In recognizing inspirational Black leaders and changemakers, we’ve had the honor of speaking with Renée Gilmore.
Executive producer and host of ABC7’s Empowering Voices, Renée Gilmore brings diversity, inclusion, and issues affecting underrepresented communities to the forefront of conversations through communications and truth seeking. Along with Empowering Voices, Renée has a history of being a champion for marginalized communities having led many organizations, including several government agencies, towards a culture of inclusion and cultural diversity. She is a champion for creativity, human rights, and the ‘invisible.’
Through our conversation, we learned about the challenges Black women face growing up, and how confidence and empowerment are linchpins for a brighter future.
Empowering Voices
Currently, Renée’s mission is to empower the historically disenfranchised through two methods, the first being Empowering Voices.
Through this program, she has the privilege of sharing the stories and truths of others whose voices often are unheard. Issues such as social justice and economic empowerment are just some of the frequent themes she discusses with guests on the show. By showcasing these stories and providing information, Renée hopes to help create and shape the path of empowerment for her audience.
“It really is a platform for doing just what the name says – empowering people.”
The second method is a concept that she hopes will blossom into an educational resource.
“My father, Dr. Ed James, and I started talking more than 20 years ago about having a leadership institute where we would bring people together to discuss ideas about empowerment, to discuss ideas about how one learns about the things that can really move a needle, specifically being civically engaged and politically engaged.”
Teaching people how to get involved, informing them on how they can be more effectively engaged – this leadership institute would put the power into the public’s hands by teaching them how individuals can change the human condition of people struggling for fair and just treatment.
“Ironically, here we are 20 or 25 years later, and the things that my dad and I talked about in terms of creating a space for conversations to happen, for teaching and learning to occur, are still very much needed. It’s still relevant.”
The Value Of Self-Esteem
When asked about her personal journey to becoming who she is today, Renée emphasized her family’s influence.
“As I look around at the people who were in my life everyday, they, as I look back, were always very conscious about helping me build who I would be, who I was capable of being, and enhancing the things that came naturally to me.”
From being asked her opinions on Maya Angelou’s writing to giving her the opportunity to respectfully disagree with the opinions of an adult, Renée was always treated like an adult when it came to learning and respect.
“We were allowed to say, ‘I don’t see it that way. I disagree with that.’ We were allowed to ask, ‘Why are we doing this? Why do I have to?’ Generally, there was a real answer. And that helped me from a kid really understand not just THAT something is, but WHY it is that way. And once I understand the whys, it helps me to understand how other people are seeing things. I’m operating from a position of being informed. And I would dare say, equally as important, I’m not just informed, but I care about what other people are saying. Because in my household, if you expect people to care, you need to care about them. If you want to be respected, you owe other people respect.”
Just as important as knowledge and respect, her family instilled in her from a very early age her sense of worth and value.
“They taught me to be confident in myself.”
Stemming from being informed, this confidence was crucial in creating the self-esteem that would protect her as a Black girl in the 60s and 70s. Renée spoke about how in elementary school, white kids would not want to sit next to her on the school bus. And when they did, they’d ask questions like, “Why’s your skin brown? Do you take a bath? Why’s your hair like that?” In high school, these remarks would become less ignorant and more hateful.
“One could easily feel like an outsider at a time where you’re being shaped, in terms of what your value is, where you are in life, your position.”
But Renée didn’t let it affect her. The self-esteem, built on her family’s support, not only protected her, but empowered her to take that first, difficult step towards change.
“Because I am conscious of Black history and the value of the contributions that African Americans have made to this country, I decided we needed to have a Black history program. This was kind of my stand on some bad behavior that we [Black people] encountered.”
After initially being turned down by the assistant principal, the endless and passionate support from her father is what moved the needle in the end.
“Someone from the school board had to get on the phone and they had a conversation on the phone about why we were going to have a Black History program. And we did. And we did.”
This resulted in the very first Black history program at Riverview High School.
“You could hear the rumblings from the white kids about not going. And really it made no difference to me whether they came or not because, the fact is, that it was happening. And it was the beginning point of something informative and important.”
No Time For Anger, Only Action.
Amazed by her lack of anger for all that had happened, Renée emphasized the blessing that is her family and how there’s no room for anger when you’re surrounded by so much love.
“I have had a family that embraced me, loved me, nurtured me, always made me feel special, not above anyone else, but they always knew just what to say for me to feel confident. For me to feel as though not only are you special, but you’re entrusted with a gift. You have so much, and what we do in this family is we share with others. So having that kind of family–I had SO MUCH. I didn’t have time to be angry.”
Even in moments faced with ignorance and hatred, rather than wasting time with anger, Renée prefers action.
“I don’t have time to be angry. Time is for action. And that’s what we lived on: Don’t just talk about it, be about it.”
Renée’s Thoughts On Black History Month
“Black History Month is a time that has been set aside for a concentrated recognition of the contributions and experiences of Black people in this country. I have the personal philosophy that everyday is Black history day. It’s a part of the American fabric.”
It is important to learn about, study, and recognize Black history, but we should evolve past that. We should evolve to a new level of awareness where Black history is truly integrated into what’s taught and thought of as American history.
“It’s always Black history month. It’s ALWAYS Black history because Black history is American history. The Black experience is a part of the American fabric that we wove.”
Honk For Hope
Discussing what it’s like to be Black and the optimism she has towards the future, one particular trip to the county administrator’s building stuck out to Renée. She was rushing to get to a meeting, heavy bag and books in hand. Hurrying towards the building, she was going to cross the street when she saw a vehicle coming – a pickup truck.
“And truly my consciousness about being Black came right to the surface. If I was a white woman, I probably would have just run right across the street. But I saw this pickup truck coming and I thought, ‘I’ll just wait.’”
She waited until the truck gave her the go ahead and then crossed the street. As soon as she did, he started honking at her incessantly.
“So I made a conscious decision to just ignore it because I was expecting it to be some really nasty stuff. It was a white gentleman driving the pickup truck. And I made some assumptions about what was going to happen. Finally, he kept blowing the horn so much that it made me look at him. When I looked at him, I had already braced myself for something really nasty to be said. And then he said, ‘Ma’am, you dropped something.’”
“He was helping me! He was helping me. As a person, as a human being. As soon as I turned around and looked at him he said, ‘Ma’am, you dropped something,’ waved, and he kept going. And that was all it was. It was a phenomenal encounter. It is the kind of thing that gives me hope.”
It was a small, yet impactful instance that epitomized to Renée the progress that had been made in her lifetime.
A Great Bridge Of Communication
Following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, tensions have been high. After centuries of hard work, racial injustices continue to occur. How to effectively change society and bridge the racial divide in this nation is a multi-faceted debate. Even more so than the Great Wall of China, it is a project of incredible scope and size. Constructing this Great Bridge takes millions of people working in tandem doing their part, carefully crafting and strategically placing their stones. Each stone may support different parts of the bridge–laws to serve as a foundation, communities to serve as guardrails, marches to serve as steps. And the support beams, well those are made of communication.
Renée’s stone elevates Black voices by giving the community a platform to tell their truth. While one voice might seem like a ripple in the ocean, hundreds and thousands of voices reinforcing the same stories and the same truths are a powerful tidal wave that cannot be ignored. Programs such as Empowering Voices and spaces that encourage open conversation and learning display the incredible power that communication can have in invoking positive change.
“When you’re close up with someone, in the same room, sitting in the same space, in a non threatening environment, you can have the kinds of conversations that can hopefully shed light. I have had on several occasions where white people say to me, ‘You know, I’ve never had that experience. I didn’t even know that was a thing.’”
Although just one stone, this one stone of communication inspires others to add their stone to the bridge, in turn supporting generations of work to come after.
From Confidence To Change
Renée’s advice to young women of color beginning their career is to “be confident in who you are.”
To help instill this confidence in the younger generations, Renée advises adults to uplift young people of color just as her family did for her. Oftentimes, young white men are taught this from birth. They’re taught that it’s natural for them to go to college, natural to be the big bread winners of the household, natural to be the leader of a conversation, natural to dream bigger and go farther. They are given the space to talk and their words are respected when spoken, even as a child. By giving more weight to the words of young women and people of color, by respecting them and by giving them the opportunity to expect more, guardians, family members, teachers, and other influential adults in a young person’s life can imbue confidence and leadership abilities in them. Information, empowerment, and using language that opens possibilities rather than squanders them are key to creating brighter futures for our children.
Closing Words
What do you hope a historian in 100 years would say about you?
“If my name should be called, I would like for people to think of me in terms of honoring my ancestors. And in honoring my ancestors, I honor people. Because they honored people. Not just Black people. But we had to call the names of Black people and recognize Black people, have a Black history month, because until we did it, no one else did. You have to love yourself before anybody else is going to love you. And sometimes you have to command that self-love to surface. So, when they talk about me, or think about me, I would hope they say she honored her ancestors.”
If you’d like to learn more about Empowering Voices, please visit mysuncoast.com. For more information on Black history or Black History Month, please visit ASALH.org.
