CHARLOTTESVILLE — Before her death in 2001, former Virginia Democratic state Sen. Emily Couric encouraged people — particularly young women — to shake up the status quo and follow different paths to leadership.
On Friday, for the 16th consecutive year, the Emily Couric Leadership Forum recognized 12 area high school girls for exhibiting outstanding leadership qualities in their schools and community.
Famed poet and social activist Nikki Giovanni, a Virginia Tech professor, received the Women’s Leadership Award and was the event’s keynote speaker.
“We really look for speakers who embody leadership, and, while Emily was a politician, we want to think more broadly about leadership,” said Katie Shevlin, a board member for the forum. “We want to think about people who see an opportunity or see a problem and really dive in.
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“Nikki has done that in poetry, as an academic, as a teacher, so she’s really an inspiration for these girls,” she said. “Her writing is about standing up for yourself, believing in yourself, and she lives those values.”
Talking about her own interests in furthering young women leaders, Giovanni said she admired Couric and was honored to be included at this year’s event.
“As a woman, you’re always pleased to see young women being encouraged, and I think that’s important because we forget that women don’t get a lot of encouragement,” Giovanni said. “Women are always told, ‘Well, you know, you’ll find a husband and it’ll be happily ever after.’ That’s not necessarily the case.”
Giovanni, whose poetry and other writing often focus on feminist and African-American issues, spoke about the challenges many young women face when trying to pursue their interests.
“I think the main thing about anybody’s life is doing what you want to do with it,” said Giovanni. “It seems like we’re living in a world right now that everybody wants to control women. We’re deciding that they should go here, that this is what should be happening with their bodies. And I find that unattractive.”
Giovanni said it’s important that young women are encouraged to pursue their interests, while not being afraid to make mistakes along the way.
“I think that the young women have to be themselves. ... I think the most important thing about leadership is you have to make a mistake,” Giovanni said. “If you haven’t made a mistake, you haven’t tried to do anything.”