Black History Month Spotlight: Interview with Ericka Olujie

Callie: Thank you for letting me interview you. How I found out about you was at the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) conference in Oakland, California in August 2019. At the conference, I asked people about who was responsible for providing leadership training and who was a good leader and many of them mentioned your name, so I wanted to know more about you, and share who you are, your leadership skills, and your experiences. Tell me about yourself, your activism work, and organizations you’re involved in.

Ericka: Thank you, Callie, for interviewing with me. My name is Ericka Olujie. This is my sign name. I've been involved in many organizations. To name a few, these include DCABDA, DC Area Black Deaf Advocates in Washington DC under the National Black Deaf advocates, and Indiana Black Deaf Advocates, IBDA. So, my activism in leadership has been for more than twelve years. So, I’ve been involved in volunteering, recruiting and more involved in things like if they need help for banquets, workshops, presentations, and events especially for Black history month, awards, ceremonies, and more.

Callie: Cool. Tell me how you started showing your leadership skills and what made you gain an interest in showing your leadership skills?

Ericka: Really, I already knew I had leadership in me since I was a little girl, but I didn’t know what that was until I was about seventeen years old as a high school student. I remember my teacher mentioned organizations, and giving back to the community especially to the Black Deaf community. I didn’t understand the concept until I went to a conference in Virginia. Yes! That’s what motivated me to get involved ever since.

Callie: Ah. It’s fascinating to learn how people started and what inspired them to be who they are. I’m fascinated by your story about that. I notice a pattern of leaders being self-centered, so how do you delegate responsibility and make sure there’s a smooth process?

Ericka: Ok. I have experience with that a lot. The real challenge is the generational differences. Individuals who are elderly and young can have a tough time working together. It’s tough. I will ask what your best strength areas are to work in, like some individuals are good with working independently and I can delegate those kinds of tasks to them, and if you’re willing to work with other people, I have to work with them to agree what kind of work they want instead of creating any issues by deciding what to delegate. It’s better to agree on tasks based on their strengths and areas of improvements. That will lead to success.

Callie: That’s a smart approach. I want to ask - why do you provide leadership training workshops? Is leadership lacking in the Black Deaf community?

Ericka: Ok. The reason I decided to give a workshop was because I was asked to give a presentation which I would be honored to do. In the Black Deaf community, there are not enough leaders, yes. I decided to give a workshop because as I mentioned earlier, after I went to a conference when I was 17 years old and other conferences, that stuck in my mind and I decided it's time for me to give back. I learned from all those experiences and wanted to share those resources.

Callie: I’m curious, how do you describe your leadership style? Many people’s styles vary, and I’m curious what yours is.

Ericka: Ok. I have to explain that in the past, in the beginning, my leadership style was more demanding, punctual, and was more “this or that, that’s it”. But it took me years to become more flexible and more understanding. I need to think about why you do that, and accommodate. I try to be in their shoes because I haven’t been through that experience. I’m more understanding and less talk, more listening. That summarizes my leadership style.

Callie: As a leader, what values are most important to you?

Ericka: Based on my experience for twelve years, one work value is persistence. The reason I picked that reason is that persistence in leadership helps me to keep my mind running and keep learning. I can accept and take responsibility, and figure out what I can improve on. Each year is not the same and they all change. I learn to catch up with different kinds of generations, economics, leadership, organizations, jobs, and in general.

Callie: Understood. Now, I want to ask about another person. Who is your favorite leader and why?

Ericka: That’s a tough one, because I have many good role models and leaders. I choose Dr. Carolyn McCaskill. The reason I picked her… Wow. Hats off to her. She has a lot of patience. She knows her stuff. Despite all she goes through, over the years, she still keeps going and is still involved in the Black Deaf community as it has a special place in her heart. I did come to her and tell her I wanted to give up, and she understood and asked me “Why are you here?” That impacted me hard.

-Wow.

I asked myself, why did I want to give up? For what? So I had to keep going, and that made me realize that I keep going because of her. That’s why I picked her.

Callie: I remember your answer about persistence and Dr. McCaskill keeps going, too. I love that connection. Now, back to you. How do you handle disagreements or conflict? Also, how do you handle other people’s criticism of you as a leader? How do you deal with it?

Ericka: I realized that not all people have the same mind. For example, not all of us like the color green. So, I have to learn to accept it. I might lose that opportunity, but you never know, I might get that opportunity next time in the future. If you disagree, ok. I have to accept that. What are the other options? We can try to compromise. It’s tough. I did struggle, but realized it’s not that serious. Keep going. So, for people’s criticism of me, wow. I get a lot, a lot of harsh comments and judgement. It’s a lot. Yes, I take it tough because, wow, in the Black Deaf community we’re the same but you still criticize me. It’s dejecting, yes.

I was shocked, like wow, what did I do? It would be nice - if I do something wrong or overlook my behavior, please give me feedback. People struggle with that today. I learned… It’s ok. I need to accept it and be professional. Don’t take it personally. It takes a while. That’s how I handle it, by taking time. I don’t always instantly accept it. It takes time, and that’s what I do.

Callie: Thank you for sharing your raw feelings. I know many people struggle with taking criticism, especially harsh comments. Sorry that happened to you. Do you have any tips or advice for Black Deaf people who want to pick up on or improve their leadership skills?

Ericka: Yes. Ok. For those who are interested to run for leadership positions or whatever, and you feel motivated… Ok. Make sure you have your passion there. If you feel unsure, go for it. I was in your shoes. I did feel unsure and went for it, and looking back, I don’t regret it. Not at all. I’m really, really grateful for a wonderful, rich experience, so go for it. If you feel unsure, what is stopping you? Remember, a leadership journey is not easy. If you are willing to go through it and fight, break down, and become successful, go for it.

Callie: I love your response. A beautiful close to our interview. I want to thank you, Ericka Olujie.

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