Our Seat at the Table
Olusade Green |
TEDxAmherstCollege
• March 2018
Olusade Green is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Amherst College. As a young reader, she identified with brave and adventurous protagonists such as Katniss Everdeen and Nancy Drew but wondered, “Where are the black girl heroines?” Sade became passionate about social justice at an early age. During high school, Sade interned for her county’s District Attorney’s Office, where she served as a community advocate on Youth Court cases and became committed to public service.
This past summer Sade interned for the United States Congress. She was thrilled to see how government works from behind the scenes and to advocate for social justice alongside members of Congress. However, she could not help but notice the lack of diversity amongst the interns, legislative staff, and elected officials. In her talk, Sade redefines “belonging” in relation to equity and justice. Sade reminds us that in order for there to be a true sense of belonging people of color must have a seat at the table and the power to create policies.