What Now?

This could be the perfect storm. A polarizing president with people in his own party struggling to respond, a pandemic that has us all glued to our screens, and the murder of yet another black man by the police, right in front of our eyes.

I just wonder, hope, and pray if this could be a disruptive moment for our country, where not only are African Americans crying out, but also many whites and other races are unified in outrage.

The cynic in me says, “Oh this will pass and then we will all go back to the comfort of our own privileged worlds.” What a waste that would be!

In 1968, the National Guard occupied my high school after the assassination of Martin Luther King. I didn’t know what to think. Black students represented about 30% of the students in my school and there was never a problem. Now we were supposed to be afraid of our classmates who were trying to express their grief? It was a sad and confusing time.

Since then our country has allowed decades of mistreatment, though we’ve also seen many positive changes. Obviously, it hasn’t been enough. Now we are at a new moment where there can be, I believe, a huge leap. A sea change.

Last week, I reached out to my black colleagues to see how they were doing and to let them know I care. I wanted them to know that I am with them. I wanted them to know that beyond empathy for people of one race, this is on all of us, fellow human beings in this together. I wanted them to know I am committed to being more actively involved in finding solutions.

These conversations were gut-wrenching and heart-breaking.I heard their life experiences, the exhaustion of having to prove themselves, protect their children, and constantly fight for their rights. I felt grateful and humbled that my friends weren’t mad at me — a representative of the white race — but were truthful about their feelings, and I’m glad I reached out. I don’t know if I would have been so generous.

So now the question is, “What can I do? What can you do?”

No matter what race, age, or gender you are, whether you are a leader, a business owner, a parent, a college student, a young adult just starting out in your career, or a senior citizen, consider the possible ways you can erase racism in our world. Below are some resources to guide you. For many of us, we need to expand our perspective.

I asked Mia Mbroh for her thoughts. Mia is a counselor, speaker, consultant, and community worker. In her words, she facilitates and guides courageous and critical conversations within intentionally constructed safe spaces in order to bring forth awareness, understanding, accountability and empathy. She works with leaders of educational institutions, churches, non-profit organizations, and for-profit corporate organizations that express an authentic desire to evolve and create spaces where people are seen, heard, and valued.

She told me many of her white friends were calling her and she truly appreciated it. When they asked her, “What can I do?” she said,” I know you, and you are really smart. I know you will figure it out.” I love Mia — she recognizes your potential for greatness and won’t tolerate anything less. I asked her for more and here is what she said:

“I do think that no matter how many books we read, tips we receive for how to do better, or how sad we feel when we saw George Floyd being killed, if we are not brave enough to take an under-the-waterline journey on ourselves and own our ignorance, our images of influence, our gaps in knowledge of history, it will never change. Sometimes we don’t know because we don’t want to know. We know if we really understood the truth, we would be confronted with being uncomfortable, altered and owning the truth that we cannot reconcile what has never been. If we get it right, this will be a new thing. It is only possible if we own our truth.”

So, what are some examples of leadership we can follow right now?

Examples of Leadership

Here are a few examples of leaders facing truth and taking action.

A Dallas CEO of a senior living company read White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, a 2018 non-fiction book written by Robin DiAngelo. He invited his all white executive team to read it and have a follow up discussion about what they could do in their company.

A Chicago restaurant owner sent out a long email to all their employees (who are currently furloughed) and stated his personal and the company’s values regarding racism. He proposed a greater presence in the Chicago community with a list of suggestions and asked his employees to respond with their ideas. Inspiring.

Dr. John Townsend, a Californian Christian psychologist and founder of the Townsend Leadership Program, which I lead in Dallas, held a 2-hour live event last Wednesday, with 4 African American guests sharing their experience as leaders, parents, and Americans. They answered questions for those who called in. It was emotional and hit a nerve for all of us. I came away with, “How have I let this happen?” You can listen to a recording of the event here.

On a conference call with Brené Brown she put her finger right on the brutal truth: “It’s not enough to not be a racist, we need to be anti-racist!” Listen to her recent podcast, Interview with Ibram S. Kendi, on How to Be an Anti-Racist.

In an On Being interview, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen, a nonprofit impact fund that invests in poverty-alleviating projects around the world. In her conversation with Krista, which was recorded in January, she raises critical questions about the status quo of capitalism and calls for a shift in priorities — what she describes as a “moral revolution.”

I want to wrap this up with a quote from Novogratz, “We must act now. I want future generations to look back on us and say, ‘Look how hard they tried, not Look at how blind they were.’”

Additional Resources

By the way, consider buying books from black owned bookstores!

• 13th on Netflix
• 8cantwait.org to see what your local government allows and voice your opinion
• White Fragility: Why Is It So Hard for White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kindi
• The South Side by Natalie Moore
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• The Obama Foundation has a great list of action items.

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