I continue to hear a common refrain from people I do not know, some friends and colleagues, and even some within my family. The words are different from person to person, but the message is pretty much the same. “The people speaking up about police brutality and racial justice are not saying anything about violence in the cities. They want to have demonstrations at sporting events, but nothing about black on black violence.”
It seems that only the black man must choose one or the other cause to support, or one organization. We should not allow the media or society to dictate we must choose one or the other.
There are THOUSANDS of single-issue community organizations. If you follow or watch any one of them, and only one of them, you will ALWAYS conclude they seem to ignore every other issue. It’s like saying, “I hate the Christian church because they only focus on Jesus and not the other spiritually important figures of the world, like Buddha or the prophet Mohammed.” Of course CHRISTian churches focus on Jesus! The most effective organizations pick a cause and stick with that one cause.
That does not mean that an individual can only support one cause. Yes, you will notice I reference #BLM or Black Lives Matter from time to time on my social media streams. And, yes, this particular movement focuses almost exclusively on racial justice and policing reform. But that is only part of the story. Certainly only part of my story.
I support non-violent protests of police criminal negligence and racism. AND I support any and all efforts to end violence in our neighborhoods, including black on black crime. And many many many people do. There are VASTLY more organizations dedicated to ending violence in inner cities – supporting troubled youth, improving education, getting guns out of the hands of those who should not own them, and uplifting neighborhood communities – than there are dedicated to racial equality and effective policing. And the combined giving to inner city youth programs, by the athletes and celebrities people tend to reference most often, is exponentially greater than anything they do for Black Lives Matter. Find your local Boys & Girls Club and you will find an athlete or celebrity behind it. The media may only cover the closed fists in the air, the protest marches, and the #BLM social media banners, but we would be remiss if we judge them on only what is shown on TV.
Has anyone actually researched the types of organizations Colin K supports? Unlikely!!! They just notice the kneeling and the #BlackLivesMatter movement the media talks about.
Being the change you wish to see does not require you to choose only one cause!
What’s in your wallet?
Your role as a citizen of the world is to build a “portfolio” of causes that matter to you and will allow you to get the greatest return on your investment of time, talent, and treasure. That is your challenge: Can you find a way to live the life God wants you to live and spread love the way so many spread hate? Be the change YOU want to be, not simply doing what society wants you to do.
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:48
Be well. Lead on.
Adam
Covid is still an issue. Please stay safe and wear a mask.
Adam L. Stanley
Connections Blog Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Linked In | Comment below.
Several of my white colleagues that know me well, along with some friends, have asked me for a short list (ha!) of things I feel they should know if they do not take anything else out of the conversations about race in corporate America that have begun in earnest. So I figured I would also share them here for those who have not asked. Of course, race goes so much deeper than this, but if you don’t change anything else, change these three things.
Please do not act as if you “have the answers” – you do not. We know you are in charge, but need you to listen and engage in developing a plan. If you had the answers, and are in power, why haven’t you implemented anything?
Please do not tell us that you come from a diverse background or a poor upbringing and that qualifies you to discuss the black experience. We really do respect your difference. But we do not care right now. You still have privilege in that you walk into restaurants, stores, and corporate offices you look like a white man, regardless of your background.
Please never refer to a black person as “articulate” – perhaps the greatest insult to many professional black people, this statement implies your surprise at the “relative” ability of said person to form a sentence
Be well. Lead on.
Adam
Covid is still an issue. Please stay safe and wear a mask.
Adam L. Stanley
Connections Blog Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Linked In | Comment below.
“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is the title now given to a speech by Frederick Douglass delivered on July 5, 1852, in Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York, addressing the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society.
One of the greatest aspects of my career, education, and life in general has been meeting people. I love meeting people and getting to know their stories, what makes them tick and how they handle life challenges. I have asked a few of them to share their stories as part of my Connections blog. I hope that by sharing their stories, you get to know a great leader but also perhaps see a bit of your story in theirs. Perhaps we can learn from each other in this manner.
Guest blog by Soulbalm
On the 56th Anniversary of Civil Rights in the U.S.
What will your lesson be?
On this day, July 2, 1964, former President L. B. Johnson signed a bill into law effectively and finally proclaiming that on paper all lives matter. It was called the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On paper this meant that segregation would end and millions of lives could enjoy mattering in ways they never imagined before: equality. Mattering equally. Then millions of lives set about ensuring that those lives that finally could legally matter stayed as miserable as possible, until as expected, some of those lives forgot that they actually did matter.
Others watched the display of amnesia (or blunt force head and mind and heart trauma, pick your phrase) and began to believe the LAW was what made them matter rather than the Creator, cited as giving ‘matterage’ when being born with inalienable rights. The one written back when those who finally in 1964 mattered according to law, didn’t matter at all (and later only mattered 3/5 of the time, so to speak).
Slave owners knew Black lives mattered, and they mattered so much that they laid down their lives to fight for the right to keep them from actually mattering to themselves, so they could solely matter for their bottom line. Four rebellious years and now aflag born of rebellion mattered more than the Black lives. Not because the lives didn’t matter, but because money and wealth and ill-gotten gain mattered more than those lives.
In two days the United States of America will be celebrating another birthday, waving a flag that all lives are supposed to make matter. We as a nation celebrate and reflect on the preamble of the Constitution that all lives used to be forced to memorize. Words that clearly didn’t include all lives, even if there the word “all” WAS used. Even today, the flag is still being used by some as a tool of exclusion. If you don’t believe me, maybe someone can explain in the comment section below.
And then the Awakening… When many finally noticed that the law was simply ON PAPER. PEOPLE, we write history as we live and breathe. Keep speaking life-giving words into the ones who only mattered when they mattered to the nation’s exports and wealth. But more than words of Life, give opportunities to make a living and build self-identity. Those who know who they are and where they’re from can contribute wealth untold.
This nation is now in its teenage years. It’s time to ride out the mood swings and become emotionally and mentally stable. We will no longer accept words signed into law to appease. The words and laws should matter.
What will your chapter or section say during this era? What questions will you leave for future students to discuss?
We are the start of the needed change in the world. The more we talk openly and honestly to each other the better off we will be and the more we will contribute to the greater solution.
So this is my ask to you:
Be Mindful. Not everyone is coming to work each day feeling as though it’s business as usual. We have colleagues impacted by COVID, impacted by protests in their communities, and colleagues emotionally or directly impacted by racial injustice.
Be Empathic and Authentic that as we “return to the office” and “create a new normal” that each of us needs to find an appropriate work-life balance to ensure our physical, emotional, and/or mental health is put first.
Be Diligent. Hold your peers and managers accountable and speak out against racism when you witness it. If comfortable, constructively share feedback directly with the individual. If needed, report any instances of racism, however big or small they may seem to you, to your HR leader. Speaking up is not meant to “punish”, but to provide learning opportunities for individuals that may benefit.
Be Engaged. Below are some ways to start:
Join an Employee Resource Group and become an active member and leader.
I share this for my fellow Christians out there that seem to be amongst the most vocal of the “All Lives Matter” crowd. Yes, all lives matter. If you are a true Christian, please join me in praying that this can one day become reality.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7 NIV)
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
When Black lives are systemically devalued by police, corporations, and society in general, the reality is a portion of “All” is being shown as not important to the rest of “All”. Black Lives do not seem to matter to many, and therefore the cry of Black Lives Matter must serve as a reminder to everyone that for All Lives to Matter, BLACK LIVES MUST MATTER. Incidents like the deaths of George Floyd simply serve to stoke the anger and make the everyday reality for some become visible to most. The outrage justifiably focuses attention on Black lives.
Put simply, when All Lives Matter, there will be no need for a chant of Black Lives Matter.
