Q&A SESH WITH DEJA FOXX
Deja Foxx wears many hats - founder of an experimental community platform GenZ Girl Gang, student at Columbia University, activist, strategist, and lastly, a content creator advocating for sex education and self-expression.
In this Q&A sesh, we dive into her many roles and her story that led her to her mission.
questionHey Deja! Can you tell our community a bit about yourself?
answerMy name is Deja Foxx and I’m a 21-year-old activist, strategist, and content creator. I’m a first generation college student on a full ride at Columbia University in NYC studying race and ethnicity, and the Founder of GenZ Girl Gang, a digital community dedicated to redefining sisterhood.
questionTell us about the community you created, @genzgirlgang. How was it founded, and where is it headed?
answerGenZ Girl Gang was born out of my freshman year dorm. When I first got to Columbia, my definition of community changed: instead of relating to the people who lived around me, I was connecting with young women and femmes online who shared my experiences. I wanted to explore how GenZ was using social media as a community-building tool and creating real power in their personal networks, shifting culture to put collaboration over competition, and embracing their creativity. It has since grown into a community of 15K from all over the world! We have really exciting plans for the new year to invest in our impact and mentorship programs.
questionWhen did you begin your journey as an activist and speaking out on topics that are important to women?
answerI didn’t choose politics. They chose me. I was raised by a single mom in a household that struggled to cover basic necessities like food and rent. I knew from an early age what it felt like to have decisions about my access to the resources I needed to survive and thrive to be dictated by elected officials out of my reach. But it wasn’t until I was 15, moved out of my mom’s house, and experienced what 1 in 30 teens in the U.S. do, called hidden homelessness, that I really started to get active. It all started by seeing how the outdated sex education in my school district was built to disadvantage students like me and standing up to my school board by sharing my story and encouraging friends to do the same. After that, I never looked back and have continued to use my story to fight for birth control access and bodily autonomy for people of all genders.
questionWhat accomplishments are you most proud of?
answerThere is nothing I’d rather be in this life than a good role model. My accomplishments aren't just for me. I’m a first generation American, the first in my family to go to college, a founder, and one of the youngest campaign staffers in modern history. With every door I open, I am determined not just to show others what is possible, but to bring them along. Their success is what I am most proud of and the greatest measure of my own.
questionThese next couple questions are for our young readers who would appreciate your advice. What advice do you have for young women who feel they can’t express themselves with their fashion because of the fear of being sexualized or not taken seriously?
answerI got a piece of advice in middle school which has never left me: other people’s opinion of you is none of your goddamn business. I challenge everyone in any form of self-expression, including fashion, to do the thing that is uncomfortable, but not unsafe. Being yourself, particularly if you embrace your femininity or sexuality (or if you dare to do both) can be revolutionary in its own way. Never forget that changemaking happens at every level from how we treat others, to how we present ourselves to the world, to the actions we take to make it better.
questionWhat is your message to young women who face misogyny either at school or in the workplace?
answerProtect yourself and your energy. Find your community and hold them close. Then, find those in power and hold them accountable for creating systems in your school or workplace that have perpetuated that misogyny. You deserve an environment where you can show up as your whole self and thrive.
questionHow can young women stay safe on the internet?
answer85% of women globally have either experienced digital violence like sextortion, doxxing, or harassment or seen it happening to another woman. That violence, though happening online, has very real world consequences. There are basic things we can do to protect ourselves by using safety features built into apps, and every day I see women stepping up to protect each other online, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of technology companies to create a safer digital world for women.
questionHow would you describe your personal style?
answerI’m still figuring it out and that’s okay! I think as young people with our whole lives documented online, there is so much pressure to know who you are and put it out for everyone to consume that we lose some of the fun of experimentation.
questionWhat advice would you give your younger self?
answerIt was only about 3 years ago that I was working at a gas station, trying to balance school, and coping with homelessness. I hold that teenager with so much tenderness and thank her for dreaming up this beautiful life and working so hard to build it. I would tell her it’s going to get so much better than she could have even imagined.
questionHow are you spending your Valentine’s Day?
answerNo matter my relationship status, I always buy myself a gift for Valentine’s and take myself on a date. Because in this life there is only one relationship you are guaranteed to be in forever and that is with yourself.
