We are so excited to announce our partnership with Spelman’s Social Justice Fellows Program to launch our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Internship program.
The NPWF-Spelman Social Justice Fellow will join us this summer in a special internship geared toward helping an undergraduate student get hands-on experience under the guidance of our President, Jocelyn Frye, learning how they can shape public policy to create social change and champion women’s rights. Now more than ever, diverse voices are needed in the public policy space to make sure our diverse needs are reflected in the policies that impact our lives. We are looking forward to continuing the Partnership’s work of elevating diverse voices and are excited about the alignment of the missions of HBCUs with the Partnership’s legacy of fighting for equity.
In this conversation between Jocelyn and Aimee Peoples, our VP of DEIA who has worked to bring this idea to fruition, Jocelyn shares more about her hopes for this experience.
Jocelyn, I know you are as excited as I am about our work to develop this partnership with Spelman and the potential of this internship. Can you share a bit about why you think an opportunity like this is important?
Jocelyn: Yes, you are absolutely right – this is an exciting and important opportunity for the National Partnership to expand our work with different institutions of higher education. Too often, public policy jobs are viewed as elite opportunities that are only open to young people from certain privileged backgrounds. We believe that it is incredibly important to open the doors wide so that talented students from all walks of life see public policy work as a possibility and our public policy spaces are more inclusive.
HBCUs share in our mission, as they are institutions which were founded with the purpose of opening doors for young people who have all the talent, skills, and aspirations required to succeed – but who just need the opportunity to prove themselves.
We are particularly excited to partner with Spelman College because it has such a rich tradition of educating young women, especially young Black women but also women across all racial identities, who have left indelible imprints across our society – in courtrooms and boardrooms, as activists and artists, from hospitals to the halls of government.
As an HBCU graduate myself (shout out to the illustrious Howard University!), I know firsthand the expectations of critical thinking and cultivation of service and activism that are hallmarks of an HBCU education. What is the significance to you of partnering with HBCUs for this opportunity?
Jocelyn: As you know, Aimee, HBCUs were born, in large part, out of the deeply entrenched history of racial segregation in the United States. Out of that experience, they have been instrumental in creating educational environments committed to nurturing not only the skills and talents of Black students, but all students. Understanding this history and legacy is important learning for students, educators, and our nation as a whole.
Students at HBCUs understand that Black history is American history. But they also know that Black history too often has been treated as peripheral or not worthy of attention – and the result has been an incomplete telling of our nation’s story. They know that Black history, just like the history of other demographic groups, is not only worthy of study, but also integral to understanding who we are as a nation and a people. HBCUs play a critical role providing students with an education that tells the full story and gives a full picture of the diverse contributions not only made by Black people, but by indigenous communities and people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds that collectively helped build our country. This knowledge is especially significant in this moment when there are aggressive efforts at the national level to deny the multi-cultural richness of our history and replace it with a whitewashed version that derides the mere mention of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At the National Partnership, we refuse to bury our heads in the sand and embrace ignorance, fueled by racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry, as a substitute for examining the experiences of real people and coming up with real solutions to address their problems. And we’re proud to join forces with Spelman to continue its proud legacy of educating and fostering our leaders of tomorrow.
What are some of the experiences and knowledge that you hope our fellow will leave their internship with?
Jocelyn: I hope that the student who spends the summer with us will emerge with a deeper understanding of the policymaking process from beginning to end and the advocacy work that we do to achieve meaningful progress and advance social justice. My goal is for students to have a mix of experiences, from doing research and analysis, to attending external meetings and events such as hearings and briefings, preparing written products and perhaps even publishing a blog, and interacting with coalition partners. We want students to see firsthand how we pursue different policy solutions and strategize about transforming ideas into concrete policies.
I also hope they will leave with a better idea of what kinds of jobs exist in the policy space and have the chance to develop greater interest or expertise in different aspects of gender justice – whether that is concentrating in economic policy, health policy, disability rights, or some other part of our organization’s work.
Do you have any tips for students who may apply for this opportunity and/or other undergraduate-level opportunities to get into the public policy space to position themselves for success?
Jocelyn: I encourage young people to be open to different opportunities and learn as much as they can. Be enthusiastic about getting a diverse experience; be curious about the work; be able to talk about your own interests and aspirations and say why you are interested in a particular opportunity. Do your homework before your interview – do your own research about a particular organization and be prepared to talk about the strengths that you uniquely offer. I would also encourage students to feel a sense of empowerment. Take advantage of the opportunity to engage, learn, participate, and hone your own voice and the perspective that you bring to the table.
The Partnership has a long history of impact through policy and advocacy – when you think about the future, in your wildest dreams, what are some policy wins you would like to see students who are interns today achieve 10-20 years from now?
Jocelyn: I hope that, by that time, we will have made significant progress in helping to provide all people – and especially young women – with the opportunity to control their own bodies and their own futures, particularly in terms of access to reproductive and other forms of health care. Everyone deserves to live in a world free of barriers and biases and where their opportunities are not constrained by factors like their race, their gender, or their sexual identity. I also hope that we will have already made progress in supporting the care needs of families and supporting care workers, by enacting a national paid leave program, providing more robust home care supports, and investing in quality, affordable child care.
Finally, I am hoping that today’s students can help us to take major strides in closing the racial wealth gap and the gender wage gap, because each person deserves not only the ability to experience economic stability, but also the chance to secure economic prosperity.
Thank you, Jocelyn. And welcome, Spelman!
