Why do we celebrate Black History Month?
"I believe that each of us carries a bit of inner brightness, something entirely unique and individual, a flame that's worth protecting. When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it." — Michelle Obama
Why do we celebrate Black History Month? Every time there is an identity group celebration month, I get this question. You know how it goes. “We don’t have a [fill in the blank] Month, so why do you need a [fill in the blank] Month?” Here’s my answer.
I shared about Trinidad Carnival last week but there is one more story that has stuck with me. The day before Carnival, I had to go to a store to buy some additional Carnival costume gear, including a pair of stockings, or tights, or pantyhose, depending on where you’re from. The place was very busy but I could see the stockings behind the counter. I walked up to the counter and the store clerk there asked me what color I needed. “Brown,” I replied. She looked at me and laughed. “Brown? Which brown??” Then she listed off all the shades of brown they had: “Suntan, Little Colour, Caramelo, Salmon, Brown, Gentle Brown …” And the sizes! S/M all the way to 3XL, 4XL, 5XL. All Available. In store. Right now. Did I cry? Yes I did. I absolutely cried. Because this is what it feels like to be in the majority again.
I have lived as a Black minority in a White majority country for almost 25 years. I have gone into stores that never have my shade of tights, and certainly not my size. I have looked at pharmacy shelves that have hundreds of products meant for hair not at all like mine, but one shelf dedicated to “ethnic hair products.” I have been walked out of hair salons where fully trained and certified hair stylists have no idea how to style hair like mine. I have lived through the pre-Fenty era of two, maybe three shades of foundation makeup that could actually match my skin. I have stayed in hotel rooms where the shower cap won’t even partly make it over my head. I have modulated my voice because I don’t want to come across as too loud or angry. I have admonished my children because I don’t want them to be automatically seen as the troublemakers, and then had to watch how I admonished them because I didn’t want to be seen as one either. I have had people slow their cars in my own neighborhoods to ask me if I’m lost. I’ve been mistaken for the DoorDash delivery person, the Macy’s store clerk, and, of course, the nanny, more times than I can count. I have been stared at in churches, restaurants, weddings, bars. I have been The Only over and over again. In two and a half decades of living in this country that I love, I have been told more times than not, that I don’t belong here. And so for a few seconds, having a Trinidadian sales clerk look at me and say, “Here are all the ways that you and the women who look like you belong here,” yes, it did make me cry.
I do a lot of workshops on how to succeed in the workplace as a member of a marginalized community. I did one in San Diego last week and I'll do another in Indianapolis next week. And every workshop, I get the privilege of listening to conversations - honest, raw, vulnerable conversations - on what it feels like to be a minority in a majority world. To be told that you aren’t qualified enough to be here. To have people overlook you. To be excluded from mentoring, from social interaction with leaders. To laugh at jokes that aren’t funny to you. To have people never visit the neighborhood you live in. Never be interested in learning about the activities that you participate in. Workplaces where you have to work even harder than everyone else just to be noticed. Where you have to be exceptional, all the time, to just be considered qualified. And no matter how hard we work, there is always a glass, bamboo, and frankly, an unbreakable concrete ceiling, that says, “Here and no further. That is where you will stay.”
Why do we need Black History Month? Oh, my friends, for a lot of reasons. But we also need it because for one month a year, we get to unapologetically celebrate Black stories. We get to unapologetically celebrate being our Black selves. Our histories, our food, our music, our cultures. We are here and we have always been here. Because our stories matter. Our lives matter.
If you are Black, I hope you have reveled in it this month. The freedom and the joy. And if you are not Black, I hope you have dedicated yourself to learning about stories of lives that you may not have chosen to learn about. Stories that might be a bit harder to find. Music that you have to actively seek out. Truths that might be uncomfortable to listen to. Narratives that don’t have easy endings. Stories that matter too. If you haven’t started yet, you have the rest of this year to catch up. So get to it. Happy Black History Month, everyone.
Do the work
This week, I commit to actively listen to Black voices and stories, taking the time to seek out and engage with diverse perspectives through literature, art, music, and social media, as well as amplifying Black voices by elevating their stories and experiences.
Spread the word
Amplifying Voices. Raising Awareness. Taking Action.
If you want to keep going
The Balancing Act: How to Find Authenticity,
Belonging, and Success at Work
Join me in my latest program, designed to support in navigating the modern workplace's complexities, embracing their true authentic selves, and fostering a culture that promotes inclusivity and success for us all. In today's fast-paced and continuously evolving environment, it can be challenging to maintain our individuality while still fitting into organizational culture and achieving our goals and objectives.
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