“Everyone has privilege, but it’s how you use your privilege that matters,” says Jasmine M. Johnson. Jasmine works full-time as the Vice President of Sales at iHeartMedia and uses the privilege of her network to give back to the community. As director of the non-profit organization WeExist, Jasmine is dedicated to providing exposure to minority professionals in the Milwaukee area in hopes of creating equitable job opportunities.
While everyone has a sense of privilege, most people tend to do nothing with it. Rather than allowing generational injustice to continue, Jasmine uses her privileges to better the community around her. Jasmine understands that visibility is key to advancing your career. By increasing exposure for minority professionals, Jasmine hopes to see people of color included in spaces they historically wouldn’t be in. If everyone took advantage of their privilege, Jasmine explains that we could leave behind a legacy of advocacy and excellence for generations to come.
Join the Johnson Brothers on this week’s episode of Running Into the Fog for a conversation with Jasmine Johnson. Learn more about the importance of servant leadership, diversity in the workforce, and how to leverage your privilege to advocate for what’s right.
Quotes
• “During COVID-19 and quarantine, the gift of recalibration and reflection we were given showed me the privilege that I have.” (09:45-09:59)
• “I come from a legacy and heritage of advocacy and expectation of excellence.” (11:58-12:03)
• “To me, privilege is the platform of which you’ve been blessed to be on. Everyone should be a service leader and practice servant leadership by living a Christian life of service to others.” (13:11-13:27)
• “Some people sit on their privilege and they don’t leverage that platform to be a blessing to others. And when you do that, are you really walking with a sense of purpose?” (13:50-14:01)
• “Giving talented people the opportunity to compete is how you eliminate the wealth gap. It also gives the opportunity for people to continue to grow and thrive professionally, which ultimately increases household income and creates generational wealth.” (29:36-29:57)
• “Because many professional people of color are not allowed or invited in those circles, or are on the golf course, or get the stretch assignments, they can never be truly considered. So I look at WeExist as the gift of giving exposure.” (31:31-31:51)
• “I think intentional partnerships is also what activates and takes someone to the next level from being an ally to wholeheartedly being an accomplice.” (41:18-41:29)
Links
Connect with Jasmine:
Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-m-johnson-msm-33699350/detail/photo/
https://nexaurorawdc.wpengine.com/
Arik JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikjohnson/
Derek JohnsonLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-cfa-190893/