'Cultural humility,' says Ashley N. Campbell, serves individuality, diversity and creativity

What do you get when you combine a classically trained dancer who is co-founder of Ballet Afrikana: Dance Prep Academy, with a certified Kemetic yoga teacher and proficient speaker of Japanese and a smattering of Zulu?

You get Ashley N. Campbell, a delightful amalgam of astonishing aptitudes.

Campbell has put her bachelor’s in English and master’s in education, acquired at the University of Rochester, to good use, having educated students of varying ages and in a variety of settings.

The predominant message she strives to impart to all her students is “embrace yourself.” By this, she means that it isn’t necessary to erase your own background and perspective — it’s who you are. By the same token, you must be aware that those you interact with come with their perspectives, as well.

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Currently, she serves as a University of Rochester higher education administrator and director of diversity programming. Among her multiple responsibilities, she is “a primary developer and facilitator of the university’s Implicit Bias educational trainings.”

She describes the training as a “safe space to address racism,” and to cultivate “cultural humility” — an appreciation of others’ perspectives.

When asked how her immersion in the world of dance has informed her professional work, Campbell doesn’t have to think hard.

 “It’s the creativity. I have always been the person who sees things through my artistic side,” Campbell says. Evidence of this abounds.

Take the time she had to teach grammar to a class of high school students, a less than thrilling prospect for most teachers. Rather than dwell on routine memorization, Campbell came up with a song to serve as emollient to dry rules, regulations and exceptions to the rules.

Even now, in the realm of diversity programming, she employs her “meditative space” to artistically visualize all the components of a task she needs to carry out.

For instance, she was told to organize a conference and introduce the event’s keynote speaker — a prominent journalist. Rather than using the formulaic approach of reading his accomplishments from a script, Campbell had several journalism students sit onstage with open newspapers in hand, reading the ”news” that this journalist (whose accomplishments they read aloud) was coming to town.

“Ashley is a leader with wide-spread impact. She never makes it about herself but about those coming after her. She leaves every environment better than received. She epitomizes black excellence through her work to uplift the community through both the arts and education,” says Janice Holland, associate director for staff diversity and community engagement.

In spite of her full-time position and her decision to pursue a doctor of philosophy in transformative studies, at the California Institute of Integral Studies, (yes, she bounces back and forth between coasts), Campbell remains invested in Rochester and is a charter member of Monroe County South Rotary Club.

Personal: 30, married, lives in Rochester. 

Occupations: Higher Education Administrator at the University of Rochester serving as Director of Diversity Programming. Entrepreneur, co-founder of Ballet Afrikana: Dance Prep Academy. 

Education: 

•University of Rochester, Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Theatre; Interdisciplinary Minor: Artistic Activism: World of Dance and Politics, 2009.

•University of Rochester, Master of Science in Education: English Education, Special Education, Urban Teaching & Leadership, 2010.

•California Institute of Integral Studies — Doctor of Philosophy in Transformative Studies. Dissertation focus: Black narratives in American television — emphasis on Pan-African culture, philosophy and psychology. Anticipated graduation, 2020. 

Recent work projects and achievements:

•Hosted the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Action Fair at the Frederick Douglass R-Center, for the second time. More than 40 organizations, small businesses, agencies and community programs represented.

•Hosted award-winning scholar and filmmaker, Susan Stryker, a guest speaker and panelist at a Diversity and Inclusion Book Club event.

Current community activities and recent achievements: Marketing co-chair — Rochester Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; charter member of Monroe County South Rotary Club.

Biggest challenge I've overcome: Maintaining balance and harmony. Every day, I strive to take moments to meditate, breathe, and reflect on future goals.

A person or mentor who has inspired me: There are many people whom I am inspired by, people who are known to the world and nearby kings and queens. They inspire me because of the honesty, humbleness, and positive energy they project.

Future goals — Personal? Professional? Completing my doctoral journey. The joy of crafting arts-based research around Black narratives in television, allows me to employ my creative energy. I hope to serve as a culture consultant on televised productions featuring Black experiences.  

One piece of advice for someone starting out in her professional career: Key for any person, especially a person of color, is to know who they are and be comfortable in their own skin. Persons starting out in their professions should learn the professional culture and understand how they would like to function within it.

WhatI'm reading right now: Stuart Hall’s The Fateful Triangle: Race, Ethnicity, Nation and Ytasha Womack’s Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture.

One thing I’ve always wanted to do but never have: To perform a classical ballet dance in Moscow. As a young ballet dancer, I knew some places had not had the pleasure of experiencing a Black ballerina on stage. When I learned classical ballet roles, I imagined myself performing those pieces onstage in Moscow.

A quote that inspires me: “… I learned that if I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” — Audre Lorde; Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches.

Arlene Hisiger is a Rochester-area freelance writer.

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