"POWER IN THE WORK FORCE"

Lidia Jenkins, is an editor for a news paper in her town, very quiet, kept to herself kind of person, but she will chase any story and will be at every rally there is that will stand for justice and truth. Everyone complimented her on how great a job she would do on every assignment but this particular day she came across the reading on the march for equality and it gave her idea.

I am a hard working woman, and spite all that I have to deal with at work, we need to be heard and people need to understand we need to stand up for getting the news out and letting others know what is going on. Endless hours of chasing down a story trying to get it to the presses and making sure that everything is exciting and captures the attention of those who read the newspaper and listen to the news.

I am going to be a bigger voice to all that is written and put out there for all to hear. I talked to my boss Mr Jones and asked him about writing an article about voices heard and he liked the idea. Never had a newspaper put out a story about those behind the stories. Not only for readers but other editors, news medias. All those who have to do a story on others, events, etc.

It was time for me to shine and be the voice for others. I interviewed alot of news people outside my work place and never realize the things that they had to go through. Talked to a young man who just got started and he wanted to be the best, but was facing the competition in his work place. He was young and just getting his foot in the door, and he just needed a chance, and advice to be heard. I said to him, keep pushing never stop praying, speak up and be heard because they want to see what you have to offer.

Want to see if you can be a leader, when the competition is knocking at the back door and going for the same story. What spin can you give to it, how can you capture the buyers attention. A voice heard, the power behind your words is what gets their attention, I had to learn that, from every story they would not listen to or every story I covered did not get the ratings and then I got out there. The only thing that would open me up and put my talent to the test.

He thanked me and said he will do that very thing, stand up for what he wants, and that is to be heard.

My boss Mr. Jones really like the idea, that I was going after these stories and informed me that if I can pull this off I will get a raise and can get a spot as head in the writing department.

I talked with others and came across a story that shocked me. Her name is Ms June and she had been in the writing department for over 20 years and she had her life threatened because of the interview she was trying to get and did not realized it was a know felon. Her family was threatened and she was in protective custody and had to testify. It was the turning point in her life. She had to put family first and did not go back to work, but became an advocate in her community on mental illness.

I had established alot of friends in the work place and they were very supportive in what I was doing. Gave me lots of advice and said never stop what I was doing. They needed lots of new and young people out there with a voice and who could speak up for all that was going on behind the scene. It was not an easy job getting the story out there. Alot of back lash and angry people.

My next interview was a young lady who had to face sexual assault in the work force. She was young and trying to get her foot in the door straight out of college. Her name was Lisa and she was 20 years of age, smart, preety and talented. Finished the top of her class in creative writing for the news department in her school. Always wanted to work in news like her dad.

Her first day they gave her a hard time and the things they would say made her all the harder and never wanted to give up her dream.

Thank you Ms Lidia for listening to my story because you are the only one who would listen and not judge me.

I can not judge you or anyone because I am not walking in your shoes but I do know how it is coming into a male world if you want to call it that and like you I did not give up and let my talent speak for itself. I was shy and did not speak to others for a while but did my job and was good at it. So I am speaking out for others and hope with these stories we will be a voice heard and others will appreciate what we go through to get the news out to the world.

I did not know that I would get so many request for interviews when I put this out there, but there are so many who want to tell their stories and my boss is liking the ratings and the power behind my voice and the power it gives to others to speak out. Thank you God for making e who I am. Next,

My next interview was an older gentleman who had been in the news industry for many years and had just retired last yer. he is sharing his story because he believe that we all need to use our talent to the best that we can. He said it was not easy for him either that everyday that he had to show those in the early days before him new things that could add to the sales and the media coverage.

Every generation was going to add something frash and that we are facing so much more these days, and we are not living in the Mayberry era, we both laughed..

Now I have a couple of more stories before I get to the truth about my beginning that got to my ending.

Discrimination is my next story. A beautiful black woman, despite all her education and talent she could not get a career because of the color of her skin. Her name was Ashanti, beautiful name.

She came in she gave them hr resume, she had an interview, there was men and women, of all colors, shape and sizes. Interview was good. She walked out with her head held high and knew she had the position as head editor for the newspaper.

She found out later through sources that would not speak up in fear of their own job, it was because of the color of her skin. But it did not stop her. Se kept on till the one person gave her an opportunity and she was not only head but president a few years later.

Congratulations to your victory and thank you for your story, This has really giving me a new look on things I never really saw in my own career, thank you and God bless, I said.

My last interview was with a lady who was cast out because of her weight. She was not shy to tell me her story. For many years she was turned away because she not have the image they were looking for to be out there in front of the camera. Loose the weight and we will listen to you . Like me she hid behind the scenes and was around the outcast who would go after all they could. My friend today Ashley, we became best of friends and hit the stories that we could get, so we could be heard. Not because you pushed us away but because we was going to be heard and did not change because of you but did it for us.

My friend Ashley lost the weight but she now owns her own publishing company and is the top news paper in the country and has offered me a job with her company. I said thank you but need to show my boss that I am as good as my counter partners and then I will be there to help her. I do odd things for her as much as I can, off the records.

Now to my story, I grew up in a family a family that women were not to be heard outside the house, the old barefoot and pregnant story and I never agreed to that. My grandfather and my dad worked i the news field and that was our family of men and any woman that wanted to pursue that field would get looked upon as wanted to have to much knowledge and would be putting our men to shame, go figure.

I was born with my own mind and stubborn that was for sure.

My mom would say sugar, go for your dream and do not let any one stop you, stand up for what you believed in and go for it. I graduated top of my class, was in debate teams, president of the newspaper, but reserved in talking to others. I did not shine until I was in front of that mike, because it was my moment and I was letting others know what I saw in others and they had the right to be heard.

From then I had odd jobs writing for the news paper in my school, then went on to rite for the community newspaper, ran for president on all debate teams and did a good job. men stood out in my era and for a woman to win and speak up for what is out in this world

made the men look bad but I never gave up. and listening to all the stories during my interviews. Getting this to my boss was a great victory for me.

My boss called me in to the office after I presented my stories and he was very impressed and said good job.

It was weeks before i heard from him and my friend kept at me about coming to work for her, but I needed to proove to him and myself that I am bigger than what my competition is man.

After about a week gone by. My boss called me in and offered me a lead supervisor position. I said thank you but turned it down.

He said Lidia why, you did a good job and I am proud of you, thank you I said and I went on to open my own company. Lidias voices to be heard journal.

This is owed to all that want to let let others know, That no matter who I am I want you to hear my story and judge me for my talents and gift and not what you see on the outside.