As a Black, Latinx woman and student, Elisse Howard constantly faces the oppressive and discriminatory nature of higher education. Systematic racism and prejudice have plagued her experiences on her university’s campus as well as her experiences off campus. In dialogue with her oppressors, professors who teach through the eyes of the oppressor, Elisse addresses the hardships and complications she goes through as a black woman in higher education. In her TEDx Talk, she begins to deconstruct and analyze how it feels to be a black woman in higher education and how these experiences have shaped who she is today.
A light-hearted individual with an intense passion for advocating for all people of color, Elisse Howard uses her voice as a Black, Afro-Latinx woman in higher education. As a member of the Latin American Student Union at Binghamton University, she fights for equity and justice in her local community and for her fellow students. She hopes to become a therapist and eventually have her own foster home. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx