Now is the Time!

There is a little unknown fact about me that even some of my closest friends do not know. Not that I tried to hide it, but it was a piece of me that I left behind when I moved from Los Angeles eighteen years ago. It took so much from me…my time, my money, my peace, and a little bit of my soul, yet I cherish it because it was an important part of my life. Lately, I've found that part of me being called upon during these tumultuous times. You see, I’m a trained Community Advocate and PeaceKeeper.

I’ve spent over 6000 hours volunteering, training, speaking, collaborating, planning, marching, writing, calling, protesting, campaigning, and such. I sort of happened into the role when a thought was matched with a Journalist, who took it to a committee, who welcomed it and me with open arms. It was a wonderful and exciting time but draining just the same.

Last week, I hosted two Facebook Lives. One for my white audience and one for my Black and Brown audience, in response to the riots and protests. The decision to be vocal about the current situation, as well as the ongoing oppression of Black and Brown people wasn't easy. It had been tugging at my heart for days because I knew my tribe had questions and I knew that I had answers. However, to be honest, I didn’t want to be pulled back into “that world”. I just wanted to remain safe, sound, and detached. I wanted to wait for others to step up. After all, I had already committed three years of my life to the struggle. 

However, a little over a year ago I agreed to put myself out there as a Life Coach and Public Figure. I'm trained to organize the people, mediate the conversations, and move talk into action. It’s what I do! Likewise, I knew that hiding in my home was a disservice to God and all of his children. “To whom much is given, much is required,” right? This struggle was also my struggle...my children's struggle and will be my grandchildren's struggle if I fail to do what I know is right.

So, I pulled my curly hair back into some sort of conglomerate, put on a nice shirt, and went live. The response on and offline was amazing. I’m still fielding questions from both sides of the fence. Yet the questions are entirely different from my usual questions. The one question that I hear again and again is, “What do I do now?” I think we all are thinking that right now, and it’s a good thing. Protests without action are simply a whole lot of noise.

Look, racism is a thread woven into every system in the United States. You can find it in our government, schools, healthcare, agriculture, banking, sports…I could go on but won’t. Dismantling it is going to take a well thought out plan, tons of cooperation, and a good dose of hutzpah! It’s like untangling Christmas lights. You grab a glass of wine, turn on Bing Crosby, find the end of the cord, and patiently start to unwind. The best thing about it is that everyone can unravel Christmas lights. Just the same, everyone can do something to eradicate racism. EVERYONE!

I find myself in this very unusual spot, mixing my advocacy work with my life as a Life Coach. The tone has changed and the concerns of my clientele are taking a turn towards how they are showing up in the global community. In lieu of asking, "How can I get that promotion at work?", they ask me to help them to be a better human and to show up more significantly for the movement. I am reminded daily that I was created for a time such as this and so I rise to the occasion. I know that my discomfort is temporary.

What is your role in this revolution?

What have you been created to do?

Take time to find the answers...it just may be the most important thing you've ever done.

*If you are struggling with ways to address racism within your organization, as well as make equitable and meaningful change, contact me directly at [email protected].