HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Executive Director of United Women of Color, Angela Curry, was told growing up, she 'talked too much,' and now that's her superpower.
Sitting in her living room, she begins to share about her childhood.
"My dad always told me, if you see something is not right, speak out... He did not include like when are the appropriate times to do that? So in my mind you just if you see something that's not right, you speak out," Curry said.
From a very early age, Angela has never shied away from using her voice, "me as a child always getting in trouble for talking and not being quiet and wanting to have the last word and asking all the 'why' questions…"
"I stumbled across Black history, just being a nerd, reading things in the library, I became enamored with books about Black people and just beginning to read all that I could find out that," Curry added.
And so, with a love for learning and a job working in social service, Angela saw a chance to help.
"That really taught me that there was a segment of the population out here that nobody knew about, but they had stories, they had struggles, they had challenges, and then I had an opportunity to provide them a better way," Curry said.
And just like that, an idea began to blossom into a movement.
So, with other activists by her side, Angela founded the organization called United Women of Color.
"I say I did not choose the movement, like the movement chose me. So all of the experiences of my life have played into creating this. So when I'm not doing this, I feel like I'm missing out on something," Curry said.
United women of color is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help set women of all ages on a guided path.
"We developed a workshop, an interview workshop….It shows people how to dress for interviews. It actually takes people through their resumé and pull out their marketable skills based on the top 25 interview questions that are asked," Curry said.
The goal is to help set up women of color for success, at least, that's how it began.
But Angela found another way her growing organization could help.
After the murder of George Floyd, United Women of Color shifted its focus and created the Citizen's Coalition for Justice Reform
"We crafted the citizens coalition to be a neutral organization. We had about three dozen conversations with individuals saying, 'if you could change anything about policing, what would it be?' The people who I talked to were age 16 to age 83," Curry shared.
This Citizen's Coalition for Justice Reform is just one of several initiatives for United Women of Color, all thanks to growing numbers within the organization.
"We are creating a pathway of opportunity for young people to come through, take over what, however, we can support, uplift what they're doing and working shoulder to shoulder as they come on, because we have a place and we welcome everyone who believes in our mission. We want you to participate."
Angela is using her voice, just like her father said, "we're supposed to use the gifts that we have, not just for us."
Using her voice by encouraging others to use theirs, "so I just feel like I'm just living now. All the things that have been taught to me," Curry said.