When We All Vote, with Alumni Priestley M. Johnson WHO I AM
arrangements for family
My name is Priestley Marie Johnson. I am a daughter,
coming in town and the
a sister, an aunt, an activist, Howard alumna and God’s
existential dread of having
creation. I am from Hartford, Conn., raised with Jamaican
no plans for my future. I
parents. All of these identities, combined with graduating
went to the event with
magna cum laude with my B.A. in political science in
my resume in hand, and
2016, made me who I am today. I now serve as the deputy
firstly Ms. Jarrett kicked
director of partnerships for Michelle Obama’s voting
all of the men out of the
initiative, When We All Vote.
room (including her secret service detail!). This allowed us all a safe place to openly
STRUGGLE MEETS HUSTLE
talk about entering the world as young Black women. Her
Two words that I heard and experienced almost daily on
resounding message was to always be your own biggest
campus were “hustle” and “struggle.” From the moment
advocate. I flagged down Ms. Jarrett’s staffer after the
you step on campus, you are in a competitive environment
event, handed her my resume and pitched myself to her
with people that have already proved themselves to be
as a promising young professional. She smiled generously
the best. The Mecca is where I perfected my grit. On
and gave me her card. After two months of intentional
top of a full educational schedule each semester, I had
outreach, thousands of dollars in last-minute flights to
an internship, a job and I participated in a student-led
Washington, D.C., and a lot of bravery, I landed in the
organization. Although my time commitments increased,
Obama Administration’s White House Office of Public
I was always seeking more and more opportunities to
Engagement.
advance my skill set. The second quality is well-known in the Howard millennial community as “The Howard Struggle.” There was a consistent theme of needing to
This defining moment of perseverance propelled my
overcome this struggle, whether it be waiting in line for
career. I went on to advocate and plan hundreds of
medical clearances, having midterms simultaneously as
convening events for the White House Council on
Homecoming or waking up early to get all the classes you
Women and Girls, strategically connected hundreds
need to graduate. The struggle is real, but if you continue
of organizations to thousands of people seeking
to overcome it, your struggle will eventually pay off. When
essential resources and fundraised over a million
that day comes, you better be ready.
dollars professionally to benefit the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. If it were not for “The
My day came just 10 days before graduation. Ms. Valerie
Howard Struggle,” I would not have been born in the
Jarrett, senior advisor to the then president and my
image of the “Howard Hustle.” Life has come to show
commencement speaker, President Barack Obama, came
me, as long as you hustle harder than the struggle, it
to speak to the graduating senior women. At the time,
will always be worth it.
I was dealing with many stressors, including graduation
PAGE 16 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter OCTOBER 2020
