Welcome to The Bookcase.

I'm your host, Shawna Richards, a sometime writer and a long time reader.

I invite you to join me as we explore The Bookcase and celebrate Virgin Islands authors and talent.

Each week on The Bookcase, we'll introduce you to a local author and learn more about them and their work.

A storyteller lives in each of us, and I am so excited to give our homegrown storytellers a chance to tell their story.

Tonight's selection from The Bookcase is Because They Dared, and I'm honored to welcome its author, Janette Millin Young Janette welcome to The Bookcase.

Thank you so much for joining us this evening.

And thank you for having me.

I'm very pleased to be here.

So, so many of our audience know you as a Senator, as a public speaker, certainly a leader in our community.

But this is our first introduction to you as an Author.

So tell us about Janette Millin Young, the Author.

Well, it's funny because this is my very first book, but I graduated from Loyola University and I graduated with a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcaster Journalism.

But I did so just after Hugo.

So I didn't go into writing.

I didn't go into TV even though I interned for a local channel ten news.

So I went straight into public relations and that was it.

It was Public Relations straight up.

When I finished, I used to write for magazines and little articles or whatever.

When I left government the first time, I, actually not the first time the second time I went into publishing my own magazine.

So I did a monthly magazine for about a year.

But, you know, publishing costs are quite costly.

So I was very fortunate to at least do it for a year.

And then I did the position of senior editorial writer for the newspaper.

So I have written in so many ways for radio, whether it was for news or it was for a commercial.

And then I've done magazine writing, which is probably the lengthiest, right?

Because as you know, different types of writing call for a different lens.

And so that was the most.

And I said to myself, Well, I haven't conquered the one I want to do.

So forever.

For years I wanted to write a book and I can't do anything unless I think it's going to be right.

So I needed to really figure out what I wanted to write about.

So once I finished, you know, my trajectory in public service and in private industry, I said to myself, you know what, it’s time to write the book And because I also led an organization which for which was for women empowerment, women striving for success, what better way, what better way to start writing than to talk about women's empowerment.

And so and in speaking to women all over and doing these empowerment conferences, you always find people who say, I don't know how you do it I don’t know how women do it, and we just do it.

We don’t think about it, we just do it.

And so I decided to put together a group of women in history, you know, maybe they’re deceased or they're still alive.

Their stories are still worth telling.

And I chose women to fit what I wanted to convey you know, because one of our local leaders, asked me Well, how did you choose?

I chose the women to fit what I was writing about and also women who I have admired over the years, whether they're here or not, you must find inspiration from someone, whether they're far from you or even in your own home.

And I had a good privilege to be able to do both.

I had women and still have women in my life, in my family, friends who have done a lot and are to be emulated.

And when I say emulated, not imitated.

Right.

Because I find a lot of times people are like, well, she can do it.

Even women who have run for the Senate as well.

And I always tell people, keep your voice, keep your persona, because when I first went into the Senate, it was, you must be like so-and-so, and so-and-so did it like this, and you have to do it.

Right like there's room for only one person to occupy a space or role.

Thank you.

And I said, Listen, if I started to act or speak like this other person, it wouldn't be genuine.

And people would say, That's not her, that's not who they elected, you know?

So I always tell people, find your voice.

And that's one of the messages in the book.

Find your voice.

So was that a common theme throughout because they dared that you wanted women to be their authentic selves, of course, and to be planners, I'm a planner, and I can’t tell you that back in 1991, I saw myself where I am today or what I have accomplished.

But as I would tell, even the interns who will come through the office, you know, be a sponge or just absorb all the lessons you possibly can, then you have to use those to fit you, your persona, where you want to be in life.

I didn't know I was going to run for office.

I mean, everybody sort of knew it for me.

You know, aww your grandmother was this, your father was that, you know, because of your legacy.

But I didn't grow up thinking like that.

And I think it is a credit to my very parents.

Right.

Because it wasn't something that was spoken about at the dinner table at any time.

When you grow up it would be nice, if you will, follow these footsteps.

You know, nobody said that.

And when I grew older and I saw that and I started to understand because of course, for those who don't know, my grandmother was the first woman elected to the Virgin Islands legislature back in 1954 when most women weren't thinking about leading in those ways.

She went through a lot, and I didn't know that because she died when I was maybe ten or 11 years old.

So I didn't know the political person.

I just knew granny.

And she was in a bed, you know, the whole time she was in a bed, she had lost her sight and all of that.

And despite having lost her sight, she was still that person that folks respected.

If you came in that room, it was a reverence, you know, that I remember.

But I don't know.

I didn't know at that time what she had accomplished It was growing up that I understood.

And it was in growing up that I heard the anguish that she sometimes had as a woman leader.

But but then again, I had my father who who served as Lieutenant Governor right.

So he went through a lot.

And so I'm like, I'm not going to do that.

I'm not going to go through what they went through.

And I said, I'm going to take the piece of them that I really wanted to fulfill, which was the business aspect, right?

My grandmother had her school.

She had really prominent people even come out of that school.

So it's like a very proud thing.

And then you had my dad, you know, who didn't become Lieutenant Governor until he was well past having done everything inclusive of becoming a senior vice president of a bank.

I wanted to be a business person.

That's the part that I liked, you know what I'm saying?

But it just sort of like happened.

It was sort of organic, right?

And so we have to sometimes look at our lives as well.

We want to plan, plan to learn, plan to do good at everything you do.

But sometimes at the end, something else will come out of it.

Because you went this way, you took this direction.

And so when I wrote the book, I chose to make sure that every character and I said character, even though they were, you know, real people, every character.

You saw that from the time that they what type of family they were born into, what they went through and how they were able to come on the other side without saying, I'm going to be famous, I'm going to save the day.

No, they had intentions, they had goals.

And it so happens that once they accomplished those goals, they became legends.

But, you know, in you’re telling your story of your grandmother and the challenges that she had as a woman being elected to public office, it reminded me of a Shirley Chisholm who you referenced in your book.

And one of the things that Shirley Chisholm is certainly famous for is, is her saying that if they don't make a seat for you at the table to bring your own chair.

So why was it important for you to include Shirley Chisholm and her story as a reference point?

Obviously, I've long admired her because, you know, through authority we have certain into Delta Sigma Theta, we have certain women who have really risen to prominence.

So I knew of her and that, cause not here and not growing up in the Virgin Islands I really didn't know about her.

But yes, by the time I went to college, it's like, wow, she was quite a person I don't know anybody related to her.

But I can certainly tell you that at some point she had to have like, oh my God, what have I gotten into?

You know, this has it's got to be a lonely feeling.

They say is lonely at the top.

It is lonely at the top.

As she was sitting in the lion's den.

These men who didn’t respect her and didn't want her to be there in Congress.

How dear this black woman sit among us and much less when we’re have a little cocktail or we’re have in our little munchies between sessions.

And she's there and how dare her pick a table where I'm accustomed to sit Right.

You know, those are some of the immature things that some of the kids do in school when they're bullying.

This is my space.

This is our table right here, and I’m going to protect it.

She was like, no.

And if you're hungry enough and you have your food to eat, then go sit down over there because I'm not getting up.

I love that about her because we are equal.

And they were elected equally and she had every right to be in that room.

She had every right to to go ahead and promote the the interests of those who could not promote it for themselves, you know, the women, the children, the poor.

And she did it fiercely.

She was very fierce.

And I just love it.

But in Because They Dared, you present multi generational and certainly a diversity of women all you know, races, creeds, everything as people that you aspire to, but you don't shy away from while you hold all these women up as inspirational.

So you don't shy away from all of the challenges that we have as women.

You talk about gender bias.

You talk about how being born a woman can pose a barrier.

Why was it important for you to say that it's not all roses?

We have challenges as well, and it's because the many women that I encounter all the time, you know, you make it seem easy.

Well, people who make certain things seem easy is because they worked at it.

It it wasn't created by osmosis.

Right.

It didn't just appear.

I worked for everything that I've had and also speak about names that people say, is who you know.

And I remind people, yes, that's who you know, and that's why you have to network.

You have to get to know people and you have to be in the space.

And I mean, I give a list of of tips.

I don't mean to go through all of them, but really, you have to be in this space and do not begrudge someone who got something because of who they are.

Now, begrudge that person if they don't fulfill that job, because I know you can be invited into the living room but they didn’t invite you to the kitchen to see what they have in there.

And then, you know, you have to work at that.

You have to be friends, you have to nurture that relationship, and then you become one in being To relate it, to make it more practical when I speak of those instances, I speak of people who get the job because of who they know but don't know what they're doing and it's against the public good.

You shouldn't accept the responsibility that you cannot handle.

and when I say public good, it’s for public service, but when you go to private industry and you get in because of but then there's there's that sense of, you know, you may have been given a seat at the table, but it doesn't remove you from having to prove that you can sit.

Do your part in that seat, do your part.

You know, I truly it bothers me to see people who take positions and again, I’m not just talking politics We’re both in politics and in private industry who are fakers.

And you have a lot in private industry.

You know, you just get fired, you know, and then you make the person who recommended you because again, it's the who, you know look bad, right?

You know, So that's why I speak of those things.

Yeah, you want to grow, but you got to prepare yourself.

And I also have in one of the chapters what it means.

That doesn't mean you have to get a doctorate, but there's so many ways to advance yourself and continue learning.

Would you describe Because They Dared as a memoir, because there's so much of Janette Millin Young story in this book?

I blame the editor for that part because I did not want to insert myself and I was advised no in order for the audience to really take what you've said seriously, they have to know you're invested.

They have to know your part.

And so while I pick personas and ladies in history like Evita Pearl and Joan of Arc, I liken myself to them because as women, it really doesn't matter where you are.

It doesn't matter whether you are an elected official, it doesn't matter whether you're a CEO or your customer service rep or work in the kitchen.

Women are women, and we have so many attributes that are so in common You know, especially if we're mothers and even if we're single women, we sometimes adopt our nephews.

And, you know, we have that motherly, instinctual, motherly nature about us.

And we all went through some of the similar things.

And so I do put in some very, very practical and simple situations that everybody might go through, whether it's infidelity or children, you know, your children getting in trouble at school or you having your issues at work.

So it's all relatable because I think I touch on every level and you do you have chapters that are titled, for example, Queens Lead From The Front, Representation Matters.

Why was it why did you title a whole chapter about Queens leading from the front?

Because you don't.

There's some people who aspire to that top position and think that once they get there, everybody, all the underlings are going to do the work or they get there and then they pull up the ladder.

They do, behind of them.

It happens so often.

So my mantra a lot of times is, don't forget to keep the ladder down because, you know, they say we're all, you know, rising tides raise all boats.

Right?

So if you've gotten there and trust me, they have a long way to come and surpass you anyway, you know?

So help someone at the bottom they're looking at you.

Again, when I do these conferences, people like, wow.

And it's like, it's not wow.

Let me just tell you how you get started and how you begin to rise.

We need more women in the space of leadership and I always say I wasn't really helped by women in terms of my career because the persons who were in the positions were men.

So if I got a promotion, most of my promotions came from men, right?

And most of my mentorship mostly came from men.

But if you have more women in the space, more women can give those opportunities for a promotion.

More women can be able to hey sister, like let me help you up.

And again, that's that's why I do what I do, because it is lonely at the top.

You don't want to be there by yourself.

And I think sometimes as as women, well men too but we’re hampered by the scarcity mindset that there is no room for all of us is there's more than enough.

And when you talk about the men, I remember the first time I did my empowerment conference, this young man comes in and he says, You're going to do this for men, too.

And I'm like, You guys already have a leg up, right?

But in a sense, the reason they do have a bit of a leg up is because as women, we don't socialize as much.

And pardon me, some people live in a party, but I'm not talking about just partying, going to a club.

I'm talking about being able to relate with other women on a professional level in a very intentional way, exactly, and a very that is like my mantra of through out, right?

You have to be intentional.

The guys go to golf.

Are some women who golf.

Yeah.

And as a matter of fact, the first time I had my very first meeting grassroots meeting for women coming together let's chat.

The speaker spoke about the fact that someone gave her a gift for a membership or some courses in going to play golf.

And it's true, I am not a golf player, but many people enjoy that.

They have time to, every time before they're going to putt or whatever.

I guess they they exchange information for business.

So are you saying, you know meet people where they are?

You have to meet people where they are.

But if you're not a golfer, then you have to find the place.

And I do that through other networking opportunities.

But you should pick what you like, what you enjoy.

So if you like golf, do that.

If you like swimming, then join a group of women and go to the beach.

Do whatever it takes to be able to speak to other people because if all you do is go home, go to work, go to work, go home, go to church.

I mean, you don't have enough of a pool of persons who can say, you know what, we're looking for this position, and I think you'll be great for that.

Or you know what?

I'm going through some stuff at work, and I know you've been in this space, but if you don't have that opportunity, then you don't have that that opportunity to exchange information and grow or even to help someone else.

Would you have been able to write Because They Dared five years ago?

Oh five years, ten years ago?

Maybe not ten, but five certainly because I was able to use the experience that I gained at the legislature and I was there for eight years, but I worked for, you know, Governor Farrelly and Governor Scheinder.

So I had an insight at that level.

And then I have another insight at the legislative, which is completely different.

And then I also had the opportunity to be at the executive level in private industry as well.

And then I also worked as executive assistant.

You know, I mean, I've had good positions.

I have a positions here, and I never shied away from any opportunity because people felt that, you know, that's beneath you.

What part is beneath you if you’re earning a living unless you know you're not doing something ill repute.

Everything else is game, you know, And I remember after having worked at the Government House Level serving as an executive assistant.

I didn't do it for long.

I did it twice for two different people for about three months.

But the knowledge that I gained because again, intentional, I want to know how this person was able to leave Europe poor with only the clothes he had on that time, became a millionaire, lost his millions and won his millions again.

I want to know what he reads, how he thinks, who he speaks with, how he and it was a man, right?

I learned.

And is that what the person who reads?

Because They Dared, they're going to see stories that are up lifting.

Yes.

Stories that are inspirational.

Yeah.

They're a guide.

And I always tell people just because I, I call it a guide doesn't mean that you're going to follow the steps one, two, three, and arrive.

That's why there's so many stories and why it's so diverse.

Some and many of the women in the stories, they began as very poor people.

Some of them had just single mothers, lots of siblings.

Well, how do you rise from that?

And you will in the stories that you will read you’ll be like, oh so I can't do it exactly that way, but I know that there is a way out, you know?

Yeah, go ahead.

I see.

I see the question, is there a favorite passage?

And I know you probably have lots, but is there a favorite passage that you can share with our audience?

The whole thing is my favorite.

people who have read it tell me it's a fast read for them because they just keep turning the pages.

But I can read from the let me see, let me see which page we're going to look at.

Page 50 when life knocks you down, get right back up because people are like, okay, I lost, you’re in a stupor I don't know how I’ll ever get out of this.

And I always say, you know, every day the sun rises is a new opportunity for you.

But on page 50, I say I subscribe to a school of thought that we all have within us the ability to achieve greatness in our careers, for our families and for our communities.

For example, if you have a job in an area where you must interact with the public, just opening that interaction with the customer with a smile will have a positive ripple effect in terms of how the customer will feel during the transaction.

Ensuring a pleasant experience, even during a call that may have originated as a complaint could result in a very satisfied customer that may lead to repeat business.

This could in turn prompt a provide a prompt resolution to the matter lead you to sell more products or services, or even to a compliment that your supervisor can use to recommend you for a promotion.

Be intentional about what you would like to achieve in life.

Look around and seek out the people whom you believe have succeeded in life despite their trials and tribulations.

Emulate the good and learn from the bad.

Study what has worked for others, and do not be deterred by your current situation because, as it has been mentioned in previous chapters, we all face barriers and challenges in life.

But just as track and field runners do, you must find the strength to jump over the hurdles to land on the other side.

If you stop to watch the hurdle, you will not get to the other side.

So jump.

And that came because there's a saying in Spanish about and I don't even know how the direct translation is, but my grandmother always used to say, Just keep going and don't look back because when you look back, you lose that strength right?

So you've got to keep looking forward because I look back, you slow down, right?

So that's how I've actually, you know, and this is on my mother's side, grandmother, because people only know my grandmother on father's side, but my other side of the family, my mother is Puerto Rican, her entire family is Puerto Rican.

So sometimes I'll say something like that, not sure how to directly translate this.

But this is what it means you know.

So you come from a foundation of of strong, inspirational women who are some of the other women that inspire you and that you reference in Because They Dared?

you know, and maybe because you will compare them to me that I just kind of like.

But Joan of Arc, that's my first chapter.

And people will say, well, Joan of Arc, you know, went so far to want to fight for her people that she look like a man, you know.

And that was because if she looked like a woman, she couldn’t be part of the, part of the Army.

And after she fought and she did all what she did, she was burned at the stake.

So women today are burned at the stake many times.

In many ways, figuratively, and literally.

we are crucified in the press, exactly, crucified in the press, in the public, and often not given opportunities at redemption.

Yeah, you see men given grace so many times and we don't hold space for women to also make those mistakes.

And but even on the other side, I remember we had something going on at the Senate and it reminded me of something with my dad.

You know, he was like, My mother's going through that, too.

She has Alzheimer's, dementia, he had dementia and something was happening and it was my time to do the question.

And I paused and I was emotional.

And I remember, in fact, it was Senator Vialet, I think it was his chairmanship.

And he looked at me and he was like, I wonder what she's going to you know, And it really was seconds, Right?

But because you get to know each other, you get to know well something is wrong.

She's not speaking for a reason.

And that's because if I spoke at that time, I might have broken.

But he waited long enough that when I was able to then speak, you know, well, you know, I came from a place of I'm caring about this subject because it's very familiar to me.

And it's is an emotional issue.

In today's days, more so than ever it just seems like mental health is such a huge deal.

So I knew I needed to include elements of that in the book to make sure that, listen, you're going through stuff, I've been through stuff.

I've had people that I can speak with.

Everybody doesn't have people that they trust enough to speak, whether it is that they don't want their secret out or whether they don't think they're going to get the sympathy or the empathy that's needed.

Because, you don’t want people to like I don't want people tapping me because that that would make me cry, you know don't tap me.

Don’t hug me.

Just listen to what I have to say.

And we're all different, but we all need that outlet and we all need to be able to lean on someone's shoulder.

And I, you know, I repeat that often enough because a lot of times women feel like they're just by themselves.

Who can I tell, who can I share this with?

And I'm reading about a lot of breakdowns lately in Because They Dared, yes, we are saying lean on each other.

Yeah.

These women, these women led, but they also had a personal side of them.

And so you just don't look at them at the legends who broke every barrier.

And no, they they had people they were fighting, you know, vetoes, fighting for her husband, etc.. And that's the story.

It's been a pleasure to learn more about our local talent.

Janette Millin Young and her book Because They Dared.

For more information on this book or any of the books featured on this program, visit our website at WWW.WTJX.ORG We appreciate your support of our local authors and we'll see you next week when we take another book from The Bookcase.