Dear Caregivers Advocating for Black Brilliance,
I just got off the phone with a dear friend. She said, “Do you know that investments in businesses founded by Black people has dropped significantly in the last several months.”
“What does this mean?”
“Last year, there was $1 billion invested in Black founded companies, but one year later it’s down to $324 million.”
She took my breath away. It was not the money, it was the investment that struck me. When I could breathe again, I reflected the difference between starting and sustaining.
The movement to racial justice resparked after the murder of George Flloyd. People were on high alert. Candid conversations, acts of investments, and public statements were made about Black lives every.single.minute. The energy of starting or restarting was encouraging.
Like many Black Americans, I reserved my hope for this moment. Weary of the “stop and start” nature of the fight for racial justice, I figured the other shoe would drop, but I hoped it wouldn’t. This call confirmed what I knew would eventually come—the other shoe dropped. The respark moment was waning.
It does not have to be this way. You, caregiver, raising pro-Black humans—you can do something. You can work to sustain the progress and evolutions.
There will be no shortcuts, hacks, or quick fixes, but instead, it’s the sustained, incremental and monumental changes that will disrupt the current narrative of Blackness.
We were founded to overhaul every system built to keep Black brilliance from getting its shine. It. will. take. time.
As a caregiver, you joined us and committed to racial justice. You decided you wanted to be a part of something that would sustain. You joined a community building a legacy rooted in Black brilliance. When we are successful, this new narrative will change everything.
So, courageous caregivers, I offer you an exercise for reflection, recommitment, and sustained action.
Find a quiet but powerful place.
Set a timer for 20 minutes.
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Ask yourself these four questions:
What did I notice about my relationship with Black brilliance over the past year?
How might I recommit, every day, to the movement for centering Black brilliance?
How will I invest energy in building a new and powerful narrative of Blackness for myself and the children in my care?
What will I need to let go of or release?
Invite another B is for Black Brilliance community member or a new courageous caregiver to dialogue with you about your answers.
Together, write a list of steps you’ll take to reinvest in the movement for Black brilliance.
Commit to checking in once a week on progress.
Let us reflect, recommit, and reinvest with love, candor, and consistency.
To our collective brilliance.