Happy Juneteenth all!
As I was reflecting on what to say in honor of Juneteenth today, I thought back to when the photo above was taken on Juneteenth of 2019. My staff and I went out to celebrate our practice and the Juneteenth holiday. And then I thought back to all the Juneteenth's I have considered, celebrated, and lived since I started my journey in anti-racism education, work and life in 2005. It’s been 15 years this year for me and that is something to be proud of and celebrate! This year is quite different however, as workplaces are giving people time off, classes are being cancelled, and company's, friends and colleagues are wishing me and all of us a Happy Juneteenth! It's a great time of acknowledgement and the hope of broader change is quite present. But....as many of us Black folk do....I have my doubts.
I have seen quite POWERFUL moments before. And powerful moments in time are exhilarating, thrilling, joyous, and often a time to celebrate. They can be dark, dangerous, scary or moments of sheer joy! But they are just that....fleeting moments. So I asked myself after seeing many of these moments- how can this become a lasting change? Obviously there are some large broad changes that are taking place politically and socially, but without sustained effort and commitment by people behind these changes, they won’t be enough and they will fade. I can sit in a room with an agency CEO or other executive and see change in their mindset. I can sit with a client and see a shift in their perspective that allows them to rethink and examine their internalized racial inferiority. But without a process of decision making and stick-to-itness- those moments don't go anywhere. We need MOVEMENTS not MOMENTS!
You might ask yourself how can you create a movement as just one person right? How can you ensure that there is ongoing change regarding race and that the fight against anti-racism continues in your life? I can share a little about some of the ways I have committed and help you think about ways you may have already committed or can commit. It's not the chanting and the riots and the protests (although that helps a great deal and has brought us to this global level of awareness), but the true power and sustained change will come from this becoming lasting change.
In 2006, I committed to doing a few things to continue my lifelong commitment to anti-racist work. I committed in sustainable ways that would work for me for the rest of my life. I have not walked away from those commitments and I know and can actually quantify some of the impact I have been able to make.
I co-facilitated and in some cases solely facilitated professional groups and training's with a focus on race and anti-racism in professional organizations. I began offering supervision and hiring primarily black staff in the roles I held. I committed to teaching and guiding them to the best of my ability. I committed to giving them supervision, opportunity for advancement, pushing for them educationally and professionally and helping them into ,more advanced professional roles. So far I have directly supervised and helped in the career growth of over twenty professional people of color. Those twenty have become a professional, culturally competent, affirmative and appropriate racial and professional presence in our field. A field that is often filled with racism and unfair treatment and diagnosis for people of color. I committed to teaching and being present for my students, especially students of color, in a way that allows them to connect with me as a person and not just as an Advisor, Professor or Supervisor depending on which of these teaching roles we look at. I take the extra steps with my students, to help them understand more about their power and access to roles they may not have considered. I started Therapists for Black Girls, so more of us can be reached and get the help we need when we need it. And importantly, I mentor a young Black woman, both professionally and personally and have been able to co-create an amazing mentor/mentee relationship with her. When asked about issues regarding race or racism, I partner, I share, I teach, I lead, and guide when necessary.
So enjoy today, and think about the ways you might be able to become a partner, a co-creator of this lifelong MOVEMENT that we all need to be part of. Happy Juneteenth!