Bridging Race and Disability in Advocacy | Erika L Watson | Intersection Collective
“A community means including the voices, including the experiences, including the wisdom of the very community that you are trying to be in service to.” Erika L Watson Listen on Apple, Spotify or any of your favorite Podcast players. Meet Erika Watson Meet Erika L. Watson, founder and CEO of The Intersection Collective, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to advocating for and empowering individuals at the intersection of race and disability.Erika’s work is focusing on improving the lives of children of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and communities. She also supports executives on their journey to becoming more intentionally inclusive in their leadership. Erika’s impressive resume includes serving on the Equitable Nutrition in Schools Advisory Council to First Lady Michelle Obama, contributing to the historic Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2010. She also founded Dress for Success in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit that has empowered over 30,000 women, many of whom are disabled, BIPOC, formerly incarcerated, and possess intersecting identities, to build skills and secure meaningful career opportunities. “Nothing about us without us” Erika sheds light on her personal journey and the motivations behind her work. As a mother and caregiver for a parent with cognitive disabilities, she has firsthand experience of the challenges faced by those with disabilities. The Intersection Collective’s mantra, “Nothing about us without us,” highlights the importance of including voices from the disability community in advocacy and decision-making processes. Emphasizing the need for intentional inclusivity It’s a team effort. Sylvia Nyegenye (on the left) and Kelly Green(on the right) are part of the Intersection Collective team. Erika shares her vision for The Intersection Collective, emphasizing the need for intentional inclusivity. She recounts the everyday struggles and triumphs of caring for her mother, revealing the systemic barriers that people with marginalized identities and with disabilities face. Through her work, Erika aims to bring purposefulness and intentionality to making the world more inclusive for people with intersectional identities. Building the village One of the key projects The Intersection Collective is currently working on is a pilot program called “The Village.” This initiative aims to empower parents of color with children with learning differences and disabilities to become more effective advocates for their children. By providing culturally responsive and inclusive advocacy training, The Village seeks to build a community network that amplifies voices and fosters equity in education. Celebrating milestones Erika emphasizes the importance of celebrating milestones, big and small, in the journey of social impact work. She shares personal anecdotes about the transformative power of recognizing and honoring achievements, no matter how minor they may seem. For Erika, celebrating milestones is crucial for maintaining motivation and sustaining the often challenging work of advocacy and leadership.She describes how acknowledging successes, such as completing a grant proposal or making strides in a pilot program,
