Listening is an Art of Learning: Honoring Black History Month

I see many posts on how organizations are celebrating Black History Month. I've also had some in my network reach out and ask (a little uncomfortably) whether they should do anything (and if so, what to do.) Ultimately, every approach needs to be tailored to an organization's values. At Arabella Advisors, consistent with our learning posture, led by our black colleagues, in the spirit of learning what we don't yet know, and trying to create connections in our eleventh month of remote work operations, we have been sharing daily facts about Black History Month and we have also used that time to educate ourselves about that which we don't yet know. As we continue our DEI journey, we formally recognize racial caucusing as a means for racial groups to discuss topics important to them, address the impact of racism, and create space for healing. These Black History Month posts were suggested by members of the Black Caucus as one of the many ways to celebrate this special month. While it can be viewed as a small thing that Arabella does to recognize racial caucuses, it is a big first step in becoming a multicultural and anti-racist organization. A lot of organizations talk about advancing DEI, but stall when taking these small (and big) steps. This past week, we learned that:

• The celebration of Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,” which was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher. It became a month-long celebration in 1976. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
• Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the House of Representatives. She was elected in 1968 and represented the state of New York. She broke ground again four years later in 1972 when she was the first major party African American candidate and the first female candidate for president of the United States. After 49 years since she ran for president, the spirit of Shirley Chisholm lives on. While she did not become president of the United States (yet), Kamala Harris became the first woman of African and Indian descent to become vice president in 2021. These firsts shall not be the last.
• We learned that all three of the contributors above were members of historically Black Greek letter organizations. There are nine historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs) that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Collectively, these organizations are referred to as "The Divine Nine." Each of the 9 NPHC organizations evolved during a period when African Americans were being denied essential rights and privileges afforded to others. Racial isolation on predominantly white campuses and social barriers of class on all campuses created a need for African Americans to align themselves with other individuals sharing common goals and ideals. 
• According to Dr. Sulayman Nyang, former professor Chairman of African Studies at Howard University and a Muslim from Gambia, the first large influx of Black Muslims in the Americas were enslaved Africans. It is estimated that 1/3 of enslaved Africans were brought to the US were Muslim. Today, American Muslims are the most diverse faith group in the country. There are approximately 5 million Muslims in the United States today and Black Muslims account for a fifth of that amount. A 2019 Vox article explains that Black Americans began to largely embrace Islam in the 1920s and 30s partially in response to the radical dislocation and racism they experienced prior to and during the Great Migration. During this period many organizations were created to promote Islam as a lost part of Black heritage and those organizations would later strongly influence the Black Power and Civil Rights movements. You can read more about the connection of Islam, Black Power, and Civil Rights here

I'm grateful to my colleagues, Jen Marie, Myron, Kim, Rashidat, Makkah, Tasha, Rod, Anthony and many others, for continuing to invest their time and energy into educating those of us (like me) who still have so much to learn.

In the spirit of sustained learning, I hope you'll join us for an upcoming webinar with. There is still time to register! I hope you can join us! https://bit.ly/3jigcet #philanthropy #socialimpactListen