“Meet and Greets” we have been able to create engagement opportunities for Black businesses and the work continues.
taking campus action for more Black students, courses and administrators. On my campus, we felt a need to do something so we took over the Administration Building and held a security guard hostage. We stayed in that building until the Administration expelled us all and took us to court and we were eventually reinstated. Second obstacle is our efforts in trying to get our communities and our people to recognize the impact slavery has had on our community, historically. We ALL need to read the Willie Lynch Letters to see what was done to us, so that we can change how we look at ourselves. We don’t ALL have to agree or have the same worldview, but we have to ALL agree on the situation we find ourselves in and collectively what we do about what we know and don’t know. There are historical implications here that are necessary for us to get a better sense of where we are at and where we are going. Cole: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the community today, and how do you see ways to overcome them? Bailey: There are too many challenges in our community to go into great detail here, but I will say this - We as a community need to advocate and demand equity, opportunity and community benefits. With that we need access to authentic information, more than adequate resources to develop our communities, in particular youth and families as well as substantial investments in programs for training, education, job preparation, business development and artificial intelligence to name a few. Cole: How clear is your vision for what the future of community responsibility should look like in Denver? Bailey: Community work requires much more than just a vision. It also requires, voice and a viable plan of action. Community work includes knowing as a community where we have been (hindsight), where we are at now (insight), and where we are going (foresight). Each one of us
Cole: What do you believe to be the most important piece of advice for a leader to follow?
Bailey: Lead by example.
Cole: How do you prioritize work-life balance, and what advice do you have for junior professionals who are struggling to find balance? Bailey: I am not the best person to ask this question. I am a work-a-holic, however I do come up for air, but not to relax, but to be creative. Cole: As an African American leader, what do you consider to be one of the most difficult obstacles you’ve faced? Bailey: There have been many. Two of the most difficult obstacles I encountered was one when I was at Wagner College and realized that all over the country Black college students were
Photo: McBoat Photography
24 The Acumen
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