I vividly remember standing before a Rotary Club as a Black teenager excelling in my internship program. The audience was predominantly white, and I was there to share my story and to use my image and voice to influence them — business owners and employers — to create more opportunities for inner-city youth.
As a well-studied and well-spoken Black student, I was being asked to challenge perceptions and inspire action, encouraging them to open doors for young people who, like me, deserved access to broader work opportunities.
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the gravity of my role in that space. Now, as an adult who is maximizing my own image and likeness on behalf of the broader community, I have a much deeper understanding of the value of leveraging access and resources to help others scale and achieve their own version of success…