What is my role in racial brokenness?
Learning hard truths hurts. Empathize with where you are. It is painful to know how much physical, mental, and spiritual damage has been done and sustained to our brothers and sisters for such a long time. Black voices are finally being heard, sadly under sacrificial awakening. For a long time, trying to tell the world, the voices had been silenced in many different ways. It is an awakening of how much harm we can cause to other human beings based on unconscious or sometimes conscious assumptions and perceptions about another person. We all do. Acknowledging that we do it is a beautiful first step.
“There is so much to learn, and there is so much for which we are unaware and blind. What can I do?”
I never thought that my willingness to get uncomfortable and to disrupt myself would serve the world. I always thought it to be a weakness defined by how others saw me instead of embracing the fullness of who I am. Until I could finally thrive in being "different." I finally understood that others would only see me through their lenses, based on their own identities and experiences. I am finally embracing my humanity with the gifts, strengths, and flaws that it entails. What does this have to do with what is going on with the world right now? I find myself in a moment where I need to talk. I have been learning so much and still am, and I just realized that, like me, perhaps many of you are willing to take risks to embrace a new self.
Are you willing to talk out loud about your journey to the world? Can you get vulnerable enough to invite others that are different from you to share their journey with you?
“I have been learning so much and still am, and I just realized that, like me, perhaps many of you are willing to take risks to embrace a new self.”
I am. I think I have been doing that all my life, I just was not aware. The awareness had to be built. It was not a particular moment in my life. Still, the combination of situations allowed me to listen, get curious, share lives, volunteer, have difficult conversations, act. And start again, and again, and again. Some of you may have shared part of your journey with me, perhaps professionally, perhaps personally. Only God knows my entire journey. Not even my husband, whom I have shared more than 20 years, understands my whole self. And all this is beautiful. It means that you will always be different no matter what, no matter whom! The difference is good, is unique, you have an outstanding contribution to this world!
It is okay to end up having more questions than answers when engaging in conversations and change. Serving as a leader for the women's business network for a multinational agricultural company, I learned that there is a need to listen, be heard, and have a voice. It is past, present, and future. Timeless. How much I was unaware. I am still on this awareness journey. It was a preparation perhaps to this moment. To the awakening of racial reconciliation. Coming to the US, being educated by black friends, local communities, racial reconciliation seminars, webinars, book clubs, and conversations. I think it is a journey we should all commit to taking. I am very grateful to be present, witnessing, and supporting as I am called.
It is an incredible moment of awakening and reconciliation. I am hopeful that we all can engage in a bold, loving way. I peacefully seek justice, higher than ourselves, beyond cultures and nations' interests and history. Racism is present everywhere and in everyone, even if governments or individuals don't recognize it. As we are learning and eager to reinvent ourselves to contribute to the world, what are the ways we engage in listening, acknowledging, lamenting, and making a difference to the voiceless?
Engage, listen and acknowledge
Bring awareness to systemic racism if you can. Start with what is close to you:
Education
Food and Nutrition
Social, political, economic systems
Do something about it, if you can:
Bringing people together
Speak for the voiceless
“As we are learning and eager to reinvent ourselves to contribute to the world, what are the ways we engage in listening, acknowledging, lamenting, and making a difference to the voiceless? What is your role in this world?”
If any part of my journey resonates with you, or if you think I could be a great partner to support you in your journey, let’s talk!
Gratefully,
