I recently became reacquainted with a book I purchased many years ago called ‘In Her Footsteps; 101 Remarkable Black Women written by Annette Madden.

The book describes the struggles, triumphs and contributions made by black women in the as activists such as Julie Dogbadzi, Flo Kennedy and Autherine Lucy Foster; politics with Ertha Pascal-Trouillot, Ruth Perry and Shirley Chisholm and science for example Marie Daly, Shirley Jackson and Mae Jemison, but to name but a few of these remarkable women.

Some of these individuals I had heard to but many were new to me when I bought the book and I always wondered how they could have slipped relatively unnoticed from the history of mankind and our achievements. But that's another story.

It is clear to me that these women are examples of positive role models not only for people of colour, women but for everyone who has dreams and aspirations which some might view as unattainable. Further the power and impact of appropriate support and role models in an individual’s life can have a profound effective irrespective of the age, knowledge, skills or abilities of a person; after all we’re never to young/old to learn and be developed.

So What is a Role Model?

Wikipedia defines a role model as being ‘ any person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others’ a term first used by Robert K Merton’s socialisation of research medical students.

Marian Price-Mitchell, Phd, a developmental psychologist identified five key characteristics that role models possess during her research.

1. Passion & ability to inspire

2. Clear set of values

3. Community to community

4. Selflessness and acceptance of others

5. Ability to overcome obstacles

Choosing the right role model is as important as the choosing your home, your car or your holiday and there in can lie the difficult, on what basis do you make these choices? Is it emulate others in an ‘I’m better or equal to you’ or is the choice made by deciding what suits your needs, interests and is affordable?

My top tips for choosing an appropriate role model is as follow:-

a. Do they make others feel capable or incapable?

If the individual leaves you feeling in awe of them and not having the capacity to achieve as they have then how can they possible inspire and motivate you.

b. Are they trustworthy and show they respect others?

You can assess these areas by listening how they talk about others and do they divulge information that they clearly gained from their relationship with another?

c. How comfortable do others feel in their company?

If your role model makes individual’s feel relaxed, confident and comfortable then that gives a strong indication of their selflessness and acceptance of others as Price-Mitchell identified in her research.

d. They possess values which are clear and un-waivering, in other words they ‘walk the talk’.

e. They have the ability and tenacity to triumph over adversity.

Marianne Williamson’s poem that has long been attributed to the former South African President and Human Rights Activist, Nelson Mandela , for me embodies positive impact a role model should have…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

So look out for someone whose light is shining brightly and who is not afraid to share the light with others.