Each day, we fall a little bit more in love with our amazing partners who are dedicated to making a difference through their work. This month, Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting the women who are at the helm of these hardworking teams and incredible causes.
Follow along on social with #BSDWomen. You’ll also learn about other initiatives planned by our women’s committee, BSD Women.
Now, meet Jamiah Adams, NAACP’s Digital Media Director.
1. What do you enjoy most about working at NAACP? And what are the obstacles?
Civil rights work is challenging—but the one thing that heartens me is that my work is for the people. At the NAACP, I advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable. My greatest challenge as a digital organizer is to transform digital activists to offline doers—ones who are willing to put “boots on the ground.”
2. How did you get started in civil rights work?
When I was a little girl, my parents had so little faith in our democracy that they refrained from voting. My first advocacy campaign was to bring home the lessons I’d learn from my teachers on the importance of a participatory democracy, which turned into a series of conversations convincing my parents to vote. When they began voting, they’d bring me to the polls to watch them vote.
Later, I led a clothing drive for the homeless and a sit-in at the local donut shop that refused to serve teenagers from my high school inside—we had to buy our donuts from the drive thru. After one day of sitting-in, they began serving us inside. I was shocked that it was so fast—knowing that the civil rights demonstrations were most often protracted campaigns.
3. What can other organizations learn from NAACP’s digital presence?
NAACP is not only the oldest civil rights org, it has also translated its digital footprint into the largest one of any civil rights/social justice group online. We did this by “listening” to social media and being positioned for rapid response.
4. What are you excited about in the digital space right now?
I am most excited about the Google+ platform—it’s not new but there are so many innovative ways that we can use it to lift up subversive voices.
5. What’s the best work-related advice you’ve been given?
Advocate for your best interests. Do research before you negotiate your salary and never take on additional roles without additional compensation.
6. What progress do you hope to see for women in the next 5 years?
I hope that women will achieve true equality in the workplace—in both compensation and duty.