Know Your Rights Camp

I am extremely inspired by the Know Your Rights Camp x Colin Kaepernick. Truly it was a blessing to be in the space to hear from multiple BLACK people who are essential to their career field/passions. It was inspiring to see the dedication to educating youth of various ages. To be involved in a sphere of black and brown individuals promoting 10 important points, 10 RIGHTS that we as black individuals have. If you do not know these 10 Rights I insist that you check them out. (Click Here to Explore)

The opportunity to be in this space was due to someone (my mother) believing in my craft and asking me to create a presentation for her ( Snippet Video). My craft has opened a door for me to be encouraged, to learn, and to gain the duty to "imagine alternatives of the present" (BMike) as a creator, designer, and artist in my field.

Being black in Learning and Development is about taking over for my community. This space does not look like me. For so long I've limited myself, focused hard on a destiny without understanding the journey. On the contrary, the journey isn't straight to the point, and focusing on just becoming an Instructional Designer and following the "rules" that MAY NOT particularly work for me in acquiring work opportunities. The journey is about not narrowing what I do to a single sphere, but inserting myself as a black individual and my specialty. Showcasing my talents to not just what is sold and put in front of me but walking into the spaces and putting myself, and my work on the spot. Because I belong and others may not see that until I make them see that. Unfortunately, until this camp, I did not know I had that right. I did not know that my right was to pursue my interests and not be held back because of systematic oppression.

You see, "We can only grow to our potential when planted in the soil of a supportive village" (Earnest Crim III). As black and brown people, more times than not, when we step into careers, we are infiltrating places that do not look like us or even try to see us. It is even too easy to imagine the strain, and the hard work to prove yourself worthy in these spaces. Thankfully, it does not come without reward. When we enter these rooms, perceived to be far below THEIR standards, we become " the solution and we are the somebody we've been looking for" ( Huey P. Newton) We as a community of blacks and browns, We as the children that will come up after us, We as our forefathers! We become the gardeners that tend to the soil so that when it is time for US to plant, to grow, we are provided with the resources from the very stages of germination.

At KYRC, fuel was added to my fire as if God himself came down and poured lighter fluid on me. I do not know exactly what this journey will entail, but I am encouraged to ensure that this journey showcases the rights that the youth have when stepping out into this world, specifically in their careers. We need to move away from the idea that blacks and browns only have the route of athlete, doctor, or lawyer to be deemed "successful." I am here to make room in Learning and Development, make room for the creators of my community, my background, and my history.