To me, equity and inclusivity are fundamentally about making sure well-being is not conditional or correlated with any race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic circumstances, physical or mental conditions, or genetic makeup. If we want to deliver well-being successfully, we must do so equitably and inclusively.

I was born in the United States to Turkish immigrants, and I grew up speaking Turkish and visiting family in Turkey frequently. This cultural background has significantly influenced my worldview with regards to race, equity, and inclusivity.

Being Turkish in North Carolina and having diverse interests (like playing basketball and playing cello) gave me a unique experience wrestling with identity. Looking “ambiguous” like I do also meant that in most cultural contexts I was considered neither a complete insider nor a complete outsider. I learned to navigate that feeling and be comfortable in all contexts, while not necessarily housing my identity in any one context. Growing up a “third culture kid” has informed how and why I try to make every room I’m in one that is sensitive to the subtleties of inclusion.

During the 2020 election, I led the efforts of 25 other volunteers helping to drive voter registration and turnout in Savannah, Georgia. Poorer communities tend to have lower turnout, and through our work it became apparent that helping these communities was not just about trying to convince them to vote. Rather, the important work was in humbly listening to why these often unhoused or significantly impoverished residents have lost faith in their political systems, and discussing what small steps can be taken towards more shared prosperity. This was an important lesson that true equity-focused work needs to go much deeper than it often does.

While on the Durham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), I have focused much of our work on Vision Zero. Our poorest residents cannot afford to own cars, and are disproportionately killed as pedestrians and cyclists. I attended the Vision Zero Leadership Institute in an effort to work with local transportation engineers to accelerate the reduction of these tragedies in Durham.

Many of the actions we take on BPAC are informed by the historic harms communities have experienced throughout Durham. The historically black Hayti neighborhood was ravaged by the building of the Durham Freeway during the 1970s, and when a recent infrastructure improvement project in that neighborhood was canceled we wrote about our concerns of inequity to the City Council and ran a letter-writing campaign to the NC Department of Transportation.

When I graduated as a philosophy and computer science major, I promised myself that I would eventually transition my career to focus at least as much on what I love about philosophy (ethics and impact) as what I love about computer science (innovation and technology). Over recent years, I have been increasing my focus on impact-driven work, of which I believe equity and inclusivity are fundamental components. I aim to continue this increasing focus on impact as a discover the next phase of my career.