Spotlight on local young women of color on the move
by Shawn Nowlin
In 1950, according to the American Association of Women University, just one in nine Black women had a college degree. Today, that number is four in ten. Superintendent Verletta White and Councilwoman Trish White-Boyd are just two Black women thriving in their respective professions throughout the Roanoke Valley.
While she has a way of making parenthood look easy, Member One Federal Credit Union employee Enjoli Wiley is the first to say that it most certainly is not. The role Wiley plays in her children’s lives goes well beyond that of a parent. “Growing up, my biggest role models were women. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but with the benefit of hindsight, I now understand why certain decisions were made. Above everything, I was taught that actions always speak louder than words, and I’ve passed that along to my son and two daughters,” she said.
Part of the reason why Black women are so strong, explained beauty consultant Pam Banks, is because so many constantly feel the pressure to act like Superwoman, even when it is a façade. She added, “There’s a certain art to grace and most of the Black women that I know have it. Most of our lives paint a complicated picture of love, pain, and acceptance. I know so many women who just accept certain inevitabilities on a daily basis. Just because we make it look easy doesn’t mean that it is.”
As the co-owner and marketing director of Miss You Flowers, Iris Park serves many roles, oftentimes simultaneously. Her favorite titles though are wife to her husband Joseph and mother to her two children. “When I learned that I was going to be a mom, several thoughts went through my head. Our journey hasn’t been perfect, but the love I have for my family knows no bounds,” Park said. “Even during those times when I feel burned out, I never lose sight of just how fortunate I am to be part of such an amazing family.”
Former elementary school educator Kenya Motley, who currently is completing her dissertation as part of her master’s degree program at Virginia Tech, wants to inspire the next generation of Black women to dream beyond their wildest imaginations. “I feel like I have the best mother in the world and she has always been my biggest supporter,” she said. “Sometimes having someone believe in you even when you don’t make all the difference in the world.”
If life handed Stacey McClanahan a different set of cards, she recognizes that her dream of being an author would have likely never happened. “What once seemed like a monumental task turned out to actually be an enjoyable process once I approached my goal from a different perspective,” she said. “I’ve never apologized for being a strong Black woman and I encourage others to have the same mindset.”
There isn’t a litmus test that determines a woman’s worth. Every woman, regardless of marital status, educational background, body type, or financial situation, has the ability to make a difference in the community and inspire others.
In 1981, while speaking in New York City to a large group of women, Lorde made all in attendance repeat the following, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
