Gary Langfield 
In honor of Black History Month Discover hosted two events at separate locations, focused on the power of resilience. The best events are the ones where you leave feeling like you can take over the world, and Discover most definitely did that.
The first event of the day featured keynote speaker Myiti Sengstacke-Rice who shared her family’s super rich history surrounding the Chicago Defender at the Discover Shine Bright Center on the South Side. The second event, which took place in downtown Chicago, hosted film producer and author Will Packer who took part in a fireside chat where he spoke about having healthy arrogance.
Sengstacke-Rice told the story of her great granduncle, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, who not only founded the Chicago Defender but the infamous Bud Billiken parade as well. She explained what Bud Biliken means, stating that “Bud was a junior pen name for kids that wrote in the Defender just like True Star is” and “Billiken is a Chinese mythical character that means watcher over children.”
Sengstacke-Rice shared the pivotal role Abbott played in the great migration, as the Defender would send newspapers to the south telling them about economic opportunities in the north.
The discussion inspired me to keep using digital media to make changes in the world around me. Her words about her family history empowered me with the will to keep trailblazing. It reinforced the impact media can have on not only a community but the country.
The second discussion featuring Packer felt very personal to me, given that he’s a film producer and I’m a filmmaker. He’s had six number one movies, producing classics such as Stomp The Yard, Ride Along, and Girls Trip. But, anybody from any career path would’ve gained as much as I did from listening to him. Packer was there speaking about his new book Who Better Than You: The Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big.
Packer said that, “Healthy arrogance is walking into a room, no matter who’s in it, and feeling like you have something to add.” He spoke about needing a certain level of confidence to be successful and it really resonated with me.
Throughout the fireside chat, he told meaningful and hilarious life stories that highlighted his talking points, making the event super engaging. After leaving his chat you couldn’t help but feel a sense of confidence surging through your body making you feel unstoppable.
Discover put on an amazing two-part event that I hope to see every year during Black History month. Thank you to Myiti Sengstacke-Rice and Will Packer for your amazing stories and insight. Being in your presence has left me feeling deeply inspired to keep striving for excellence.
By Gary Langfield Jr.
Instagram: @ima_menace19
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