Women's Elevation Magazine February 2016 | Page 8

Month. While I cannot list all of Soror Bland’s messages, I would like to focus on promoting your positive message. Last month, Women’s Elevation Magazine Editor DeLisha Sylvester and I had the opportunity to speak at the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC) at Texas A&M University. We presented a workshop about revolutionizing social media. We were able to have a solid discussion about race, social media, and affecting change within our communities. Though I am a bit far removed from my undergraduate days, we were able to bridge the gap through our shared emotional experiences of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, and Tamir Rice. We have seen the power of social activism—using your actions to create social change—whether it is about 8 | Women’s Elevation Magazine police brutality, race relations, immigration, deportation, education, or the elections. I believed that if we could motivate one SBSLC scholar to walk the path of social justice, then our workshop was a success. We were able to promote a positive message. There are many ways to promote your positive message—writing, speaking, drawing, volunteering, etc. For me, I love to use my words in all forms of media, as well as in person, to promote true equality and diversity for all people. If this is “…one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” as we were taught in the Pledge of Allegiance, then we all need to be treated fairly and equally. One version of rights should not be based on a preferred gender, race, or sexuality; whereas, those whom do not fit