PROFILES IN INNOVATION
One on One continued
capable. Compared to how hard you have been working, it would be like a vacation. So we tried back in 1994, but we were less than successful. Around 1997 or 1998, she talked to me again. And my parents joined in the chorus. They said give it another shot. I was a little unsure. Having been unsuccessful and having to drop out of the election—we’re elected by the General Assembly. But they talked me into it. And I was successful and won on the first ballot. I say all of that to say people saw things in me more than I saw in myself. Going from covering people like me to being people like me was something I had not anticipated.
USBE: Why did you want to be on the FCC? Clyburn: I got a letter right after my confirmation from a gentleman who was the president of the pay phone association in South Carolina congratulating me, despite the fact that we did not always agree. And he said he remembered me saying I always wanted to be on the FCC, although I did not remember saying that. But you have these people you admire, like (former FCC com- missioner) William Kennard, who you admire. Foundationally, I always have seen myself as a public servant. I always wanted to
be a conduit for those people who don’t even have the resources to dedicate themselves to this space. I have always known how im- portant the regulatory role is. I always thought I had the tempera- ment for the job. I offered myself for service. It is not an unnatural place for me to be. I love people. I love listening. I love being a voice for those persons who don’t get an opportunity. Those rural voices, communities of color, those people who can’t figure out whether I am on the FTC or the FCC—all of those persons matter. I think I am the person who represents their interests.
USBE: You are the first African-American woman to serve on the commission. Is that something you are conscious of day- to-day? Does that fact bring a special responsibility? Clyburn: It does reaffirm your purpose and mission and re-
sponsibility. There is not a day that goes by that I am not conscious of what it means and represents and the added duty that I have. If you embrace and believe what your parents and grandparents told you, especially in communities of color, that you want to positively impact and make the way easier for those to follow, you recognize that responsibility and do what you can to help others get ahead.
www.blackengineer.com
USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 11
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