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Meet Micah Bledsoe

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Micah Bledsoe.

Micah, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started with my old YouTube page that I made with my cousin Kennedy. There was something about creating videos and posting them online for people to comment on and share with their friends and family. There was one video that I created with my little sister Kayla that gained more than 30,000 views. Little did I know, this was the beginning of something that I would pursue in college. (link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFQ0cK4qcRM)

I grew up in many places in the Midwest. I was born in Detroit, MI and lived just about everywhere in the metropolitan area including Western Michigan. Eventually, my dad’s job had us relocate to Rockford, IL. I went to high school in Rockford for just over a semester and then transferred over into a different school district in Belvidere. I finished high school at Belvidere North High School.

I originally went to college to study political science. Eventually, I changed my major to journalism and mass communication with a double minor in political science and women gender studies at Arizona State University. While studying women’s gender studies, I grew an everlasting passion for civil rights and the intersectionality of gender, race, religion and other social constructs. I finished my undergraduate degree in three years and my master’s in the 4th year an ASU.

I had a very skewed idea of my identity as a teenager. Growing up in a rural area of Northern Illinois gave me a different perspective and experience of race than a lot of people in my family. A lot of my, at the time, “close friends” considered me the good type of black or the “whitest black person” they knew, which was a compliment, that I honestly believed.

While studying at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I served as the president of the National Association of Black Journalists at ASU for two consecutive school years from 2017-2019. While serving this position, I felt that it was my duty to ensure black students pursuing a career in media had the same opportunities for our peers. I also felt that it was immensely important to increase our visibility on the campus and in the community. Our organization increased its membership and visibility and was recognized among our peers at the journalism college for two separate awards; Exemplary Leadership and the Dean’s Award.

Two of my favorite events that our organization pulled off were huge opportunities for the community to take part in. The first one was our Arizona Squash Media Day event. Our NABJ student chapter partnered with the professional chapter of NABJ, the Arizona Association of Black Journalists, to show young children between the ages of 7 and 15 what a career in media would look like. The students got the opportunity to learn how to construct questions and conduct interviews while also learning how to use their cell phones as a means of communicating to the public through social media responsibly. The second event that our organization organized was a panel discussion we named The Side You Don’t See. The panel was a conversation starter for local reporters in the Phoenix metro area and local police departments to discuss better ways they can serve their communities together. Lots of people from the community showed up that I hadn’t seen before with their own questions for both the media and police who have the duty to serve the public.

Throughout high school and college, I found that community service was something I was always passionate about. No matter where I lived, I always found myself doing things like volunteering to share my story and help young children be inspired in something, or collecting jeans for homeless teens in my community. I joined a number of organizations throughout my life and have realized more and more that I love doing good, especially for those who aren’t always dealt a fair deck of cards.

It wasn’t until I finished college that I realized that my heart and passion is really behind politics. Although I love telling stories and being behind (and in front of the camera), I know there’s more work that I can do in a different line of work. I loved the adrenaline I got from being a journalist and sharing stories but always knew there was something more out there. Because of that, I’ve recently accepted a new position in a new line of work as the Assistant Canvass Director with Grassroots Campaigns.

This leads me to where I am today. Currently, I live in Tempe, AZ and am working towards a career in politics so that I can impact the community I live in and other people surrounding me. I’ve chosen this path because politics is the best way to really make true change. Policies and laws are created by those who debate back and forth over what’s right for the people they represent.

A lot of people currently in office, whether at the local, state or federal level, have been there for years. Not only that, do not truly represent the average person living in the same communities that they are speaking for. My goal in life is to make a positive change in the world and serve people, just like me. In a nutshell, I wanted to be a changemaker and remembered for the good that I brought to the world. Whenever I get these crazy ideas of things that I want to conquer and almost talk myself out of pursuing them, I think to myself, “If not me? Then who?”

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Gosh, I wonder what it would’ve been like if it were. One thing I do know is that I would not have learned half the things I know now if it weren’t for the obstacles and challenges that stood in my way. Figuring out how to get to college was a struggle in itself. Attending Arizona State University was one thing, but being able to finance it was another. Because of my dad’s income, I hardly qualified for any money through FAFSA so I was own my own to finance my way through school. With both of my parents having attended college with student loans of their own, I couldn’t use them as co-signers. I ended up borrowing a crap ton of money from Sallie Mae with my great-grandpa as my cosigner. In the end, I borrowed over $100,000 from Sallie Mae that I am still overwhelmed with the idea of having to pay back.

While I was at ASU, I faced my greatest struggle that I’m sure many students who move away from home and attend college go through. I struggled with my identity as a black female. Growing up in suburban areas in Michigan and rural Illinois, it was common that I was usually the only black person in my classes and friend groups. There was a part of me when I was younger that wanted to fit into the Eurocentric beauty standards society had created for me. I was not confident in myself as a dark skin black girl growing up in a white world. I always made comments about wishing I was white or avoiding the outdoors, so I didn’t get any darker. I straightened my hair to the point I couldn’t straighten it anymore because it had broken off so bad from me trying to look like all my friends. I hated the texture and length of my hair and my self-esteem was damaged.

When I got to ASU and began studying women’s gender studies, I started to learn more about race and how all these social constructions like religion, sex, socio-economic status, etc. play a part in the experience we all have; intersectionality. I learned terms for all these things that I was experiencing my whole life, like microaggressions. When I was younger, I didn’t understand why my friends would question if I could swim, whether I liked chicken, watermelon or Kool-Aid. Microaggressions are racially insensitive/unintentional, indirect statements that are more subtle than your average racist comments.

I learned that these types of aggression impact us (people of color) both physically and mentally. I was growing up bottling all these negative things I heard my friends say to me, and even would repeat myself and become extremely depressed with a great deal of anxiety. Since I moved to Arizona, I’ve learned how important self-care and self-love is. I began wearing my hair in its natural state, which was something I would have *never* ever done back at home with fears I would be made fun of. I started loving my natural curl pattern and my beautiful brown skin. I started appreciating my own culture, where I came from, and who I was (becoming). I even felt more comfortable talking about race and sticking up for myself and others when things weren’t right. Although this was something I struggled with immensely years ago, it has made me who I am today and I can only appreciate that now. Being educated on my own experience and why we interact with people of different backgrounds has been life’s greatest value for me.

Anyone in college who holds an executive board position for any organization understands the amount of responsibility and time it requires to keep the organization running smoothly. Being the president of NABJ at ASU wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be honestly. I became the president the semester before I started taking on an abnormal amount of courses in order to finish my master’s degree a part of the accelerated program I opted in to get my master’s a year after finishing my bachelor’s. My last two years at ASU, I was taking 20-24 credits to graduate on time. I struggled a lot with time management, which I learned is crucial in any path to success. I quickly learned that I needed to do a better job communicating to my team the support that I needed from them. Eventually, things turned around and I realized everything would be okay and work the way it should, which it did.

With a lot of self-love, meditation and good people around me, I managed to finish school at ASU with two degrees in four years despite everything I struggled with. If there’s one thing that I could tell someone who is going through anything related to my own experience is to never give up. I know it gets hard and it feels so easy to give up. I even wanted to give up at times, but I always pulled myself back up and reminded Micah who she was and what she came to do. Don’t be bothered by what other people think. You will drive yourself crazy caring about other people’s opinions. Do you and don’t ever apologize for it. Be unapologetically you.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
My brand consists of a lot of different things because of all of the passions I’ve realized I have over the years. I am a storyteller and advocate for the voiceless. What sets me apart from others is my own experience in life. My childhood gave me a unique perspective on life that has made me realize the value of understanding people that are all walks of life.

I’m known for my videography and journalistic skills that have allowed me to tell stories from all types of communities. Similar to the stories I’ve already created, I want to add enriching content that educates on a number of topics such as politics and intersectionality. I’m also a freelance journalist who has worked on stories and other projects in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Currently, I am working on launching my YouTube channel to tell more stories. My YouTube channel will feature lifestyle vlogs on stories that mean something and make a difference by educating people on topics unfamiliar to them. I am working towards being a home name/brand. I don’t want people to know of me because I want to be famous. I want to continue being known as someone who genuinely has a passion for doing good and doing right by people just like me. My audience can rely on me for more than just “news”. My channel will be for people looking to educate themselves on everyday things like baking/cooking and fitness.

You can view my past work at my personal website micahalise.com and some (not so) recent videos I’ve worked on published on my YouTube channel Micah Alise.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are a lot of people who deserve credit and played a role in my success today. I’ll try to be brief by listing each person and exactly how they’ve supported me.

1. Edward & MaKia Bledsoe – My parents deserve so much credit and have played a huge role in my success. No matter what, they have always supported me and been in my corner. With all the crazy ideas and passions I’ve shared with my parents, they have always been my #1 fans. They’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to pursue my dreams and truly have a blessed life. My dad has inspired me to push past all barriers that present themselves and make lemonade out of lemons. My mom has shown me so much love and taught me how to be loving, kind and strong.

2. Andrea Weaver – My Granny is my best friend. She has given me spiritual guidance when I’ve needed it most and always reminded me to put God first. Through all my trials and tribulations, she has helped me see the light and trust in the truth. Despite the 2,000 mile distance between us, she is always there checking my social media posts or anything I write for grammatical errors and helping me find outfits and makeup to wear on camera to make sure I’m always putting my best foot forward.

3. Paul Holland – My soulmate has supported me through hell and back. I never thought that I would find someone who could not only love and appreciate me but also inspire me to be a better person. Paul has helped me conquer a lot in a short amount of time. He’s always there to push me just a little bit more and see that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Paul reminds me how fierce I am and why I shouldn’t let my fears keep me from accomplishing my goals and dreams.

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