Tuesday Thoughts | 14 February 2023| A Very Special Valentine Thought – Black History Month

Happy Valentine’s Day dear reader, whether this is your first time reading #TuesdayThoughts, or you are an OG reader from back before my weekly musings were a newsletter. I am so honoured to get to share these few minutes with you each week. When I realized that this year Valentines fell on a Tuesday, and (as it does each year) during Black History Month, I knew that I did not want to let this opportunity to frame my thoughts pass me by.

In some ways this post has been bubbling up in my mind since I read Trevor Noah’s 2016 best seller Born a Crime; it’s the point at which I started to reframe in my own mind how I feel about being ethnically ambiguous; thinking not about all the Interracial begetting that got me here as just branches on a family tree, but as times when acts of love overcame real, and at times legal, barriers to create the unique person sitting here typing this week’s newsletter.

Look, I’m not na?ve enough to believe that – especially through the atrocities of slavery – every one of those “connections” was consensual, much less loving; I really don’t know if my 4-times Great-Grandfather John Burke actually loved my long-lost 4-Times Great-Grandmother (I shared my story about her in 17 January’s Small Actions, Big Impact* issue of Tuesday Thoughts); but what I do know is that he kept their Boy (my 3 times Great Grandfather) safe as part of his household (all be it property) until emancipation, and then gifted him sufficient property to secure not just his future, but the futures of generations to come.

One of the most effective salves for self doubt is the knowledge that you are loved, that you matter to people, and that your absence would be felt in ripples were you never to have been here, or were you to leave suddenly. Yes, racialized folks, particularly Black Women (hi) will face oppression and aggression (micro and otherwise), but that doesn’t negate that they are equally, or perhaps in some cases (because more must be overcome) more loved, and thus worthy of each person who meets them taking the time to figure out what makes them unique and special.

There’s a line in the introduction to Part 1 of Born A Crime, Stories from A South African Childhood that I think illustrates the value of taking the time to feel love, and to seek to give love (all be it mostly the platonic kind – govern yourselves accordingly people): “Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all”. We are as they say – stronger together.

Happy Valentine’s Day my loves, you are loved, you are worthy of love, and you are called upon now – through this week’s Call to Action: to look for the reasons that each person you meet is worthy of the love they receive, and to show them the respect that you hope is shown your loved ones as they move through the world. And, BONUS, Call to Action: remember that you too are loved, and worthy of love and respect.

Acts of love, over and over again, through time created each unique person. And, while it is that romantic love that we celebrate each Valentine’s Day, we are also called to respect the outcome of that love that created each of us.

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*Small Actions, Big Impact being aptly named after the subtitle of my book, The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact; by-the-by if you did want to do something for me to mark St. Valentine’s Day, feel free to grab your own copy on Amazon, and use the hashtag #TuesdayThoughtsBook to share your photos when it arrives*

New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of??#TuesdayThoughts?might find interesting, important, or informative;

??Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): There has been a particularly high level of engagement with my post about attending Tête-à-Tête virtually | I was touched when Diana Spadafora shared a photo of her copy of the #TuesdayThoughtsBook

??What to Watch:?Video recap of 2022 in one of my favourite cities - Victoria BC h/t Miranda Ji, CMP | A for-profit mindset for nonprofit success a TED talk from Tolu Oyekan h/t Karen Knight | Leanne Calderwood's call for everyone to start making videos even if it scares you

?? What to Read:?The ultimate single gal (or guy) read today: Why Spending More Time With Friends Should Be Your Top New Year’s Resolution from Chatelaine h/t Kate Mulligan | Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? from Harvard Business Review h/t Carmelina Macario | Righteous Anger from WorkUnScripted by Jennifer Spear (she/her) - it drives me crazy when people micromanage so I've become a more trusting and supportive leader | Why An AMC Is A Great Place To Work from Maddy Madeley in the Redstone Agency Inc. blog

?? What to Do: 3 Nonprofit Growth Quizzes from Brooke Richie-Babbage h/t Cindy Wagman | CSAE Talk Tuesday - Today at 2pm

?? What to Listen To: Inspire Us Podcast episode 100 - What is a Badass and Why should I strive to be one? featuring J. Paul Nadeau | New Podcast from Hope and Me - Mood Disorders Association of Ontario h/t Joel MacLeod

????♀?Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer):?Leadership Opportunities - including Contract ED roles @ AMCES Association Management and Consulting h/t Christine Nielsen - contact Nancy Barrett | MPI Toronto Chapter Volunteer Roles h/t Tammy Bradley BAA, CMP, VEMM | Director, Volunteering @ Institute for Canadian Citizenship | Senior Manager, Government & Public Affairs @ LEGO h/t Nancy MacPherson | Senior Consultant, Asset Specialist @ CIBC h/t Sheryl Dyke

??Take Note:?This Week is Nonprofit Appreciation Week in Ontario, read my post from yesterday with my thoughts | Stuart Knight's New Website

??I am a Certified Association Executive with nearly over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions in Canada's Not-for-Profit Sector; as a College Professor, occasional Speaker, and contributor to blogs, newsletters, and media, I am skilled at using the art of storytelling to explain my ideas and inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics.

??♀?I am also a Certified Organizational Specialist and Practical Minimalist, who happens to have an unhealthy love for Excel Spreadsheets. I don't do this work often, but I am always happy to give a bit of advice if you are struggling.

??Did you know I also paint and draw? I am passionate about the benefits of Adult Colouring, and can create custom colouring sheets for speech and workshop audiences, by request.

Not-for-Profit Consulting Services?(pdf) | Check Out my website?daniellerussell.ca

Join my community, where?I Connect People and Ideas.

Use?#TuesdayThoughts?to share this edition of the Newsletter with your networks. AND, use?#TuesdayThoughtsBook?to share reviews and images when you read?The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact.

LinkedIn?Danielle S. Russell, CAE (she/her)?| Instagram?@danielle.s.russell?| Twitter?@dani__russell?|?YouTube???One Woman Island