Monday Musings: Practicing Vulnerability
A few weeks ago I did a pretty vulnerable thing. It was bucket list material. I shared something that I’d been sitting on for years! However, I only shared it with a select few people. Let me tell you, even THAT was scary. I handpicked the people I wanted to share with and second-guessed some. After the fact, I added a few others. Still, the anxiety about how my offering would be received and more importantly, what people would think about me persisted. If I’m honest, it still persists. Overall, the feedback has been incredibly constructive and supportive. But, there have been some awkward moments and difficult conversations. This was…
Monday Musings: Help Somebody Cross
Recently, Tyler Perry was awarded the “Icon” award by BET. In his moving acceptance speech, he talked about “helping somebody cross”. This adage became a litany throughout his speech. As you listen to Tyler’s speech below, I invite you to reflect on those who have “helped you cross” and reach out to them in gratitude this week. Along with that, ask yourself if you’ve done all that you can to help others “cross” (succeed, advance, overcome) around you. As you start your week, perhaps there is someone who has been on your mind that you need to reach out to. In our busyness, let us not ignore the still small…
Monday Musings: Drainy people
Chances are you know a few people who drain the life out of you. These are the people you actively avoid. You dread it when their number shows up on your caller ID. There is always some drama, some woe-is-me story, some negative experience they want to share with you. We all know these type of people. But, do we recognize when we’ve BECOME these people. When the “drainy” person is you, are you aware of it? Let’s purpose in our hearts to be fountains this week. Be the person that gives, nourishes, and refreshes; instead of the one that sucks and leaves others dry and depleted.
Monday Musings: EC-ism #1 #NoCasualties
My mother is a wise woman. She drops little nuggets and then walks away like she hasn’t just wrecked your entire world. We had one such moment this weekend. So, I’ve decided to begin a collection of “EC-isms” in her honor. An EC-ism is a quote or thought inspired by Effia Casenia Stripling (AKA mom). This one hit home. How many moments, ideas, and relationships has the pursuit of perfection stolen from us? How many laughs, memories, precious breaths and glimpses of sanity have I been robbed of chasing the alluring yet elusive promise of perfection? Well, I say enough is enough. I refuse to let another thing become a…
Monday Musings: People vs. Things
LOVE PEOPLE. Simple right. LOVE PEOPLE. Not money, not cars, not power, not houses, not land, not countries, not influence, not your stuff. LOVE PEOPLE!
Black History Month Series: Living Legends
I met Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil at one of the most challenging times in my career. She was called in as a diversity consultant to help us in the aftermath of a series of racial incidents on campus. I’ll never forget picking her up from the airport in my red Ford F-150 truck. She and I shared a laugh about this bougie black woman driving a pick up truck (there is a sentimental story attached to my truck that I’ll share at a later time). I am eternally grateful for that first visit. She came in and cast a vision that compelled our diversity team to dig deeper and examine…
Black History Month Series: Living Legends
As a Diversity Professional, February was always an incredibly busy month. So much so that when I transitioned out of positions where programming for this month was included in my job description, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was refreshing to not worry about creating educational programming for other people. It was beginning to feel like a repetitive, white-washed chore that was designed to PROVE to majority culture that black people contributed to American history. EXHAUSTING!! These days I intentionally seek to educate myself about the history of the people who originated from Africa and “settled” (please notice the subtext in using that term) in these United States. There…
The Radical Courage of Rev. Dr. MLK Jr.
“Why radical reconciliation?” This was the question posed to me by one of my readers. The notion of reconciliation is ambitious enough, however, when you add in the adjective “radical” it seems overly ambitious. To answer this, I went to the dictionary. Radical is defined as “relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something (especially of change or action); far-reaching or thorough”. I believe this descriptor is necessary in today’s world. Reconciliation must be radical (far-reaching and thorough) in order to be an agent of change. On Monday, the nation celebrated the 90th birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Over the last few years, I’ve developed…
How Do We Learn to Love Our Neighbors? A Lesson from my Mother
This article was first published in Contact Magazine: Gordon Conwell’s Ministry Magazine Fall 2017 edition By age 16, my family had moved a total of nine times. Nine different cities, nine different neighborhoods. A plethora of different neighbors. We always moved to places where we were one of the only people of color. We were ALWAYS the “others,” the “those people;” the “strangers.” I was used to smiling and going out of my way to try and make people comfortable with my “otherness.” In the sea of names, faces and people that make up my collective memories, one person stands out: Mrs. B. It was the day after one of our many move-ins. I was in the…
