Founder of Black Girls Surf – Rhonda Harper
About This Episode
This episode is a special extended edition that not only brings to light some lessons courtesy of the Founder of Black Girls Surf, Rhonda Harper, but also provides an opportunity to educate you on some important black history. There has understandably been an enormous representation of support for change throughout our communities in the wake of the death of George Floyd earlier in 2020, and we are using this episode as an opportunity to keep the focus on the need for change. Rhonda’s story is one that ties in perfectly to the traditional focus of this show as she provides numerous examples of competing at the highest levels within her career. There are also numerous examples of attributes Rhonda has used to establish her success, but almost every example and experience she says stems from a place of prompting change for black people the world over.
This is a much longer episode than normal as we are providing Rhonda a platform to educate us on the history of black suppression within the sport of surfing up until recent years. She also provides personal accounts of her exposure to such resistance within her life, while telling us about the work she is doing, despite such injustices, to prompt change for black children the world over, thanks to her willingness to work from a place of love.
Rhonda starts off by letting us know why it is she is currently based out in Senegal (6:00), shares some stories on how she was first exposed to the truths that access is not for everyone (12:20), and how she gained clarity that black surfers did not exist (17:50). Rhonda then provides some incredible insight for any career driven individual in relation to creating your own opportunities (18:40), making sure people wanting to learn have a leader or role model (21:00) and the power that “working from love” can have on your work (21:30). The second half of our discussion is more geared towards career advancement as Rhonda sheds light on the ways she has stayed ahead of “trends” within her career (42:00) and also how African Surf International is empowering the inclusion of African surfers (46:00). Furthermore, Rhonda gives examples of how she is leading others by example while educating the next generation to be able to be as influential as she is (51:30). Finally, we learn about Rhonda the competitor and what she feels the future has in store for both her and her movements (53:00 – 58:00), before Steve summarizes the entire conversation with three very useful “keys to success” (64:00).
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