By: Brijea Daniel (’20), Staff Writer
For centuries, black women have carried the black community on their backs while facing the brunt ramifications of being both black and women. Despite being the backbone of the black community, black women are still denied complete liberation.
We stand on the front lines of almost every social movement, yet receive a discount value version of racial equality and unwavering misogynoir in return.
Historically, Women’s History Month erased the pertinent role black women have played in improving society. However, as we all know, black women have never been easily deterred or overshadowed. This Women’s History Month, we are coming for everything we deserve and more, globally and locally, starting here at UNC Chapel Hill.
On UNC’s campus, there are a multitude of black women that are trailblazers of movements and forging the way for inclusive spaces. Angum Check, a junior African studies and Philosophy double major with a Philosophy, Political Science, & Economics minor, has used her time at UNC to create a legacy that will continue to thrive long after she has graduated.
Check is the co-founder of Magik G.L.O.W. (Girls Learning and Owning Their Worth) and Black Congress; She is also an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and is the vice president of UNC’s National Panhellenic Council. She has served in multiple roles within the Diversity & Inclusion office, including the Minority Student Recruitment Committee, Achieving Carolina Excellence Committee, and Project Uplift.
Most recently, Check received the MLK UNC Student Scholarship, an annual award given by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to a UNC junior that exemplifies their commitment to human rights and their desire to improve the quality of life for all members of the university campus community. Check prepared an acceptance speech for this prestigious award that truly embodied her revolutionary spirit and dedication to help others. Unfortunately, due to factors beyond her control, Check was not able to give her acceptance speech at the award ceremony. However, this has not deterred her from fulfilling her purpose one bit.
Originally from Cameroon, Check was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Growing up in a predominantly black area, Check had never truly encountered racism until she moved to North Carolina.
“I always knew whatever I did with my life, it would have to deal with helping people,” said Check. “The moment where it became very rooted in the movement for black lives was when I got to North Carolina.”
Check’s Magik G.L.O.W., which stands for Girls Learning and Owning their Worth, is a mentorship program sponsored by APPLES Service-Learning and Carolina Covenant. Through the program, black women can connect with middle school-age black girls to help cultivate self-empowerment and self-love around a black identity.
For a little over a year, Magik G.L.O.W. has provided young black girls with the tools needed to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
“A lot of the time with mentorship programs, we leave out the fact that your racial identity and your identity as a woman are two things that are going to affect the way you live your life forever,” said Check. She explained how pertinent it is for mentorship programs to focus on the reality of racism and sexism in addition to tutoring and self-love.
Check mentioned that seeing the effect that racism and sexism can have on those around her has proven to be overbearing at times.
“All my life growing up, I have always been very sensitive to seeing people’s suffering,” said Check. “To see the world for what it is, it was very depressing and traumatic.”
Check said that in the past, anger was a big motivator for her. However, she realized that anger tends to produce a reactionary response instead of a strategic one. To combat this, she channeled her efforts into preventing her anger from consuming her.
“My motivation is just being true to myself,” she said.
Check created most of the leadership positions she has held. Paving the way for her own position on campus proved to have its challenges and learning experiences.
“You have to find a balance between understanding what your strengths and limitations are, but knowing that those limitations aren’t absolute,” said Check.
“There is always room to grow, and you can really do anything you set your mind to. I hope that I and a lot of other women on this campus are a figure for that.”
For Check, more traditional leadership roles, like the Vice President of NPHC, have helped put into perspective that she has more to learn as a leader and an activist.
“I realize that I am not superwoman. I have room to grow, and I can learn from the people around me,” said Check. “I want to specifically shout out my Magik G.L.O.W. executive members, amazing women like Jordan Young and Taj Phillips who have helped shape the organization for what it is today.”
For Check, founding different organizations has allowed her to continue to grow into the leader she aspires to be.
“Leadership is not about hogging power. It’s about creating spaces for other people to have positions of leadership as well,” said Check. “I’m not perfect. I can learn. Everything is a learning process.”
Despite Check’s impressive list of accomplishments, she still has more she wants to achieve before her time as a UNC student comes to an end. She specified two different goals she wants to complete before she graduates.
“First, I hope that by the time I leave Greek life here, there’s a bigger sense of collaboration and community,” said Check. “I want it to be a continuous thing where we’re all making huge efforts and accomplishing specific political and social goals together.”
Check’s second goal was more personal.
“By the time I leave here, I hope I will have made more genuine and deep connections that push me as a person to open up and be more vulnerable,” said Check.
As for continuing to make ‘herstory’ after graduation, Check envisions Magik G.L.O.W. branching out into other campuses and eventually becoming a non-profit organization with Freedom Schools over the summer.
“I’m realizing that my role in the movement is less so being on the front lines and more so focusing on building foundations for other people,” said Check.
In the future, Check plans to own her own law firm where she can do pro bono work similar to the Equal Justice Initiative. Having the freedom and space to defend wrongful convictions and protesters within the movement are important to her. In the end, Check envisions herself as a politician in her home country of Cameroon.
“You can always find a way,” said Check. “And if you can’t find a way, create one.”
She emphasized how important it is for black women to trust themselves in this ongoing fight for liberation and equality.
“I want people, especially black women, to believe in themselves,” Check said. “You have infinite power, as long as you have passion, vision, and zeal.”
