Driven to Do: Inspiring Stories of Minority Millennials and the Future of America

By Tevin Williams and Rajni Shankar-Brown PhD

Minority millennials are standing up for themselves and creating massive societal change. But, for some unknown reason, their stories are not being told by the media.

Driven to Do: Inspiring Stories of Minority Millennials and the Future of America tackles difficult issues: What is the perception of millennials and

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Apr 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781641375863

Book preview

Driven to Do

Driven to Do

Inspiring Stories of Minority Millennials and the Future of America

Tevin Williams

New Degree Press

Copyright © 2020 Tevin Williams

All rights reserved.

Driven to Do

Inspiring Stories of Minority Millennials and the Future of America

ISBN

978-1-64137-584-9 Paperback

978-1-64137-586-3 Kindle Ebook

978-1-64137-588-7 Ebook

Table of Contents

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART 1. ACTIVATED MINORITY MILLENNIALS AND THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

CHAPTER 1. THE LEADERS OF THE WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON

CHAPTER 2. THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT CO-FOUNDERS

CHAPTER 3. ARENA MANAGING PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER: RAVI M. GUPTA

PART 2. MINORITY MILLENNIAL POLITICIANS

CHAPTER 4. US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER: ILHAN OMAR (MN-5TH)

CHAPTER 5. MAYOR OF STOCKTON, CA: MICHAEL TUBBS

CHAPTER 6. US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: LAUREN UNDERWOOD (IL-14TH)

PART 3. ACTIVATED MINORITY MILLENNIALS AND THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

CHAPTER 7. HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW STUDENT: SHARDÉ SLAW

CHAPTER 8. ALBANY LAW SCHOOL STUDENT: CANDACE WHITE

CHAPTER 9. THE AUTHOR: TEVIN WILLIAMS

EPILOGUE

APPENDIX

This book is dedicated to Evangelist Mary Magdalene Williams—a tireless and dedicated wife, mother, pastor, and, most importantly, my grandmother—for continuing to break down barriers as a woman Pentecostal pastor and for leading with her heart of gold.

This is for you, Granny.

Driven to Do: Inspiring Stories of Minority Millennials and the Future of America

—Authored by: Tevin V. Williams

FOREWORD

WRITTEN BY: RAJNI SHANKAR BROWN, PH.D.

We are living in precarious and turbulent times. With widening social inequalities and escalating environmental degradation, our world is overflowing in deep distress. As a mother, educator-scholar, activist, and artist, the expansive spectrum of daunting issues which often keep me awake at night also motivate and fuel my life’s work. These issues are heavy and draining. Thankfully, in the midst of feeling incredible angst, I still find immeasurable hope and peace while teaching, learning, and growing alongside my students. Although I work at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in Central Florida and often experience the painful realities of intersectional -isms, I am fortunate to be a part of diverse circles that form beloved communities. While these circles remain small due to where I am situated—a PWI in a small town located in the Deep South—they are nonetheless massive in heart and soul. Among those in my beloved community is Tevin Williams.

After over a decade in the UNC system, in 2013 I embarked on a new adventure and joined the Department of Education in the College of Arts and Sciences at Stetson University. As a faculty member, I have the privilege of working with both undergraduate and graduate students. Furthermore, as a publicly engaged scholar, I work closely in and with diverse communities; in fact, all of my courses are grounded in community engagement, equity, and social justice. I had the joy of meeting Tevin not long after joining Stetson’s faculty. While he was not a student in my classes—he was working in student affairs and pursuing his MBA in the Stetson University School of Business—Tevin often participated in various workshops and programs I facilitated on campus, outside of class time. The majority of educational events I organize focus on human and civil rights, cultural diversity and inclusion, equity and eco-justice, art and activism, and contemplative practices—areas which were integrally intertwined with Tevin’s interests and callings. Additionally, whenever Tevin and I saw each other organically, around campus or in town, we would pause and engage in conversation. Our exchanges were remarkably honest and raw, full of contemplative dialogue, and often interdisciplinary in nature. We would share our own hardships and heartache, especially from our shared but distinct experiences of living in the Deep South, and working at a PWI. We would discuss social-political events in global and local contexts and would frequently plot pathways for building healthier, inclusive communities—while affirming our shared commitment for working towards a better, more just tomorrow. Our exchanges were always meaningful and inspiring, even when they were brief and in passing.

Teaching and working alongside individuals like Tevin fills my heart with immeasurable hope and peace, and further fuels my motivation to keep marching for equity and justice. From the first time I met Tevin, he was so clearly driven to do in a world inundated with growing disparities and suffering. Knowing millennials like Tevin—millennials focused and diligently working to impact our world—is uplifting. The complex challenges of today’s world require we advocate with intention and work to transform current narratives of injustice. We must collectively invest our time, energy, skills, and resources toward dismantling white supremacy, which pervades and continues to fuel colonialism and substantial inequalities. If we are to advance justice, we must actively address deeply-entrenched systems of oppression marginalizing people of color in the United States and resulting in recurrent brutalities. As Shanelle Matthews, director of communications for Black Lives Matter Global Network, explains, It’s important to remember that white supremacy is not just people in hoods. . . .White supremacy is a web of violent and abusive behaviors bolstered by white nationalists, racist elected officials, violent police and law enforcement, corporate money. . . .[and] if we want to win this battle, we need to open our eyes to all the symbiotic ways white supremacy touches each and every one of our lives—and then come up with the best course of action to fight it.

Just as my Amma, my mom, taught me, I teach my students about the power of human stories. I engage my students in lessons which emphasize the critical importance of recognizing whose stories are being told and whose are not—reflecting on the why that oxygenates these biased historical