Many organizations invested in DEIA for optics due to expectations of applicants, employees, shareholders, and customers. Unfortunately, it resulted in broken promises and stress. For the lucky, (and I hope that is you) you have joy, inspiration, support, growth, respect, productivity, accessibility, and inclusion. But many experience the first six-month “honeymoon” in DEI roles.
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Black women are vibrant and beautiful. Black women cannot be cut down. We are intricately connected to uplift and support one another. We are flowers and we are so much more. We are beautiful, we are weeds, we are survivors.
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I remember the pride and camaraderie our nation felt after the attacks on the twin towers. There were American flags everywhere, and it felt good. Something has happened in the past five years that has changed how I impulsively feel now when I see an American flag displayed outside of an official government context. How could our symbol of the United States’ 50 states have been co-opted so quickly? How quickly can we take it back?
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As a young kid growing up heavily influenced by white culture, I spent a lot of time wishing that I had a “Black experience.” There is privilege and honor in being socially accepted in your racial community. There are those of us that did not have that access. I know there are others out there who have had similar experiences. Now that I am older, I understand that what I perceived as “authentically Black” is not real. My experience and life are a Black experience, because I am Black. No one has the right to tell me if I am Black enough. It took me decades to figure this out.
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Juneteenth is a critical day in American History. I struggle with celebrations around the 4th of July every year because all I can think is, not all of us were free. I think about Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” History can slip through the cracks if we don’t pay attention. It was not until 1980 that Texas officially recognized June 19th as a state holiday. Yet, America celebrates its independence each year on July 4th …even though everyone was not free on this day. Black America, however, did not forget.
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