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ESSENCE Ventures CEO & President Caroline Wanga explores Black women as chief executive officers of home, culture and community, and focuses on helping every Black woman recognize the chief that already exists within her—by introducing the ones who live among us.
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00:00Cuando voy a los territorios más marginados de mi país, veo a los niños, negros, vienen y me abrazan, y lloran, y me dicen, yo voy a estudiar porque yo quiero ser como usted.
00:14This particular episode of Chief to Chief has a very special place in my heart.
00:24It's the first Chief to Chief we've done where we don't speak the same language.
00:29While we did not speak the same language, there were times in the conversation where we understood each other either way.
00:36But more importantly, with the presence of interpreters, we were able to connect as women, as leaders, as black folk in a way that the interpreter helped us understand what we were thinking and saying, but our souls felt what we were doing.
00:53And so it is also a wonderful example for all of us on the ways in which we stay agile to connect the disconnected diaspora.
01:02This one is education. Pay attention, because what you are seeing is history in the making.
01:10So I'd love to start with the question, who is Francia Marquez? How would you answer that question?
01:32Hello Caroline, thank you for inviting me, in first place, to participate in this wonderful program.
01:43Describirse a oneself is always a little bit difficult, but I am because we are, I am part of a community.
01:54I can't identify myself, because what I am and what I represent today is part of a people, of a collective struggle.
02:08So I am the memory of my grandmother, of the women of my community who have fought for defending the land, who have fought for their identity,
02:18and who have fought for their chains of oppression, I am part of a heritage and a history that has not started with slavery,
02:31but that goes much further.
02:35I am part of a history that started with the mother, in the mother, on the African continent.
02:43I am a woman afrodescendant, I am self-recognizing myself, I am self-determining myself and self-determining myself,
02:52reaffirming our identity and our own forms.
02:59I am part of a family that has fought historically for freedom, and for the dignity of a people that has lived a number of oppression,
03:12such as slavery, racism, discrimination, and well, I am a woman that raises the voice like many other women in Colombia, Africa and in the world.
03:29I love that. I love that. I love that.
03:33Will you tell me what it means to be afro-colombian?
03:38If we were to educate people on that, what does that mean?
03:41This is a very important question.
03:45First of all, I want to say that Colombia is one of the countries of the Americas that has the third number of the largest population population.
04:00First of all, the United States and Brazil, and the third afrodescendent population is Colombia.
04:08However, when one goes to other places, that is not recognized.
04:14To be a woman afrodescendent or negra in Colombia is not a task that is easy to carry with many racial stereotypes.
04:30It is still living a colonial history that has marked our lives.
04:38It is also a show of resistance.
04:46I think that women in general, but women afrodescendent, have resisted all the oppression and exclusion.
04:56And I came to be a woman who worked in a family house, as a family employee of the domestic service.
05:03It is the only place that society has always ceded to women afrodescendent.
05:12I am a daughter of a woman who passed six children, being a single mother.
05:19And this is not because she was a woman puscona.
05:23It is because the society has defined that black women only serve us to die.
05:32And that is a reproduction of the colonial system that looks like us.
05:38So, we have to have to have to go out and break those stereotypes and break those chains of oppression,
05:48so that I am, in this region of the Americas, the third woman afrodescendent that comes to the vicepresident of a country.
06:00The first is C. Campbell, in Costa Rica, the second is Kamala Harris, here in the United States, and I am the third woman afrodescendent that,
06:12outside the African continent, has managed to occupy a space like the vicepresident.
06:18I have goosebumps, I am so proud of you, I am so proud of you, and admire you so much.
06:28If that's the background of being afro-colombian, how do you make it from that to being vice president?
06:38What was that journey for you?
06:41Well, I think that having arrived at the vicepresident is something that I owe to the women of my community,
06:49that I owe to my grandmother, who is 93 years old.
06:55She is a woman who does not know how to read and write, but she is a woman who taught me the value of life.
07:02And my community taught me the value of the collective care, of the collective care in the community.
07:13I am a daughter of a partner woman who had to leave her alone, but she learned to take care of other women.
07:25And that care, of seeing us as an extended family between black people, that happens in my country.
07:35That has allowed black people in Colombia to resist.
07:39And it is to stay in the collective, to see as a community.
07:47We do not have the vision of mother, father and son.
07:52We are an extended family family and we see like that.
07:56And that vision, that relationship, me taught me to be a leader since I was very little.
08:05I wanted to be an actress, a cantor, but I saw women in my community fighting for defending their territory as a living space.
08:17I saw women in my community fighting for defending the illegal mining that was ending with the river.
08:28I saw women in my community sembrando the land to give their children to feed their children.
08:34And that experience helped me to be part of that social and collective struggle and taught me to raise the voice.
08:45I have had the particularity of growing up in a community where women don't call, where women are rebels, where women don't hold silence.
09:00And that rebel, that courage, that sometimes it is arrogant, gross, that doesn't obey, that doesn't comply with the conditions that society impose.
09:16But it has been the same.
09:19I've offered my community to help us to raise the voice, to raise their voices, to raise their voices, to make our voices visible.
09:35the social problems, the conflict of armed conflict,
09:40because we also had to live in a department and in a country
09:45where the armed conflict is constant.
09:47Now in my region we can't stop the violence,
09:53and all of that was molding me,
09:57I became an activist for the rights
10:01that fought for the rights of the afro-descendant population,
10:05for the rights of women, for the environment,
10:09and that's what I'm here.
10:12That's why hundreds of women and young people
10:17who have similar conditions,
10:21who see in me the reflection of their own lives,
10:25decided to support me in a moment
10:28where I didn't think that I had to occupy the state,
10:34that I had to occupy the government.
10:38That occurred because I saw black women crying,
10:43because they had killed their children
10:46in a caña d'uzal in Cali city,
10:50and I was mother,
10:52and I was mother of family,
10:55I have two children.
10:58I filled myself with indignation and impotence.
11:02I thought about Martin Luther King's speech,
11:05that I had a dream,
11:07and I said,
11:08I had a dream that one day our children
11:11will not have to kill them because they are going to a caña d'uzal,
11:15to find a caña because they have hunger,
11:18and that they do not kill them for that,
11:21where our children can go without fear to the street.
11:25And that's why I wanted to be president of Colombia,
11:28I said in a moment.
11:30And many black women started to say,
11:34yes, let's do that.
11:35And many young people, let's do that.
11:38And we started to do a whole process of political campaign,
11:43from the heart,
11:45without economic resources,
11:47but with a conviction of change.
11:50And that's why I'm the vice president of my country.
11:55My people heard me.
11:58My people heard me.
12:02The reflection of their silent voices.
12:06My people saw me as a voice
12:11that could fall in many places,
12:13and that's what I'm still doing.
12:16Me and my cousins and my brothers
12:20used to run around
12:22my grandmother's part of Kenya
12:25and pull sugar cane
12:28to eat it.
12:30To listen to you talk about a woman
12:31who lost two children
12:33because of sugar cane
12:36resonated in my spirit
12:37because that was me and my brothers.
12:40And thank you so much
12:42for sharing that part of the story.
12:45It connects you and I differently.
12:49So one of the things
12:50that is on your agenda is Africa.
12:53And we just talked about Kenya.
12:56Why is that connection important for Colombia?
12:59And how are you driving that?
13:01Well, I think that this is a historical debt.
13:08We are very aware of
13:11that as afrodescendientes
13:13we have an African heritage.
13:19And for many years,
13:23the references that they showed us
13:27were born in Africa.
13:30It was of children with moscas
13:32in the mouth,
13:33of miserable people,
13:35of poor people.
13:39And when we asked where we came from,
13:44the only story we knew was
13:47that you are descendants of slaves.
13:52The process of emancipation
13:54that we have done in our country
13:56in some way,
13:58it taught me to understand
14:01that I am not a descendant of slaves,
14:05that we are descendants
14:08of Africans and Africans,
14:11of free people
14:13who were enslaved.
14:16And if we understand that,
14:18then we ask who enslaved us
14:20and why.
14:23And, well,
14:24it would lead us to other questions.
14:27And to the point of talking about
14:28a topic that we are now
14:31in our government
14:32we are impulsing,
14:33and it is
14:33reparations históricas
14:36on the effects of colonialism,
14:40racism and slavery.
14:43The population afrodescendent,
14:46not only in Colombia,
14:47but also in the world,
14:49we are living the conditions of precariousness,
14:54we are living the conditions of inhuman,
14:58we are suffering the racism.
15:01Here, in the United States,
15:03we see how
15:05they kill young black people
15:08just by the color of their skin.
15:10And all these structural violences
15:13have to do with that system
15:15that keeps expropriating
15:18the human condition
15:20of the African-American populations
15:23and indigenous populations.
15:25Africa is incomplete,
15:28because a part of its population
15:32is outside.
15:33A part of its African-American family
15:36is disconnected.
15:39And in Colombia,
15:41then,
15:42the afrodescendent,
15:43we have dreamed
15:46for a long time
15:47the reconnection
15:49with our family.
15:51Our parents and African-Americans
15:54are there.
15:56They are there.
15:58Their origins are there.
16:00And I think
16:03it is very important,
16:04then,
16:05to think about
16:06the reconnection
16:08of the Afro-descendents
16:10and the diaspora.
16:12I know that the African Union
16:13is now working
16:14in the sixth region,
16:17in which the Afro-descendents
16:20are part of the plans,
16:25the strategies,
16:26the policies that the continent
16:29is developing for African-Americans.
16:32And this is a lot of emotion.
16:34For me,
16:35this is a lot of emotion
16:37to join Colombia
16:40with the African continent
16:42is to allow our grandchildren,
16:45our grandchildren,
16:46our grandchildren,
16:47our children and daughters,
16:49to not feel ashamed of what they are,
16:51their identity,
16:52to feel proud of their roots,
16:56their origins.
16:58But it is the possibility
17:00to strengthen us
17:01between peoples,
17:03brothers and brothers
17:04in terms of economic terms,
17:06to strengthen us in terms of political terms,
17:09and to take together
17:10the challenges that now affect us
17:14in a way desproporcionable way.
17:16The planet is suffering
17:20some accelerated changes
17:23due to the climate crisis.
17:26And although Africa, Latin America,
17:30the Caribbean,
17:31and many other regions of the world,
17:35are not responsible for the emissions of
17:39gases of the winter effect,
17:42if it is Africa, if it is Latin America,
17:45if it is Colombia,
17:47who are suffering the consequences
17:50of the climate change.
17:51A climate change that was generated
17:54with a economic development model
17:58that began with the treatment of people,
18:02that began with the exploitation of human beings,
18:06selling them as merchandise.
18:09That began with all this situation.
18:14And, paradoxically,
18:15the afrodescendientes of those people
18:17who were selling them as merchandise,
18:20today are living in a desproporcionable way
18:23the effects and consequences of the climate change.
18:28The afrodescendientes,
18:30the indigenous people,
18:31the women who are suffering
18:34the effects,
18:36if they are migrants,
18:38that many times are people
18:40who have color
18:41and who have a history of what they are suffering.
18:44So, it obliga, then,
18:46to these brothers and sisters
18:49who have a history in common,
18:51to join themselves,
18:52to re-encontact themselves
18:54and to offer them together
18:56solutions like Africa has done
18:59from the African Union.
19:01I was in Kenya
19:0215 days
19:04in the climate summit.
19:07And, for me,
19:08it was wonderful
19:09to hear how many leaders
19:11and leaders of the continent
19:13are putting alternatives to the world
19:16that allow us
19:18to find ways
19:20that prevent life on the planet
19:23to continue to be extinguished.
19:25I'll have one last question after this,
19:27but the first piece I want to say to you
19:29is thank you for playing an active role
19:32in reconnecting the disconnected diaspora.
19:35We are aligned in those values
19:37and what I want to share with you
19:38before I ask my last question is
19:40consider me and Essence to be partners
19:44in that for you.
19:46If there's a platform you need
19:48to tell the story,
19:49to ask for participation,
19:51to share what you're seeing,
19:53consider us to be a place you can come to
19:56to support this mission.
19:59It is just as important to us
20:00as it is to you.
20:01And I'm so honored
20:02to have the opportunity
20:03to partner in the way
20:05that you want to connect
20:06the disconnected diaspora.
20:08we are here for you.
20:11So my last question
20:13for the millions and millions of people
20:17that will get to see this,
20:20what would you give them as advice
20:23on how to play a role
20:26from a chief chair
20:28in changing the things in their community
20:31that are not right for them?
20:33What advice would you give them?
20:35Well, I want to first
20:40to highlight the work that Essence
20:42does and that you do with all your team.
20:46I think that this platform
20:49is already a show of what we need to do.
20:56In many of our communities
20:59our communities
21:02crees without referents
21:04political, social, cultural, economic.
21:13Our people sometimes believe
21:15that we don't have the right
21:17to occupy certain spaces
21:19and places.
21:21that the place that we need to occupy
21:25is the place that society has imposed.
21:30And I think that
21:31to break with that
21:32is part of the challenge
21:34because
21:35the color of the skin
21:38cannot define the place that we need to occupy.
21:41We have the right to occupy
21:42the place that we want.
21:44And now that I am in the Vice-President,
21:49it has been strong
21:51because
21:52there are white people,
21:54racist people
21:56who have told me
21:58that I don't have to be in the Vice-President,
22:01that that is not my place.
22:03They consider that my place
22:05is still working
22:07in a family house
22:10as a employee of the domestic service.
22:13Because they have that vision
22:15that we can't occupy
22:17spaces of power.
22:20My main message
22:22is for the children
22:23and girls
22:24afrodescendientes
22:26and indigenous
22:28and for the women
22:31is that
22:32they don't feel first
22:34ashamed
22:36of their identity
22:38and their history.
22:39We must take our negrity
22:42with pride,
22:43our identity
22:45with pride.
22:47They made us feel ashamed
22:50of what we are.
22:52The women
22:54also make us feel
22:55that we are not able
22:56and that we have to obey
22:59and keep silence.
23:00And I think
23:02that it is good.
23:03It is time
23:05to take a seat
23:07and take a leadership.
23:08When I go to the
23:11most marginalized
23:12of my country
23:13I see
23:16black children
23:17come and hug me
23:19and cry
23:20and say
23:21I am going to study
23:23because I want to be like you.
23:25that is not
23:27what happened
23:28before.
23:29The children
23:30and girls
23:31of my country
23:32want to be
23:33president,
23:34want to be
23:35actors
23:36or actresses,
23:37want to be
23:38whatever
23:40what is
23:41what is
23:42what is
23:43what is
23:44important.
23:45In many
23:46times
23:47the children
23:49of our country
23:50wanted to be
23:51part of a
23:52armed group
23:53in our
23:55territories
23:56because they were
23:57the reference
23:58of what they saw.
23:59They only saw
24:00armed groups
24:01and they only wanted to
24:03have a
24:04gun in the
24:05hands
24:06to do
24:07the same
24:08that they were
24:09teaching.
24:10Today
24:11we are changing
24:12those
24:13paradigms.
24:14we have
24:15the first
24:16minister of education
24:17in my country
24:18in this
24:19government
24:20in our
24:21government
24:22who is the first
24:23woman
24:24afrodescendent.
24:25The
24:26minister of education
24:27had never been
24:28occupied
24:29by a
24:30woman
24:31afrodescendent
24:32because
24:33it was supposed to
24:34be
24:35to be
24:36imparted
24:37not by
24:38us
24:39or
24:40not by
24:41us
24:42but by
24:43changing
24:45that
24:46is part
24:47of
24:48the
24:49message
24:50that the world
24:51has to receive.
24:52We have to
24:53continue
24:54building
24:55in the
24:56community.
24:57I think
24:58much
24:59in the
25:00economic.
25:01I think
25:02that
25:03we
25:04and
25:05afrodescendent
25:06we have to
25:07unite
25:08in
25:09the
25:10economic
25:11community
25:13because
25:14our
25:15people
25:16live
25:17precarious
25:18without
25:19access
25:20to
25:21water
25:22without
25:23access
25:24without
25:25a
25:26safe
25:27living.
25:28But
25:29only
25:30we can
25:31progress
25:32together.
25:33the
25:34unity
25:35between
25:36peoples
25:37has to
25:38be
25:39a
25:40point.
25:41That's why
25:42I'm trying to
25:43make
25:44the
25:45diplomatic
25:46bilateral
25:47with
25:48some
25:49African countries
25:50multilateral
25:51with
25:52all
25:53African countries
25:54if
25:55possible.
25:56Because
25:57I think
25:58that
25:59we can
26:00reconnect
26:01our
26:02identity
26:03cultural
26:04and
26:05economic
26:06but
26:07also
26:08put
26:09together
26:10agendas
26:11of debate
26:12and
26:13political discussion
26:14that we have to
26:15push
26:16as
26:17the
26:18challenges
26:19of climate change.
26:22Well,
26:23I think
26:24that every person
26:25makes their own
26:26leadership.
26:27I think
26:28there is not
26:29a rule
26:30that
26:31must
26:32be a leader.
26:33You must
26:34listen to
26:35heart.
26:36You must
26:37have
26:38sensibility
26:39in wanting
26:40to help others
26:41and the conviction
26:42of
26:43justice.
26:44Madame
26:45Vice President.
26:46I am
26:47humbled.
26:49I am honored.
26:51I am activated
26:54to play whatever role
26:56you need me as a black woman.
26:59essence ventures as a black platform
27:02to drive this mission forward.
27:04This is the way in which we right the wrongs
27:07that divided our people
27:10and anything I can do
27:12to be a support
27:13consider me there.
27:14thank you for joining us today.
27:17For Chief to Chief,
27:19Madame Vice President of the country of Columbia, Francia Marquez has joined us.
27:26And my ask is that you take her advice and play your role in returning us to greatness too.
27:37For real.
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