Center Left HR – The LCR

My Reaction to the Storming of Capitol Hill

One of the things I’ve found really interesting about the events of the last year is that feeling of “what now?” that seemed to be ever-present. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse or even in those brief moments when we got the opportunity to take a deep breath or a sigh of relief, there was a consistent dark cloud figuratively looming overhead.

Now, on a day when we’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the impending Senate flip, we’re reminded that it ain’t over yet. It’s infuriating to see people, who had their fingers pointed during the fight for Black and Brown lives, storm the Capitol in the name of being sore losers.

I am mind boggled at the fact that they were able to enter the walls of the Capitol building without even the threat of a rubber bullet or tear gas. Where was this calm when people were genuinely and peacefully seeking justice?

I’m appalled at the lax reaction from people watching this all unfold and I hope the actions of these thugs force those who have been silent to hold up a mirror to themselves and audit their inactions that have emboldened these domestic terrorists. These hooligans have identified themselves, and we as a country have to decide how we are going to proceed.

No more standing by idle. It is time for action. It is time to make our stance clear. We cannot continue to be passive. We must continue to disempower the system of bigotry and hate that has fueled this country for so long. Enough is enough!

Second Time’s a Charm?

When Kamala Harris made her run for the Democratic Nomination for President, I was very skeptical. I was skeptical and openly questioned her background and her experience as a Prosector.

After she dropped out of the race, I took a step back to look at all the media coverage she received. I was really disappointed with how I handled my scrutiny of her. While it’s absolutely fair to share opinions on a political candidate, I for some reason held her to a higher standard than I did some of the other options. Not because I didn’t want to see her win but because as a Black woman myself, I couldn’t wrap my head around some of her decisions. Kamala was bullied by the media and while that certainly won’t stop now that she’s Biden’s VP pick, I can say with confidence that I will not be a part of the onslaught this time. While I definitely do not agree with some of her decisions in the past, I believe that she is a capable and promising addition to Biden’s campaign. My only hope now is that she be used as an asset and not a pawn.

Similar Read: The Woman for the Job

Don’t Question My Love, I Didn’t Have a Choice

The interracial dating debate is alive and well. Can you be pro-Black and in an interracial relationship? I’ve seen so many pieces on the matter and to be honest, they all make me cringe a little. Some less than others, but there isn’t one post I’ve seen that I could get 100% on board with.

You see, I’m a Black woman who is married to a European White guy (I distinguish the difference because he makes it a point to do so, but that’s an article for another day). I was raised by a strong Black mother and father who supplied me with the same “you have to be twice as good as your White counterpart to be considered equal” speech that just about all Pro-Black parents give their kids. For college, I only considered going to an HBCU because after seeing my sister’s experience at Spelman, I knew I needed something similar to really understand who I am as a Black woman in America. I say all of that to say that I’ve been conscious my whole life.

Eventually, I met my husband. We were co-workers and friends. I always thought he was such a cool guy and we had so much in common. But never once did I consider the possibility of dating him simply because he wasn’t wrapped in the same brown skin that I have. After two years of knowing each other and him occasionally asking me out and getting turned down, I finally agreed to a date. I figured I’d go watch this movie with him to prove that there could be nothing beyond friendship between us. Now, it’s 10 years later and we’ve been happily married almost 5 years.

After that date, there really wasn’t a choice for me. I knew then that I loved him. I mean, we had already grown a really strong friendship to this point. Getting the opportunity to spend quality time with him alone really showed me that I was cheating myself out of an opportunity. And for what? Because this amazingly caring, funny, handsome, charming man wasn’t born a Black man?

So back to my issue with the think pieces on interracial dating. Of course, there are people who choose to date outside of their race because that’s just their preference. Or maybe they just don’t want to limit themselves to one race and prefer to keep their options open. But for most of us, just like same race couples, we didn’t have a choice about who we fell in love with and that’s what’s missing from so many of these articles I’ve seen. I’m glad so many people were able to contextualize the conversation so well; but honestly, it’s not that deep. The heart wants what the heart wants. When you meet someone and start falling in love with them, race doesn’t matter. I simply followed my heart to happiness and I highly recommend that everyone do the same!

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Diversity in Recruiting, Pt. I

Last June, an article was published by The Root naming Black women the most educated group in the US. That’s something to celebrate, right? Well, yes. Except the article then went on to say that in a recent study, black women were found to make up only 8% of private sector jobs and less than 2% of leadership roles. How is it possible that black women are proving to be highly educated, but are still having trouble with representation in Corporate America? Is this an issue that is only affecting black women? I think it’s fair to say that there are many educated black men as well as other minorities and even veterans who can relate to the job market hustle.

Applying for a job is no easy task. You have to research the company in order to write a decent, personalized cover letter, check all your LinkedIn connections to see if anyone has a connection to help you get a foot in the door, make sure your resume or CV reflects the needs of the company, etc. After all of that, you send your application in hoping to at least receive confirmation that it was received. Then, you have to start all over and do the same thing for the next company. It can be really draining. Imagine doing that for weeks or months on end with no hope of even getting a job interview.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a hiring manager sends out a job description to their network of colleagues and associates who then recommends candidates from their own network. Many times, those networks are built from college and professional organizations. If the college or professional organization is not diverse, you’re essentially going to get a carbon copy of what you already have.

Ideas are born from the combination of your education and experience. If everyone has the same educational background and similar life experiences, how can new and innovative ideas be formed? It takes bringing people from different backgrounds and different walks of life, aka diversity, to make businesses thrive.

How can an organization foster diversity? By breaking out into new worlds unexplored. There are so many professional organizations that are geared towards minority groups. Find them. There are many universities that have Black student associations. Establish a relationship. Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse, etc. are producing some of the top college graduates in the country. Go there and recruit. It takes effort.

We’ve all been told that hard work pays off. That’s one of those quotes that I believe to be true. Putting in the work to diversify your work environment is definitely one of the jobs worth the effort. Not only does hiring more diversely drive innovation and creativity, but you’re also likely to capture more market share. Having a diverse staff means your company knows how to communicate and connect with different cultures, and eventually convert them into customers. By increasing diversity, you could essentially be increasing your company’s financial performance.

It is now 2017 and it’s time that we stop talking about making things more diverse and just do it. Systematic differences, which negatively impact minorities, have been in place since the dawn of this country, but it’s clear that many of us are excelling regardless. Will the hard work of those individuals pay off? I definitely hope so, but it’s hard to achieve success without opportunity. The time for sharing those opportunities is now.

“Patriotism Is A Dirty Word”

When I was asked to define my patriotism, I initially laughed. I honestly can’t tell you the reason I laughed other than realizing the word patriotism makes me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t really explain why. Then I thought about it, and I remember when I officially broke up with patriotism.

Back in August 2016, NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem before a game. Social media was going nuts, and I remember seeing a post on my timeline about Kaepernick being a coward and a disgrace. The post went on to say that Kaepernick’s actions were basically a spit in the face to true patriots like Pat Tillman. To refresh your memory, Pat Tillman was the military vet who turned down an NFL contract to enlist in the military after 9/11.

Please don’t get me wrong. I have so much respect for the women and men of the military. Anyone who is willing to take the chance and sacrifice their life and the life of their family to defend others deserves our utmost respect. They put their own wellbeing in the hands of a government they individually may or may not agree with; yet, they follow orders to protect our lives. That’s amazing.

However, I also think it’s amazing that someone like Colin Kaepernick is willing to put his own well-being on the line for a cause that was sensationalized, and then ignored. The Black Lives Matter movement was like a pawn to the media. They used it for clicks and views and then when the story died down, they moved on to the next. Kaepernick was using his platform to bring awareness in the simplest way and now he’s not only out of a job, but they called him names and belittled his character. All because he didn’t stand for a song that is itself racist! (Reference to Francis Scott Key and the third stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner.)

I don’t think patriotism is an inclusive word. Patriotism in my mind is the nemesis of progress. I recently heard someone call Mitch McConnell a patriot, and that honestly made me laugh out loud. Is this the same Mitch McConnell who was considered an obstructionist during the Obama administration? If you ask me, he should be the face of patriotism.

Now I know why my face twists up when I hear the word patriotism. It’s because the examples I’ve seen of patriotism are always used to belittle someone who’s trying to make progress. It’s kind of like a dirty word. I could also just be one of those millennials. You know… the ones who don’t like to be labeled or put into a box. It’s not that I hate the word; I’m just ambivalent about it. Instead of celebrating the Patriots, I’ll celebrate the humanitarians, the people who put others first. That seems more American to me.

Similar Read: American Democracy: A Paradox