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00:00Our Showing Up Excellent I Am Speaking panel is moderated by one and only Sophia Dennis,
00:07leader extraordinaire already at her young age. That's up next. You don't want to miss it.
00:19Hello, I'm Sophia. I am the co-host of AfroPunk Channel Interference and the founder of Face
00:25the Youth. Today, I'm super excited to help to moderate this panel discussion with some really
00:31awesome Gen Z girl bosses. This panel discussion is perfectly titled, I Am Speaking, Listen. So,
00:39today we've got some really awesome people joining us for this interview. We have Foy, one boy.
00:45Hey! Foy is an award-winning Kenyan actress, host, content creator, and influencer. We are so
00:53thankful to have you join us today, Foy. Thank you for having me. We are lucky to have
00:58another girl boss and actually the founder of Essence's Girls United, Rochelle Dennis.
01:05Hi, everybody. So, Rochelle is the co-host of Magic Unfiltered and, like I said,
01:12co-founder of Essence's Girls United. So, we are so excited to have you guys here with us today
01:16to talk on this panel. I'm sure that you guys have heard the infamous statement, I'm speaking,
01:22listening. So, all of you guys are doing some really amazing work and you guys have awesome
01:29and very, very, very large goals for yourselves and for everybody. How did you immerse yourself
01:34into all of your endeavors and how did you create inspiration for your paths?
01:39Okay. I think for me, I just have always been a go-getter. Straight out of high school,
01:47I would go for all these different auditions and I didn't really care if I get like a no or I get
01:54rejected. For me, it was never a hindrance for me going for my dreams. I think even my background,
02:00like how I grew up with my family, everyone is very determined and very hardworking and I think
02:07that's something that was also instilled in me that I was very, I've always been just,
02:12I always just wanted to go for my dreams and it's just been that simple. It's mostly about my mindset
02:18and the mindset of those around me. Awesome. So, Rochelle, what about you and your path?
02:25Yeah. So, I mean, I think that how Girls United really came to life and came to fruition was really
02:33understanding that there was not a space in media where Black girls can really and truly see
02:40themselves represented. And I'm not talking about representation by you just put a Black woman
02:45or a Black girl on your cover and, you know, that checks off all the boxes, but that you're actively
02:50providing the opportunities and the resources for them to be seen, to be heard, and a platform that
02:58really is genuinely focused on them. We have seen how media treats young Black women. You know,
03:06we just had the death of Mekhi Bryant, you know, Breonna Taylor last year, and we've seen how media
03:12can skew not in Black girls' favor. And so that's something that I really wanted to change
03:18and why I felt like it was so necessary to have a platform like Girls United. You know,
03:24each day we're seeing Black content creators, Black women getting ripped off for their dances.
03:29How do we combat that if we aren't controlling the narrative and controlling the medium,
03:34giving them a platform where they can be seen?
03:37I think that's very true. And I think part of that is also that so many young
03:42minority content creators, young Black content creators, young Black people in general who are
03:48trying to really either make changes or are really shifting the culture and the narrative
03:53are sometimes not being seen as being the leaders that they are. They're not being seen as being the
03:59cultivators of culture that they are. And so Gen Z is typically counts for people who are between
04:07seven and 22 years old. And even though we know that this is a very young group of people, this is
04:11also probably one of the most determined groups of people globally. So at what point do you think
04:17that Gen Z individuals should be seen as leaders and be included in significant conversations about
04:21change, whether it be in social justice and climate justice in all aspects of the world for you can
04:28start in Manusha?
04:30I think for me, leadership is not even particularly about an age thing. It's mostly about maturity and
04:37the ability of people to take up responsibility. So I wouldn't say because you're seven or you're 12 or
04:44you're 16, you're incapable of taking up leadership. Every individual is so different. And you see people like
04:50Maasai Martin. Like she has her own company. She's 16, which is so powerful. And it's so interesting
04:56to see. Even here in Kenya, we have a bunch of amazing people who are young and are able to be
05:01opinion leaders in their different spheres. I think because we are so exposed to different kinds of
05:07information, you find that people mature faster, especially these days. And so I think everyone is a
05:16leader in their own capacity, if they have the ability to take up responsibility for their actions
05:22and actually enable other people to step up. I think that's what leadership is about.
05:30Yeah. And I agree. I agree that leadership does not have an age. And I feel like for so long,
05:36people have been placing an age on leadership where at the end of the day, it's who can actually
05:41drive that change and who's going to drive it in the best way forward. And that doesn't have a
05:48number. A leader can be seven, a leader can be 12, a leader can be 30, a leader can be 80.
05:53And I think it's also changing how we think about leadership because leadership is something that
06:01should be universal. We should be empowering the younger generation to be more active in these
06:06leadership roles because they've been looking at the world in a much different state than the
06:11generation before them has been looking at it. We've had access to cell phones, we've had access
06:16to internet. And those tools are very powerful and they've proven very powerful with protests and
06:22being a driver of how we combat climate change. And I think it's time that we really listen also to
06:29these young leaders and not put an age on it and not listen to them because we just think that
06:34they're young, but really listen to what they have to say and how we can all work together
06:38and in driving change and in understanding what the goals are, what the next steps are. And how do
06:44we achieve a better world? How do we get to a better world? And I think that's, I completely agree
06:51that leadership is not defined by age.
06:55Absolutely. And I think one thing that's extremely unique about Gen Z is that we have access to these
07:02devices that connect us globally, connect us around the world. I mean, for instance, in this panel,
07:07Rochelle is in LA and Foy is in Kenya. So it's really awesome that we can connect on one platform
07:13and share common beliefs and have a really interesting and diverse conversation about the impact that Gen Z
07:20has on this world. So for you, Foy, your brand is global. Everybody from everywhere has seen your content,
07:28taken part in your contact, engaged with your content. Why do you think social media is such an advantage
07:34for you and for your outreach?
07:37I think social media is such a powerful tool because, as you said, social media connects us in ways that
07:44no one would have ever imagined. And that, it makes it, it gives us a sense of community and of
07:51understanding of each other. Because you see my content as a Kenyan and you realize that Kenya is
07:56not just what you see in news. We're not just like living in poverty in hearts with lions surrounding us.
08:04You know, it gives us an opportunity to really understand each other. Like something that happened
08:08last year that I think was so powerful is when the whole George Floyd thing was happening and
08:14everything was going on in the US, there was a ripple effect because of social media. And the
08:19ripple effect was even here in Kenya because people now were standing up and being like, you know,
08:24this is not something that is only happening there. It's also happening in our own country because
08:29of social media. So social media has the power to drive not only change, but also enable us to
08:35understand each other. And for me, it's been an important tool because it's part of my career. It's helped me
08:41reach a bunch of different people from different kinds of countries. It's expanded me as an actor,
08:47as a TV presenter, even just being here is partly because of the power of social media. And I know
08:54it can be used in the wrong way if it goes into the wrong hands. And that's something that as Gen Z,
09:01people will have to realize that it has a lot of power. And where there's power, there's also a lot
09:06of responsibility. So that's what I think about that.
09:11I think that's an awesome way to put it. Where there's power, there's also a lot of responsibility.
09:15And I think one of the beautiful things about social media is that it expands exposure. We can
09:21see what it's like to live in places we've never been. We can understand what a situation is for a
09:27specific human being who's going through something that we can never fully understand. So I think that's
09:32that's a really awesome way to put it. And we can just consume so much content. And like you said,
09:38sometimes it's great and sometimes it's not so great. So Rochelle, how do you filter what you
09:43consume to stay driven and motivated? Whether it be television, social media, food, the friends that
09:50you hang out with, how do you construct your life to make sure that you stay on a positive path and a
09:55motivated path? So I'm firmly a believer in at the end of the day, we all know, you know, what's good
10:02for us and what's not good for us, you know, what should deserve our energy and what, you know, shouldn't
10:07take as much of our energy. And I think it's really important, you know, first of all, I think that
10:12always starts in real life. You know, because at the end of the day, the internet can be a harsh, cruel
10:18place. And you know, that sometimes is not the greatest way to form these meaningful connections,
10:24where I think in real life and you're, you're in real life, you know, off offline life, you know,
10:31it's very important because those are the people that keep you grounded. You know, who says, you
10:37know, the internet can go away one day, you know, you always need to have that backup system and that
10:42foundation. And I think it really starts in real life. And then from there, I think then you're able
10:47to really understand, you know, how to interact on, on Instagram, how to interact on Facebook, how to
10:53interact on TikTok, and you filter out your life accordingly, you know, whether it's an account
10:58you shouldn't follow, or you know, that might breed something that's toxic, or doesn't align with your
11:05morals or align with your goals. You know, you slowly start to filter it out. And you know, you start to
11:11understand, okay, this is something that is taking this energy away from my purpose. I think it's always
11:17being clear about what your purpose is, and making sure that everything that you do in your life
11:22ladders up and aligns with that, in order for you to achieve that long term goal. Because I think a lot
11:29of people think more about the short term, but it's a long game. And you want to, you want to make sure
11:35that you're breeding yourself for success in the long run.
11:40Yeah, that's absolutely true. There's really no way to, there's really no way to think about the fact
11:47that what if the internet goes away one day, right? Like, who are we centering ourselves around? Who
11:53are the people that we're hanging out with? What would life be like without that as not necessarily a
11:59crutch, but a crutch, you know what I mean? And a lot of different ways in which you can educate
12:04yourself through social media. I mean, for you, Floyd, we know that you're a content creator and an
12:09actress, and that you've been really, you know, pushing yourself to push forward in your career.
12:14What do you credit to how you think and move? Where do you think the permission to
12:19feel encouraged within yourself, to be yourself, and to be excellent started?
12:25Well, I think it really started from my background, my family, specifically my mother. She has been
12:33the most supportive person. And she's really encouraged me to just go for my dreams. Since
12:39I was very young, I was very outgoing. I wanted to speak up and go in front of a stage when my
12:47sister is performing. I was really young the first time, like I ran to the front and she was like,
12:52no, just let her do her thing. It's fine. And she's been a very crucial part of me being who I am and
12:58actually having the courage to go for my dreams, always rooting for me and not just her, but even
13:03other people that I have met along the way, other women especially, have been an essential part of
13:10me doing this. Even just watching people just be their most authentic selves and go for their dreams,
13:15people who I admire, doing what they love and actually being confident. I think it's been a
13:23combination of different things. My family, my friends, people even on the internet right now are
13:28people who also encourage me and motivate me to go for what I want, which I think is very, very
13:34important. Speaking of motivation, I think social media has also broadened it to the point where we
13:41can have multiple role models and we can kind of see what the making of the role model is. So for
13:46Rochelle, what do Gen Z role models look like today and how essential is that in equity representation
13:53leading by example to you? Yeah. And I think the beautiful thing about role models today is that
14:00they don't have to be the cookie cutter, you know, kind of that one frame idea of what a role model
14:09should be. You know, we have role models that are really being active in all of these different spaces.
14:15And I think they're all equally important. You know, we don't have to just make sure that these role
14:22models are, you know, fit these certain, these certain agendas. You know, we have role models
14:28that are young, that are old, you know, that are, you know, also represent a whole bunch of these
14:34different subcultures in these movements. We have a lot of role models in the LGBTQ community where we
14:40didn't have that a couple of years ago. We have a lot of leaders also who are, you know, pro-sex work,
14:47which is, you know, very important. You know, having women in all of these different spaces,
14:51you know, allows us to also adapt and allows us to really cater to all the different needs
15:00of young women of this generation, which I think is beautiful because you don't have to feel like
15:08you're doing it alone anymore. You don't have to feel like you're an outcast. You know, there's always
15:13somebody that you can look up to and you can look at their struggles and learn from them. And I think
15:18it's really important that, you know, role model doesn't have to be that one, that one type or that
15:23one idea of what a role model should be. You know, we can find role models in all of these different
15:28spaces and places. Absolutely. Agreed. There's so many different spaces to find a role model and to
15:36kind of take different small parts of what you admire about other people and just embed those within
15:42yourself, whether it's, you know, morally or inaction. There's so much opportunity to, you know, learn a lot
15:49about ourselves through what others... And it's real. It's authentic. So, yeah, absolutely. It's real.
15:59It's really real. Being able to connect with other people cross-generationally as well,
16:04to understand the thought processes that are more, quote unquote, ancient of older generations
16:11and people who are also older generations. Yeah. They're on different continents. They're
16:16everywhere. They're everywhere. There's really nothing stopping us from connecting with all the
16:23people in the world that we never thought we could have. So, how do you guys think we can bridge the gap
16:28between Gen Z and other generations so that we can ensure that the people who have the purpose
16:35and the people who have the power can work together to make certain changes?
16:39Mm-hmm. I think it's all about communication. And I think even when you think about growing up,
16:47like, for example, my parents are older, of course, and there was always this gap in communication
16:55because they feel like I... I feel like I know everything. And in fact, what I know is different
17:02from what you know, and that's where the miscommunication comes in. So, the gap can be filled
17:10because of having open and honest and authentic communication between the two generations,
17:15the Gen Zs and the Boomers and the Millennials, just sitting down and understanding that, hey,
17:20we have different mindsets, we are exposed to different things, but that doesn't necessarily
17:26mean that either of us is wrong. We need to be able to just understand that everyone has their own
17:35kind of knowledge. What your parents might tell you is completely different from what you know,
17:40but it doesn't mean that it's incorrect, if that makes sense. I think it's all about communication.
17:45It's absolutely all about communication.
17:49Yeah, I think it's communication is key. And I think part of that conversation is,
17:55and what I think is so great about us having this conversation right now, is giving Gen Z,
18:00giving these younger millennials a seat at the table, giving them the opportunity to be heard,
18:07to also have the opportunity to communicate. I think that's equally as important.
18:13You know, I think it goes hand in hand with communication. You know, put them in these
18:17positions to have a say, to speak on something. You know, because I think the greatest things that you
18:25get out of, you know, life, whether it's being creative or thinking innovatively, you know,
18:31is about having all of these different mindsets, all of these different perspectives, you know,
18:37coming to the table and bringing something, bringing their own expertise, bringing things that they've
18:43experienced, that they've seen, you know, whether it's happening in the Gen Z space or the millennial space
18:49or the boomer space. You know, I think it's really important to have all of those perspectives live
18:53together and work together in driving, you know, again, that change in a new direction, you know, for whatever it may be.
19:03Yeah. Yeah. I think the perfect example of Gen Z connecting with older generations is when Kamala,
19:11the current vice president of the United States, was on stage with my friend during one of the
19:15vice presidential debates and she was talking and he spoke over her and she was like, I'm talking.
19:21And that was instantly turned into a moon by Gen Z.
19:23I'm speaking. Like, hold up.
19:25Yeah. Like, hold up.
19:27You guys, what does I'm speaking mean to you?
19:31Oh, I am speaking. Oof. Okay. So I think it's, for me, it's, it's very powerful to,
19:39because there are three simple words in that, in that statement. I am speaking. Listen.
19:45And for me, it's just a call that, hi, I'm here. I'm important. You need to hear me as a woman.
19:53And I think, growing up, around where I've grown up, it's, it's been interesting to just see women's voices
20:01muffled in rooms and having to play small and having to act like sit in the corner and act like they don't exist,
20:11even though they have like some of the most brilliant minds and the most interesting opinions.
20:16And so this is just a call to action. Like, hey, this is our time to also speak and say what we think,
20:22what we believe and what we feel. It's time to stand up for what we want as women, especially as women,
20:29as black women in the spaces that we occupy. And I say this because personally,
20:34in the spaces that I occupy in the entertainment space, there's a lot of that.
20:38Like sometimes you can feel like a woman, you have to be small so that you can be in a corner somewhere.
20:43But now it's time for us to just actually take up the space that we deserve as women in the entertainment space.
20:50And that's why that moment was so important, because to me, when that moment happened,
20:57it was almost like, you know, he clearly did not represent her being in this space, her not only as a woman,
21:04but as a black woman on top of that. He did not truly value and respect her to wait even, you know,
21:12for her to continue, you know, what she was saying. He felt the right. He felt the privilege.
21:18He had that privilege to speak over her. And for me, I am speaking is I'm going to take up this space.
21:25And I'm also going to let you know, you know, I'm I have the floor right now.
21:30This isn't about you. This isn't about what you think or what you have to say.
21:34This is about getting rid of that privilege. You know, that privilege that he had in thinking that what she had to say wasn't important.
21:41You know, I'm going to speak and I'm going to let you know how I feel and what I have to say.
21:45And then once I'm done, we can, you know, have that discussion or we if you can say what you want to say, you know,
21:52and I think she did it in in a great, respectful way, you know, especially in that moment and being on stage.
22:00You know, it's who wants to have somebody interrupt them when they're when they're, you know, making a point or have something to say.
22:07You know, and for me, it's about, again, like you said, taking up that space and basking in that and also not being afraid to let somebody know you have just completely enforced your privilege on me.
22:19And that's not a me problem. That's a you problem. And you need to go back and you need to fix it and you need to reassess it.
22:26And then, you know, come back to me and we can have that conversation.
22:30So for you guys, it's really important that when you're speaking that people listen. So where can people follow you to hear what you have to say?
22:39So you can follow me at Foy underscore one boy underscore on all social media handles. That's on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, literally everywhere.
22:53Foy underscore one boy underscore. Thank you so much for having me here.
22:58And for me, so you can check out Girls United. So you can actually go to Essence's Instagram bio and you can tap Essence GU.
23:07That's our handle. Again, it's at Essence GU. If you want to connect with me, I also go by Young Shelley.
23:13And so you can find me on Instagram at Rochelle Elise or just type in Young Shelley and I'm sure it will pop up.
23:20You know, but that's definitely, you know, the main ways that you can connect with me.
23:25So go ahead and, you know, I'd love to see everybody who's watching here and interact with them on social.
23:32And, you know, super excited. Thank you so much for having me.
23:36Awesome. So thank you so much, Rochelle and Foy, for joining us. I've been your host, Fia.
23:42If you want to connect with me, you could check me out on pretty much just Instagram at Fia Dennis, Fia spelled P-H-I-A-D-E-N-N-I-S.
23:50Thank you guys so much for joining us.
24:02Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much, lady. I don't know about you guys, but I know I can and I'm sure we all can learn so much from each of these ladies, regardless of age.
24:16Because leadership is about maturity.
24:22I want to be right back.
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