Actuality¹⁴⁸

The inspiring mission of Mariame Touré

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Par

Cindy Royer

Charée de projet du comité bénévole Marketing Créatif

Inspiring young women to aim high and dream big

At 23 years old, Mariame Touré already boasts an impressive track record. A law student at the University of Montreal, she will soon begin her internship at McCarthy Tétrault. Balancing her life as a future lawyer with her community involvement with black teenage girls, she epitomizes an ambitious young woman guided by strong values.

Born in Montreal to parents from Guinea and Senegal, Mariame aims to make an impact on society through her actions. In January 2020, with a friend, she co-founded Black Girls Gather, a book club for young black women aged 12 to 17. Every week, they gather to discuss literary works written by black authors. The themes? Racism, discrimination, identity, feminism, love, family, friendship... This builds a mentoring network while also fostering a love for reading and a sense of recognition. How did she come up with the idea?

“We had never read books written by black authors when we were in high school. The only books we read, which talked about our experience, were about slavery and written by white authors. It wasn't always from a positive perspective for us... We thought: we must change the narrative for young people!” Par

Mariame Touré

Mariame emphasizes that it wasn't until later in life, once she reached CEGEP (pre-university college in Quebec), that she understood how books could contribute to improving the self-esteem of young black girls. To this day, she has passed on her passion for reading to over fifty teenage girls in the west of the island of Montreal. An example that makes her proud? "One participant took the initiative to set up a section for authors of color at the Villa-Maria high school library," she says, referring to the domino effect that the initiative generates.

Black History Month

For Mariame, it's important to highlight Black History Month because she observes that while there may not be overt prejudices around her, there are still ingrained preconceived ideas deeply rooted in the collective unconscious.

"People don't have bad intentions," she says. "But it's the biases that some hold... For example, looking at me, some might potentially think I come from a broken family, those kinds of things when that's not my reality at all! (She comes from a very close-knit family). Some will treat a black child in a certain way simply because of these ideas that come from nowhere. Too often, we start limiting children. Let children be children!"

And representation, is it important? "Representation is everything! When I chose to go to McCarthy, it's because Karine Joizil was already associated. There was also Bianca Annie Marcelin, so I thought, I want to go somewhere where I know I'll be well surrounded. We are one of the most diverse teams, it's beautiful to see," she says proudly.

Tips for starting to network at the JCCM

Despite her ease in communication, Mariame assures that like many, she has been intimidated by the idea of networking and introducing herself to strangers at events. What are her tips and tricks for those who are starting this activity?

"It's an investment in yourself. You have to take the plunge!" she says. "Do what it takes to make yourself comfortable at first. For example, in the beginning, I would go with a friend. I don't like too much attention in a group, so I would approach a smaller group of 2-3 people. I enjoy listening, learning people's stories. They have diverse backgrounds. Ask questions, show interest in people. And be prepared! Networking requires preparation." For instance, she advises checking the LinkedIn profiles of people who will be participating or speaking to find common interests. "And stay informed about current events! If you have nothing to talk about with people, at least you have that!" She concludes by saying, "I'm just starting to get involved with the JCCM, and the opportunities I've had because of it are already incredible."

I've read somewhere that meeting new people and networking is important because conversations create opportunities. Opportunities like this: being able to have a coffee chat with this member of the JCCM destined for a bright future.

Thank you, Mariame!