Meet Dr. Artika Tyner

We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Artika Tyner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Artika, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Being the only person in the room has allowed me to leverage my gifts and talents in unique ways. It provides an opportunity to share my culture, experiences, and expertise. I have traveled the world, studied languages (participated in a Chinese immersion program), lectured worldwide (reaching tens of thousands of people), and explored history & arts. I earned three terminal degrees in law, policy, and leadership. I have successfully led businesses, nonprofits, and national policy campaigns.

Despite these experiences, I am often underestimated. Colleagues have inquired if I am truly a lawyer or if have I earned my doctorate. I have a silent laugh and continue to outperform those who are misguided by prejudice and stereotypes.

I believe diversity is a superpower. It provides you with insights on how to tap into creativity and innovation. This is what is necessary as we bring together the most talented minds to build a more just and inclusive society.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
The most exciting part of what I do is helping to grow futures- one book at a time and one child at a time. I am the founder of Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute. Our mission is to plant seeds of social change through education, training, and community outreach. We achieve our mission through the following initiatives:

Leaders are Readers (LAR) was created to address the nation’s reading crisis when 1 in 4 Americans are unable to read. LAR builds on the power of author read-alouds, leadership-focused dialogue, & diverse book donations to inspire youth. It supports them in developing a joy for reading, career exploration, and leadership skills during their early formative years. To date, over 20,000 books have been donated, and over 5,000 youth have been inspired.

Writing for Justice (WFJ) was created to ensure books reflect our nation’s rich multicultural tapestry. This is vitally important you are more likely to see a book with a black dog or black bear on the cover than a Black girl or Black boy. WFJ builds on the power of writing opportunities & incentives to lift up the voices of all ages and support them in developing critical thinking, innovation, & creative problem-solving. It concludes with published authors of all ages who serve as changemakers in their communities.

We are excited to announce our new 100 Black Authors Campaign. Our 100 Black Authors campaign promotes cultural preservation through the arts and humanities and builds an ecosystem for new literary artists. To date, we have trained and inspired 41 authors.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful qualities that have guided my path are my core strength areas: 1) Faith- My faith continues to ignite my hope for the future. I see infinite possibilities when I work together with others to build a better world.

You can improve in this area by taking time to pause, reflect, and grow. What is your vision for the future? How can you partner with others to advance this collective vision?

2) Input- I enjoy learning new subject matter and exploring ideas. I also work with professionals across disciplines to support my advocacy work. Together, we develop comprehensive approaches for large-scale systems change.

You can best develop this quality by remaining curious. Seek to learn something new each day.

3) Relational- Partnerships are the secret to my success. I work with others to advance the mission of our nonprofit since I recognize our work is interrelated and interconnected. We share a common goal of building strong communities. For example, I work with corporate partners to develop new career pathways for youth and young professionals.

You can build strategic partnerships by reimagining networking. Imagine if you networked with the single goal in mind of adding value to the life of the person who you are interacting with. It would have a ripple effect as we realize the myriad of ways we can work together to change the world.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am looking to collaborate with other disruptors and innovators who are committed to inspiring the next generation of leaders. We believe leaders are readers hence we are committed to eradicating the nation’s reading crisis and ending mass incarceration.

I would like to work together and build a national campaign related to the nation’s reading crisis- This is personal and important to me because as a civil rights attorney, many of my clients learned how to read in prison. This is unacceptable but somehow we created a RULE OF 4:
1 in 4 American children are not reading at grade level by 4th grade
If you are not reading at grade level by 4th grade, you are 4 times more likely to dropout of school
And here’s the connection, you are also 3 and a half times more likely to be arrested during your lifetime.
This is UNACCEPTABLE. This is an opportunity for change. Where we can create new pipelines for the future and work to end mass incarceration.

We can connect and partner by you subscribing to our newsletter and completing our volunteer form: www.ppgjli.org

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,