Posts tagged leadership
Courage is a Practice: 3 Years After Pulse

Here is what I have learned in my short lifetime. We are in this together. I knew this when I was a child afraid of Maitesine, when I have been an adult in my partner office crying because boko haram was killing people and I couldn't reach my family, or when I saw my family members grieve loved ones lost in the so-called civil war in Sierra Leone.

I also learned that we must speak for each other. I am not gay or transgender. But I will speak for our brethren who are LGBT. Because they are as deserving of dignity, love and respect as every other human being made in the image of God. I will speak for my Muslim neighbors because in my heart dance memories of the people who have loved me the most who are Muslim, and because they are covered by grace as am I. I will speak because the darkness cannot survive the light. I will speak because courage is a practice. And in a political environment where people draw artificial barriers between work and life, where we don't discuss social justice issues, I know that my failure to speak will inevitably lead to me being silent when I should not.

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Using a Receipt as a Check: Where Your Treasure Lies

"What does valuable mean?"

I had to ponder that question and figure out how to explain "valuable" to a child. How do you explain how worth is assigned, how we decide what has value and what doesn't? 

It all happened in the drive-thru lane. I handed her the sandwich and my five year old decided to hold on to the receipt. She was excited, like she had something worth keeping. I explained the receipt had no value and couldn't be used like money. "It is my check," she said, more than once. She didn't understand and kept asking why she couldn't use there receipt like a check.  I explained that it was not valuable. Which led to her question, "what does valuable mean?" I did my best to explain. "Then why do you keep them in your wallet?"

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How We Decide Who Belongs

"They are hiring Black support staff for Kori because her client says diversity is important." This claim made in clusters of groups led to several conversations in an organization I once worked at. When I started working at the organization, I was one of only two Black people. Over time, and with new administrative leadership, a Black female administrative staff person was hired. And then a second one was being interviewed to support me and my team. I came to learn there was scuttlebutt and this statement was made. Apparently, the hiring of new employees who were diverse (specifically Black) was of concern to some.

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The Robin at My Window: Getting Unstuck

It is back. This morning it repeated what should have been a habit it stopped but still hasn't. My five year old complained that it was waking us up. It is 8:32 in the evening and it continues. Or maybe it is just that it is back, flying straight into the window glass over and over and over. The robin has done this many mornings. The fake owl hasn't deterred it. The paper taped to the window so that it can stop seeing its reflection and think another bird is there hasn't deterred it. Perhaps robins aren't very smart but it surely is determined. It’s defensive mechanism up, the robin is determined to chase the other bird away. Except there is no other bird.

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The Other Black Person

It was a lovely event — lots of ladies and a lot of tea. We were all giddy about the baby on the way. Somehow or the other we got on to a topic and the story involved Bruce. “Who is Bruce?" I asked. Person after person kept describing him. The descriptions kept coming and I didn’t get a picture. I just couldn’t figure out who they were talking about. I sensed something in the air but wasn’t sure what it was. Although I was hosting this baby shower, I didn’t know most of the ladies well. It was then that the guest of honor, who was sitting next to me by the fireplace said, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Bruce is the tall, Black guy on the worship team.” I started laughing.

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Black Women at Work: Magic But Real

We are not our hair. We are not our clothes. We will not be hidden anymore. And we are not children. Talk to black women about the times they have been marginalized, ignored, undervalued, tone policed, or disrespected in the work place because they were black women and you will hear common patterns. This week #BlackWomenatWork exploded on Twitter. Brittany Packnett invited black women to share their stories and highlight the everyday racism black women face at work — and black women spoke out. The stories show commonality of being undervalued, ignored, disrespected, being overlooked, not receiving credit for their contributions and outright racism.

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