The Dithering of a District Diva

In early 2010, I introduced many of you to “Happy Black Girl Day!”, a holiday created by Brooklyn diva extraordinaire and fellow blogger Sister Toldja. This once-a-month holiday allows us to take a break from the constant media assault on Black women and to celebrate the sisterhood with showers of positivity. The way I choose to celebrate HBGD is by highlighting an extraordinary and prototypical Black woman.

February’s Prototype: Erica L. Williams, Deputy Director of top progressive think tank Center for American Progress’s Progress 2050 project, former Deputy Director of Campus Progress, CNN, Fox News, C-Span and Tavis Smiley correspondent, and one of Politico.com’s 50 Politicos to Watch.

Erica Williams has taken the world of public policy by storm. At only 27, the Washington, D.C. native and perpetual advocate for the underprivileged has already led two major projects for the top progressive think tank, Center for American Progress:  Progress 2050, (a shared vision she created with a colleague) which develops new ideas to meet the growing diversity in America, and Campus Progress, which works to provide progressive solutions to key political and social issues facing young people and college students.  As the face of Campus Progress, Erica was the media’s go-to advocate whenever there was an issue involving young people, and she held her own under conservative fire in all of her Fox News appearances.

As the child of two preachers, it would seem Erica was well-positioned to become the  dynamic speaker and effective advocate that she is. But it was not until tragedy struck her life at a young age that Erica decided to come into her own and follow her own path:

One of the largest turning points in my life was the passing of my father when I was 16 years old. Until that point my identity had been wrapped up in him and my relationship to him (“Oh – you’re Pastor Williams’ daughter!”). Beyond that point I recognized that not only was I forced to develop who I was separate from my family but I was able to see how the influence of both of my parents could manifest itself in my own unique choices and decisions. I recognized that only I was responsible for the impact I would make on the world…so I got to work figuring out what that would be.

A symbol of her decision to be her own person was her move to North Carolina to attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill — hours away from her entire family.  But, the independence was short-lived, and due to dwindling financial aid, Erica found herself back at home, attending the University of Maryland, College Park.  Never one to be down for very long, Erica turned that setback into an opportunity to advocate for other college students dealing with the increasingly high costs and burdens of higher education.

I was devastated – I had built friendships, networks, and true connections to UNC that felt as if they were being ripped up by the root due to economic concerns that were out of my control. But I’m a firm believer that when life hands you lemons you make lemonade. Once I moved back to Maryland I put the past behind me and appreciated the low-cost high quality education that I was receiving (and my lack of crazy academic debt now is proof that I made the right decision!). Looking back, it didn’t just help me grow and put me on my current career path (it was a professor there who pointed me in the direction of my first job) but it also gave me a very practical experience that I can use to identify with the majority of young people who, in this economic climate, are unable to afford the educational experience that they want and deserve.

Erica found her purpose to work for progressive change not only as a result of her own hardships, but also because of her faith.  She says:

Growing up in church, I learned that it is not about me at all. We are all vessels that God uses to fulfill his purpose.  In church I saw my parents be the perfect example of that and I saw that faith was the primary method of finding that purpose. When asking how do you help people live up to their goals and passion and purpose, God was always the answer to that question. But when I got older I saw that there is a critical component outside of the church. There are systems and structures beyond the church and beyond Sunday morning that need our attention. So for me, politics is my ministry.

And once she found her call, she has not deviated from it.  Fresh from the University of Maryland, she coordinated grassroots activity in 45 states to advance federal civil and human rights legislation for the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Named one of Politico.com’s 50 Politicos to Watch, and one of TheRoot.com’s The Root 100, Erica shows no signs of slowing down. And not only has she been the face of the young progressive movement with Campus Progress and the effort to meet the challenges of a more diverse America with Project 2050, Erica has been a beautiful example of an intelligent, confident, natural-hair-wearing, and happy African-American woman on mainstream television! She recalls her first television interview with natural hair:

In my first television appearance, I had my hair in twists and I really just didn’t pay any attention to it at all. I was called in to give an interview, and that’s just how my hair was that day. It wasn’t until I heard the reactions from other people, like, “wow! I can’t believe you wore your natural hair!” that I even realized it. But mostly I think people aren’t looking at my hair, they’re listening to what I’m saying because I speak well and have done my research in advance and know what I’m talking about, and I am passionate about what I’m saying and believe in it. Not to say that there aren’t those who feel negatively about it.  But I have received emails from women who were really excited to see a Black woman, or a young person, or a natural hair woman, or even a brown-skinned woman on television, so that has been encouraging.

Like many women, Erica has faced sexism and racism in the workplace, but she takes it all in stride:

There are times when obvious –isms [sexism, racism] must be called out (I would also add ageism to the list. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I have been treated differently in the workplace because of how young I am…). Other times though, I address them by being my best – even being THE best – in any given situation and letting my work speak for itself. Sometimes the best weapon against ignorance and false assumptions about you or your capabilities is to provide living, breathing evidence to the contrary.

For women of color trying to break into media, politics, and other areas where we are not adequately represented, Erica says:

Know that the system is not set up for you. I would get those kind of hints when I’m preparing for a Fox News interview and they only have blond bobby pins. So,  I’ll bring my own makeup, and do my own hair. [For other young women trying to break into this world] there are lots of practical simple suggestions  that are helpful – get an internship, freelance write, find a mentor in your field, video blog, etc. But I actually never did any those. Not one. But the biggest most important piece of advice that I can give is to be yourself and be great…at all times. In every situation. I got referred to my first job by a professor who thought I was exceptional in class. I was hired in a civil rights job after having never had an internship and not knowing much about the field because during my interview they felt that I was exceptionally bright and eager to learn. Every job I’ve ever had, every opportunity I’ve ever been given hasn’t been because I’ve followed the rules but because I let my true passions, talents and voice shine in ever scenario so much so that someone else was drawn to me. Above all, be yourself. I know that sounds cliché but there are so many forces that will encourage you to mold into a status quo and shrink you into something that makes others more comfortable. For black women in particular this pressure has ranged from the superficial – don’t ever wear your thick, unstraightened hair out, lose weight – to the substantive – don’t always talk about communities of color, be deferential, etc. But in both media and politics the biggest key is to STAND OUT. You want to be remembered and recognized as powerfully unique. I’m not saying that you should do things intentionally to stand out (there’s a fine line between unique and inappropriate), but always be true to who you really are. You can buy all the guidebooks and top 10 tips in the world for style and strategy, but at the end of the day, I’ve always been guided by my gut and my personal truths. That is the best path to success.

For those trying to find their purpose, she says:

A lot of times there are things that you’ll notice that bother you and upset you, and maybe that’s a sign for you to get involved and work to fix that issue.   At Campus Progress, I noticed that there is a real disconnect with college campuses and the communities that were being served by it, so I wanted to fix that.  I also noticed that nobody really wanted to talk about race. Even after 2008 with President Obama, nobody wants to address it when it comes to policy, nobody wants to say there is racism involved in certain policy initiatives. So we [at CAP] said lets do something about it. The country is changing rapidly and we don’t feel the progressive policy is moving forward enough. Its not diverse enough. CAP was willing to fund our proposal [and Project 2050 was born]. So, pursue those things that bother you and provide a solution.

And when it’s all said and done, this is what she hopes her legacy will be:

I hope that I will be remembered as someone who spoke the truth, cared about people, loved God & herself fiercely and truly made a difference in the lives of this generation.

What we can learn from Erica: Pursue what God has placed a passion in your soul for. Battle all forms of ignorance — racism, sexism, ageism, prejudice — by speaking well and knowing your issue backwards and forwards.  Don’t fold to the pressure of other people’s expectations — stand up, and “STAND OUT!”

Passionate advocate and purpose-driven political minister, Erica Williams is: The Prototype.

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