Ep. 60 - Sherese Brewington Carr provides a rapid-fire delivery of her professional insights into the world of migrant farm work, the criminal justice system and what it takes to help both veterans and ex-offenders to successfully transition into the contemporary workplace. She shares her foundational beliefs established as a childhood "farm girl" who benefitted from the larger culture of rural community activism and a world class educational opportunities gained at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). With both an undergrad and graduate degree earned at two historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) she is an ardent support of the HBCU agenda for the development of the "whole person". A lifelong activist she recounts some of the too-many-to-name volunteer and social change agendas she has worked to champion.
Top Takeaways:
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- Understanding why the justice system is not equal for all people
- Finding ways to advocate for social change for vulnerable people in the communities of color
- How to showing up, get involved, exercise your right to vote, and getting engaged with those individuals as part of your civic engagement responsibility
- Learn to fall in love with the word 'NO' and use it as a complete sentence if the situation is not bringing you joy
Learn the power of advocating for change even with a simple phone call to your local leaders.
"I have fallen in love with the word "No." It's a complete sentence, and it's okay to examine what's happening in your life. I look at my schedule at times and the requests that I have of me, whether it's from church or whether it's from a civil organization and I can just basically say, "No!" -Sherese Brewington Carr
Best Podcasts for Black Social Justice
Sherese has served in a number of senior executive positions in Delaware state government to include a period of time as one of the first female and African American Senior Warden in Delaware State and Connecticut Adult Correctional Facilities, and Chief Executive Director of Juvenile Services in Delaware.
This rounds out her public and local government career as Senior Administrator with the Delaware Department of Labor where she enforces federal employment laws and advances both the rights and opportunities for migrant workers, veterans and justice involved persons re-entering into the labor market. She strategically executes DOL Criminal Justice policy and operational practices where their Re-entry Initiatives included development of Delaware's first Mobile One Stop and , On the Job Training Model-Project Jump Start to incentivize employers to hire persons with criminal backgrounds.
Sherese is an executive trainer and sought after thought leader on matters of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. She currently serves as Workforce Development Chair on the Delaware General Assembly Law Enforcement Accountability Task Force to investigate and make recommendations to enhance Law Enforcement engagement with citizens in Delaware .
She served as Public Policy Co-Chair of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, developing solutions for and positions about national public policy issues for Black women and girls. She also served as the Chair/Vice Chair of the Delaware Commission for Women, comprised of 25 diverse, multigenerational Commissioners appointed by the Governor from all counties and major political parties, serving as an advocacy entity for women and girls in the State of Delaware.
Learn how you can engage civically as a way to exercise your right and responsibility.
Key Moments:
Sherese describes her early exposure to a sense of community that prepared her path in social justice work [2:00]
The difficult farm labor that immigrants are doing in Delaware and why they find themselves in crime [4:36]
She explains the many types of inequities towards people of color starting from the justice system and their consequences [11:04]
The criminal justice and public policy issues and initiatives that Sherese works with [18:52]
Sherese explains the meaning of STEM technology and the importance of art in African American communities [25:16]
The meaning of civic engagement as a right and a responsibility [27:23]
Ways in which you can reach out to local leaders to make your voice and concerns heard [29:27]
Sherese shares some of the ways she uses to take care of her physical and mental wellbeing [31:04]
Resources:
International Association of Women
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