Remembering the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on August 28, 1963

1. We still have more work to do

We mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on August 28, 1963. The famous "I Have a Dream" speech resonates like a cymbal that calls us to have a similar dream today. We must continue to work until the work is done.?

There is more work to do, and we must show up for it. We cannot in good conscience accept the fallacy that the work is done because we are no longer segregated. We still need to work on fair wages and economic justice, voting rights, education, and long-overdue inclusion by creating equity to reach true equality. There is more work to do, and we (all of us) can do this work #together.

2. Indicators of a bigger problem

I ask that we see things as they are, not as we want them to be. We have not yet arrived at a place of equity and true inclusion. The recent hate crimes are not the only indicators of racism and supremacy. They are, of course, the most painful indicators because innocent lives are unjustifiably lost. I urge each of us to reflect, observe, understand, and see the systemic issues that still cause disparate treatment and disparate impact in the lives of fellow humans. Let us objectively look around us and ask, is my circle a representation of true inclusion??

3. Let's be mindful of our blind spots

I recently saw a comment from a historic nomination where the person stated that the nomination to this position was a critical indicator that barriers no longer exist for minorities. This opinion, although well intended, blinds us to understand that although minorities can succeed, they do not pay the same price of admission... and that's the real issue. Not the ability to succeed individually, but the barriers to success that are exclusively present because of the systemic issues within large systems. Systems that were not created with inclusion in mind. The issue is not that the majority succeeds; the issue is that minorities pay a different admission price to do so because they are navigating a system that was not created with them in mind.

4. We get to recalibrate our sights:?

The fact that I was the first Full Time Support (FTS) Culinary Specialist, female, and minority to make the highest enlisted rank (Master Chief, E-9) shouldn't prevent me from seeing the real issue. The issue is that this accomplishment happened less than eight years ago after many well-deserving women couldn't be the first to reach this position. The reason for this disparate impact was the barriers placed by that implicit requirement that one must be a Leading Petty Officer at sea to be promoted to Chief. The FTS ships, for years, couldn't take women at sea because sleeping accommodations for ships were designed by the dominant population, which, back in the day, were all males. The organization was not prohibiting women's access; the constraints were provided by the lack of sleeping quarters for women and the human bias that being a leader at sea was required to promote.?

I want to be clear this is an example of barriers, not a conviction of wrongdoing. This example clearly depicts disparate impact vs. disparate treatment, which had the same results. In the end, deserving minority female candidates did not have access to rooms in all-male ships, so they were not afforded leadership positions at sea, which inhibited their promotion. This is not said to diminish progress; it is a blameless analysis to understand the root cause. This type of analysis is necessary even if the system didn't negatively impact us directly.

5. Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable

Undoubtedly, we made progress daily. We work on being more open-minded. Yet, an ugly covert truth is plaguing us when it comes to minorities and how they are viewed in our society. The secret prejudicial thought questions whether minorities belong in specific spaces. This thought is part of the supremacy construct. Just because we are not segregated by law doesn't mean we are inclusive.

Supremacy is present in our systems, the way we think and feel, which ultimately affects how we treat others. Some of us are driven by our socialization experience and, by default, complicit and have become gatekeepers of systems that are not inclusive. This is where our work should begin. We must see things as they are and see our role in it. From there, we can powerfully choose to do something different to drive actual change.

6. The ugly truth said it loud

Let's not ignore that racial attacks are present in our society. For example, racially motivated killings happened in Jacksonville, Florida. A little over a year ago, Buffalo, NY, also suffered the loss of life due to racial hate. Six years ago, the United Right Rally lost a life in Charlottesville, VA. 2015, the Church shooting in Charleston, SC, ended with racially motivated killings. In all these instances, the perpetrators were young. Their actions show the perpetuation of supremacy beliefs over time. This is not a game of blaming individuals (although the perpetrators need to be held accountable for their actions) but understanding systems perpetuating supremacy beliefs. These beliefs must be identified and dismantled to ensure sustainable cultural change that supports inclusion and ends this cycle of hate crimes, discrimination, exclusion, and injustice.?

7. Call to action

We are all members of society and citizens of a country for which the Declaration of Independence states: All men are created equal. To get to equality, we must be inclusive and provide access. To provide access, we must assess if equity is needed and, if so, provide it.

This is not about robbing Peter to pay Paul. This is about ensuring the existing systems consider diversity and address the inequities so that we all can have equal access. We cannot tell someone to "pull themselves by their bootstraps" when they cannot access shoes or if the system only allows them to flip-flop. Together, we can drive change.?Let's get to work together.