Juneteenth: Why We Must Fight Forward
Sheri Lynn Fella
Emancipation. Liberation. Equality. Belonging. 4 words. 4 threads of hope still out of reach for too many. The past year has brought into clear light the work we still have ahead to not only touch these 4 words for ALL, but to actually LIVE them for ALL. I find myself wanting to feel my own hope that we will reach these, and all too often I cannot find it – I cannot see its impact. And yet we fight forward . . .we must.
A Spark of a Start
This Juneteenth we are at least talking more openly and widely about the lack of equality and belonging. The number of us that accept that we as a nation have severe, deep crevasses that must be repaired and healed is at least growing. The essential requirement that we as white-skinned people have to own the work of this repair and healing has at least been revealed and is at least starting to be owned by those of us in seats of power. So, I am trying to find hope in the “at least”, and I know it isn’t enough. It is a spark of a start, and as a nation, we need a wildfire to burn a new path of belonging ahead.
Sitting by the Riverwalk in Reno preparing for my client week ahead, I do feel hope. Hope in the human spirit. As Annette Gordon-Reed shares in her book On Juneteenth, “Juneteenth was never about commemorating a delayed Proclamation, but about celebrating a people’s enduring spirit.”
I choose to embrace that spirit and the hope that it will build on the “at least” and push us toward more progress. I choose to fight forward by influencing the leaders I touch, by committing myself to my own actions and learning, and by challenging my team to do the same. The reality is that freedom is an idea, not a reality.
For freedom to become a reality, we all must have an opportunity to live it and sadly we are not close to that reality. The painful legacy of slavery and the current reality of its existence is ever-present. Changing our current state requires that each of us continue to build climates around us that are inclusive and that invite belonging for all. As leaders, we have an incredible responsibility and opportunity for change. We can lead the path to a new beginning, a new chapter that moves that idea of freedom closer to reality.
The Challenge of Juneteenth
Look around your homes and offices. What are you witnessing? What are you hearing? How are you exploring the experience through the eyes and reality of everyone around you? How might you create a climate that is even more inclusive? How do the people that look different than you experience the climate you create as a leader?
Curiosity is the bridge to understanding. And understanding is the key to transformative change. This is true for all change, not just freedom, but as leaders, we have a particular skill to apply here. We have the opportunity to speed up the “at leasts” and move them into sustainable practices that have a positive impact on all. This Juneteenth I challenge all leaders to use the powerful levers of reflection and curiosity with your teams. To explore where new understanding might open up new levels of belonging.
And this year, may we all not only fly the Juneteenth flag as recognition of the undeniable importance of our history but may its symbolism inspire us all to fight forward . . . to stay focused on the reach for freedom and the new chapter of belonging ahead.
The spirit of Juneteenth is captured by a flag developed by the National Juneteenth Observation Foundation. According to its creator, Ben Haith, the flag’s bursting star and the colors of red, white, and blue symbolize freedom and a new beginning for African Americans.
