IU junior Austin Williams said he had been struggling with a lot of stress in his life, so he came to Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center on Wednesday to connect with friends and do homework.
However, instead of homework, Williams’ friends and mentors waved him into the Bridgewaters Lounge, where the Black Excellence Alumni Panel was underway.
He said it was meant to be.
“I gained words of wisdom,” Williams said. “And that’s patience and peace of mind.”
Panelists Bill Shrewsberry, the president and CEO of Shrewsberry & Associates; Muhammad Saahir, a counselor at IU Health Center’s Counseling and Psychological Services; and Crystal Taliefero, the director of IU Soul Revue and a professional musician, discussed how they achieved excellence in their fields.
“Specifically, as black folk, they are all moving in environments that were not necessarily created for them,” said Monica Johnson, director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.
The panelists talked to a crowd of about 30 about their struggles, triumphs and words of wisdom. They stressed the importance of taking care of self care while being the best they could be.
Saahir said his biggest challenge in achieving excellence was remaining patient throughout the process.
“There is always going to be a next until there’s nothing more,” he said.
Shrewsberry echoed those sentiments by saying endurance and focus are crucial while trying to achieve goals. He advised the those present to find bits of knowledge on the path to achieve their goals.
Taliefero also urged students to take care of themselves. She told the audience to remember not to be hard on themselves and that it’s good to be human.
“I look at being a minority as an advantage,” she said. “I was basically invisible.”
Being invisible helped Taliefero because she was able to observe other people do their jobs without them paying attention to her, she said. She said using your surroundings and being respectful is important because it sets the tone for meetings and interviews.
Shrewsberry explained that people have to prove their character over the color of their skin. He stressed the audience should be as sharp as possible.
“You’re not only outstanding, but you’re standing out,” he said.
However, the panel recognized working constantly, reading the room and trying to figure out what they were up against are extremely tiring at the end of the day.
“You’re exhausted from trying to dismantle the system without appearing as a threat to the system,” Johnson said.
Saahir said that it was important to surround yourself with family and faith because those, along with his fraternity brothers, were his greatest resources.
“Emotions — it’s like going to the restroom,” he said. “They’re going to come out with or without your permission.”
While the room laughed at this comment, the other panelists commented on the truth of the statement. They urged the room to talk to family and friends when they needed support.
Williams, after listening to the panel, said he felt like he had gotten confidence and inspiration from the night.
“I made it this far,” he said. “And I can keep going.”
