by Parker Leipzig

A group of Black female artists spoke about their accomplishments, triumphs and tribulations working in the arts during an open discussion on Feb. 25.

The panel, an Arts Citizenship Talk (ACTnow) titled Revelations by Black Women in the Arts-Dance, was put on as a part of the the BlackLight Summit, a series of events to spark diverse conversations about art.

In their introductions, many of the women on the panel identified themselves first as being daughters, sisters and friends, then as creators and artists. 

Ronya-Lee Anderson, the moderator of the panel and a doctorate fellow at the University of Maryland, wanted to become involved in the event to listen to the women’s experiences navigating through such a difficult field.

Anderson also discussed why it’s meaningful to identify as a daughter or friend rather than simply by the title of your job.

“It’s tricky because I think often we lead with our titles, ” Anderson said. But personal titles are identities people have all the time, not just at their jobs, she said.

One meaningful takeaway from the panel was the idea of having people invested in and supporting the success of someone. 

Candace Scarborough, a performer, choreographer and teacher of the unique style of dance called gaga, spoke on the misconception that people get to their high-ranking careers on their own. She said she wants to be transparent about the fact that she asked for and received help.

“I think maybe it just starts there,” Scarborough said of breaking down that fallacy. “Like if we kind of collectively acknowledge the support that we’ve received, then maybe people will understand that it’s not something that we do on our own.”

In the panel, Kahina Haynes, executive director of The Dance Institute of Washington, mentioned that those “independent success stories” are usually not true and people need to stop spreading the misinformation that everyone makes it by themselves.

Many of the women talked about being open to the fact that they don’t have it all together and it is critical to pull the veil to see successful Black women as more than just inspiration.

Tariq Darrell O’Meally, a curator with a concentration in dance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, added on to the idea of how to be open and stop the stigma around receiving help. He said that if people stop the notion that resources and opportunities are scarce and think about things with abundance, “maybe something will shift in the courage of the power of asking.”

O’Meally is also the producer, creator and curator for the BlackLight Summit.

In addition to the stigma of asking for help, many people may also struggle with impostor syndrome — or feeling like a fraud in your abilities and accomplishments, according to Harvard Business Review.

Scarborough admitted that she still work on not feeling this way.

“But yeah, I don’t know if that’s impostor syndrome, I think it’s more like insecurity.” Scarborough said. 

Anderson said when she feels like this she reminds herself that she is always learning and growing. 

“I try to live in a sense of openness where I’m constantly trying to grow rather than thinking I’ve arrived because I’ve gotten the title or the degree.” Anderson said.

Scarborough said she hoped that people saw how multi-faceted all of these women are and that so much is possible.

“And so it’s also an acknowledgement that we are here.” Scarborough said.