INTELLIGENTSIA
“Make sure to be who you are, who you were called to be, and don’t let anyone stop you from becoming you.”
Moving Message Alethea R. Bonello ’98, youth field director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was a guest speaker at the annual alumni banquet for Stetson’s Cross Cultural Center on Nov. 5. An excerpt of her words:
“I have come to know that I am unapologetically a black woman, and some may see that as being between a rock and a hard place. But with the pressures of this world, you can either break or become a black diamond. “And I declare that you are a black diamond. I declare that you are a Latino diamond, a trans diamond — whoever you are. You must speak into yourself what you want to be. And I want you to know that you are a black diamond tonight. I want you to understand that there are times when the pressures are so great that you feel you want to break, you have to pray that you will bend, but never bow to the issues in this world. “I want you to understand that self-care is important. When you feel like it is too much, listen to your spirit and your body telling you that it’s too much. If you are not able to regulate yourself, your body will stop. You’ve got to make sure that does not happen. The world will always be there, but you’ve got to take time out. You’ve got to plug out of social media. You’ve got to plug out of the cell phone. You’ve got to make sure that you take care of yourself. “Make sure to be who you are, who you were called to be, and don’t let anyone stop you from becoming you. So many times, we are fearful about what the next step will be. We are fearful of what we need to do. We are fearful about whether we will even make it. But I’ve just come here to say, ‘Baby, it’s gon’ be OK.’”
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STETSON
DID YOU KNOW? Stetson University College of Law presented the 2016 William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award to both Pamela Wiener Dubrule and Kathleen S. McLeroy. Dubrule has dedicated decades to providing public service to low-income individuals. She committed her career to public service, working for more than 30 years at Gulfcoast Legal Services, where she is the public benefits attorney. McLeroy, a Carlton Fields shareholder who chairs pro bono initiatives at her firm, is a leader in bridging the justice gap by providing legal services to people with limited income. She has led numerous nonprofits dedicated to improving access to justice, serving as president of and a member of the board of Bay Area Legal Services for 15 years, among other roles.