Ask Me Anything: A Civil Rights Policy Advisor for the Federal Government
Homeland Humanity is proud to bring you our Ask Me Anything series. Each week, we’ll feature a member of our team answering your most pressing questions about their work in the Homeland Security Enterprise. Missed the question asking party? Don’t worry! Check out the bottom of the post for contact details.
IAmA: Civil Rights Policy Advisor for the Federal Government. I am also a lawyer, Christian, music snob, book lover, poetry fanatic, and former athlete. I love all animals. Also, I’m allergic to all animals. And all grass. And air sometimes. I’m fragile, is what I’m saying.
Ask Me Anything.
1. Exactly what is it that you do? What are the most frequent issues that you have to deal with in your work?
One of the things I love most about my job is the variety of the work. And I mean variety not in just the kind of work I’m doing, but how I’m doing it, and at what pace. I quite literally never know what to expect when I come into work. I can set a detailed agenda for myself but, as they say, the best laid plans of women and cats…
That said, and to answer your actual question, I think it’s safe to say that my work is generally about problem solving, finding and filling gaps in policy, and anticipating the needs of my “clients” i.e., agency employees and the public we serve. The issues vary, but they are largely rooted in feelings of disparate or abusive treatment, be they real or perceived. Feelings of mistrust, of not being heard, not being given a voice, not being taken seriously, and of general mistrust of the government . . .they keep me employed.
2. What are the greatest barriers and obstacles in your work?
A personal triumph for me has been that over impatience. Or stated in the positive, I have a new appreciation for intangible and unquantifiable victories. In my experience, you would be hard pressed to find a public servant in it for the accolades, and certainly not for the money. It’s our love of country –of the people that make up this country- that brought us to this work, and that’s what keeps us coming back. That kind of passion though, like any fire, has to be stoked, preferably with a tangible and definable win. However, progress, especially in agency the size of mine, is often incremental. In fact, the most important fights can often be about maintaining the status quo, which can feel counter-instinctual for fighters, advocates, and allies. But if anything I’ve done levels the playing field for just one employee, eases the anxiety of just one member of the public, or disabuses just one person of biased notions of a group of people, I’ve done my job. So, in sum, the greatest barrier used to be my own narrow view of what a win is. By redefining that, I’ve effectively redefined my work. Now all I do is win.
3. What is one question you always get when people find out what you do for a living?
Some of my work has to do with ensuring the freedom of movement of people via the nation’s transportation systems. And boy, does everyone have a story. TSA did this. Delta airlines did that. While I can only guess as to why people may have experienced a certain kind of travel delay, I always make sure to inform them that the government has a process in place to provide redress for people who have experienced travel delays. Look it up.
People also want to know if I can hook them up with expedited screening programs like TSA pre-check or Global Entry. I cannot. But you should seriously invest in one or both of those services. They are legit game changers.
4. Does your job have anything to do with Black Lives Matter?
Only in the most tangential of ways. If a member of the public were to allege that an employee of my agency treated them differently or subjected them to additional scrutiny because they were wearing a BLM t-shirt or were otherwise expressing some solidarity with that movement, my office would have equities in resolving that allegation. Similarly, if an agency employee were to file an Equal Employment Opportunity complaint alleging that they were treated differently because of their support for (or rebuke of) BLM, my office would likely be involved in, at the very least, processing their complaint.
That said, it’s my view that the movement for Black lives has had a profound impact on every facet of our nation, including the three branches of government. Its immediate impact on my professional life may not be apparent to me now, but who knows how history will tell our (Obama/Trump era public servants’) story?
5. There are many civil rights heroes that we look up to — MLK, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela… Who is your favorite or has influenced you the most and why?
Oh that’s a hard question. It’s also my favorite because I love thinking and talking about this stuff. Our civil rights icons have become such cartoonish figures in popular culture. It’s fascinating to think about the actual factual living breathing beings that made outsized contributions to our country.
My answers change depending on my mood and what’s going on in the world. Today I’m thinking about Audre Lorde (fierce, furious, full, and free), Bayard Rustin (“[t]o be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true”), James Baldwin (prescient, truly), Octavia Butler, (PRESCIENT, TRULY) and Nina Simone (!!!!!). Not all of these giants marched, sat-in, or faced down the water cannons and police dogs we commonly (and myopically) associate with the civil rights movement. But they each protested in their own way. They knew what their tribe needed (and still need) and delivered.
To give people their roses while they can still smell them, I am eternally grateful for Amel Larrieux, Solange, Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, Jamilah Lamieux, Warsan Shire, Suheir Hammad, and Junot Diaz. These are examples of contemporary men and women who use their voices, platform, talents, and artistry to uplift, engage, educate, challenge, and upset. Most of their activism is intersectional which I demand, as does much of the modern day movement for civil rights. To borrow Congressman Lewis’ adage, they are getting in the way, and getting in good, necessary trouble. And we’re all better for it.
6. Former athlete, huh? Tell us more.
#sortof #kinda #allegedly #theheartistrong #butthejointsareweak #mindyourbusiness #bye
Have a question you’d like answered by our Civil Rights Policy Advisor with cat allergies and tricky knees (or the Drug Policy Advisor, Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Intelligence Analyst, Master Detective, Homeland Security Advisor)? Comment below or email us! homelandhumanity@gmail.com
