Black history isn’t limited to a specific month or confined to some bygone era; every day, Black changemakers make their mark by overcoming the odds of a society that, in many ways, is designed to hold them back. Take a look at Black Handshake users who’ve broken into professions where they’re woefully underrepresented and are excited to share their experiences. Click here for more information on this blog from Handshake.
Adding representation in elementary education
Joshua Redd (they/them) is a recent graduate from Bates College who has their B.A. in Africana Studies. They found Handshake during their first year at university and eventually used the platform to secure a Summer Teaching Fellowship at Uncommon Schools. Education has always been a huge interest of theirs, and they aspire to one day become a principal at a school where they could make a difference. Intentionality in their career is something Joshua values highly.
Breaking into the world of venture capital
The lack of Black representation in education isn’t the only example of institutional inequity being challenged by young job-seekers. Angel Sledge (she/her), a graduate from North Carolina A&T, majored in political science in undergrad. After earning her diploma, Angel leapt outside her comfort zone and accepted a role as a venture capital intern—in an industry where Black individuals make up only a fraction of the population. “I saw an advertisement for BVCC (Black Venture Capital Consortium) and that they have also gone through Handshake as well,” she says. “[BVCC] is trying to put Black people into venture capital because we are only 1-2% of that job force.” After learning about the lack of representation in VC, Angel used Handshake to discover new roles that might not have caught her eye previously.