ed, it is important to me that the classroom isn’t the extent of critique, and that we can help create and foster an environment that is progressive and equity-building. I bring that with me in my direct job and in the committee work I do throughout the university, like with the Diversity Summit and other university initiatives.
Q. How has WGSS prepared you for life post-graduation?
A. I think it has really helped me navigate 2020 in particular. WGSS changes the way you think, and it has been a really important lens for understanding my personal circumstances and really thinking through the needs of other groups during the pandemic, while still imagining futures beyond it. WGSS helps me think about grief, bodies, work, marginality, care, who is made in/visible, etc. Professionally, WGSS was already pushing me to engage with accessibility from an expansive perspective, so I was relatively prepared to adapt programming or advocate for students disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Beyond 2020, I love the critical drive of WGSS, because it doesn’t allow us to settle. In a moment where the rhetoric is all about “returning to normal,” WGSS has helped me feel more prepared to push back and engage in tough conversations that the old “normal” was never good enough. If the personal is political, then WGSS has really made me a more engaged citizen.
Q. How do you see yourself using WGSS themes 5 years from now?
A. I actually just started part-time in the Gender and Social Policy track in the PhD program at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration this year. During the M.A. program, I really gave myself the time to think about theory – which I think is incredibly important personally and professionally – and now, I am pushing myself to think about how to ensure those theories become articulable in policy and programs. During the next five years, I want to think more systemically about how we make sure the incredible work happening in WGSS isn’t just happening in isolation, but is actually being translated and implemented. I honestly can’t imagine a future not informed by themes from WGSS, because once your eyes are opened it’s hard to close them again. My personal challenge to myself is to not get comfortable feeling like reading or “knowing” is the end, but to make sure that my work and personal life embody and advance those themes.
Q. What advice would you give to a recent WGSS graduate?
A. The skills you learn in WGSS are really crucial; make sure you allow yourself to really own that and make it part of how you present yourself and your strengths. I am sure we have all heard some version of, “What kind of job are you going to get?” (because, well, sexism), but I do think it is worth the time to make sure your resume doesn’t only reflect your degree, but also highlights your experience with research or background in a special area, etc. Don’t be afraid to assert, “I am an expert” or, if you don’t like the language of mastery, “I have a specialized perspective on this.” Bringing yourself and bringing your expertise/experience really does have the potential to help create lasting change in your community or organizations.
Virtually or in-person, I am on campus and I am happy to be a resource or even just an ear! And while you are on campus, actually use the resources here at GW, like the Writing Center and Career Center!
Email: treyjohnston@gwu.edu
Interview with Class of 2008 graduate Andrea M. Pagano-Reyez
December 4, 2020
We got the opportunity to sit down with Andrea M. Pagano-Reyes, who is a 2008 MA graduate of the WGSS Public Policy track. Andrea is currently the Vice President of Development at RAINN. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense.
Q. Can you please share more about your MA experience and what made you take this academic route?
A. My undergraduate degrees from Penn State were in Political Science and, what was then, Women’s Studies, is now Gender and Equity Studies. I moved to D.C. to get hands-on experience in advocacy and activism and to see what change movements I could participate in across a broad range of social justice issues such as equality, gender equality to be specific. One of the core values to which I subscribe, and was taught growing up, is to leave the world a better place than when you entered it. So, I am always kind of trying to do better and to lift up and change everything from legislation to the way we live. Coming to D.C., you realize that there are a whole lot of people that are also trying to do that! I was exposed to so many people who were doing so many interesting things from international development work to working on the Hill, off the Hill, you name it! It really demonstrated, for me, a need to go one step further and deeper to become an expert and be competitive in the field. I was raised to value higher education and the public school system in my family and community; my dad is a Dean and my mom is a retired school teacher. Being around advanced education was something that I always had an interest in but the how and the why and the what, I hadn’t really figured out yet. Once in D.C., I was able to get some hands-on experience and explore what really makes the most sense for me. I think the main reason this program came up was knowing other alum from the WGSS program. Another thing that attracted me to the University, and this program in particular, was that you could do this program part-time. That was important to me because I had to continue my full-time job, because that was how I was paying for rent and health insurance, and, I had my foot in the door in some advocacy roles, so I didn’t want to lose those real-time connections. This program allowed me to continue forward momentum while still allowing time to take a step back from the day to day at work to really dive in deeper into some of the theories, approaches, and culture-shifting ideas and philosophies. Being in an accessible location where I could do a full day of work and then pop into a class was a huge benefit. Seems kind of interesting now in this remote world, but having something that was walking distance from work was a selling point! Another selling point was the uniqueness of the program when I wanted to earn a Master’s, but wanted the flexibility to dabble in different areas. I had both Policy and Women’s Studies as areas of concentration without having to get an MPP or MPA. The WGSS program helped me explore, and in particular, one thing that attracted me to this program that I still to this day talk about, was that I was able to take two Law classes. I can’t imagine another scenario where I could get exposure to a legal class, and get credit for it towards a degree that wouldn’t mean a full Law degree, which is a whole different route
Q. How do you think your MA in WGSS has shaped your professional choices/work? And specifically, at RAINN?
A. I had the foundation from my undergraduate degrees to come to D.C. and I did get my foot in the door because I was working at Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund in the National Office in the Political Department when I started the WGSS program. I was at a panel about a year and a half ago speaking with Professor Deitch, and she mentioned that I was in fundraising at the time entered the program and I talked a lot about it being such a great profession, and here I am still in fundraising. But, what I found was that the program allowed me to move pretty quickly into a lot of different issue areas and it also gave me a competitive edge. I know that if didn’t stay in fundraising, I was qualified to do a number of other types of advocacy work. Also, fundraising in general, and any of my development work, has always been for organizations with missions for which I deeply care about and I need to have an in-depth knowledge of those issues to be successful. Earning the WGSS degree allowed me to be able to move between many of the issues that effect gender equality and social justice in the United States. From everything from violence against women to reproductive rights to healthcare access and other inequalities, no matter at what organization I working, I had some basis and background to support the vital missions. I worked in higher education development, and holding an advanced degree helped me integrate into the higher ed culture quickly. That layer of knowledge has always made me a more effective development professional because I understand the programming and the policies and how we are trying to move them forward from experience and I’m not just someone presenting the work; I’ve done the work, I know the work. That understanding comes from the time and energy to really read a variety of journals and thoughts and philosophies to gain that deeper knowledge.
Q. How has WGSS prepared you for life post-graduation?
A. Full transparency, I think I was a little different from the majority of my classmates because most had recently finished their undergraduate degrees, so the internship that they got through the program really propelled their careers, which I observed first-hand and I think was a very helpful model. For me, I had been in the workforce for a little bit and I continued to be in the workforce while in school. So, here’s a couple of things that come to mind: my fellow colleagues in the program ended up going to a lot of different careers with some folks going to work at think tank organizations to advocacy and non-profit organizations and others going into governmental agencies, this helps me to continue to build a network in D.C. and is very valuable for future. The critical thinking skills gained through the WGSS program are invaluable, especially if you are in a profession that is not necessarily cut and dry. Both the development profession and the change movement are complicated and nuanced in nature; constantly changing with the times and understanding how policy changes, understanding inequities, and understanding how this ties into our daily work is essential. Understanding not only what your organization’s mission and goals may be, but how to accomplish that mission through the programs and roles of your colleagues, networks, coalitions, and staff, which plays a role in everything that I do going forward. And, just to reiterate again, that extra competitive edge of having a little bit of deeper knowledge into this area.
Q. How do you see yourself using WGSS themes 5 years from now?
A. It’s interesting because I referenced my journey in the program a few jobs back because my Capstone project centered around the behind the scenes of political elections, money in politics, and whether women political fundraisers wield power. In particular, I studied in fundraising how, at the time and still today, the top fundraisers known are men, but it is a female-dominated field. And, these female fundraisers are raising money to elect male candidates, and once these male candidates are elected, how are they legislating as elected officials? Are the women fundraisers helping to elect more male candidates who are then enacting more equitable legislation? Is there more parental leave, things like that, and so I talked about this a lot when I was more deeply in politics in my job. I definitely kept thinking about my time in the WGSS program at GWU and applying it to my work in politics. Going forward, I am at a point where I am excited to see how the program grows, and the changes that are made, and the “who.” By the “who”, I mean you – who are coming out of the program now, what is their focus, how can I reach out a hand and help, in any way, that next star coming out of this program. Knowing that our values align, knowing they have solid critical-thinking skills, knowing they are very committed to this work means I’m here to lift them up and that’s really where I am right now. Less on the resume builder, if you will, and more on the mentoring and being able to see the most recent graduates and what they are going to do and be and be in this world.
Q. What advice would you give to a recent WGSS graduate? To current WGSS graduate students?
A. I would give a couple pieces of advice. One is to celebrate their accomplishment; to always be proud that you took that degree one step further and always be committed to knowing more and to work toward a more equitable society. This type of training at a university like GW in the urban setting of the D.C. metro region and all of the connections the professors have to really know that you come to the table with a lot of value and you add value at any table in D.C. Also, for any recent graduate, no matter their degree or their path is, to say “yes”! Say “yes” to whatever is offered or asked. Whether it’s ‘Do you want to come along to this networking event’ or ‘Can I interview this person’ or ‘Can I have an intro coffee with this person?’ or ‘Can you volunteer for this special project?’ or ‘I know this is outside of your department, but can you come over and join this one call?’ Always say “yes” because you have no idea what this can lead to and the more willingness to learn from every experience, the better you are going to be. While I think it is great to be an expert in one field, you can be an expert in one thing but still gain expertise from a multitude of experiences. The more experiences that you have and the more diverse they are, the more robust your contributions will be to both yourself and to our society.
If you are interested in connecting with Andrea, feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.
Interview with Class of 2018 graduate Yelana Sims
November 10, 2020
We got an opportunity to virtually sit with one of our alums, Yelana Sims. Yelana is currently an African American Studies PhD student at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Yelana graduated from the WGSS Master’s of Art program in 2018. Read on to learn about her journey in WGSS!
Q: How do you think your MA in WGSS has shaped your professional choices/work?
A: When I finished my undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt, I knew that I wanted to conduct research about Black women and to pursue a Master’s degree and afterwards, a PhD. I chose to study Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the Master’s degree level at GW because Washington, D.C. felt like a place of opportunity. I completed my Master’s of Arts (MA) thesis on Black women and responses to social media, which inspired me to continue to pursue research about technology, now at the PhD level. My time studying at GW gave me a couple of years to streamline my interests and decide what I wanted to do next. I am currently pursuing a PhD in African American Studies at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst, which I believe will allow me to have another perspective on conducting research regarding Black women.
Q: What made you decide to study WGSS back then?
A: I decided to pursue my MA in WGSS because I knew that I wanted to do research, but I wasn’t as interested in the public policy side of it (WGSS). I still use a lot of research methods that I learned from WGSS in my current work.
Studying WGSS sparked my interest in teaching. Thus far in my PhD studies, I have been a teaching assistant (TA) for my dissertation chair and for the “History of the Civil Rights Movement” course. I have also taught an undergraduate course “Introduction to Black Studies” once and “Black Women in U.S. History” once. I will teach my third stand alone course, “Introduction to Southern Literature,” in the Spring 2021 semester. Teaching is a part of my PhD program that I really enjoy, and I am looking forward to designing my own syllabus and assigning “Kindred” by Octavia E. Butler for the course I’m teaching in Spring 2021.
Q: What advice do you have for current WGSS students?
A: If you’re an undergraduate student studying WGSS, enjoy being in D.C. and have fun! Take advantage of the opportunities to network and build relationships with people in the city. When I was in undergrad, I chose courses that were interesting and looking back, I wish that I had paid more attention to the foundational courses.
Always be sure to dig deeper in whatever you are researching and don’t let public policy distract you from the rest of the WGSS field. If you’re a MA student, don’t be picky but be intentional in the classes you take and what topic you choose for your thesis. I recommend taking the not-so-fun courses now so that you can teach the fun courses later.
Q: How do you see yourself continuing to work in the field?
A: My work lies at the intersection of three to four disciplines: African American studies, women’s studies, technology studies, and, to some extent, labor studies. Because I am committed to researching Black women in a current and historical sense, I continue to utilize the research methods I learned in WGSS and still reference all course syllabi.
I am currently in my fourth year of my PhD program, with everything except for my dissertation completed. My goal is to be on the job market by Fall of 2021 and wrap up my entire dissertation by Summer of 2022.
If you are interested in connecting with Yelana, feel free to find her on LinkedIn.
Interview with Class of 2019 graduate Ashley Atilano
August 7, 2020
We recently got the chance to virtually sit down with 2019 WGSS Graduate Ashley Atilano and hear about her journey post-graduation! Ashley shared some great insights of her journey through recently earning her masters degree and landing a job as an educator and also what’s to come in the future! Read more about Ashley’s journey!
Q: Congratulations on your recent graduation from the MA program at Stanford! Can you please share more about that experience and what made you take this academic route, given your WGSS background?
A: Halfway through my time in the WGSS program I realized that I wanted to become a teacher. Part of the reason I realized this was something I learned in WGSS― the personal is political. We are especially seeing that now with COVID-19. Nothing happens by accident, especially in education. For myself, I look back at my education with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I had phenomenal educators who are still in my life to this day. They saw the best in me and challenged me to rise to their high expectations. Simultaneously, I wish I had an education that was more culturally-sustaining. I grew up as a first-generation college student and Latina from a low-income household. My community shares similar demographics. Yet most of our teachers were primarily white affluent women from outside our community. Again, they were transformative educators in that they took the time to build positive relationships with me and pushed me to reach their high expectations. But I believe their identities played a role in having a curriculum that was not always as reflective of the student population. For example, the school district I attended is approximately 96% Latinx yet in my whole K-12 education I remember only reading one book by a Latinx author. When I attended GW, I was surprised to realize Latino Literature is an entire genre, an entire movement in literature. While it is important to have windows into different experiences, for students who are not represented or negatively portrayed in U.S. society, we deserve mirrors of our experiences. And so, based on my experiences as a student both in K-12 and higher education, I believe education is where we can make significant changes in people’s lives. For me, being an English educator is about empowering students to find their voice so they can use it as agents of social change in their community.
Q: How has WGSS prepared you for life post-graduation?
A: One of the biggest things I appreciate about WGSS education is that I felt there was a nice balance of learning abstract concepts and then applying them to a variety of tangible or real life works and circumstances. One class where I had this experience was an English and WGSS cross-listed course taught by Professor Daiya entitled “Gender and Sexuality in Postcolonial Film and Literature.” Being able to consider gender and sexuality in contemporary work is exactly something I am seeking to do with my students this school year. Especially since I will begin teaching my students completely online, it only makes sense to utilize this space. While some courses might consider anything beyond literature non-academic, that was never the case for WGSS. The entire world is a text that we are constantly reading, analyzing, and reimagining. And so for this school year as I construct my curriculum, I hope to include a variety of texts that students can engage with. We need to teach abstract and theoretical frameworks alongside something tangible, something in our everydays so that we can reimagine long standing institutions in real time.
Q: How do you see yourself using WGSS themes 5 years from now?
A: In five years, I anticipate that I will either still be in the classroom as a teacher or possibly going back to school by trying to earn either a PhD or EdD. Either way, I know I will be focusing on ways to make education more equitable. The theme of education in the U.S. for the last few decades has been holding educators accountable by requiring more standardized testing and additional measures that I do not believe have positively impacted education. With the pandemic, I believe people are beginning to realize that educators need students to be supported beyond the classroom. We need to ensure students are not hungry, that they feel safe, and have the resources to be healthy and well. A major theme in WGSS is identifying and dismantling interlocking systems of oppression. Thus, wherever I am five years from now, I want to play a role in identifying and dismantling these systems within education to ensure all students receive the education they deserve.
Q: What advice would you give to a recent WGSS graduate?
A: My biggest advice is to realize the privilege that this program and this degree affords you. I know that for myself, sometimes I still feel like that first-generation college student and Latina from a low-income and immigrant family. And while those identities have had a tremendous impact on the person I am, I have to recognize when things have changed. I am a college graduate. I have a Master’s degree from Stanford University. Later this month, I will be financially stable and have comprehensive health coverage. That said, as a WGSS graduate that alone gives you an immense amount of privilege you should not forget. We need to use the power and privilege this degree affords us to dismantle power and privilege.
Interview with Class of 2020 graduate Breya Johnson
July 14, 2020
In this time of social and racial unrest, community involvement and activism are key to invoke effective change. We met with recent WGSS MA graduate Breya Johnson to speak with her involvement in on the ground activism work with Black Women’s Health Imperative and BYP100. Breya’s role targets political education, reproductive justice, maternity, medicare, clean water, and period equity. Read more about what Breya had to say about why activism is important:
Q: What motivated you to get engaged with activism? How long have you been involved in this work?
A: I first had my feminist awakening via Tumblr. Through Tumblr, by following the appropriate people (women, trans, kids, and teens) who didn’t have theory but lived experiences, I noticed how they talked about what they were bearing witness to, which spoke to a greater awareness of what was happening around the world. I also pair this with being a part of the Trayvon Martin generation. Later on, I found Toni Morrison’s Beloved and other Black women writers that gave me the language and truly inspired the engagement I would have for the rest of my life.
I started organizing at Towson University, as an undergraduate student. I also did work in Baltimore City. While at Towson, I helped organize “Occupy Towson,” a 12 hour sit-in in the President’s Office with a list of demands. Before the actual sit in, we got every single Black student organization on campus to cancel their regularly scheduled events/meetings to host a Black listening session. We provided a space for students to speak, be in conflict, and draw connections. It was a true consciousness raising moment. From there we took their words and drafted the list of demands. Nine out of 12 demands were implemented on campus. It is important to note that this was also happening during the “we are mizzou” student movement. Collectively, across the nation, this energy was present and Black students were mobilizing.
Afterward this sit-in, there were continuous problems on campus of course. So, we had to keep going beyond that one radical action. We created what was called the “Organized Network of Student Resistance.” This was for Black radical students only. We made interested white students start their own organizations for accountability purposes. Later, we created Towson’s Freedom School and I created Womanist United, a small organization I started to help Black women understand womanism.
I do also recognize that there is a difference between the Black student movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, which I consider these two different movements because student movements have great limitations when organizing is limited to a campus.
Q: How do you define your activism work? What does it mean to be “on the ground?”
A: I define “on the ground” as being very present with what is occurring in the community and in organizing spaces. “On the ground” means to be there when events take place (protest, civil disobedience, bird dogging etc.). It means being in community with people who are being affected, to care, and to organize around these causes. This can also involve differing levels of engagement so that you are connected to the issue in some way. Sometimes, we have remote needs and those matter as well and keep the “on the ground” motions moving. But, in the simplest terms to be on the ground is to be present.
There is also an emotional and mental engagement with what’s happening in the world. Therefore, being “on the ground” requires finding ways that you are close to the issues — so that you don’t turn away or disconnect, so that you never say “that’s just life.” Others organizers may disagree with me on this because to others, “on the ground” is only planning and being there for the actions but I see an emotional dimension.
On defining “activism,” I do not consider myself an “activist.” I’ve moved away from this label. Instead, I like to call myself an “organizer.” I think “activist” has an individualistic connotation to it that makes me uncomfortable. Whereas, to me, to be an “organizer” means I am organizing with people and likely a part of a political home. I also think being called an “activist” takes a lot longer to reach and accomplish and is a term that only your community can give you.
Q: What issues are you currently tackling? Why do you think these problems exist?
A: I am a Policy Fellow at Black Women’s Health Imperative. My involvement here deals with how things shape and impact Black health. I am tasked with reproductive justice, maternal mortality, medicare, clean water, and period equity. I primarily focus on health care, maternal mortality, and reproductive justice. I think these issues speak to the times that we’re currently in.
I am also the Education Co-Chair for BYP100, where I am involved with political education in general, decrimNOW, and She Safe We Safe.
Why do I think these problems exist? I can use bell hooks’ answer that pinpoints white supremacy, a for profit culture, and a culture of domination. I do think that these problems will always exist but the culprits are the problems in and of itself; life will not be perfect when these things are absent but there is no compromise — White supremacist capitalist imperialism patriarchy must fall. I also believe that we have an unloving culture. We live in a culture that does not love for the community (there’s no community care). I also think we need to be anti-punishment and anti-state. But, I won’t go into my love ethics today.
More specifically to the issue of Black women’s health, there isn’t just necessarily neglect but rather medical racism paired with the lived experience with being Black. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Black people but there are issues with the environments we live in that impact our health. Examples of death rates even in COVID-19 show that there is racism and anti-Blackness in the medical field. My hope for the Black Lives Matters movement is that it shifts to the medical field and the medical arena, where one day we can focus on this field and not so much on police brutality; the state can kill via policy a lot quicker. I’d like to see more efforts geared to Black health. Not to derail BLM but I do wish to see uprising around this dimension one day.
Q: What approaches/methods do you use in your work?
A: I have a Psychology and Women’s Studies background. The Psychology part shows up when I am trying to understand human behavior and feelings. I keep feelings at the center of my work. This can tell us about desires and get us closer to the truth of what the issue is. I wanted to know how to understand psychoanalysis and how to use it as a praxis. Using what I learned in Psychology and Black women’s writings, which in my opinion are psychoanalysis, I apply this in organizing. I rely on what people feel in order to organize. I think this gets a deeper picture of the community and the community you’re in with, and what demands you should make.
This approach comes from the “feminist consciousness raising,” which can begin with talking about your feelings and relating them to larger systemic issues. For example, to organize the sit-in at Towson, I got the list of demands from gathering and interpreting the sentiments of the students before drafting demands. I first asked students how they felt and why they didn’t feel safe. I asked what do you see and how does it make you feel, on purpose. From there, I was able to take these feelings from the students and relate them to policy. I took it upon myself to relate this to how I was going to approach higher administration at the university.
I rely on bell hooks and June Jordan. I don’t just study their work, I study the way they write. If the personal is political, I must study the ways Black women writers politize their personal. There is a method to this. Womanism demands a healthy engagement with yourself, a certain holistic undertaking of the self that I also apply to my work. Like Jennifer Nash said it’s a process of, “Reordering the self and moving beyond the limitations of selfhood.” That is always my approach and how I push people.
Q: What are the least and most challenging aspects of your work?
A: I would not describe it as easy, but the part that I love the most about what I do is the teaching aspect and sharing political education and curriculum development. I love bringing people back to my favorite Black women writers and even though this is still very hard and complex work, it is still my favorite thing to do.
The hardest part is the fight and what you are up against all the time. Being a dark skinned queer Black woman organizer, I face a lot of online and in-person abuse. People spread mass amounts of hate through social media and having to manage that personally is challenging. It takes a lot of work managing hypervisibility while simultaneously being able to stay engaged in a healthy way. My organization doesn’t believe in martyrship, so managing security and digital security knowing what happened to protestors in Ferguson and some members of the Black Panther Party coupled with technological advancements and face ID is difficult.
There is a June Jordan quote about activism that helps me remember why I believe in what I am fighting for. I believe in a world where tenderness is possible and that’s where I will work to get us. It is so easy to want to detach and give up on the collective fight, but we have to resist that inner urge every single day.
Q: What advice would you give to students who would like to get involved in this kind of work that’s on the ground? What role do you think college students can play in invoking effective change?
A: My advice would be to focus on the causes that are important to you because there are so many problems and you are a stronger organizer when you are actually organizing around your belief system.
My second advice is to find your political home; you are going to need this! Your political home will make you accountable to your work, provide a space where you stay connected with other like minded people and learn from them, and be a safe space because this work is hard and you need people to lean on.
You can find what causes resonates with you and your current situation or you can study what is happening around you and join the dominant cause. Lifelong work requires you to find what resonates with you personally. One aspect that is also often overlooked is having a political education. Knowing and understanding not only your singular experience, but a worldwide view of the problem allows you to not be coerced to creating more harm than you set out to do. This doesn’t have to be the traditional Western way of learning. Go further than your personal experiences and go international. But, there is no way around studying.
Do not assume that just because you do not know about something does not mean it doesn’t exist. We have been battling these issues for centuries so there are very few things in this world that are new. Do not assume that you will be the creator of something brand new, that is not understanding what being the cultural grandchildren of freedom fighters is. Be generative and look for people that are already doing the work. Understand collectivism and the generational movement and be ready to learn from others.
Q: You talked about the difference between student activism and the BLM movement and the limitations students have, so how do you think the current increase in allyship and student activism will affect the future college experience for black students?
A: This depends on what we are defining as change and how it relates to our political beliefs. There is the university adapting itself to do the same type of harm but in a different way and then there is actually stopping the various ways that the university harms students, faculty, staff, the community, the environment, etc. Those two things are very different so it is important to know the difference. Students need to go beyond the university to the larger world that creates the problems and upholds these systems. Demands for things like ‘more black professors’ will not change the systemic problems that black students or professors face, although it is a step. The university can hire 50 black women professors, and treat all 50 of them horribly, and that is still a problem. We need to not allow universities to just make themselves look better, and define what change actually is. This does not discount the work that black, lgbtq, and other students put in to demand change. Student activism has to go beyond the university to the larger world because the university is of the world and one cannot change without the other changing. Students have to demand beyond the university and understand the connection between the world and the university. I am deeply against the “university as a microcosm of the world” argument.
The university has systems that deradicalize students. They offer them positions or they just simply wait them out. This is why Black feminist storytelling, oral traditions, political education, and trainings are critical. If all the work stops when you graduate, in some ways, you failed.
Be sure to follow BYP100 for your updates on the great work they are doing and to follow Breya on @TheBlackLayers for the day to day insight on the issues she is working on.
GWU Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 