Shades of Impact | Building a New Narrative

Throughout the month of March, the Surge Institute collected stories about geniuses of color in our lives who’ve made a powerful impact on our journeys. The stories to come from the initiative were moving, inspiring and unforgettable.

Below see the collection of stories that came from the #ShadesofImpact. Thank you to all who took part and please, continue the work of forming a truer narrative around people of color.

Monika Black

I’ve been supremely blessed with a life journey full of brilliant and ‘bout it leaders of color who’ve invested in me. One of the greatest examples of these was my executive coach, the incomparable Monika Black. From the first day we met, Dr. Black made me feel seen, cared for, capable of excellence and deserving of JOY. With each subsequent session– and after a steep, long uphill career climb filled with challenges and disappointments– I saw my hope and joy rising once again. Never prescriptive, Monika’s pushes reassured me that I already held within the answers I sought without; the only person I needed permission from to live my best life was me.

Monika is the living embodiment of the “Maximizer” strength orientation and a mad genius who would listen intently to my rambling and somehow flesh out a visual trajectory and themes I could draw from, complete with graphics and catchy titles, mirroring back my own voice and language. Her anecdotes about her time as a young hurdle jumper were a perfect representation of her boundless energy and indomitable spirit. I left each of our meetings deeply affected, infected by her can-do attitude and feeling like more than a conqueror. There were incalculable benefits to my organization and the staff, students and families within it, because she was able to get me to believe that I could be as strongly impactful as I was well-intentioned. She helped me envision my evolving path more clearly, so that I could finally walk it with confidence.

Monika literally brought me back from burnout by pointing me back to purpose. ‘Don’t get tanked by distractions’, ‘operate from strength’, ‘track your joy’, ‘know your worth’…were just some of the nuggets of wisdom she imparted that allowed me to tap into my brilliance. Her genius is helping us recognize our own, and I am forever grateful to have been matched up with this powerhouse woman, who reminded me that I was one, too. Monika Black, thank you for your leadership…for leading me back to myself and blessing my family and community in the process. We will be indebted to you forever!— Story by Maraliz Salgado

The Young Men of Paul Robeson High School

Today, I choose to tell the story of several young men at Paul Robeson High School that have inspired and shaped how I show up as a leader today. I met these young brothers at Paul Robeson High School in 2009. By societal expectations, these young men were not suppose to be here today. I saw a reflection of myself in them all and quickly realized that if any young adult is considered a failure, its because an adult failed them. In each of them I saw a pride and resilience when adults (even family) had given up, perseverance where there was no hope, and self awareness in understanding the part they played in mistakes that were made along the way. I continue to carry these lessons with me in my daily interactions and its made me the leader that I am today. — Story from Rodney Thomas

Michael A. Lang

Today I want to honor Michael A. Lang. He has truly been a thought partner as we discuss the state of education and our youth. He is compassionate when working with teachers and students. He is a risk taker and cost analyst. During his tenure at the Start Up KCNA he challenged the math narrative with community monthly problems and discourse. He encouraged others to produce math nights. He has made it clear that his passion is making math relevant and relatable.—Story from Jorge Fuller

John Carruthers

—Story by Sandra Rush

Bryan L. Pinner

My story is about Bryan L. Pinner, aka B-Rye, aka Mr. Shorts year-round, aka my dad. Back in the 90’s (why is that 30 years ago, whew…) my grandfather started a courier service,ASAP Courier & Delivery Inc-317.283.1885.(give them a call for your delivery/logistic needs…) When my grandfather passed, my father and grandmother took over. Y’all know entrepreneurship is…hard. As technology advanced, the need for courier services declined. Instead of throwing in the towel, my dad worked harder. Found different avenues to keep the family business afloat. He’s one of the hardest working people I know, also one of the most stubborn, but he never gives up. I admire him for that. Cheers to you, B-Rye! Thank you for being you. —Story by Brittany Lynn Woods

Mr. Sanders

For my story, I’d like to shoutout my former high school band teacher, Mr. Sanders! Mr. Sanders had such a strong influence on expanding my love for music and all things creative. I remember being in his class, every day starting with the fundamentals and enjoying getting better little by little. And y’all, when I say this man knew how to teach, he knew how to teach! Engagement, passion, humor, realness: he brought it all to the classroom and more. I even remember when he won TNTP‘s Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice in 2014 and thinking “Wow I really had the opportunity to be one of his students!” After high school, it was then an easy decision for me to want to continue music in college, so I ended up joining my university’s marching band. He’s worked with countless students, including my own sister, and I will always be grateful for the impact he’s had on me and everyone he’s ever worked with. — Story by Angel Martinez

Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch

I am proud to highlight one of my elementary/middle school librarians, Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch. Mrs. Welch was a critical influence at a transformational point in my life. When I met her in 6th grade @ Glen Iris Middle, my mother and I were literally homeless. We were staying in a motel living out of trash bags at the beginning of that school year and then went on to stay with family until we got back on our feet. I also happened to be a part of the Gifted and Talented program and was an avid reader…so I spent a LOT of time in the library. I can only speak for my experience, but when you’re really poor and also deemed really smart, it can be an awkward and often dehumanizing experience. You believe people don’t truly SEE you. They either see your accomplishments and ignore your pain or they see your trauma and ignore your gifts. I don’t know how I comprehended this at the time, but I knew Mrs. Welch saw me fully and I loved her for it. She welcomed my mother as a volunteer at the school. I was just a baby myself but she hired me to “babysit” her foster children. I thought it was such a beautiful thing to foster children who needed a home and given the housing instability my mom and I were facing at the time, it touched me deeply.

Birmingham blessed me with examples of amazing educators and leaders who looked like me. But Mrs. Welch showed me the example of what it looked like to live FOR others and breathe life into those you are blessed to come across. Thank you for contributing to the woman I am today, Mrs. Welch. I’m grateful. — Story by Carmita Semaan

Cláudia Nascimento

—Story by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Amber D. Smith

Time to honor another. To have this person as a teacher you were pushed to surpass those low expectations and limitations. I have been privilege to collaborate and observe her in action and when she is in her zone you’ll be racing to keep. She challenges the status quo and knows exactly what she deserves and how to obtain it. This educator made her classroom come to life. She is an executor, educator, and phenom. — Story by Jorge Fuller

Kimberly Neal-Brannum

— Story by D. Nigel Green

Dr. Linda Gail Solomon

The true definition of a genius of color, servant leader, and champion for all educators is Dr. Linda Gail Solomon. She saved my career as an educator and I am forever grateful that I never gave up. As a new teacher, I was trying to learn everything there was to learn about being a teacher and had a bad first year teaching experience that almost lead me to walk away.

Dr. Solomon has always been a mentor to me and before I let everything go, I talked to her about what I was experiencing. Her inspiring words gave me faith that being an educator is the job that I should be doing. When the opportunity presented itself for employment, Dr. Solomon hired me to teach in her building and showed me true leadership should look like. She gave me hope and brought back my happiness againShe is the reason why I am an assistant principal to this day.

Having Dr. Solomon as a boss and watching her day to day was motivating to me. A strong black woman who uplifts staff, students, and parents with her love and knowledge is what I truly admired and still do to this day. Dr. Solomon has a wealth of knowledge and she knows how to lead a school and other educators to success. Under Dr. Solomon’s leadership, my 5th grade team had the highest test scores in the district and because of her consistent coaching, feedback, and support, we saw success for our kids. Anyone who has ever worked for her knows she is serious when it comes to student success and wants those who she leads to be successful also. In any move that Dr. Solomon has made as she has elevated herself in the educational profession, it definitely speaks volumes of her character when educators want to follow her wherever she goes.

I got married and moved from Albany, GA to live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was saddened to leave because of the amazing school culture that Dr. Solomon built with our staff and made us a true school family. Leadership like hers is rare and being the light that shines is the reflection of Dr. Linda Gail Solomon. To this day, there is never a time that I can’t call her for educational conversations or just to say hello. She makes herself available and is always there for me. I am grateful to call Dr. Solomon a mentor and I admire her talent she has as a leader to transform schools and educators around the world. — Story by Sherie Scott

Sandra Rush

Sandra Rush has helped shape me into the person I am today. Our paths crossed by chance when my first temporary assignment in Chicago placed me in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at a large bank, headquartered in The Loop. When I became a full-time employee about a year later, Sandra became my colleague and mentor. While teaching me how to do the job, she was also subtly teaching me about how to survive in a conservative corporate environment and in Chicago — which was important because I had spent the last 33 years of my life in Southern California. It was small conversations about things like having a work “uniform” and putting on different masks for different situations. Things like being aware of what I was doing with my hands or how I was standing when talking to managers and executives at the office. Even non-work-related things like what kind of boots to buy for the winter and what is and what isn’t a sensible coat to wear once the snow arrives and ice doesn’t melt for months. She would bring me a copy of The Reader every week to encourage me to get out of the apartment and explore the city.

Sandra encouraged me to get involved with the bank’s Asian employee group as a way to build my social and professional network. I remember the first meeting I attended and almost tearing up seeing faces that reminded me of my dad and grandmother. These were things I didn’t realize were missing from my life until being surrounded by so many white folks in suits at work. I increased my involvement and volunteered to serve as the group’s Co-Vice Chair, which gave me the opportunity to explore what it was like to be a leader (not really my cup of tea).

Most importantly, Sandra gently, and sometimes bluntly, encouraged me to go back to school and complete my undergraduate studies. One morning after a Black History Month event at the bank, I told her enjoyable it was sitting and listening to someone share knowledge. Basically, Sandra’s response to that was “maybe you should go back to school.” At the time I was of the mindset that it was just a piece of paper, but Sandra shot that down and basically told me how important it is to have that piece of paper, especially when trying to get my foot in the door for a job in the future.

Sandra left the bank in 2014 and I moved back to California in 2015. It took me some time to motivate myself to finish school, but I earned my degree in the spring of 2018. Even though we lost touch for a while (entirely my fault), I would constantly hear her voice in my head saying “Samuel” and I’d tell myself she’d be proud knowing that I was back in school and learning things that were meaningful and important. When I sent out my graduation announcements, I spent the most time figuring out what to write in her card. — Story by Sam Wong

Susan Soon-Keum Cox

I first met Susan Soon-Keum Cox at Holt International Children’s Services in Eugene, Oregon — the agency I was adopted through. I was fortunate to have made the connection with her from a friend who grew up as her neighbor. A fierce advocate and leader, Susan’s own experience as an adoptee drives her passion for the work at Holt as VP of Public Policy and External Affairs. As an early inter-country Korean adoptee, she was one of the first babies to be adopted through what is now an international agency. Her story, her strength and her leadership inspired me to Co-Found, The Ah-Gah Project to raise money and awareness on adoption and bridging Korean American and Korean adoptee communities. I will never forget her vulnerability and the power of her story. https://www.holtinternational.org/about/leadership.php #holtinternational — Story by Sasha Dzubay

Reginald

There is a kid in my Algebra class named Reginald and not only is he one one of the most respectful and polite kids my age, but he is INCREDIBLY talented at mental math. He can compute complex algebraic equations in his head in less than a second and consistently gets the correct answer on notes far before the teacher does. He always knows what we are learning about before the teacher teaches it and he inspired me everyday I have class with him not only because he makes me want to work harder but he never wants credit for it. Unfortunately I know plenty of kids who get praise about their intellect before Reginald and he is a pretty shy kid but I hope in the future I can give him enough confidence to show his skills and receive praise on them! — Story by Enoch Thomas

Dee Johnson

In celebration of Surge Oakland’s start to the recruitment season, Women’s History Month, and the #ShadesofImpact campaign, I want to honor and celebrate a leader of color who has had a tremendous impact on me. I’ve been fortunate to have shared space with many folks who have breathed life into my passions, purpose, and sense of belonging. It would take a lifetime to capture in words how each of these individuals have influenced my path.

Someone very close to my heart is Dee Johnson. Whew! Talk about practicing a radical love ethic in real time and often. Dee is a bad @ss diversity, equity, and inclusion leader in the independent schools field, change maker, chef (boyarDEE), aux chord wielder, 90s/2000s R&B partner in no crime (Team Amerie “nama nama nam Ooh!”), multidimensional narrative queen, sister of my soul and friend, who was one of the first people I met in graduate school back in 2014.

Anyone who knows my story knows that graduate school was an extremely transformative experience for me. For one, it allowed space for myself and other brilliant Black women to conceive a Black women centered student organization on campus, and from there I was able to form bonds with Black women who add color to my life even today. Grad school also revealed to me the ways in which institutes of higher learning act as sites of violence for students who sit at the margins. It was perhaps during grad school that I truly recognized that these institutions not only necessitate disruption, but dismantling, and allowed me to truly sit with the question of what do we do within these systems in the mean time. Someone who was by my side and advocated for me as I learned to navigate such an oppressive institution (inherent to the fabric of its existence), was Dee Johnson.

Dee has radically influenced my personal politic — and we know that the personal is also political. I’ve not only sharpened my lens around the pervasiveness of white supremacy culture, trans misogyny (and especially trans misogynoir), exploitation within this education work, and challenging structures that maintain the status quo, but I’ve also learned how to show up intentionally in the spaces I navigate, sit more in my power, hold/navigate space for conversations around accountability, recognize multidimensional narratives, relinquish the need to center ego to center the people I love, love on the people I love often, demand more because I’m deserving, and honestly, the list goes on.

Dee challenges these oppressive structures we are forced to navigate every day- and I often reflect on the ways that existence can be a tool of resistance. She loves so deeply on our babies- the youth she serves look up to her AND see themselves reflected through her. Dee challenges the adults who are engaged in youth work to work through their healing in order to best serve our young people. Most importantly, Dee is invested in community and curating a better world to exist within. It gives me hope that better futures are possible.

Our love has grown and transformed over time, it still is writing its story, and I hope that everyone is as blessed to have someone in their space who shares in the practice of nurturing relationships better- & showing up more intentionally, even if that work can be scary, vulnerable, and arduous at times. Thank you Deeyonce/Deehana for the ways you love on and see all of us. Thank you for your radical vulnerability. Thank you for all that you are. You are absolutely life giving and a gift to us- to me. You teach me how to show up a little bit braver everyday, simply by existing. Your impact has touched me, and we are all better with you in our worlds. #ShadesofImpact #LeadTheSurge — Story from Teni Ugbah

Carmita Semaan

For the #ShadesofImpact initiative, a leader of color who has and continues to have an impact in my life is Carmita Semaan. Growing up, I had always been told there was a trajectory to becoming a leader within an organization. I was to start at an entry level position and work my way to leadership. According to Carmita, this was bs. She has a way of understanding your talent and pushing you (in a good way) to own it and grow in it. As my manager at one point in time, every opportunity that arose requiring my expertise, she had me leading it. Additionally, every book that she’s given me or recommended to enhance my skills, I’ve read. For her, I’m thankful. I take chances now even if the response is “No”. I say, “Oh well, their loss”. Thank you sister-friend, love you, one of your many cheerleaders. This does not stop with me. I need others to tell their story of a leader of color that has had a powerful impact on you! —Story from Lakecia Whimper

Joe Staszak

Joe Staszak has inspired me as a mentor, colleague, and friend for his dedication to his community and his undeniable desire to make it better for the kids coming up in his neighborhood than it was for him.

Growing up in the Hunting Park section of North Philadelphia, sometimes known as “The Badlands”, Joe saw firsthand the challenges that so many of our potential geniuses of color face. He attended Olney High School and after graduating, he joined the Army. Upon his discharge, he returned to Hunting Park and fell into the street life, demonstrating his leadership abilities in a way that was not helping to build up his community but tear it down.

Eventually, the law caught up to Joe and he was convicted of selling drugs; while he was under house arrest, he learned about an organization called City Year and pursued it, originally, as a way to cut short his sentence. He ended up serving in an elementary school and, ‘‘that’s where [he] realized that [he] hadn’t been living up to [his] full potential … City Year for [him] was a reciprocal change; while [he] was out there trying to help change things, City Year helped change [his] life.’’

I met Joe during that transition and saw him go from where he was to getting hired to City Year Philadelphia’s staff leading a team that was working in the neighborhood schools he attended as a child. He eventually worked his way through and obtained his bachelor’s degree from Eastern University (my alma mater), and even went on to earn a master’s from Temple University. Now, he leads City Year’s recruitment efforts in the East Region and is responsible for presenting a year of service to other young people.

I’ve learned so much from Joe — from how to connect with people while remaining authentic, to how to be resilient and move forward and accomplish once unthinkable goals. On top of all that, Joe is a wonderful father and husband. So, I want to take this time to shout out a true servant leader, Mr. Joe Staszak! — Story from George Deveney

Mr. Cherarsard

There are many heroes of color who have shaped who I am today. My parents were great influences and thought me so much about social justice — mostly through their actions. Nonetheless, a non-parent who has had an indelible impact on my life was a Haitian teacher who taught me in middle school. Mr. Cherarsard was this teacher. He saved a ton of non-English speaking, recent Haitian immigrants at Lefferts Middle School in Brooklyn NY. He is one reason why I understand the power of a great teacher. — Story from Jean-Claude Brizard

Ryan E. Malone

My story is about Ryan E. Malone. When I went into high school, like most people, I was still trying to figure out who I was. All I knew was that I wanted to create music. It came in many forms, including the drums. Mr. Malone was my drum instructor and the first teacher I had that I felt saw me as a young man and not an aimless kid. He taught me more about music then anyone ever has and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the level of dedication and care it takes to create community among a bunch of high school knuckleheads. The drumline was a safe space for me to learn, grow, get angry, and throw things. Mr. Malone created that space, and I missed it when it was gone. Shout out to Mr. Malone for modeling black leadership to a group of kids still trying to figure it out. — Story by Chris Paicely

A Collage of Inspiration

Each person has helped shape who I am and how I lead. Each of them is a genuine version of genius that I value and look to for guidance, even when they don’t know it. —Story by Noemí Cortés