Black Innovators: An Interview with Nyla Choates
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was created in 2013 in response to the acquittal of the murderer of Trayvon Martin, an innocent, unarmed 17-year-old Black boy shot to death while walking home. Although this sparked the BLM movement, Black people have constantly faced systemic oppression, discrimination and violence, and been dehumanized through slavery, segregation, redlining, and more. With recent cases of police brutality and Black individuals’ experiences coming to light, the BLM movement has been stronger than ever. BLM is committed to “combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy” as proclaimed by the official BLM website. Thousands of protesters have mobilized nationally and internationally in the cause against oppression of Black communities.
Nyla Choates, a 17-year-old incoming high school senior, has played an instrumental role at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement as an organizer of a peaceful protest in Milpitas, a host on Black Excellence, and a founder of My Roots are Rich, a nonprofit organization that empowers, inspires, and educates people by reinforcing the rich culture of African Americans and their contributions to America. She has shared her journey with the BLM Movement from her perspective as a Black woman in America with Girl Genius Magazine in this interview.
What motivated you to take on this project?
I was motivated to take on this project after my city was being extremely quiet about the injustices that were and still currently happening in the Black community. I had gone to a couple of protests in nearby cities, but was put-off to know that my very own city wasn’t speaking up or taking any type of action to show its support. I then remembered one of my favorite quotes “You have to be the change you want to see in the world” — [Mahatma] Gandhi. I then began planning on how I was going to be the change I wanted to see in my community.
Did you have any doubts or struggles? What made you choose to continue despite them?
I definitely had my doubts and struggles throughout the process of the peaceful protest. Such as being afraid of no one coming, things getting out of control or having people who don’t agree with the movement showing up. I had to keep reminding myself why I was having the march in the first place, which was to honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. I knew I had to fight for them, and I knew my city needed to break silence and show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole.
Can you explain how you got to this leadership position?
I have been in many leadership positions before, from being class president, Black Student Union president, and school board representative… Unlike those positions, this one kind of just fell in my lap. Since no one else was speaking up, I decided to be the voice of change. With the support of my friends, family and teachers, this event was put on through my non-profit My Roots Are Rich.
What is the best piece of advice you can give to Black youth who want to do something similar? Are there certain struggles you faced specifically because of your race? How did you overcome them?
My best piece of advice would be to just do it. Don’t wait for someone else to be the leader. You are strong. You are smart. You can be the change. The time is now. As Black youth, there are so many times that we let the naysayers get in our heads and a majority of the time it’s because they don’t want to see us succeed. We give them power by being quiet and not taking action. Let’s continue to prove them wrong and be the change.
What does the Black Lives Matter movement mean to you? How does it affect your personal life as well as your work within STEAM?
The Black Lives Matter means hope. Hope that one day we will no longer have to say the phrase. Hope that there will be justice against the injustices happening each day to the black community. The BLM movement affects my personal life in every way. From seeing a new police brutality video, hashtag, or wrongly incarcerated black man, The Black Lives Matter movement is and will be my everyday life until I’m no longer in fear of being the next person added to the lists of names.
Why is black representation in STEAM important to you? Why is racial equality in STEAM necessary?
Racial equality in STEAM is necessary to [encourage] more Black people to pursue careers in the industry. If Black people are not comfortable that they are going to be treated fairly in the workforce, they’re not going to be encouraged to explore those career options.
Who/what are your biggest inspirations, particularly as they relate to STEAM?
My biggest inspiration in STEAM is Katherine Johnson. She is known for calculating orbital mechanics when conducting the first ever subsequent U.S crewed spaceflight. She was a strong black woman in STEAM who despite all the hate and injustices she had to face, still continued to use her intelligence to make history.
What are some common misconceptions, stereotypes and unspoken difficulties that you and other Black people in STEAM face? Why do you think these issues aren’t as talked about as others?
Many people don’t know this, but black scientists, engineers, and doctors were the ones who created some of the biggest innovations in the world. [Some examples are] the modern traffic light, the very first clock, blood banks, and much more! America wouldn’t be what it is without the Black STEAM innovations. One of the unspoken stereotypes is that we as Black people find it hard to comprehend STEAM. But that is far from the truth, it is more about being exposed to STEAM. Because once we are exposed, we grasp it and we excel extremely well.
Ways and resources/links to support the black community?
Please check out the non-profit @myrootsarerich on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
Choates has shared her perspective and initiatives within the #BlackLivesMatter as a Black woman, but she also discusses allyship and support. So how can you help? There are dozens of ways to be an ally: call out both systemic and systematic racism, sign petitions, email government officials, educate yourself through books, movies, articles, podcasts and social media, donate money to organizations, participate in protests or support Black-owned businesses.
Recognize your microaggressions and actively unlearn the racism that you could have been taught. Listen to your black friends, family, co-workers and everyone in between, validate and believe their experiences and let them lead the way to a more just future.
Written by Andrea Cardiel, Angela Lee, Delilah Belmont, Linda Duong, Riley Cooke, and Sasha Tunsiricharoengul.
