“Your identity is a superpower, not an obstacle.”
That was just one of my favorite quotes from the keynote conversation with actor, director and author America Ferrera at the Texas Women's Foundation's 35th Annual Luncheon.
TWF works for social and economic change for women, girls and families in Texas. I'm honored to support the organization's mission as a member of its board of directors. The theme of this virtual event was creating more inclusive communities across Texas.
Ferrera delivered some powerful inspiration on the topic of inclusivity. You may know this Emmy and Golden Globe winner best from the shows "Ugly Betty" and "Superstore" or movies like "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." But Ferrera has also served as a producer and director on "Superstore" and other projects. She is the author of "American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures." As an activist, she was a founding member of Time's Up and has worked with the organization Voto Latino. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Southern California.
Being Whole and Authentic
During the TWF luncheon, Ferrera emphasized the importance of being your whole self. Many of us make decisions in the moment that may not fully reflect who we are. Perhaps we are compromising, concerned about being rejected or simply taking the path of least resistance. Over time, each of those small decisions can add up to a lot. What have you not explored in yourself or kept from others because of who you thought you had to be? What aspects of yourself have you had to strip away to fit in?
“What does success mean?" Ferrera said. "Does it mean just getting into the room, or does it mean who you can be once you’re in that room? My journey has taken me to: It only matters if I’m in those rooms if I can be my whole authentic self.”
In corporate America, we talk a lot about the business case for inclusion, but Ferrera brings a more personal perspective. She encouraged us to think of inclusivity as something that benefits each of us individually. When you empower someone else, you also empower yourself. When you help others be safer, you are safer as well. Investing in others means creating valuable opportunities for the world to benefit from their talents (talents that otherwise might have gone unexpressed). And to create the change we want to see, we need everyone's talents to come together.
To learn more about the work of the Texas Women's Foundation, please visit www.txwf.org. The organization's next event is Virtual Viewpoints: The 19th with journalist Emily Ramshaw on October 19.