“I AM my hair. My hair IS me!” with Naomi Samuel

In this world, for women of color and Black women, we are faced with so much. Was that a micro-aggression? Did you mean harm when you complimented me? What did you intend by singling me out? Naomi Samuel, a Management PhD Student at the University of Texas at Arlington who id passionate about storytelling, raising awareness of natural hair discrimination, helping students discover their personal narratives, and writing theory to develop DE&I thought leadership, and I delve into these and other questions as we discuss our journeys as Black women. Check out this week’s episode for more.

This week’s Guest is Naomi Samuel.

Naomi Samuel is a Dallas native, born and raised in Garland, Texas, but considers Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to be her second home. Or really, where her heart resides. She’s currently a Management PhD Student at The University of Texas at Arlington. Before this, she worked in management consulting after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with degrees in Marketing & English.

She’s been advocating for diversity and writing poetry since she was a child. As an interdisciplinary graduate, she strongly believes that at the intersect of multiple domains of knowledge, exists new forms of practice to make the world more equitable for historically disenfranchised groups.

She’s particularly interested in designing creative interventions to increase racial equity in the workplace. She’s been an outspoken advocate of ending natural hair discrimination via #TheCROWNAct; and is currently a fellow of The CROWN Campaign, an interdisciplinary, grassroots effort to advance federal policy prohibiting natural hair discrimination. She loves leading and holding space to have conversations around what innovation is necessary to make the world more inclusive and reduce group-based discrimination and harms.

Ways to Connect

Website: https://naomiwrote.com/

LinkedIn: Naomi Samuel | LinkedIn

Email is also naomisamuelbba@gmail.com

Resources

Poet, Natalie Diez https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/natalie-diaz

Author of Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/leslie-marmon-silko

Presumed Incompetent

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