Why Advocate for Change? Interview with Iridescent Founders

The Jesus I read about in the Gospels showed great compassion towards the oppressed and marginalized, while calling out broken and oppressive systems that take advantage of and abuse others.

In 2020 Iridescent launched their Advocate for Change resource page and now we are stepping into 2022, still passionate to continue to advocate for racial and gender equity and justice. The Iridescent team has committed themselves to continued education, self reflection, and action, and we would like to invite you to do the same. 

With that invitation, I would like to present to you an interview with the Iridescent c0-founders, Alex Brown and Nicole Smithee. In this interview, you will hear from them directly as they reveal the why and heart behind Advocate for Change, along with a few tips and resources to continue your advocacy journey. 

What do you believe Iridescent’s role is in the fight for Racial Justice and Gender Equality?

Alex: The mission of Iridescent has always been to provide a platform and opportunity for women to have conversations about issues, topics and experiences that are relevant to them. The issues of racial justice, gender equality, social justice and everything in between, are relevant to all of us. We have women in our community from all different socio-economic backgrounds, faith backgrounds, ethnicities, all coming from different parts of the world, and it doesn’t matter – these topics are relevant to all of us, wherever we live, because it impacts our lives directly in some way shape or form. So for us the role that Iridescent has in the fight for these issues is to give women a chance to have the conversations that they might not be having in their own circles, to bring to light areas of injustice, and provide resources and educational tools and opportunities for all of us to grow together in our knowledge. The more we know, the more power we have to fight against injustice. 

You and Alex both have a heart for advocacy and justice, can you talk about where that comes from?

Nicole: Growing up, my father never shied away from discussing issues of injustice in our world and in our nation. He talked openly about the racism he experienced as a Mexican American man, while instilling a deep pride in me and my sister for our Latino roots. We would frequent the library together, reading and discussing books on Native American History. My father would tell stories of their way of life with such dignity and respect. I learned from a very early age about their genocide that took place on American soil, and soon after learned about the evils of oppression and systematic racism from slavery and segregation, to labor camps and ongoing discrimination. My father instilled in me the value of educating myself and not avoiding uncomfortable and painful topics to better understand myself and others. 

My faith has also deeply shaped my desire to see change in our world today. Sadly, the name of Jesus has at times been associated with acts of racism, bigotry, and terrorism. The Jesus I read about in the Gospels showed great compassion towards the oppressed and marginalized, while calling out broken and oppressive systems that take advantage of and abuse others. As a Christian, I feel a deep responsibility to love, serve, and help those who are experiencing inequality and injustice. At the end of the day, it’s what I believe God’s heart to be for humanity that fuels my heart to continue to learn and do what I can to see greater justice and equity in our world today.

Both of you and Nicole have families, friends, multiple jobs, and an endless list of responsibilities. It’s fair to say you both have a lot on your plate. How do you find the time to continue to fight for racial justice and gender equality?

Alex: Honestly, for me, it’s not about finding time but baking it into everything I do. I ask myself regularly: How can I be an advocate for change in my leadership position in the company I work for? How can I create more opportunities for conversations within the Iridescent platform? As a mom, how do I teach my girls to love and respect others and have the same kind of fight and passion for these causes? The things we do daily are what I believe are truly going to make a change for generations to come, so proactively seeking that out is important for me. 

How exactly did Advocacy for Change come about?

Nicole: When Ahmaud Arbery was murdered, followed by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police who swore to protect and serve, Alex and I knew we had to do something. We also knew we couldn’t do it on our own. We gathered a small diverse team of passionate women and decided that we would provide ongoing resources to educate our online community on various issues of systemic injustice and provide ways women could both continue their own education and actively advocate for change. It has since evolved into emails and website features twice a month, a workshop discussing racial advocacy, and a 28-Day Racial Advocacy Challenge. I have to give a huge shout out to Mallory Lenoir who researched and brought to life our advocacy resources purely as a volunteer. It was astonishing what she got off the ground for us! And another shout out to you, Kaylee Morgan, whose passion for biblical justice has shaped our advocacy efforts in every possible way. I am continually learning from you and other women in our community who are committed to racial and gender equality, not just when it is trending on social media, but as a lifelong lifestyle.

Do you have a favorite Advocate for Change article that has been featured on the site?

Alex: One that really stood out for me early on was ‘Were You an Accomplice in the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery?’ by Erin Lashley. Like, even that title makes you wince and go, “eesh!” It’s a little uncomfortable to think about. It was an excellent article that was challenging in all the right ways and really made you take a deep look into your own prejudices and the times in which you can be complicit in acts of racism in small (and big) ways even when not intended. 

There are also some really good articles on the Church and racism and how Jesus navigated these issues (spoiler alert, with an open heart!) These conversations have been particularly important as so many of us in the Church, honestly, just get it wrong, and sadly the perception of Christianity and the Church can be that of judgment and hate which is so completely opposite to who we know Jesus to be. In these issues, we really need to be seeking the true heart of Jesus which is overwhelming love and compassion for our neighbors, no matter their background, race, sex or religion. 

Do you have a favorite resource (book, podcast, Instagram follow) that might help others that are trying to further their commitment towards continued education?

Nicole: I absolutely love the work that Be the Bridge is doing. I participated in a three-day workshop they facilitated last year, and it was life-changing. I learned so much while being able to process the pain of my own experiences with racism and gender inequality as a Mexican American woman who has worked most of my life in a male-dominated predominately white culture space. I also gained insight on how to facilitate healthy and beneficial conversations around race and do the hard and long work of racial reconciliation.

Do you ever experience social justice fatigue or information overload? If so, how do you navigate this and continue to produce content?

Alex: To be completely blunt, yes. When I stop to think about why, it’s usually for two reasons. Firstly, frustration– when I see acts of injustice and ignorance from others perpetrating it, it makes me frustrated that they don’t just ‘get-it’! How can they be so ignorant to others! And I feel like giving up because if they haven’t got it by now, they never will. In this instance, I really have to take a moment and bring a healthy serving of grace into the mix. Their experiences, backgrounds and prejudices have been learnt throughout their years and thus have to be unlearnt. That’s going to take time (for all of us!) Also, I have to take a second and look inward. I’m still learning and growing too, even if I feel like I am further ahead in the journey than they are, it hasn’t finished for me. So a little grace goes a long way. 

The second reason is actually because we (Iridescent) do produce so much content around these topics and through that, we consume so much content about it as well. It can sometimes feel either overwhelming, or even repetitive continuing to put out content. BUT I remind myself that not everyone is reading the same things we are, and that for some, our content and articles might be the only opportunity they have to learn about the topic and to have that ‘ah-ha’ moment. You just never know what conversation, topic or article is going to resonate with someone. And if it makes an impact on just one person, who will then make an impact on someone else, then I feel we’ve lived out our mission and it encourages me to continue doing it!

What advice would you give for someone wanting to learn more about these issues, or simply to become more involved in contributing to justice work?

Nicole: Well, I pray and hope you take full advantage of our advocacy resources we provide at Iridescent Women. One of the things I am most proud about our advocacy resources is how often we provide links to articles, videos, books, podcasts and workshops created by true experts on issues of racial and gender inequalities. Please take full advantage of those and broaden your social and theological influences to include women and people of color. By educating ourselves, we will discover big and small ways we can address our own biases, build relationships with those who look or think differently than we do, and find tangible ways to serve those around us facing inequality. 

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