In November, rapper Rashid, 33, released a new song that has a special meaning for iFood. The single “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” was composed especially to celebrate the Tech Power, the platform that offers courses and job vacancies in technology for people with profiles that are currently underrepresented in this area. “This sound is aligned with a very special project, which can affect the lives of several brothers and sisters in the neighborhood”, commented Rashid when announcing the new song on his social networks.
In an interview with iFoodNews, he talks about the inspiration for new music and the importance of initiatives for the real inclusion of black people in companies. “There is genius where we come from, but we need to look at the periphery with a new eye!”, says the rapper.
iFN: What drew you to participate in the launch of Potência Tech?
Rashid: I travel all over this country and meet a lot of incredible people. I have contact with brilliant minds who, in whatever way they can and with the conditions they have, make a difference in the lives of their families and their community. Most of these people, like the majority of my audience, have origins very close to mine: poor, black and brown families, from peripheral or interior regions. And I always think “imagine this brother or sister, with this mind they have, having the opportunity to show their potential”…
For many of us, what is missing is an opportunity to study, to work, to develop. This is the importance of a project like Potência Tech.
Part of my fight is for equal opportunities, for the poor, for black people, for women, for the brothers and sisters of the LGBTQIA+ movement... So an initiative that offers space for these people to develop represents a step forward in our walk.
iFN: What was your inspiration for composing the song?
Rashid: My inspiration was wanting to portray a day in the life of a Brazilian worker, the one we call “hustle”. I feel like the song has this morning mood, it refers to this energy of waking up and going out to do your run.
So I tried to bring this into the lyrics: the perspective of someone who leaves home early and tries to get a job, but notices in the looks and treatment the barriers that society imposes. That's why we have a more exalted moment in sound, with a more objective speech, because we need to shout that there is genius where we come from, but we need to look at the periphery with a new look!
At the same time, my message is collective and individual, the intention is to motivate those who listen too. Give that daily injection of encouragement to continue fighting for what we believe in.
iFN: What is important to do to increase the real inclusion of underrepresented groups in companies?
Rashid: An initiative like Potência Tech is essential for this change.
But let's not forget that we are talking directly from the land of the CV with photo. We realize that the trial begins there. As racism unacknowledged structural structure rooted in the cultural roots of our country, a black person is already behind in this race. A person with black hair, braids, dreadlocks.
An overweight person also starts to lose, as the parameter begins to be drawn in a place that has nothing to do with their professional and intellectual capabilities. There also need to be more black people, more women and more LGBTQIA+ people in the company's HR and other sectors responsible for selecting candidates for vacancies, because then you no longer bring a biased perspective to this process. And real diversity is found there, when diverse people are there to welcome diverse people.
Obviously there is no simple answer to such a complex issue, but I believe that many small things can and should start to be done so that we can observe big changes in the medium and perhaps even in the short term.
iFN: What message would you like to send to encourage young people to sign up for the program?
Rashid: I believe that this is a chance both for those who have already understood themselves as a professional and already know that they want to delve deeper into this area and for those people who are in the process of discovery. In the world we live in, doors don't open easily. When we see an opportunity that is aligned with our dreams and goals, we should dive in head first.
Your path, your dream and your plan can only be followed and achieved by you. To do this, we have to face the world with an open mind and realize that the victory of one of us can change the entire structure of society, as it opens a door called possibility. Let's go up! Focus on the mission!
Listen to the single “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” now:
