Shaped By Community: Navigating Identity and Breaking The Mold with Demetrius T. Gary

Demetrius T. Gary describes the impact moving from a multilingual, multiracial middle school experience to a rural, mostly white high school where he was the only Black person had on his racial identity development. He shares his experiences with assimilation, what led him to view code-switching as an asset, and how that unforgettable transition helped him realize there isn’t any one way to be Black.

Demetrius also tells the story of how disorienting it was to be the only Black student in his grad school cohort, and how having affirming supervision helped convert experiences of alienation into agency, including a supervisor whose attentive inquiry validated his experiences with racist dynamics at work; experiences that continue to inform his “why” for working in university housing, his approach to coaching, the ethics of supervision, and the value of deliberate, affirming leadership that deliberately chooses to face race instead of ignoring it.

🔔 If you haven't already...SUBSCRIBE to Social Justice Origin Stories on YouTube!

❤️ SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Support this work by becoming a patron.

💬 SHARE YOUR STORY OR FEEDBACK

Your voice helps shape this community and may be featured in a future episode.

Email: stories@socialjusticeoriginstories.com

Leave a Voice Note on our contact page or speakpipe page.

Or leave a comment below

🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW

Website: socialjusticeoriginstories.com