Visible Figures - Volume #9
SVP on JD Vance, Sister Scientist goes Celebrity, Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, and more...
Hi! Welcome, welcome. This might be my most controversial post-to-date, but I’m 💪🏾here for it…
JD Vance, aka James David Vance, fka James Donald Bowman, fka James Hamel, is married to a woman of color.
Why is this interesting?
It’s rare. White Americans are statistically the least likely to wed interracially. Only 2.3% of married White men in America have a non-White spouse.
Independent of the presidential election outcome, we will have a woman of color in an interracial marriage in the White House.
JD is a nimble paradox. He embodies the duality of our progress<>regress, populism<>elitism, totalitarianism<>pluralism, and rust belt values<>coastal power.
While I am far from endorsing JD Vance, the republican party, or anything that resembles a socially conservative platform, I am a big proponent of intercultural relationships: romantic, platonic, work, or play.
Admittedly, it has not always been thus. I’ve attended predominately Black schools and predominately White schools. I’ve lived in predominately Hispanic neighborhoods and predominately Asian countries. Despite our challenges, our messiness, our slow pace to improve, I truly believe our transculturalism is what makes US great.
Empathy is a muscle best formed and fashioned through exposure to people with diverse lived experiences. Get out of the bubble, ya’ll!
Wanna talk about it? I am hosting a private, safe, non-partisan discussion and AMA for members and paid subscribers next Friday, July 26th @ 330PM ET. Subscribe today and join us!
What I’m Reading: Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley. This a compilation of soul satisfying bits and bites from world renowned poets coupled with deep, introspective, shadow work prompts crafted by one of the most astute young writers of our day.
What I’m Watching: An indie flick, Sing Sing by A24 starring Colman Domingo. Colman is a phenomenal actor that does my favorite thing: makes everyone around him great. This film bravely confronts masculinity, mass incarceration, and art as therapy. Go see it, wherever you can.
Love Always Wins,
A Visible Figures Model 👑
Erica ‘Sister Scientist’ Douglas
🔴Founding Partner & CEO @ mSeed Group
🔴Hailing from Chicago IL, Erica is the genius behind the success of brands like Cantu, ORS, and Mielle Organics. From production to distribution and business strategy, Erica, a chemist w/an MBA, is the cosmetics GOAT. Her next venture, By The People (BTP), leverages mSeed’s comprehensive US-based #deyNotLikeUS manufacturing-to-marketing ecosystem and the influence of celebrities to scale small batch production to billion dollar brands whilst keeping equity in their communities.
🔴Stanford University (BS Chemical Engineering), Delta Sigma Theta, National Institute of Health, Namaste Labs, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management (MBA)
Drop us a line to connect with Erica or learn more!
Erica Douglas on Scripps News’ A Woman’s Job with Noor Tagouri
Things You Should Know 👀
On July 11th, we had an amazing salon in downtown Chicago with 25 Black women executives, investors, and entrepreneurs at Don and Liz Thompson (of Cleveland Ave) owned Taste222. It was a beautifully intimate 3-course meal and free flowing discussion among chi-town luminaries like Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Brenda Darden Wilkerson, and👆🏾Erica Douglas. Next up: MV!
Fun fact: I hand wrote notes to all attendees. When was the last time you wrote someone a sweet handwritten note? 😏
Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah recently became the First Black Woman To Graduate From Johns Hopkins University’s Neurosurgery Program! Oooh, dat guhl smaht! 🧠
A Stat to Remember 👇🏾
According to the NIH, Black women (7% of US pop.) make up 4.5% of all medical school enrollment, but only 2% of active physicians. This drop off impacts outcomes like Black maternal mortality. Let’s do what we can to keep Dr. Abu-Bonsrah in the game!
A Special Thanks 🙌🏾
I wanted to extend a heartfelt message of gratitude to all the amazing individuals and organizations who have made Visible Figures possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who believe in our mission and vision to support women of color doing The Work.
Board of Trustees: Nitin Rai, Carlee Price, and Marla Blow
Advisors: A. Sparks, Tiffany Dufu, Julia Collins, Jana Rich, Robin Powell Mandjes, Shellye Archambeau, and Stacy Brown-Philpot
Donors: Will Mesdag, Barbara Clark, and Brian O’Kelley, Adam Grant, Alfred Lin, Alicia Syrett, April Underwood, Jake Saper, Lauren Miller, Whitnie Narcisse, Cynthia Alvarez, Joy Johnson, Julia Austin, Leanne Pittsford, Reshma Saujani, Pocket Sun, and Stacy Brown-Philpot.
