How AFROPUNK’s Community Director Masters Her Day

Manushka Magloire
Location: New York, NY
Job: Director of Community Affairs, AFROPUNK
Education: St. John’s University (Queens, NY), Psychology Major / Criminal Justice Minor

How do you spend the majority of your day as AFROPUNK’s director of community affairs?

Tackling emails and meetings. I'm constantly scheduling meetings by email, then on the phone for hours for those meetings or traveling to meetings … or meeting to discuss the next meeting. Do you notice a trend here?

Working on five global festivals, community engagement activities, partnerships, social activism, and myriad other tasks requires an overwhelming amount of planning and strategizing. Don't get me started on creating and executing action plans after each meeting! And the PowerPoint decks! The old adage is so on point: All that glitters most certainly is not gold, but we do it for the culture.

What was your first “real” job?

I landed my first adult, salaried gig with benefits as a market data analyst at Morgan Stanley. My sorority sister knew the hiring manager (the lone black woman on the team — and floor!) and recommended we meet. I'm actually still trying to figure out how this psychology major pulled off this David Blaine–esque magic trick to land a job in finance. But in all honesty, I believe the ability to quickly build rapport is one of the most underrated skill sets people can cultivate.

What advice do you wish you could have given yourself on day one of your career?

Don't be afraid to be you – authentically, unapologetically, and wholeheartedly. You’ve earned your seat at any “fill in the blank” of problematic, white mansplaining, bro-culture workplace.

Tell us about an obstacle you had to overcome at some point in your life to get to where you are. How has it shaped you?

I spent the majority of my pre-college life firmly ensconced in environments in which the white gaze was shocked and awed that I was in the room. Having the magnifying glass on your "otherness" at every turn, milestone, and moment in your maturation process is one hell of a doozy on the psyche. And an exhaustive one. I used to retreat into myself. I found solace in being an introverted nerd who didn't utter a word unless called upon. It wasn't until my junior year in college when I pledged a sorority that I learned how to peel back the layers of debilitating self-doubt and rid myself of the institutionalized muzzle I felt forced to wear for decades.

What's something about you that people might be surprised to learn?

I've had a pretty varied professional path, and I’m still not certain of what I want to be when I grow up. But it’s OK to hop around. In no particular order, I’ve worked as a buyer at Lord & Taylor, an events manager at Vibe magazine, a campaign director for a health and wellness tour at State Farm Insurance, and a part-time nanny. I’ve worked in PR at Jive Records and the New York Philharmonic (I love classical music and have performed piano recitals at Carnegie Hall, too!). I’ve fundraised for United Way of NYC, and even worked as a digital content editor and on-air personality at CentricTV, which is now BETHer.

What are a few strategies you use to stay productive?

Working for an integrated media platform and global music festival, this is a struggle given the sheer volume of stimuli, conversations, meetings, content, pop culture, and news I have to consume! I have a to-do list of priority items that I hold myself accountable to each day. It can be an impossible mandate to maintain, but I do my personal best to try. I also color code and notate priority emails that require an immediate or urgent response. And I give myself little personal rewards (like a bag of gummy bears) when I can successfully get all the emails out of my drafts folder before shutting down my laptop at the end of the day.

When you interview job candidates, what stands out for you?

Personality! Allowing your actual true self to shine through is important. By sharing passion points, interests, and hobbies, you allow for a real human-to-human exchange. I've learned that people appreciate and want to work, make money, and collaborate with people they actually like! Never forget that when you’re interviewing for a job.

What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?

I worked for Virgin Mobile USA on an annual free music festival in Washington, D.C. In lieu of buying tickets, festival-goers were urged to donate money to help support organizations working with homeless youth. In my final year with the company, we raised nearly $600,000 to help fund a new transitional living facility for 10 formerly homeless youth.

What have you read or listened to recently that you’d recommend?

The Still Processing podcast. I enjoy listening to Jenna Wortham wax on all things relevant and digital as a young, gifted, and Black New York Times culture writer.

Do you have a favorite motto that keeps you motivated?

If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready!

Image two courtesy of AFROPUNK, images one, three, and four courtesy of Maya Dorsey.