It is the beginning of a new presidential era.  President Biden is the 46th president of our country as of January 20th, 2021. I feel a renewed hope that we will not lose the momentum to build unity and racial equity  in aspiration for a better life for all Americans.

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​​As an immigrant myself, I saw the promise and the possibilities for my first generation daughter who could be inspired by our first Madam Vice President,  who herself is the daughter of two immigrants (of African and South East Asian descent).

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I, as a Muslim Arab/North African/Middle Eastern American woman who was naturalized 25 years ago, I witnessed the impact of policy-making with the "Muslim-majority country ban" that was put in effect by past President Trump and felt the impact on many immigrant family members who couldn't travel to unite with loved ones.  I also witnessed the power of policy-making when this decision was repealed on his first day in office through an executive order from President Biden.

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As  a citizen who holds no political or executive managerial position of power, I was touched by the power of words that inspire and heal from a 22-year old young African American young lady - Amanda Gorman. 

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As a small business minority entrepreneur through the Pledge, I seek to connect more with the CNY business community  to build racial equity and diversity in the workplace.. 

 

In this endeavor,  as the lead on the design and development team who worked on this website, I learned more about the past, how history shapes the present, and how the present shapes the future. I became more conscious of my own learning and ignorance.  I feel moved and committed to building a more diverse equitable world, one word at a time, one engagement at a time, one reflection at a time.​

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Thank you CenterState for giving me this opportunity to reflect and share my thoughts!

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