About Valerie:
A reflection upon the importance of representation.August 2017
Growing up I was very seldomly exposed to Black people in positions of power, authority, or one that was to be treated with a great deal of reverence.
Whenever a person of color, more specifically a Black person, held one of these positions it has always made me extremely proud.
Black people and other systemically disenfranchised persons have always had a difficult time in the United States of America. There has never been easy path to success for us. Achieving any sense of success has always been a hard fought battle.
So when I see someone that looks like me in a position predominantly held by a white male, my own sense of self-worth is raised to new heights.
The former Senior Curator of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Valerie Cassel Oliver has been one of those persons for me. Showing me that not only do we belong, but that we can achieve more than what we could have ever imagined.
Thank you Valerie!