Resistance, Leadership and Collective Responsibility: The Life of Dr. Rosemari Mealy

Dr. Rosemari Mealy is a phenomenal human being whose resistance, care, brilliance and life journey has created yet another blueprint for young Black creative, dynamic and innovative women to build upon. She embodies the multiplicity of ways in which Black women can be leaders in different realms of society and in this podcast we explore how she has evolved as a person. From her childhood, she has been a leader in every aspect of her life – she was the first girl to take workshop classes in her school, the Lieutenant of Information in the Black Panther Party and a founding member of the National Alliance of Third World Journalists. These accomplishments are only a few on the long list of endeavors she has pursued, however, as she also is a recipient of the Claudia Jones Fellowship at Florida International University, a lawyer, doctor of philosophy, scholar of industrial relations, mother and so many other things.

In this podcast, we explored what liberation, womanhood and leadership mean to her, and how she embodies the intersectionality of these concepts through her actions. We dove into the complexities of existing in a capitalist society, and how liberation cannot be found through an individualist mindset that has seeped into the “social fabric of society”, as she puts it. She views the world through an internationalist perspective, where her care for humanity and resistance of oppression expands beyond borders. As an activist, she has taught at numerous institutions and has lived and worked in Cuba where she developed her journalistic skills and saw what it felt to be free.

Our discussion was so enriching that I found it would be a disservice to cut her experiences so short, so I have attempted to mitigate this issue by dividing the podcast into two parts. The first half of the podcast is where she discusses her sources of inspiration, continuing the legacy of Black women who came before us, her dive into labor rights, theory and activism through academia and law, as well as her time in Cuba. At the 33 minute mark, we transition into how she joined the Black Panther Party, her role there and her love for art. 

She is a living, walking archive and continues the legacy of our foremothers, especially Claudia Jones.

It was one of the best moments of my life to speak with her, as her bright energy, warm smile framed by purple lipstick and her love for life transcended the coldness of a computer screen. This is the first time in my life I have seen someone who has done every single thing I have wanted to do since I was child, and I look forward to getting to know her better as the multidimensional woman she is.

Intro and Outro Music: African Skies by Joel Holmes

Bibliography 

Rosemari Mealy, J.D., Ph.D., Author, Professor, Activist. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Rosemari+Mealy