If you could thank any Black woman history maker for her contributions to society, who would it be and why?
Ida B. Wells. She challenged racial and sexual discrimination through the power of writing. She wrote articles about lynching, despite angry citizens burning her press and running her out of town. Due to her tenacity, she won a lawsuit over the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad for segregation of its cars, which the Tennessee Supreme Court later reversed. She also founded the first Black woman suffrage organization — the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago.
Why is it important for the more experienced Black women to reach back and help younger women of color?
It is important that we present ourselves as role models to illustrate that younger women can compete and perform on equal footing with our counterparts, irrespective of race or gender.
What are three success habits you implement into your daily routine to maintain your success, sanity and peace of mind?
[I implement] prayer, exercise, and get proper rest and sleep. Always take time for yourself to be a well-rounded individual.
As a successful woman in business, what was your greatest achievement?
During my 35-year employment at AT&T Inc. as a technology planner and network engineer, my greatest achievement was to lead a team of third- and second-level managers to implement, develop and provide the first and second generations of voice-activated dialing and internet services to customers served by AT&T Inc.
