Where I am, is not where I will be
NAACP Convention “Voice of Youth” speaker encourages women to power through adversity and utilize their potential
By Carla D. Walker
Walking out of the Women in NAACP brunch today at the NAACP Convention, I am ever confident that the future of the African American community is in great — not good — hands. That is because of Darriell Anderson, a recent graduate of Woodward High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, who was the “Voice of the Youth” speaker on the dais. This young lady shared her inspirational story of overcoming adversity but what resonated with me was her focus on a goal to accomplish big things in her life no matter what she has to face.
Darriell shared how she knew her parents were kids when they had her. Her dad was imprisoned when she was born and her mom struggled to make a living. During high school, she could not go with the debate team to competition or participate on the cheerleading squad because she had to work. At times, she had two jobs which made her the primary bread winner in her household — at 15 years of age. She shared, “The more I became engaged with school, the more disconnect notices we received, so I worked.”
Parts of her story left the audience in tears especially when she talked about living out of a car, taking care of her mother after a cancer scare and becoming the second mother to her sister. In spite of all she went through, she had a will to be different and better than her circumstances. Her dream was to be in a construction management program at an HBCU and that she would have one of the first black female owned construction business.
She gave me a new mantra to add to my daily meditation when she said, “Where I am, is not where I will be.”
And she left no doubt in the room that she would succeed because here she was, standing tall, confident and poised speaking to this room of 400–500 mostly women from around the country who immediately embraced her.
When she stepped to the podium, she was introduced as an incoming freshman at Alabama State but she indicated to the Mistress of Ceremonies that there was a mistake in her bio. What the audience learned was that Darriell received the first bill statement from ASU. While she had saved money for college, she knew that neither she, nor her family, could afford the expense of the school. Not to be deterred, she started talking with Central State University about attending school in the fall.
She calls her story the “Amazing Book of Darriell” and at the end of her story she shared “and on August 10th, when I walk onto the campus of Central State, I’m going to write the newest chapter of that book.”
The audience roared knowing that she is now a proud incoming Freshman at Central State and that she is preparing to enter its construction management program.
