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✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: BOOK RECOMMENDATION 📚 Would you consider reading a remarkable children’s book to become a more informed citizen? "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" was written by Nikole Hannah-Jones(@NikoleHannahJones), creator of The 1619 Project, and and Renée Watson (@harlemportland), a New York Times best-selling author. It’s a picture book filled from cover to cover with beautifully illustrated scenes by Black artist/activist @Nikkolas_Smith. His art is intended to spark conversations around social justice and inspire positive change in the world. "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" is framed by a homework assignment on family origins given to a young African American girl. She tries to do the assignment but becomes stuck tracing her family history any further back than three generations. It falls to her grandmother to share the history of her family prior to that, and it’s Grandma’s story that fills the pages of the book. Grandma starts her family’s story over 400 years ago calling to mind what life was like before slavery. Hannah-Jones and Watson write the grandmother’s words and effectively weave a vivid tapestry of culture stolen and heritage interrupted. By keeping the focus on a specific small group strangers kidnapped near the same time and shipped to Virginia, the reader is reminded that those who were kidnapped were humans thriving in their families, thriving in community, and embedded in their own culture. The authors accurately identify the kidnappers and slave owners as white people. And I realize this could cause some of you to become defensive, but it’s the truth. And it’s a truth we must face if we are ever to move beyond the racism baked into our society. We are grownups. It’s time. I read this book to my husband this morning, and as I expected, it included information we were never taught in public school. There comes a point in our lives where we have to take responsibility for filling in the gaps of our education—especially around the history of our own country. Being educated in public school meant we learned a white-washed history intended to instill a sense of patriotism and pride. This was accomplished not o

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: LOVING VS. STATE OF VIRGINIA ❤️ "Mildred Delores Loving (née Jeter; July 22, 1939 – May 2, 2008) and her husband Richard Perry Loving (October 29, 1933 – June 29, 1975) were an American married couple who were the plaintiffs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia (1967). The Lovings were criminally charged with interracial marriage under a Virginia statute banning such marriages, and were forced to leave the state to avoid being jailed. They moved to Washington, DC, but wanted to return to their home town. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), they filed suit to overturn the law. In 1967 [The year I was born!], the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, striking down the Virginia statute and all state anti-miscegenation* laws as unconstitutional, for violating due process and equal protection of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment." Miscegenation: Sexual relationships or reproduction between people of different ethnic groups, especially when one of them is White. From the ACLU website: Few cases were more aptly named than Loving v. Virginia, which pitted an interracial couple – 17-year-old Mildred Jeter, who was black, and her childhood sweetheart, 23-year-old white construction worker, Richard Loving – against Virginia's 'miscegenation' laws banning marriage between blacks and whites. After marrying in Washington, D.C. and returning to their home state in 1958, the couple was charged with unlawful cohabitation and jailed. The Lovings left Virginia and went to live with relatives in Washington, D.C. When they returned to visit family five years later, they were arrested for traveling together. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Mildred Loving wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for help. The couple was referred to the ACLU, which represented them in the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia (1967). The Court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional. Sources: "Miscegenation definition": https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ "Mildred and Richard Loving." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. "LOVING: Looking Back at the Landmark Ca

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: HISTORY IN THE MAKING 🏈 I LOVE American football! And today's game is the biggest game of the year: the Super Bowl. And for the first time ever, the starting quarterback on each team is Black. Of course, I'm rooting for the @Chiefs, because (1) I went to seminary in Kansas City when Joe Montana played for them ... which was huge for me, a 49ers Faithful fan from California, and (2) Patrick Mahomes. <-- need I say more? Seriously, though. TWO Black quarterbacks. And I'm here for all of it. No matter who wins, this is a win for the Black community. And, honestly, I enjoy watching @NFL football now more than ever because the messaging during the game is so meaningful. For example: When networks show the end zone, you see the words "STOP RACISM" and if you look really closely at the back of the players' helmets, you'll see one of six messages: "“End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” “It Takes All of Us,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Inspire Change” and “Say Their Stories.” So. Good. To read more about this historic match-up, you can read the article on @NPR. I'll put a link in my bio. #SuperBowlLVII #gochiefs #SuperBowlSunday #RoadToSB57 #SuperBowlParty #ChampionshipSunday #SuperBowlWeekend #BigGameLVII #PatrickMahomes #MahomesMagic #ShowtimeMahomes #RunItBackMahomes #ChiefsKingdom #stopracism #justice #equality #civilrights #humanrights #freedom #diversitymatters #blacklivesmatter #culturalawareness #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM #CelebrateBlackHistory #AfricanAmericanHistory #BlackExcellence #BlackLegacy #BlackVoicesMatter #BlackCultureMatters

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: GRAPHIC ARTIST & SPEAKER RECOMMENDATION 🎨 I've been following Danielle Coke Balfour (@ohhappydani) for the past few years. I found her one day when I was browsing the Instagram search feed, and that was that. She's definitely a kindred spirit. Her work is encouraging, enlightening, and lovely. Danielle is a designer turned illustrator, advocate, speaker, and entrepreneur. She’s the founder of Oh Happy Dani®, a lifestyle brand and educational platform that uses artwork and resources to encourage hope, inspire justice, and make complex ideas more accessible. Driven by her desire to help folks like you and me to do good daily, Dani regularly shares original illustrations with compelling thoughts and insights about hope, empathy, and justice. And I think it's really cool that @Target carries an entire line of planners, calendars, canvas art, and more! Everything Danielle creates is driven by her love for people and her passion for equity and justice in the world. To have a little more love, light, and thoughtful insights in your Instagram feed, why not follow @ohhappydani! You won't regret it. ** Besides, I hear she's got a big announcement coming soon that you will NOT want to miss. #BlackIllustrator #ohhappydani #SupportBlackArtists #Target #targetcreative #BHM #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymatters #blackhistory2023 #africanamerican #melaninmatters #JusticeThroughArt #EquityArt #BlackWomanArtist #ArtForSocialJustice #ChampioningEquity #BlackArtMatters #ArtisticActivism #WomenOfColorArtists #ArtForEquality #EmpoweringArt #BlackFemaleArtistry #SociallyConsciousArt #BlackWomanSpeaker #EmpoweredBlackWoman #BlackWomenLead #AuthenticBlackVoice #BlackWomenEmpowerment #SpeakingTruthToPower #BlackGirlMagicSpeaker

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS RECOMMENDATION 👕 The other day, I was hosting @KishshanaPalmer for a seminar on "Leading Well" in the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, and she was wearing the sweatshirt in the photo below. It says, "I'm just out here doing all the things" and "Philippians 4:13." I HAD to find out where she got it because I need one. 😊 This specific sweatshirt (see photo) is based on a very familiar Bible verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The verse is both a promise and a commitment and a reminder that we can do hard things. I love it! Renee, founder of @AMeaningfulMood, is a mom, entrepreneur, and "proud believer." She has built this business on her core values of encouragement, inspiration, faith, positivity, and excellence. It is her prayer that "God would use me as a vessel to share His word and His love. That God's will for my life and business be done, all for His glory." They have 200+ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews, and I can't wait to get my shirt. You can follow A Meaningful Mood here on Instagram or check out their quality products on their site. I'll put a link in my bio. #BuyBlack #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackOwned #BlackOwnedBusiness #ShopBlack #SupportBlackOwned #BlackEntrepreneur #BlackBusiness #BlackExcellence #BlackEconomicEmpowerment #BlackWealth #BlackSuccess #BlackCommunity #BlackBusinessOwner #BlackGirlMagic #BlackCreators #BlackInBusiness #BlackInnovation #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM #BlackVoicesMatter #BlackCultureMatters #ChristianBusiness #ChristianEntrepreneur #FaithandBusiness #FaithinBusiness #BiblicalEntrepreneurship #KingdomBusiness #ChristianLeadership #ChristianCreatives

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: PODCAST SERIES RECOMMENDATION 🎧 In 2017, immediately following the inauguration of the 45th President, the host of the "Scene on Radio" podcast (@cdsduke) produced a 17-episode series called "Seeing White." The goal of the series was to explore what it means to be White. You might be wondering why I would recommend a podcast called "Seeing White" during Black History Month, so allow me to explain... To describe the series as "eye-opening" is an understatement. Hosted by Professor John Biewen (Duke) and his special guest Professor Chenjerai Kumanyika (Clemson), "Seeing White" educated me on topics and history I didn't know I needed to know. I'm convinced that in order for a White American to truly appreciate Black History, we need to have a more broad knowledge of US history (not just what we were taught in school), and we must see color. Not just Black or Brown. We need to see White. And not just see it, but understand it--what does it mean to be White? Why did lawmakers construct "race" in the first place? How was it baked into our systems and structures? If science deems race biologically meaningless, why are we still talking about it? This podcast series will make you think. And that's a good thing. Highly, highly, highly recommended. You can listen on iTunes or on their website. I'll put a link in my bio. #Podcast #podcasts #podcastshow #podcastlove #podcastaddict #PodcastJunkie #podcastinglife #sceneonradio #sceneonradiopodcast #whiteness #racism #slavery #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymatters #blackhistory2023 #africanamerican #melaninmatters #socialgospel #ushistory #unitedstates #sceneonradio #seeingwhite #seeingwhitepodcast #johnbiewen #drchenjerai #diversitymatters #historymatters

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: BOOK RECOMMENDATION 📚 This book is not about pie, but you might want to eat a slice of pie while you read it! My friend, William T. Lewis, Sr., has given us a rare gift in Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race. The book is a personal, insightful, empathetic look at race and allyship from both Black and White perspectives. A gifted storyteller, Dr. Lewis invites us on a walk down memory lane where he gently weaves together his experiences growing up and “adulting” Black while highlighting the history of structural racism and its stronghold in modern America. In addition to his own story, the author includes a number of candid interviews he conducted with White friends and colleagues who open up about their own racial awakening. "Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie" was written for one sole purpose: to help the reader facilitate empathetic conversations. You can it as a springboard to have brave conversations about race with your friends, family, colleagues, or small group. There are questions at the end of each chapter to help you get the conversation going. It's so good. I hope you'll take the time to read it. Link in bio. @latasha_barr_lewis