Victoria Foster ‘14

(She/Her/Hers)

CEO/Event Planner

Be Unique Events & Co.

Victoria graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Changes & Leadership, Human Resources & Communication in 2014. She is a member of the NTID Alumni Association and serves on the Diversity & Governance Committee.

What is your nationality/how do you identify? 
I’m a proud Black woman.

What or who has been your biggest cultural influence?
My father’s side has been my biggest cultural influence who is from Alabama, a small town called Union Springs. My ancestor, Sterling Foster, built a house called “The Foster House'' in the late 1850s, a few miles away from “The Foster’s Land” which is now one of the Historic American Buildings. Every year, we will have “The Foster’s Family Reunion” to be hosted on Foster’s land that has been in my family for 122 years.

Still to this day, to step my feet onto the 200 acres of land that my ancestors had lived and breathed on gives me goosebumps and feel their presence. I still see the tall towering tree that my great great great father planted. I still see Foster’s cemetery on our land tracing back to 1832. I still see an old house that’s still standing from 1912 that I sleep in when I visit, and I still see the very old water well from the early 1900s that we still use.

It’s important to embrace your culture and history.

What does Black History/Heritage Month mean to you?
Black History/Heritage Month means a great deal and love to me because we take the time to bring our people together to share and learn the rich heritage of various cultures as well as highlight our achievements. It's important we thank our ancestors who gave us hope for a better life as well as a life lesson.

From your lens, how can the larger community better support POC, like yourself?
The larger community can be better if willing to listen with an open mind, arms, and heart; don’t speak, just listen to our voices/hands and absorb the information & stories around you. You will be challenged and it can get really uncomfortable real quick, but you will come out a better person as long as you listen to learn, not only to respond. The best place to engage and educate yourself is if you attend Black/POC workshops and events.

What is your favorite cultural dish?
Can I tell you a few of my favorite cultural dishes? Uh-huh, thank you.

• Okinawan (located in Japan) cuisine: I lived there for eight years. I have a few favorite dishes and that would be Okinawan soba noodles, Beni Imo (purple sweet potatoes), Hirayachi, and SPAM Onigiri.
• Jamaican cuisine: my godson’s mother introduced me to her cultural dishes and I had my FIRST jerk chicken in 2013, it was smacking (slang for very good) and had my nose dripping (as it’s spicy). I’m hooked on it.
• Ghanian cuisine: my Canadian friend introduced me to her cultural dish, especially sugar bread, which I fell in love with, oh! And Ghanian jollof rice, my goodness.
• Ethiopian cuisine: my best friend introduced me to her cultural dishes and I’m crazy over Kitfo, Tibs, and Quanta Firfir.
• Italian cuisine: during my teen years I was “raised” in a strong Italian family by my childhood friend of 17 years. Sunday Sauce is the best.

Share a quote that you live by.
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may cut me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise." - Maya Angelou

Share a cool, random fact about yourself.
I was raised in Okinawa, Japan because both of my parents were Marines. We lived there for eight years before moving to the states. Okinawa is influenced by American-Okinawan culture, but my parents made sure my siblings and I were extremely exposed to its authentic culture of Okinawa. Staples of Okinawan culture are listed below.

• Take off your shoes when entering someone’s home, schools, temples, or restaurants.
• Okinawan cuisine requires the use of chopsticks.
• If we took professional family photos, it was required that we wore traditional Okinawan attire called Ryuso.
• Some events included Okinawa Flower Carnival, Ryukyu Lantern Festival and Shishimai Festival - Lion Dance.