Dr. Akilah Cadet, Founder of the Consulting Firm Change Cadet
Dr. Akilah Cadet, DHSc, MPH, and founder of Change Cadet, a consulting firm that aims to drive equity and belonging in the workplace, is always thinking of her intersectionality on and off social media. As a woman living with an invisible disability, everything she does and says encompasses representation. “When highlighting and celebrating women, I do talk a lot about Black women because historically Black women have carried the additional weight of so many things,” she says. “When it comes to social media, I make sure that I’m talking about myself, representing intersectionality as a woman, but more importantly, letting people know about how and why we Black women do this type of work.”
For Women’s History Month, Dr. Cadet will be promoting her t-shirt campaign with women of different ethnicities who celebrate the importance of Black women. Each t-shirt will read, ‘Have you thanked a Black woman today?’ “I’m highlighting Black women’s voices because women’s month tends to focus on white women,” she says. “There will be self-love and I’ll be giving myself a shoutout, but there’s a lot of silent people in the movement when it comes to anti-racism. So doing all that I can to highlight them on my platform, too.”
Dr. Cadet also recommended getting involved in The Black Truth Project. The Black Truth Project is a series of videos that came out during Black History Month, which includes stories of Black changemakers and encourages others to create their own videos and written stories using hashtag #blacktruthstory. “I need to use my platform to share other people’s words and experiences to get to that place of continued allyship and activism,” she says. “The core of everything is remembering to constantly learn and unlearn. Keep the same energy as Black History Month, where you have slideshows, videos, and stories. Using your space and your platform, in addition to talking about your own lived experiences, helps with continuous education.”
Mandana Dayani, Co-founder and Creator of I AM A VOTER
Co-founder and creator of I AM A VOTER, and co-host of the podcast, The Dissenters, Mandana Dayani is always posting about amazing women. “I AM A VOTER was founded by a group of the most brilliant women I know,” says Mandana. “In the very early days, my friend and mentor, Shannon Watts (founder of Moms Demand Action), advised me: if you want to get shit done, surround yourself with other badass women. And she has been so right! So much of our work with I AM A VOTER and The Dissenters is elevating important female voices and the issues that impact women most. We all have an obligation to elevate women’s voices, to support each other’s businesses, to share each other’s stories, and to celebrate our wins together.”
During Women’s History Month, Mandana will be posting a regular series about the incredible women who work on the I AM A VOTER campaign. One of the women she’ll be giving a shoutout to is Patrisse Cullors, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter and Dignity and Power Now. “We featured her on The Dissenters and she was just nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize,” says Mandana. “She is truly one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. One of the most important ways to celebrate women is to support them. Buy their books and products, reshare and like their posts, cheer them on when they are struggling or tired, and show up for other women as often as you can.”