Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise and Make a Difference

02 Feb Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise and Make a Difference

Musings of a COVID-19 Baby

When pondering my contribution to the next Voices of the 21st Century book, it didn’t take me long to decide to tell a story in voice of my young grandson, Cairo. He was born in March 2020 just as the pandemic was spreading throughout the world—as mask-wearing, social distancing, staying at home become the norm. He was born shortly before the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. He was born into a world where his home country was being plagued by two viruses, one biological and the other systemic.

Cairo

The decision to write my story through Cairo’s voice was prompted by a question my daughter asked me as she prepared for a Black Lives Matter march in Pittsburgh shortly after George Floyd’s death. She, her sister, and a cousin represented the third family generation of protesting for the same thing—our birthright and privilege to exist in the skin in which we were born. As the realization seeped in, she asked if I thought Cairo would someday have to march in protest for his birthright.

That moment prompted my decision to use my work as an antiracism platform on behalf of Cairo and my other grandson, Zane, who is now thirteen years old. I developed two streams of work through an antiracism lens. The first is my story in Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise and Make a Diifference, entitled “Musings of a Covid-19 Baby.”

In the story Cairo describes himself as a “melanized baby boy born into a world plagued simultaneously by two viruses—one biological, one systemic. Both have the potential to end my life prematurely, to cause me irreparable harm, or to otherwise kill my dreams and aspirations.” He goes on to say, “I was born into a resilient family where they all look at me—even when I struggle to crawl and walk as babies do—and see so much more in me than meets the worldly eye.” The story is written as an indictment against the forces of a racialized society that has the potential to harm rather than nurture based on the color of one’s skin.

Social Impact Mastermind

The second stream of work I developed is Social Impact Mastermind: A Transformational Journey Towards Antiracism. This social impact mastermind springs from my belief that cultivating change from within is the transformative power of being human. It is based on the proposition that race is a social construct built from the thoughts, ideas and beliefs lying within the hearts and minds of people. For this reason, overcoming systemic racism and miseducation requires systemic and institutional change coupled with deep introspection and individual transformation. That is, transformation built on a platform of personal accountability and responsibility.

I designed this personal impact mastermind with a white audience in mind. A transformational journey such as this is for those who desire a deeper understanding of themselves and their connection to others in a systemic racialized society. It is appropriate for individuals, organizations, businesses, and intact teams.

Watch my interview with Gail Watson, CEO of Women Speakers Association. Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise and Make a Diifference releases on February 23.