Jacqueline

“My mother had me when she was really young. Growing up, I was that black kid who lived in the hood and didn’t really have a chance to reach outside that environment and meet other people. Nobody I knew ever thought about being anything but a basketball player or a rapper, but my mom wanted better for me, so together we moved to New Jersey. The school I went to there was only 3% black, so I had an opportunity to network with people outside my normal circles and see more possibilities for my future. I attended college in Dallas, and that’s where I started The United Beings. It’s a movement, a way of using social events to deliberately bring people from different backgrounds together to meet and to collaborate. For example, I’m an artist, so I might put on an event that brings together white artists, black artists, and business people. As we get better acquainted and see what each other brings to the table, we can open up opportunities for each other. Every city needs that.
 
“Although this isn’t a United Beings event, the challenge I set for myself  tonight is just to go around and at least say hi to every person here, tell them my name, ask them their name, make some type of connection. Otherwise, some people might not get spoken to at all. Friendly gestures are important. And you never know who you'll meet. I might run across someone who's interested in collaborating with me. If so, that's great. You have a business, I have a business, we can work together. It’s a way of uniting and helping each other.”

Jacqueline Gladness
Email:  theunitedbeings@gmail.com
YouTube:  The United Beings Intro

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