Feb. 9, 2021
If you were in Chicago last fall, you might have stumbled across “Womanish” — an exhibit created by University of Missouri alumna Danyelle Gray and her sister Dionna.
“Womanish” offered women from all backgrounds a safe place to connect and explore the experiences unique to women — such as the censorship of women’s bodies and social stigmas.
“I’m dedicated to women empowerment because the strong women in my life shaped me to be who I am today,” said Gray. “I’ve always kind of felt like I was supposed to do more.”
Gray attributes her love for events marketing to her involvement at Mizzou. “I was involved in a lot of organizations,” she said. “And that kind of helped me to where I am in my career today.”
During her freshman year, Gray became an event coordinator for the Department of Student Activities. She was paid to organize large-scale events, including concerts with Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Big Sean and Jhené Aiko, and a fashion show with Angela Simmons.
Getting involved in the process opened her eyes to event planning. “I just love every aspect of it,” Gray said.
In addition to her position at the Department of Student Activities, Gray was also involved in Black student organizations including the Black Business Student Association and iGuide.
Six years after graduation, Gray encourages current students to utilize the activities and organizations on campus to find out what they really want to do and who they really are.
When Gray looks back to her time at Mizzou, she says, “It gives you that full 360 experience that you want.”
