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Julie Wenah Appointed to Federal Communications Commission

Julie Wenah was recently appointed to the board of the FCC, Federal Communications Commission. The associate general counsel and product lead for Civil Rights with Meta, formerly Facebook, is an attorney for Meta with seven years of technology experience focused on anti-discrimination efforts and integrating product remediations and product mitigations as technical solutions. As a representative of the trade association Encompass, she advocates for laws and policies promoting competition, innovation, and economic development. “I am honored to serve on the FCC and in this capacity and I think of my late parents who emigrated from a small village in Nigeria with no access to broadband and bandwidth,” she said.

Published

3 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Julie Wenah, Associate Genersl Counsre and Product Lead for Civil Rights with Meta (formerly Facebook). Photo courtesy of Julie Wenah.

By Carla Thomas

Julie Wenah was recently appointed to the board of the FCC, Federal Communications Commission.

The associate general counsel and product lead for Civil Rights with Meta, formerly Facebook, is an attorney for Meta with seven years of technology experience focused on anti-discrimination efforts and integrating product remediations and product mitigations as technical solutions.

As a representative of the trade association Encompass, she advocates for laws and policies promoting competition, innovation, and economic development.

“I am honored to serve on the FCC and in this capacity and I think of my late parents who emigrated from a small village in Nigeria with no access to broadband and bandwidth,” she said.

Wenah explained that her parents’ village was reminiscent of the rural communities she advocated for during her time with the federal government for a decade, where she led a manufacturing agenda in rural communities across the United States.

Wenah boasts a resume that includes stints with the Obama Administration, Airbnb, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Through the Tahirih Justice Center Advisory Council, she is dedicated to supporting human trafficking survivors.

As a board director for Women In Product, she equips women in product management careers with equitable opportunities to thrive and shape the industry. Role by role, Wenah has used her gifts to change the world and is unstoppable.

Last year, she initiated Project Height, a partnership that provided nearly 30 college students with scholarships of $10,000 each and an invitation to participate in Meta-sponsored programming designed to further explore technology through a civil rights lens in the areas of data science, product management, and inclusive design and user experience.

The scholarship is named after the late Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, who served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for more than 40 years. The funding is the joint initiative of NCNW, the Dorothy Irene Height Education Foundation (DIHEF), and Meta.

Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation President Alexis Herman said the scholarships awarded “represent an investment in their ongoing education, and these scholars represent a collective investment for increased innovation and a more hopeful future of our world.”

“It was thrilling to partner with the Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation and the National Council of Negro Women to announce the Project Height Scholarship award recipients,” said Wenah. “Our hope is that our joint commitment to investing in the next generation of leaders committed to the intersection of civil rights and technology will spark the minds that build a more inclusive and equitable society.”

Wenah says Dr. Height has always been a source of inspiration to her. “Dr. Height lived her life for the betterment of others,” said Wenah. “She stood in the face of racism and unfairness fearlessly and tirelessly, and we stand on her shoulders,” said Wenah.

Wenah’s fight for equity and justice to offset racism, discrimination, and marginalism continues with her work on the board of the Digital Civil Rights Coalition. In this role she and her team seek to transform regulations and advance an inclusive digital technology ecosystem. “With law as a vehicle, we hope to transform the technology ecosystem at its core and equalize outcomes in the future that everyone deserves.”

When Wenah is not on the front lines in court fighting for an expanded playing field for the underserved or overlooked, she leads a growing collective through the Album and the Mixtape, her way of giving a voice to passionate creatives looking for an outlet to share their fire.

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.