Monday Musings: Fences
Merriam-Webster’s defines a fence as “a barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary”. In ancient civilizations, fences were the first line of defense and a means of protection. In our own way, we each build up fences to protect those things we hold dear. We fence in our hearts, our dreams, our ambitions, our secret thoughts. Sometimes we fence in people. Sometimes we fence in possessions. Building boundaries as a form of defense is natural and necessary. Fortifying Fences A while ago, I began to let down a fence I had erected around a particular person. It felt safe. They’d done a few things that…
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…
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…
