Emerging leaders: Meron Yemane, growing a diverse future
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/02/black_history_month_meron_yema.html
By
http://connect.pennlive.com/staff/idejesus/posts.htmlThe Patriot-News
on February 14, 2013 at 3:49 PM, updated February 14, 2013 at 5:12 PMEditor's note: This is part of a series of profiles of emerging African-American leaders in the midstate that will appear on PennLive.com as we observe Black History Month.
Meron Yemane had what might be called a typical childhood: He was born in Harrisburg Hospital, grew up in Susquehanna Twp., then studied at the Penn State.
As he says: “The normal road for someone living in this area.”
But circumstances woven into his typical childhood color his world perspective with a unique outlook: Yemane’s parents immigrated in the 1970s from Eritrea, a former Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. He grew up listening to his parents native tongue, as well as Italian, and was baptised and raised in the Greek Orthodox Church.
He calls those experiences blessings. A financial advisor forMorgan Stanley Smith Barney and president of Harrisburg Young Professionals, Yemane, 27, said his childhood instilled in him a great appreciation for diversity. He promotes that outlook in his professional and social life, and his work with nonprofits.
“We are starting to break down silos and starting to really see people in the environments that they are most natural and feel most comfortable,” Yemane said. “It’s a continuous work in progress.”
Yemane said most young professionals in the midstate seek cross-pollination and interaction with people of different backgrounds and experiences.
“That’s what I see moving forward,” he said. “I see the dynamics of generations continuing to have this progression over time where there is real development and relationships. That’s what excites me the most...when you talk about recognizing the past or Black History Month and what it could mean moving forward and the legacy that people before us have had and making sure you are cognizant of past but making sure you are growing the future and building what’s out there.”
Yemane shrugs of the label role model, a compliment and reminder, he said, that whatever you put out into the world, comes back to you.
That doesn’t mean barriers won’t stand in the way, he said. He just views things from a positive outlook.
“It’s the reality of the situation,” he said. “We are building and things are organic - whether it’s equality of race or religion or gender. There are a number of things we are working toward. Yes, you want to accelerate in pace, but I think people my age, my peers, the conversation of race and what it means is different from what conversation was 30 years ago around the dinner table. There is a belief that it’s not out in front of us the way it used to be.”
Yemane said that as he continues to work on a professional and social level, he builds on a foundation anchored in the belief that people of all backgrounds must educate themselves about their differences and struggles. Only, then, he said, will the community be richer.
“I do think that when people have this conversation 20 years from now with each other they will talk about the new endeavours all races are having,” he said. “It’s an evolution. It takes time. It will continue to take time. My hope is that people continue to be understanding of different views and perspectives and want to learn from how others do things ... that there is no concrete way of doing anything.”
Received on Fri Feb 15 2013 - 10:39:56 EST
