I received this email and... I struggled with it, to be honest. That struggle isn't unique to this group/email, but has been something I consistently observe, especially post-election.
My struggle and reflection is this, "When will we give Black people the space to think and feel differently from one another, while still being in community?"
The first sentence starts with, "The 2024 Presidential Election results were disappointing." It is a statement of fact and it suggests that everyone supportive of the work of Black Tech Pipeline agrees. Even some who voted for the Democratic candidate don't necessarily feel "disappointed" or have a need to "grieve." And, there are some who support Black Tech Pipeline while voting for someone other than the Dem nominee. The author didn't express that the results were disappointing for them (individually, which I could appreciate) or leave room for others to feel differently.
Then, the post goes on to say, "The need for platforms and organizations like ours wouldn't exist if companies and corporations were naturally and eagerly committed to balanced diversity, like the world we live in." To that I offer another perspective. Too often we are expecting companies to behave in a way that we don't behave individually or as a group -- committed to diversity. If we, as a community, truly value diversity, belonging and inclusion, it might start with accepting diversity of thought and perspective in our community and not insisting and assuming that we all feel the same.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. It seems we both care deeply about the Black community and aim to support it in ways we each believe are best, which are different, and that’s okay.
Sending love and hugs at this disappointing time. Thank you for being vulnerable, honest, & using your platform for good. 🫂💕
I received this email and... I struggled with it, to be honest. That struggle isn't unique to this group/email, but has been something I consistently observe, especially post-election.
My struggle and reflection is this, "When will we give Black people the space to think and feel differently from one another, while still being in community?"
The first sentence starts with, "The 2024 Presidential Election results were disappointing." It is a statement of fact and it suggests that everyone supportive of the work of Black Tech Pipeline agrees. Even some who voted for the Democratic candidate don't necessarily feel "disappointed" or have a need to "grieve." And, there are some who support Black Tech Pipeline while voting for someone other than the Dem nominee. The author didn't express that the results were disappointing for them (individually, which I could appreciate) or leave room for others to feel differently.
Then, the post goes on to say, "The need for platforms and organizations like ours wouldn't exist if companies and corporations were naturally and eagerly committed to balanced diversity, like the world we live in." To that I offer another perspective. Too often we are expecting companies to behave in a way that we don't behave individually or as a group -- committed to diversity. If we, as a community, truly value diversity, belonging and inclusion, it might start with accepting diversity of thought and perspective in our community and not insisting and assuming that we all feel the same.
Hi Jyarland,
Thank you for sharing your perspective. It seems we both care deeply about the Black community and aim to support it in ways we each believe are best, which are different, and that’s okay.