>> COMING UP ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

>> MY NAME IS GLADIRA VELAZQUEZ AND I AM COORDINATOR, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.

FOR ME, IT FELT LIKE THE MORE EDUCATION I HAVE, THE MORE STANDING I CAN HAVE.

TO HAVE MY VOICE BE HEARD.

I FEEL LIKE THE WORK HAS TO BE REAL RIGHT NOW.

WE GOT TO DO REAL STUFF TO MAKE REAL CHANGE.

THE MORE THAT THE WE CAN REPRESENT OUR STUDENTS AND THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES, THE MORE WE CHANGE THEIR PATH.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I GOT A GOOD, GOOD FEELING, YEAH,.

♪ I'M UP ON A CLOUD, AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Juhanna: GOOD EVENING.

MAKE A POST AND TELL A FRIEND "BEHIND THE WOMAN" IS ON.

I'M YOUR HOST, Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS.

ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE WE ARE MEETING GLADIRA VELAZQUEZ, COORDINATOR OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN HUMAN RESOURCES FOR THE ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.

LET'S TAKE A QUICK MINUTE AND LESCH MORE ABOUT GLADIRA AND HOW SHE GOT TO WHERE SHE IS NOW.

>> WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THIS EVENT HERE TODAY.

THE WHOLE EVENT IS DEDICATED TO STUDENTS OF COLOR LIKE YOU AND ME TO CREATE UNITY BETWEEN ALL OF US AND MAKE US FEEL LIKE WE BELONG, BECAUSE WE DO.

>> MY NAME IS GLADIRA VELAZQUEZ.

AND I AM COORDINATOR OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I AM PUERTO RICAN, I'M A PROUD BORICUA.

BORN IN PUERTO RICO, I'M ALSO WHAT WOULD BE CALLED AN ARMY BRAT.

MY FATHER WAS IN THE ARMY.

I WAS A YOUNG MOTHER, SO I HAD MY SON AT 19 AND I WAS THAT GIRL THAT WAS LIKE, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME?

LIKE THE JOURNEY OF BEING A MOTHER AT A YOUNG ABLE ACTUALLY INSPIRED ME TO DO MORE WITH MY LIFE BECAUSE OF THE DOUBTS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD.

PART OF MY WORK IN HUMAN RESOURCES IS TO DIE VERSE DIVERSIFY.

IN SOME WAYS, PUSHING THE STATUS QUO.

ANOTHER THING IS TO SEE THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY IN OUR DISTRICT AND SUPPORT THEM TO MOVE INTO OUR POSITIONS WHERE USUALLY THEY WOULD NOT BE IN.

SO BRINGING THOSE THAT WOULD USUALLY NOT BE AT A CERTAIN TABLE, BRINGING THEM THERE SO THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD.

THE STUDENTS OF COLOR, IT WAS SAYING IF WE ARE GOING TO SAY WE ARE WORKING TOWARD AN ANTI-RACIST DISTRICT, WE REALLY NEED TO ELEVATE THE VOICES OF THOSE STUDENTS OF COLOR, BRING THEM TO THE TABLE.

AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE JUST WITH THEMSELVES.

>> WE NEED THAT TO BE DIFFERENT AND THIS IS WHAT BRINGING DIFFERENT IS IS HIGHLIGHTING OUR STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE.

I FEEL LIKE THE WORK HAS TO BE REAL RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW, LIKE THE NEXT GENERATION DEPENDS ON THIS CHANGE.

WE GOT TO DO REAL STUFF TO MAKE REAL CHANGE.

>> HI GLADIRA.

>> HELLO.

>> Juhanna: WELCOME TO "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

I AM SO EXCITED TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW.

I KNOW WE JUST SAW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY.

BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE US A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEHIND THE WOMAN, SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE GLADIRA VELAZQUEZ IS FROM?

>> YEAH, SO I AM PUERTO RICO, WHICH IS AN ISLAND EAST OFF THE MAIN ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO, AND SO IT'S ABOUT 10,000 IS THE POPULATION THERE.

>> Juhanna: OH WOW.

>> 21 MILES.

>> Juhanna: OKAY.

>> AND SOME PEOPLE WILL HAVE HEARD OF VIEQUES ABECAUSE THE NAVY AT ONE POINT OCCUPIED A PORTION OF THE ISLAND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF PROTESTS TO HAVE THE NAVY LEAVE THE ISLAND SO THEY WERE DOING BOMBING EXERCISES, TESTING, SO PEOPLE MAY KNOW OF THE AREA BECAUSE OF THAT.

>> SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO ASK SOME MORE QUESTIONS.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS IN THE LATIN COMMUNITY, THE LATINX COMMUNITY ABOUT IDENTITY AND IDENTIFYING AS AFRO LATINAS OR AFRO LATINOS AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN RELATION TO THE REPRESENTATION OF THAT COMMUNITY AND THINGS LIKE TELEVISION ON MEDIA, IN MOVIES.

LIN MANUAL'S FILM IN THE HEIGHTS JUST CAME OUT AND THERE WAS CONVERSATION AND CHATTER ABOUT THAT.

I WAS CURIOUS WHERE YOU'RE FROM IN PUERTO RICO, WHERE DOES IT FIT AS FAR AS CULTURE AND IDENTITY AND SPACE AND PLACE ON THAT SPECIFIC YILD?

ON THAT SPECIFIC ISLAND.

>> THAT IS SOMETHING A TOPIC THAT I THINK I HAVE WRESTLED WITH ALL MY LIFE BECAUSE I USED TO HEAR A LOT.

WELL YOU DON'T LOOK PUERTO RICAN.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE SAW THE PUERTO RICAN BARBIE WHEN SHE CAME OUT.

I LOVE BARBIES AND I REMEMBER MY MOM GETTING THE PUERTO RICAN BARBIE AND IT LOOKED A CERTAIN WAY, WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT A PUERTO RICAN WOULD LOOK LIKE.

>> Juhanna: WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUERTO RICAN, WE THINK OF MARIA FROM WEST SIDE STORY.

J-LO.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: BUT THERE IS MORE TO PUERTO RICAN IDENTITY AND CULTURE THAN THAT MAKEUP, I GUESS, IF YOU WILL.

SO YOU SAID YOU HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THAT ALL YOUR LIFE.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT STRUGGLE.

>> YEAH, FINDING MY IDENTITY BECAUSE IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS-- HIGH SCHOOL WAS VERY CLICKISH, I THINK FOR MANY PEOPLE AND SO FOR ME, LIVING IN A HOUSEHOLD THAT WAS A SPANISH SPEAKING HOUSEHOLD, THEN I GRAVITATED TO THOSE WHO ALSO WERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE LATINAS OF MY HIGH SCHOOL AND SO I WANT TO SAY I WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY BLACK LATINA IN THAT GROUP.

AND THERE WAS ALWAYS THIS-- YOU KNOW, RACISM, LATINO IS NOT IMMUNE OF RACISM AND WHAT HAS BEEN BROADCAST ON TELL MUTUAL FUND OWE, PEOPLE THINK LATINOS ARE ALL FAIR SHKANE FROM WHAT THEY SEE ON TELEVISION.

>> Juhanna: YOUR HAIR IS VERY CURLY.

>> AND EVEN AS A LATINA, GROWING UP, THERE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE GOOD HAIR, OR BAD HAIR.

OH MALOMENT.

THERE IS THAT EMFA SOYS THAT-- THAT EMPHASIS THAT HAPPENS AND SO IT'S LIKE FOR ME, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WAS MY ANCESTRY AND SO GROWING UP, BOTH OF MY PARENTS ARE FROM VIEQUES.

AND THE PROUD OF-- THE PRIDE OF BEING PUERTO RICAN IS STRONG AS IT SHOULD BE.

WE ARE PROUD TO BE PUERTO RICAN.

I'M PUERTO RICAN BUT ALSO LOOK AT MY SKIN COLOR AND REALLY LIKE UNDERSTANDING THE AFRICAN DIASPORA AND WHERE MY ANCESTORS CAME FROM SO IT'S INTERESTING, MY PARENTS-- I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SUCH A MIXTURE IN MY FAMILY OF, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE AFRICAN DESCENDANTS BUT I HAVE MY GRANDFATHER AND PLY MOTHER'S FATHER, HIS FAMILY WAS LIKE PORTUGUESE AND SO FAIR ERSKIN-- FAIRER SKINNED.

BY MY MOTHER'S MOTHER WAS FROM AFRICAN DESCENT.

MY FATHER IS A DARK SKINNED MAN FROM VIEQUES BUT EVEN ON THE ISLAND, YOU SEE THE FAVORITISM WHICH HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE ALL OVER THE WORLD AS THE FAVORITISM OF THE LIGHTER SKIN IS BETTER.

>> Juhanna: BETTER, RIGHT.

AND SO YOU HAVE THAT BACKGROUND AND THEN YOU COME TO THE U.S.

IT WASN'T FOR VERY LONG BECAUSE THEN YOU ALSO END UP TRAVELING THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT AND GROWING UP IN GERMANY.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

DO YOU REMEMBER A LOT ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE?

>> WE LIVED IN BOMB HOLDER GERMANY.

>> Juhanna: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT BOMB HOLDER GERMANY IS, BUT, OKAY.

>> I WANT TO SAY IT WAS NORTH OF BERLIN AND WE WERE ACTUALLY THERE DURING THE TIME THAT THEY KNOCKED THE BERLIN WALL DOWN SO IT WAS INTERESTING GROWING UP THERE BECAUSE AS AN ARMY BRAT, YOU ARE IN THE MILITARY BASE SO THERE WERE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THERE AS WELL.

THE PUERTO RICANS STUCK TOGETHER.

MY PARENTS HAD LIKE GREAT PUERTO RICAN PARTIES AT THE HOUSE AND THE ARMY BASE THERE, WERE A GROUP OF PUERTO RICANS THAT STUCK TOGETHER, THE AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAT STUCK TOGETHER.

AND THEN-- IT ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD, IN GERMANY, EXPERIENCED RACISM SO I WAS PLAYING OUTSIDE AND THIS BOY SAYS TO ME, OH, YOU'RE, HE SAYS YOU'RE BLACK HONKY [bleep], THAT'S WHAT HE CALLED ME.

>> Juhanna: IS THAT A GERMAN.

>> IT WAS A WHITE BOY ON THE MILITARY BASE.

>> Juhanna: OWE ANOTHER WHITE AMERICAN.

>> YEAH THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I STARTED HAVING THE CONVERSATION WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

I ASKED MY PARENTS AND MY PATIENCE WERE VERY PROUD PUERTO RICANS.

SO THEY WERE LIKE, YOU'RE PUERTO RICAN AND THAT PLANTED A SEED.

I BELIEVE AT THAT TIME I WAS EITHER EIGHT OR NINE.

AND THEN I STARTED THINKING, WELL WOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M BROWN.

I SEE OTHER PUERTO RICANS ARE LIGHTER SKIN, YOU KNOW.

>> Juhanna: YOU STARTED QUESTIONING WHERE YOU BELONG.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: AND HOW OTHER PEOPLE WOULD SEE YOU.

IT'S POWERFUL THAT YOU SHARE THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHO WE ARE IN THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE WHO YOU ARE CAN INFORM WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE OR SHOULD BE, RIGHT?

AND THAT'S THAT TALENT OF BEING A BROWN GIRL OR A BLACK GIRL IN WHITE SPACES SO IT'S POWERFUL THAT YOU SAY THAT.

YOU KNOW I LIVED IN THE SOUTH OF SPAIN.

AND FOR ME, THAT WAS A VERY EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE I REALIZED, I GET RACISM BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE AMERICAN CONTEXT, YOU DON'T THINK THAT IT EXISTS, BUT IT DOES, RIGHT?

IT REALLY, REALLY DOES.

AND SO THAT NOW PLAYS INTO YOU IN SOME OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING, RIGHT, WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE COORDINATOR OF RECRUITMENT AND RETETION FOR ITHACA SCHOOL DISTRICT, NOT THE TEXTBOOK DEFINITION BUT WHAT DOES THAT WORK LOOK LIKE?

>> YEAH, SO I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF ALL STAFF IN THE DISTRICT, AND THAT JOB BECOMES MORE INTENSE WHEN WE ARE RECRUITING TEACHERS AND WHEN WE ARE RECRUITING ADMINISTRATORS, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR-- FOR ME, THERE IS A COMMITMENT AND THE DISTRICT SHARES IN THIS COMMITMENT AND THAT IS TO DIVERSIFY THE STAFF, TO DIVERSIFY THOSE THAT OUR STUDENTS COME IN CONTACT WITH SO THAT WE CAN BETTER REPRESENT-- OR THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE BETTER REPRESENTED THROUGH THOSE THAT ARE TEACHING THEM, THOSE THAT ARE SUPPORTING THEM, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH COUNSELORS OR SOCIAL WORKERS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, LIKE HAVING A BLACK WOMAN TEACHING CHEMISTRY, YOU KNOW, AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN-- THE MORE WE CAN REPRESENT OUR STUDENTS AND THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES, THE MORE WE CHANGE THEIR PATH AND THEIR VOICE.

THEY'LL WANT TO HAVE THEIR VOICE BE HEARD MORE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEM IN DIFFERENT ROLES.

>> Juhanna: AND WHEN YOU SAID THE BLACK FEMALE CHEMISTRY TEACHER, I'M LIKE NOT ONLY FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN OR BLACK OR LATINO STUDENTS IN THE ROOM DOES THAT MEAN SOMETHING, IT ALSO REDEFINES WHO CAN BE WHAT IN WHAT SPACE FOR ALL STUDENTS, RIGHT?

AS I THINK BACK TO YOUR MOMENT IN GERMANY AS A KID, AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS, HOW DO WE INTERRUPT THOSE IDEALS?

HOW DO WE PUT PEOPLE IN FRONT OF KIDS THAT CAN HELP REINFORCE MESSAGES THAT ALL PEOPLE BELONG IN CERTAIN SPACES AND SO WHAT DROVE YOUR PASSION TO GO INTO EDUCATION?

>> MY CHILDREN.

I WAS A YOUNG MOTHER, AND I HAD MY SON, I WAS 19.

AND I HAD ACTUALLY MY FIRST SEMESTER IN COLLEGE WHEN I GOT PREGNANT AND SO THERE WAS THIS, BEING A YOUNG MOTHER, I THOUGHT AT ONE POINT I WANTED TO BE A SOCIAL WORKER.

I WANTED TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I HAD JUST SEEN NOT ONLY HOW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WHITE ARE TREATED BUT ALSO THE SOCIOECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND THAT I FACED AS A SINGLE MOTHER.

AND I SAID I'M GOING TO DO IT ON MY OWN AND YOU GO INTO DIFFERENT OFFICES AND YOU ARE TREATED A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE FIRST I WAS A BLACK WOMAN I WAS A WOMAN AND THEN A SINGLE MOTHER AND ALSO, YOU KNOW OH I SPEAK SPANISH AND I'M A LATINA.

>> Juhanna: YOU CHECK ALL THE STEREOTYPE STEREOTYPICAL BOXES.

>> OF COURSE SHE IS GOING TO HAVE A KID YOUNG.

I REMEMBER GOING TO THE WIC OFFICE AND BEING TREATED A CERTAIN WAY OR AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, WITH FOOD STAMPS BEING TREATED A CERTAIN WAY BUT NOBODY KNEW MY STORY.

NO ONE KNEW THAT NO, I'M WORKING FULL TIME, I'M GOING TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT IT WAS LIKE THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE IT'S LIKE YEAH YES, I NEED A LITTLE ASSISTANCE.

>> Juhanna: WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED THAT REINFORCED SOMETHING IN YOU WHEN WHEN WERE YOU TRYING TO GET HELP OR YOU'RE IN COLLEGE.

I CAN IMAGINE YOUR FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE, RIGHT BUT YOU SOUND YOU WERE PERSISTING THROUGH IT BUT WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU HIT UP AGAINST AS A YOUNG MOTHER Dr.

I HAVE BEEN TO SUCCEED AT THAT TIME?

THERE WAS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT TRIGGERED SOMETHING FOR ME THAT WAS LIKE, NO, I'M NOT GIVING UP.

I'M GOING TO FINISH SCHOOL.

I REMEMBER AN ENGLISH TEACHER I WAS GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT THAT TIME BECAUSE I COULD WORK AND THEN GO TO SCHOOL AND I WAS HAVING SOME CHALLENGES DOING MY WORK, LIKE FINDING BALANCE OF HOW TO CARE FOR MY SON.

I HAD GREAT SUPPORT.

MY PARENTS WERE A GREAT SUPPORT.

BUT I WAS ALSO THIS PERSON THAT, I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO IT ALL ON MY OWN IF I CAN BECAUSE THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THAT WOULD SAY THERE IS NO WAY SHE IS GOING TO FINISH SCHOOL SO THERE WAS AN ENGLISH TEACHER WHO SAID TO ME LIKE WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?

AND SO THEN, AS HARSH AS IT WAS, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT HE SAID THAT BECAUSE IT MAY ME WANT TO FIGHT HARDER.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE HE WAS ASKING WHY ARE YOU TABLING AN ENGLISH CLASS.

>> HE WAS LIKE, YEAH, DON'T WAIST YOUR TIME.

>> Juhanna: JUST GO GET A JOB.

>> WHY ARE YOU IN COLLEGE?

>> Juhanna: BUT THAT FORCED YOU TO WORK HARDER AND PROVING... >> YEAH.

>> Juhanna: IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I THINK MAYBE, LIKE THOSE INTERACTIONS, THOSE MOMENTS YOU JI, THE KID OUTSIDE WHILE WERE YOU PLAYING IN GERMANY OR THE DRIVEN TO DO THINGS AS MOTHERS.

WE ALWAYS HAVE HAD TO DO IT, RIGHT?

>> YEAH AND I THINK EDUCATION REALLY LIKE, IT PROVIDES FOR ME, IT FELT LIKE THE MORE EDUCATION I HAVE, THE MORE STANDING I CAN HAVE TO HAVE MY VOICE BE HEARD BECAUSE PEOPLE LIFE-- AND I THINK THINGS ARE CHANGING BUT IT SEEMS LIKE AT FIRST YOU ARE JUDGED ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THEN THEY CAN SEE YOU.

>> Juhanna: IKE OKAY, YOU DID ALL THESE THINGS AND YOU ARE THE COORDINATOR FOR ITHACA, NOT ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT ITHACA SCHOOL DISTRICT.

OH WAIT, LET'S LISTEN TO HER A LITTLE BIT MORE I WANT TO ASK YOU AS WE GET READY TO WRAP UP TONIGHT'S EPISODE AND I FEEL LIKE-- WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT SALSA DAY.

>> LET'S GO DANCE.

>> Juhanna: WE ARE GOING TO GO DANCING.

I'M GOING TO COME TO ITH DA AND WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT.

BUT IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THERE WAS A YOUNG BROWN FACED CURLY BRIGHT EYED YOUNG LADY SITTING NEXT TO YOU THAT WAS GETTING-- SHE IS GETTING READY TO WALK HER PATH, RIGHT AND YOU MIGHT EVEN SEE SOME OF THE THINGS SHE MIGHT BUMP INTO BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE, WHAT WOULD BE SOME INDIVIDUAL YOU WOULD GIVE TO HER?

>> TO STAND IF HER TRUTH AND TO NOT LET ANYBODY DETERMINE WHAT THAT TRUTH IS.

SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT BASED ON WHAT OTHERS MAY THINK OF US, THEN WE TEND TO INTERNALIZE THAT AND THEN CUT SHORT OUR PATH, SO TO ME THAT KNOW, THE MORE YOU STAND IN YOUR TRUTH AND THE MORE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR POWER IS REALLY LIKE INFINITE.

TO STAND IN THAT AND BE PROUD AT THAT AND TO NOT AT ANY TIME QUIET YOUR VOICE.

SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERY BLACK WOMAN IS TO KNOW THAT NO, WE-- THERE MAY BE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT WANT TO HEAR US, BUT.

>> Juhanna: THEY MAY NEED TO.

>> THEY MAY NEED TO, YEAH CONTINUE TO LET THAT VOICE SHINE HOWEVER IT IS.

>> Juhanna: ABSOLUTELY.

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU STOOD IN YOUR TRUTH?

YOU GOT ME CURIOUS.

IF YOU COULD BE LIKE THAT WAS THE MOMENT WHEN I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

...

THIS IS ME.

>> I THINK MANY TIMES IN THE WORK I DO IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND IT'S NOT GOING ALONG WITH WHAT THE GROUP MAY THINK BUT TO REALLY SAY, AND NOT TO BE AFRAID TO SAY, NO, WHAT YOU JUST DID WAS, YOU KNOW, A STEREOTYPE OR DISCRIMINATORY AND HELPING PEOPLE SEE THEIR BIASES.

I THINK STANDING UP FOR THAT SHIFTED SOMETHING WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, NO, I'M PROUD OF WHAT I DO.

I'M ALSO PROUD TO WORK IN ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THAT CAN NURTURE THAT AND SUPPORT THAT.

>> Juhanna: I HOPE THAT THEY ARE EMBRACING THE TALENT AND PASSION THAT YOU ARE BRINGING TO THIS WORK BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY TO STAND UP AND CALL THAT OUT AND THEN SHOW BACK UP AT WORK THE EFFECTS DAY AND BE LIKE, HEY, BARBARA, LET'S HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE, RIGHT?

BECAUSE AS BROWN WIN, WHEN YOU CALL SOMEONE OUT, YOU'RE LIKE OH, ARE THEY GOING TO BE VENG VENGEFUL OR TO FEEL COMFORTABLE COMMUNICATING OR ENGAGING WITH ME?

THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE ARE THINKING ABOUT OR TO THE OTHER EXTREME, AM I GOING TO BE WELCOME BACK TO THIS SPACE BECAUSE I'M CALLING A SPADE A SPADE OR CALLING OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FOLKS MAY NOT BE OPEN TO IT LIKE I SAID, I TIP MY HAT TO YOU AND KUDOS FOR DOING THAT WORK.

I WANT TO THANK GLADIRA FOR THE AMAZING WORK SHE IS DOING FOR THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY IN ITHACA AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE FOR JOINING US TONIGHT PLEASE SHARE OR REWATCH THE EPISODE.

YOU CAN VISIT US ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/"BEHIND THE WOMAN."

MY NAME IS Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TEAM, THANK YOU AND HAVE A BLESSED NIGHT.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ NEXT WEEK ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

>> MY NAME IS LANESSA OWENS-CHAP WIN, I'M AN ATTORNEY AND CIVIC LEADER WHAT FUELED ME IS THE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T BELIEVE THIS ME.

WHEN I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL THOUGH, THERE WAS NO BLACK COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS THAT NO ONE ELSE LISTENS TO AND HELP ELEVATE THEIR VOICE I.

WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO SEE A YOUNG FEMALE BLACK ATTORNEY, EVEN IF I WAS IN MY FULL SUIT, THEY COULDN'T SEE ME AS AN ATTORNEY.

IT WAS A VERY LONELY PLACE.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪