Black History Month

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By: Cat Cuevas, Senior Director, People and Culture

This year’s Black History Month theme is resistance. As I reflected on how I would celebrate this year, here’s what came to mind.

First, I made time to reflect on the areas I’m still resistant to exploring racism in myself either because they are uncomfortable or unconscious, unknown to me. I contemplated questions like:

How can I better understand my relationship to supremacy and racism?
How does racism show up within myself and how does it impact me on a daily basis?
At what points, with which topics or under what circumstances do race conversations get uncomfortable for me?
When I discover resistance in myself, what is the healing I actually need?

Second, I spent time learning more about the long history (and current reality) of Black leaders who work to resist racism and shape a world of more belonging.

How are you celebrating Black History Month?

If the answer doesn’t come easily for you, that’s a great place to start your reflection. Before jumping to ask google how to celebrate, ask yourself how this came to be? “How did I come to a place of not knowing how to celebrate Black History Month, or how to resist racism?”

It’s not for lack of ideas or Black community members telling allies what is needed. It’s not from a lack of available information.

Consider it’s because of a lack of relationship and connection. What is your relationship to your Black neighbors and colleagues? To Black excellence, joy, innovations, history and leaders?

What is it within yourself that makes you resist connecting?

This Black History Month choose to resist isolation, disconnection and indifference. Take one step every day that builds connection and belonging.