FEATURE STORY
with
janiece mackey
January 2020
“Redefining the standards to pull down the barriers!”
Janiece Mackey
Ever since a University of Denver graduate student I met at a Texas Hold’em fundraiser, Jihee Yoon, mentioned Janiece Mackey and her organization, YAASPA (Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism), I needed to meet her. I did not know much about her except that she was one of the very few African-American leaders who was invested in mentoring youth for social justice work in the state of Colorado. I was quite intrigued by her short bio and the headshot on the YAASPA website. She had the face that said, “Yes, I’m all that” with a kind, inviting smile. Jihee reached out to her personally for me and the following year, I emailed her directly but both times, she was too busy. She should be - she oversees YAASPA as the executive director, teaches on the side, is working on her doctorate degree, and is a wife and mother. Yes, she is all that.
Finally this year, I was able to reach her. She was able to join us for Platform’s annual social entrepreneurship roundtable in November. When I saw her out in the hallway, I did not initially recognize her; she looked like a typical undergraduate student until I noticed her smile. I don’t even want to venture her age because the adage, “black don’t crack,” absolutely applied to her. And it was not only her smile but her whole demeanor which screamed out her kindness. But don’t mistake her kindness for being a pushover. It was clearly evident from her comments at the roundtable that she was not just a kind, beautiful face. She is a determined, intelligent, thoughtful, spiritual, passionate leader whose love of her community grew out of her deep commitment to kindness.
I was more intrigued than ever to understand the intensity and inner strength that oozed out of her. And again what better opportunity than Platform’s interview to hold such a conversation. In the one hour we had together, I was struck by her humility more than her kindness. It is not the fake humility which is often a cry for attention but a genuine respect for others that comes from a secure awareness of her own strengths. In other words, she is exquisitely confident, not so much that she would dismiss good advice or so little that she would bend under pressure. There is absolutely nothing more beautiful than to see a young woman who is so comfortable in her skin, her gorgeous black skin. She embodies the fortitude that I hope to imbue in other women and sometimes in myself.
But I am not alone in my assessment of Janiece. Every person I encounter who knows her have a similar impression of her. Since her organization works closely with Empower Community High School, she is well known among some of the administration/staff. Their faces just light up at the mention of her name. This is the reason why I absolutely believe names have power; they carry the spirit of the person. So every time a name is mentioned, one has a visceral reaction to the name. If it is a kind person, then one’s body feels their positive energy; if it is not, then one tends to feel contempt. Just think about Trump’s name and you will know exactly what I meant. Well, one has just the opposite reaction to Janiece’s name. First, you see a big smile on the person’s face; second, almost an expression of jealousy - jealous that I got to spend time with her; and finally, a comment on how wonderful she is.
What a blessed space to inhabit in people’s hearts - the adoration and affection of everyone you encounter! It was truly an honor to be in the presence of a woman who is loved and who I know will make a huge impact, I mean colossal influence over people’s lives.
Now the interview.
interview
Sam: How does your black identity define you as a person in the US?
Janiece: My Blackness defines the ways in which I am perceived, but also how I choose to navigate life in all ways. As a Black female Executive Director, I experience people’s flawed and deficit laden assumptions about who I am and what I am capable of as well. I constantly experience folks treading their faith in our work while white folks are fully funded to simply pilot their ideas. Anti- Black racism is also a different type of racism that I experience as well in an ecosystem that constantly caters to other folks of color. Rather than disentangling and doing the necessary mirror work to push against anti-Black racism, folks feed into it in varying ways. While I experience racial battle fatigue, micro-aggressions, and racism due to my Blackness, I also experience joy, serenity, pride, and a wealth of wisdom because of my Blackness as well. My Blackness also informs the way I choose to lead my organization, support my family, and the folks I work with.
Sam: Why did you want to target youth for social and political activism?
Janiece: I decided to focus on youth because of reflecting on what I needed as a youth to build my social and political efficacy in activism. I believe that youth are often overlooked and not respected as they should be. Youth bring an array of intellectual and civic wisdom to social change and transformation that is needed in this world. Adults must do better in honoring their intellectual and civic labor by listening and adopting their ideas in partnership with them.
Sam: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Janiece: I see myself straddling academia and community work as I am a nerd at heart, but have a heart for community. I hope to be able to utilize my PhD to further extend and shift resources to community from academia.10 years from now each of my children will have graduated high school and I hope to be traveling to support their endeavors as well alongside my husband. I am hopeful that I will be traveling more often as well.
Sam: With all your responsibilities, how do you take care of yourself?
Janiece: I try to ensure that I protect my evenings and do not commit to every opportunity that is shifted my way. I have constantly endeavor to have an abundance mindset meaning that I don’t have to say yes to every opportunity and it is okay to pass along opportunities to other folks. I embed all that I do through a lens of reciprocity to be mindful of my emotional, intellectual, and civic labor.
Sam: If you could make one change about yourself or your experiences, what would it be and why?
Janiece: I don’t think I would change anything about myself because I believe God made me the way I was meant to be. Regarding experiences, I believe I experienced everything in the time and space I did in order to envision YAASPA and to navigate all that I do in this life. However, what I would change are the systems because I should not have had to navigate them in the ways I did. I should have been able to navigate each system inept of racism and white supremacy. For instance, I was arrested after having my 3rd child and was nursing her. I was pulled over as I was driving a blue Cadillac and the police officer told me he had to make a pick up and thanked me as I was handcuffed. In the education system at the K-12 level, I should not have had to read books with the N word alongside white kids who read the word for the supposed purpose of learning. At the higher education level, I should not have been told to drop out simply because of becoming pregnant my junior year of college. In grad school, it should not have been assumed that I plagiarized simply because of my intellectual abilities.
About
Janiece Mackey is a Colorado native. She is a wife and mother of 4 children. Due to being one of the few African Americans within academic, political, and professional spaces, she created an organization entitled Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA) to provide a conduit for youth of color to become civically engaged in community and career. Due to her converging interests in education and policy, she is also pursuing a PhD in higher education with emphases in public policy and curriculum and instruction at the University of Denver.