COMMUNITY INFLUENCER

I struggle sharing my thoughts and feelings about things I haven’t figured out yet. I can spill my guts if God’s brought me to the other side. If there has been a victory of some sort. But I’m noticing when I’m smack dab in the middle of the darkness, I don’t share and I don’t ask for help. That’s control. That’s self righteousness. Maybe even pride. All silent killers and self limiting.

Sidni asked me a poignant question the very first time I met her. Why do you have to invite me to the table? I was taken aback. I had just met her. A mutual friend introduced us in passing. She said we should know each other. We chatted quickly about what we do. I learned she was in the business of gaining capital and building capacity for minority businesses. I worked for a big company that had a reputation for community building and philanthropy.

When I moved to Baton Rouge in the early 90’s and learned more about the East Baton Rouge Schools desegregation case, I was dumbfounded. This was the longest running desegregation case in U.S. history. I can remember watching local news stories about black students waking up extremely early to be bused across town to attend a white school. I thought that was stupid. In my experience, school was school. Why would you take a kid out of their neighborhood and place them in a school where they are the minority? What’s the purpose?