Take Risks to Transform: An Interview with Regina Jackson

“I did not fully appreciate that my journey has been so extraordinary, and so writing this really helped to illuminate all of that, and let me know that my story could inform the world.” - Regina JacksonEpisode Summary: In tandem with their story releases, each BlackFemaleProject contributor participates in a post-submission conversation. Regina Jackson—youth development expert, long-time Executive Director of East Oakland Youth Development Center, and BlackFemaleProject supporter—talks with collection editor dana e. fitchett about the process of writing her story, the impact it had on her life, and more generally about her powerful career.This episode is sponsored by: Courtney Watson, Doorway Therapeutic Services, www.doorwaytherapeutics.com (Become a sponsor today: www.blackfemaleproject.org/donate/)GUESTRegina Jackson has set the strategic direction for East Oakland Youth Development Center’s national youth development model for over 23 years. Focused on character-based leadership, her platform of youth-led initiatives has empowered thousands of young people to achieve lifelong academic and career success. Ms. Jackson is often called upon to deliver workshops, presentations, and papers, domestically and internationally. Per U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Ms. Jackson recently led two delegations of student ambassadors to China in support of President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” and “100,000 Strong” initiatives. Her strategies have tremendously benefited urban, multicultural, and international youth. Dr. Jackson holds an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of San Francisco; has been featured on ABC-TV World News Tonight, Essence Magazine, and Parenting Magazine; and gave a TEDx talk, “Taking Risks to Transform.” She is also the mother of two adult sons.Follow: @reginaoakHOSTdana e. fitchett, BlackFemaleProject inaugural collection editor, is a multi- and inter-disciplinary artist (dancer/choreographer/dance teacher, visual artist, writer); and content and copy editor/proofreader specializing in equity focus. dana is a mixed-race Black woman who uses her relationship to music, visual art, and movement as a sandbox for exploration of identity and issues of justice, and for seeking healing from racism and capitalism through the reimagination of possibilities.Follow: @def_artinmotionRESOURCESRegina’s TED talk: http://www.tedxucdavissf.com/talks/regina-jackson/Regina’s HuffPost archive: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/regina-jacksonEast Oakland Youth Development Center: http://eoydc.org/ Join Us:https://blackfemaleproject.org/subscribeFollow Us:Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackfemaleprojectFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackfemaleprojectLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackfemaleproject/