By: Tyrisha Irwin
Shariah Green, a wife, mother of 2 boys and an Integrated Marketing Specialist at Radio One, knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. She aims for success, being a positive influence and defeating the status quo. Shariah is a firm believer in the notion of not allowing doubt or fear to cloud your thoughts and to go for whatever you want to accomplish in life.
Although she had high hopes for being a news anchor during her undergraduate career at Saint Augustine, she discovered that there are more ways to influence the world than being in front of a camera or microphone.
“I later learned that the impact that I desired to have did not only happen sitting in front of a camera or microphone. But, behind the scenes through real life interactions I made every day. Which lead me to my current career as a Marketing Specialist.”
To her, radio is a form of media that people of color rely on for a consistent supply of information. “Radio will always be here even if your internet signal fades. So, my involvement in radio is because it is a constant source for information that will never go away.”
Shariah Green has no shame in being who she is. She recognizes that everyone is unique, and she strongly believes in encouraging other people in the industry even if they are better than her in certain areas.
“We all are unique and offer something different to the world. What I offer is that I have no interest in being like anyone else but aspire to be better than those that came before me. I am a person who has no fear of uplifting another person even if they have the potential to be better than me at a particular task. So, what I offer to the industry is genuine collaboration which leads to brand awareness and monetary growth. Working with me on any level is worth it because I know how to make your vision come to life and do so unselfishly.”
As sweet and caring as Green is, her career hasn’t always reciprocated the feeling. In fact, she has faced some sour times throughout her career, particularly with rejection and sexism.
One of her greatest challenges as a Marketing Specialist is sometimes working with businesses who disapprove of advertisements that focus on people of color.
“Instead of giving up I decided to stand up and speak to the value of our listeners which in turn helped open once shut eyes to explore a platform that literally has been purposely ignored due to the misinterpretation of black people.”
An advocate for social change and responsibility, Shariah believes that people should be fighting for each other and not against one another for a common goal. “There is a time and place for everything and we must understand that this generation is finally in a position to help push the message those who came before us had WITHOUT fear of failure and understanding the power of uniting.”
Green, who can make lemonade out of lemons, always knew that regardless of her experiences, it’s important to push toward respect, confidence and success. She motivates women to “constantly arm ourselves with knowledge to fight against such behaviors. Beauty and brains sale. So, don’t get so caught up in your image that you forget to build your intellect to stand apart from both men and women.”
Her last piece of advice is this: “Do not pursue a career in radio for fame. Ensure that you have something to offer the listeners outside of your looks or sultry voice, because you have a major duty to the community and it’s not always glamorous.”
Shariah Green is the epitome of independence, sophistication and selflessness and her work in the future is something to look forward to.