Rising ICON #26: Angel Uddin
What name do you prefer to be called?
I was born Angelique but when I hear that it feels too formal since I have always been called Angel.
What are your pronouns?
My pronouns are She/Her/Hers
Where did you grow up?
I am a proud Native Detroiter, Motown born and bred, and you know us when you meet us, especially if there is more than one in the room by our greeting, “What Up Doe” ☺
What city are you currently based in?
I moved to the Twin Cities over 26 years ago and chose Woodbury for my home which is where I live. Aside from my consultancy, I work at the University of Minnesota on the Twin Cities (East Bank) Campus.
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Generally, when I meet new people, it is through other colleagues or business where all that’s needed is affirmation that I am Angel Uddin. However, in my work, I have adopted a new way of introducing myself. The Courageous Conversation About Race encourages us to use a three-point process, Name, Place, Intention. It would look like this.
I am the oldest daughter of Antonia and Robert of Detroit Michigan, given the name of Angelique which means “little Angel” in French. I have seldom been called by my full name and instead go by Angel. As a native Detroiter, I learned about my heritage and a child of the city of assembly lines and Motown. My intention is to serve as a bridge builder and a barrier mitigator. Helping provide access to equitable access to education, healthcare, education, and livelihood is my mission.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
EDI practitioners are storytellers. To engage others, we must be vulnerable to be impactful. So, in answer to the question, there is little that I won’t share. It is part of the journey. The one thing that I don’t share is how this work can be exhausting and especially if you are an empath. I internalize others’ pain and carry it with me. I need to probably let folks know that more so that they give me only what they need me to know to help build those bridges.
Who do you help?
I try to help any and everyone who I meet. Whether it is to brainstorm for solutions or to offer connections. What I will not do is so for them. That’s enablement and not help.
What are you building now?
I have been blessed with an amazing career that has opened doors, allowed me to meet some great folks, and most recently, allowed me to bring my authentic self into important work. As the Senior Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Minnesota, I have been able to develop a strong strategy and work collaboratively with leaders across the university’s campuses to mitigate systemic barriers, increase pathways for internal mobility for the underrepresented, and increase cultural competency. Outside of the university, I have served on boards, advisory councils, panels, and facilitated sessions, all at no cost in the effort to make a difference. What I am building now is a consultancy leveraging decades of experience and the countless connections I have made with amazing practitioners in the DEI space. This consultancy will serve as a bridge between organizations seeking frameworks for equity and fostering inclusive environments for a diverse workforce. Angel Uddin & Associates will help organizations understand how organizational culture impacts the bottom line and increases retention and innovation.
What were you building ten years ago today?
Ten years ago, I was building my knowledge base through education, expanding my network and listening more than talking, and building my confidence to be my authentic self unapologetically.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I will be immersed in my consulting work with intentionality around being selective on the engagements that align with my core values and mission while carving out time for self-care, family and decompressing in warm climates and sipping on a beverage of choice.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
DEI, EDI, JEDI, and DEIB are NOT words! When allowing folks to hijack the acronyms and create definitions as if they are words, we allow them to create false narratives and promote “anti” movements. We must stand firm on using the totality of each independent word and its respective definition. Though the work is around barrier mitigation and equity which disproportionately impact people of color and other marginalized folks, it is also focused on the intersectional identities of others who experience inequities. To be “anti” could be standing up against efforts that protect those you love, not just those you hate.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
The work I do matters because I have two brown grandsons (one who is neurodiverse) and their future matters. If we don’t commit to dismantling systemic racism and tearing down walls that suppress and limit communities from progress, wealth, healthcare, education and livelihood, we harm everyone.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
I have been blessed to have had multiple mentors who serve different purposes in my life. I call them my “Board of Directors”. They remind me to never give up, rest and persist. They tell me truths and not just what I want to hear. They affirm my accomplishments when I have doubts and they remind me to pause and take breaks because this work is hard and long and self-care is critical to the movement.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
The thing I am most proud of is whatever the last thing I have done. Each event, article, and panel opportunity is a brick in the foundation of my work. There are no stand-alone accomplishments for me. I know I have done good work when someone tells me I touched their heart and challenged their thoughts. That’s the work that I am most proud of.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
Wow, that’s a good question (pondering)…
I don’t have my eyes on one specific publication. I simply hope that as my work is seen and heard about, whatever publication of platform that finds it beneficial to their audience will invite me. I am more into the speaking opportunities where I can be in the community and exchange thoughts, experiences, and resources. From there, if a publication picks up and shares the experience/event, that’s where the richness lies for me.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
These and good and thought-provoking questions. I would be honored to sit down and talk with Glen E. Singleton, Author and Founder of the Courageous Conversations About Race∙ organization at the National Summit. It’s where all the thought leaders in convene to talk about the climate, resources, strategies, and successes. If I were interviewed by him, that would suggest I am doing something right. Others who have shared the stage with him are Angels Davis (my shero), Kimberlee Crenshaw, Yaba Blay, and Eddie Glaude.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Tell Me More About That! I have complex and provocative conversations with people with varied life experiences. Not all the time do we see life through the same lens. Some would choose to debate folks like this but I chose the path of genuine curiosity. In my work, I encourage folks to use this phrase when they find themselves in uncomfortable interactions when they would otherwise retreat or avoid the conversations. In my TEDTalk, I would help them lean into the discomfort. I would further ask the question, “What would happen if you didn’t but more importantly, what would happen if you did”? The richness of these discussions has been priceless to me and I would guess to those I had them with.
What award would mean the most to win?
That’s a hard one because I don’t do the work for recognition or reward. I don’t do it for public accolades. I do it because it’s important and matters. I get rewarded every time someone knocks down a personal or institutional barrier because of some pearl of wisdom I have shared with them. That’s more than enough for me.
What makes zero sense to you?
HATE! Hate and the associated ignorance make no sense to me. Especially hate for something we have no control over. Pigmentation is an example. I did not have any choice in the color of my skin and neither did anyone else. To believe all the rhetoric and false truths about a group of people based on the color of their skin versus their character and their actions is simply insane.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Like I mentioned before, the coopting of acronyms and redefining them creates fear and falsehoods. This drives me nuts!
What game are you changing?
I am changing hearts and minds of folks willing to consider the expansion of their lens related to cultural competency. For those willing to do better to be better and be a catalyst for change, let’s connect!
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
I will be attending the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) 2024 May 28-June 1 in Honolulu, Hawaii. If you’re there, let’s connect.
Where can we follow you online?
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/auddin
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Self-awareness and vulnerability.
To learn more about Angel’s work, visit https://hr.umn.edu/EDI/Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusion-EDI-Workplace
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Angel, for sharing your story!
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“If we don’t commit to dismantling systemic racism and tearing down walls that suppress and limit communities from progress, wealth, healthcare, education and livelihood, we harm everyone. ”
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