Have you followed the story of Nkole Hannah-Jones? Nikole announced in July 2021, that she was declining an offer of tenure from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and has accepted a Knight Chair Appointment at Howard University. This, after unfair treatment at UNC. If you have not had the opportunity to understand in depth what occurred, I encourage you to read the full account. If you are unfamiliar with Nikole, she won a Pulitzer Prize for The 1619 Project. The 1619 Project is a reframing of American history that placed slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. It helps explain not only the persistence of anti-Black racism and inequality in American life today, but also the roots of so much of what makes the country unique.
"I've spent my entire life proving that I belong in elite white spaces that were not built for Black people. I decided I didn't want to do that anymore. Black professionals should feel free, and actually perhaps an obligation, to go to our own institutions and bring our talents and resources to our own institutions and help to build them up as well.” - Hannah-Jones (Interview with CBS)
Let this further motivate us with urgency to the call for unwavering commitment to a racial reckoning and justice. We know that answering this call will require the hard work of dismantling systems steeped in white supremacy. The Wintersgroup recently published Operationalizing Justice: A Checklist for Change for folks committed to facilitating and leading change by centering and operationalizing justice across organizations. They include action steps for each of the following areas:
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Individual action and allyship
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Repairing harm
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Workplace culture
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Doing the work
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Policies and practices
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Health and wellness
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Leadership
I also recommend Mary-Frances Winters’ book, Black Fatigue, to include in your next “must read” list. This book is a resource for everyone looking for ways to heal, learn and have productive conversations about racial injustice and trauma. It also tells the truth of how racism erodes the mind, body and spirit.
Published: July 2021
Author: Angie Stewart
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Lead and Facilitator Engagement Program Manager
Organizational Learning