1. I SPEAK YOUR NAMES
A manifesto on cultural identity

2. I am a….
 Post-civil rights and post-Black
power
 First-generation (Black) American
 Woman
 Aspiring public servant

3. POST-CIVIL RIGHTS
Shirley Chisholm: First black women elected to Congress; Coretta Scott
King: First Lady of the Civil Rights movement

4. POST-BLACK POWER
Angela Davis, former Black Panther, popularized the “afro,” Malcolm X –
Human Rights Advocate

5. First Generation (Black) American
A collage of my nuclear and extended family. Barack Obama; America’s
first bi-racial president, however widely recognized as the first black
American.

6. Oprah’s Legends Ball
A historic event organized by Oprah Winfrey to bring together two generations
of the most influential black women in America and to celebrate the
achievements of the former generation.

7. Aspiring Public Servant
A legacy of public service and social responsibility connects all of these
identities.

8. “We Speak Your Names” – An
Adaptation
 “I am here to speak their names
because of the way they made for me
Because of the prayers they prayed for me.
I am one of the many they raised up, hoping
we
would have strength enough,
and discipline enough, and talent enough, and
nerve enough
to step into the light when it turned in our
direction.”