What Inclusive Leadership Looks Like in 2025

We’ve talked about inclusive leadership for years—but in 2025, it’s no longer just a buzzword. It’s a requirement.

From corporate boardrooms to community-based nonprofits, the leaders who are making the biggest impact today aren’t necessarily the loudest or the most credentialed. They’re the ones who know how to create space, build trust, and lead with purpose—especially across lines of difference.

So what does inclusive leadership actually look like in 2025?

Based on my work across business, education, and economic development spaces, here are the five traits I see in the most effective inclusive leaders today:

1. Emotional Intelligence > Performative Statements

In 2020, we saw a flood of statements. In 2025, teams want something deeper.
Inclusive leaders are emotionally intelligent. They can read a room, navigate tension with care, and adapt without losing their center. They don’t need to be perfect—they need to be self-aware.

2. Purpose-Driven Clarity

It’s not enough to say you’re committed to equity or inclusion. What does that look like in your strategy? In your hiring? In your spending?
Inclusive leaders have clarity about their purpose, and they align their decisions and metrics to reflect it. The best ones bring their team along for the ride.

3. Cultural Fluency, Not Just “Cultural Fit”

Great leaders in 2025 don’t just expect others to assimilate. They’re fluent in different communication styles, lived experiences, and community contexts.
Whether you’re leading a team of interns or a board of directors, cultural fluency builds bridges—and it builds trust.

4. Power Sharing

True inclusion means knowing when to step back, not just when to step up.
The best leaders I’ve worked with are willing to share credit, shift power, and invest in emerging voices—especially those who haven’t traditionally been heard.

5. Accountability to Action

At the end of the day, inclusive leadership isn’t about how you feel—it’s about what you do.
It’s about shifting systems, not just talking about values. And it’s about being held accountable for both.

So… What Now?

If you’re leading a team, board, classroom, or organization—and you're ready to practice inclusive leadership with intention—I’d love to work with you.

From workshops on emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership, to strategic planning rooted in purpose, my consulting practice helps leaders grow with clarity, culture, and results.

If you're leading a team, board, or organization—and you're ready to practice inclusive leadership with purpose—I’d love to help.

I offer:

• Leadership workshops

• Strategic retreats

• Executive coaching

• Board training

Connect and let’s work together.

How to Build a Small Business Ecosystem That Actually Works

Everyone talks about supporting small businesses. But far fewer talk about what it actually takes to build an ecosystem where those businesses can grow—and stay.

As someone who’s worked with chambers, cities, funders, and entrepreneurs across sectors, I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and where the gaps usually show up.

What is a small Business Ecosystem?

A small business ecosystem isn’t just about access to capital.

It’s the infrastructure of people, policies, programs, and partnerships that help entrepreneurs launch, sustain, and scale.
A healthy ecosystem includes:

• Technical assistance providers

• Local governments

• Anchor institutions

• Colleges and workforce systems

• Funders and lenders

• The businesses themselves

What Makes an Ecosystem Actually Work?

1. It’s Place-Based and Community-Led

No two ecosystems should look the same.
Start with lived experience—not imported frameworks. Listen to those already doing the work on the ground.

2. It’s Coordinated, Not Competitive

Partners must align around shared goals and clear roles.
This isn’t about who gets credit—it’s about who gets served.

3. It Includes Underserved Entrepreneurs by Design

If inclusion is an afterthought, the system is broken.
BIPOC, women, and rural entrepreneurs must be part of the design from the beginning.

4. It Has Funders Who Get It

Funders should support infrastructure and long-term trust—not just flashy outcomes.
This means investing in technical assistance and grassroots leadership.

Let’s Build Smarter

If you’re a city, chamber, foundation, or community partner looking to build a truly effective ecosystem—I’d love to work with you.

I offer ecosystem strategy support, partnership facilitation, program development, and advisory services designed to uplift entrepreneurs who’ve historically been left out.

From Community to Strategy: Why Purpose Still Wins in Business

We live in a world that celebrates metrics—impact reports, dashboards, KPIs. And while data matters, here’s a truth I’ve seen proven time and time again:

“Purpose still wins.
Behind every sustainable business or inclusive initiative is a reason deeper than metrics—a purpose that drives not just what we do, but how we do it.”

— James Jackson, III

From Builder to Strategist

When I first started this work, I wasn’t calling myself a strategist. I was a builder.

I built trust. I built coalitions. I built Utah’s Black Chamber from scratch, and I built connections between communities that had long been overlooked.

Eventually, I realized something important:
Community building is strategic.

When rooted in purpose, it becomes a catalyst for stronger teams, resilient businesses, and long-term change.

Top: Moderating panel at Westminster University Small Business Conference. Bottom: Utah Black Chamber Community BBQ.

Why I Am Reintroducing Myself

Today, I serve as a speaker, strategist, and thought partner to organizations that want to lead with purpose and clarity.

I work with chambers, colleges, nonprofits, corporations, and city agencies to design inclusive growth strategies—strategies that stick.

Here’s how I support clients:

• Building supplier diversity programs that drive results

• Facilitating strategic planning sessions with depth and direction

• Growing small business ecosystems that are sustainable

• Delivering keynotes and workshops that move audiences to action

And I do this intentionally—partnering with a limited number of clients to go deep, not wide.

What Purpose in Action Looks Like

Here’s what I’ve helped leaders accomplish by centering strategy on purpose:

• Doubled supplier diversity spend for a regional bank

• Trained college leaders in emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership

• Delivered keynotes that moved audiences from inspiration to implementation

These weren’t generic playbook wins. They were purpose-first strategies—with people at the center.

Let’s Build What Matters

Let’s stop building programs just to check boxes. Let’s build movements, momentum, and strategies that last.

Because in a world chasing quick results, purpose is still the most disruptive force we have.

Learn More About My Services

Who Are You Influenced By?

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

“You are the average of the people you hang around with the most.”

We’ve all probably heard these sayings before. One of the most critical elements to our success is our association. How our perspectives are developed, the visions we create for ourselves, and access to resources and community are all determined by how we are raised and who we surround ourselves with. 

“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” phrase gets used a lot because the rich have access to things rich people have access to, while the poor are exposed to their own network. This also means our minds are trained by this. Poor people typically develop a mindset of limitations and problems while the rich develop a mindset of opportunity and solutions. We usually see crime and violence occur in low income neighborhoods. With thoughts full of problems and limitations, people typically see no way. It’s hard to be creative when you don’t think you’re worthy or deserving. However, some take the opportunity to find a bridge to cross and connect with others outside of their network to help with their dream.

As a Black man growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, one would think I wouldn’t have the access to an environment designed for me to succeed. With a small Black population, you would think it would be difficult to see someone like me in positions of success. However, it was quite the opposite for me. Calvary Baptist Church was not only my church home, but my community. I was fortunate to be in a church of successful Black church members – legislators, lawyers, doctors, educators and business owners filled the church pews every Sunday. Being around them, listening to them, hearing their stories and experiences, taught me what I should be striving towards and how to do it. It wasn’t until I reached adulthood I realized the value of my ‘social capital!’ Yes, money makes the world go around, but it’s our influence that pays for the trip. What type of adventure do you want to take – a cruise across the pond or a trip around the world?

I was trying to mentor a young boy in high school. He came from an immigrant family and was living with his three siblings and his mom in a two-bedroom apartment in a low income neighborhood. I was introduced to him because he was getting into trouble at school and not performing well academically. When I met with him, he kept talking about his friends and what they were doing. It seemed like he was just trying to fit in. He didn’t understand that his thought process was so wrong. When he saw or interacted with white people, he looked at them as superior people who had it all. He didn’t think he would be able to have that same life because of his circumstances. 

Meanwhile, his sister is thriving. Only a year older, she graduated high school with grades well enough to earn a full ride to college. She got access to tutors and a support team to help her on the path of getting into college and is in her first year now. What was the difference between her success and her brother’s challenges? Her association. She chose to be surrounded by different people and not allow her circumstances to be a barrier to what she wants to become. 

We all have a dream of what we want to become. We have a vision of what we want to achieve. However, the people around us can sometimes, intentionally or unintentionally, crush our dreams or diminish our confidence of becoming more. Our social capital is critical to our growth, so choose your association wisely. It is hard when it’s a close friend you grew up with or even a family. Those relationships you can’t just immediately cut off. But when it comes to better yourself, live a more fulfilling and abundant life, you can’t be held back by them. Either they are on board with you or they’re not. If they love you enough, they’ll change their views. But ‘if you can’t change the people around you, then you have to change the people around you.’ 

LIVE WITH PURPOSE!

Mentors Magnify, Allies Magnify

mentors magnify

No matter your position in life or career, we all have the ability to mentor someone. To expand our influence and build our community, it’s critical we take every opportunity we can to share our experiences to potentially elevate those around us. Mentorship stands as a cornerstone of personal and professional growth, offering a transformative journey guided by experience and wisdom. The importance of mentorship lies in its capacity to bridge knowledge gaps, provide invaluable insights, and nurture skills that go beyond textbooks or formal education. A mentor's guidance, gained through years of trial, error, and success, empowers mentees to navigate challenges with more confidence and efficacy. Through mentorship, individuals gain access to a wealth of practical knowledge, unlocking a deeper understanding of industry nuances and unwritten rules. Moreover, mentorship fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie, creating a support system that encourages ambition and resilience. As mentors share their stories of both triumphs and failures, mentees are inspired to dream big while learning from the lessons of their mentors' past. Ultimately, mentorship serves as a two-way street, where mentors find fulfillment in giving back, while mentees embark on a transformative journey toward realizing their full potential, magnifying their presence to become more visible to opportunities. 

I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mentors. When founding the Utah Black Chamber, the Utah Hispanic Chamber’s leadership was instrumental in guiding me through the process of setting up the organization, how to get members and sponsors, and the responsibility of amplifying the voice of a diverse community. I followed their advice, attended their events and took notes of how they put them on. I started my network with their network, as they were happy to make introductions to essential influencers and organizations to get the Black Chamber growing in the right direction. From the Hispanic chamber to the Calvary Baptist Church congregation, I have had a consistent village around me to to help find my passion and my purpose. 

allies amplify

Allies are just as important as mentors. They play a pivotal role in driving positive change, fostering inclusivity, and amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard. The importance of allies lies in their ability to use their privilege, influence, and resources to advocate for marginalized individuals or groups. Allies actively challenge systemic biases and work towards creating environments where everyone can thrive. Their support not only helps dismantle barriers but also creates a sense of safety and belonging for those facing discrimination. By standing alongside those in need, allies contribute to a more diverse and equitable society, promoting collaboration and understanding across different backgrounds. Their actions serve as a catalyst for progress, reminding us that we are all interconnected in the journey towards a fairer and more just world. After the murder of George Floyd, the Utah Black Chamber had a member joining everyday for nearly the entire summer of 2020. The majority of the new members were not Black small businesses, however. They were individuals and organizations who wanted to better support the Black community. These allies were offering their resources, skills and abilities and their network to support the chamber’s mission. The chamber was already experiencing exponential growth and the social injustice movement of 2020 further accelerated the growth of the chamber. It grew not only in membership and revenue, but the chamber has since been serving as one of the strongest voices of the diverse community.

Mentors magnify and allies amplify. To achieve your purpose, these people are critical to your village. 

Becoming a Visionary

The Utah Black Chamber’s Black Business Expo and Motown Show is tomorrow. It’s the first one I will miss since I founded the organization 15 years ago! I believe this one is going to be the best one yet! I am sad I am going to miss it, but I’m ecstatic about the chamber’s direction since I stepped down from leading it over a year ago. The vision I had for this organization is coming to fruition, and I believe there are three elements becoming a visionary.

First, I led this organization with passion. When I spoke, people listened. I never saw myself as an animated person, but my voice does elevate when I am excited about something. Through my voice, they felt my energy, my determination and saw my vision. Support continued to grow mostly because of my passion. The chamber didn’t show much impact in the first five years, but the community felt what it could become and came along for the journey.

I never intended to lead the organization forever. I wanted to set up the chamber for success and pass the baton to someone else to lead it. I gave myself five years to execute this plan. When the five-year mark hit, my vision for this organization grew bigger. I had stronger leadership from my board, the organization was making a larger impact and the chamber began growing into a community hub. Because of the chamber’s success, my influence grew as well. I never thought I would have the platform I have today. Once I began to realize who I have become and what’s possible, I felt like all the barriers of what I wanted to accomplish disappeared.

The biggest factor in removing those barriers was understanding the vision was bigger than me. Many of us feel the vision we have is dependent on our abilities only. What I learned from the process of growing the Utah Black Chamber is that my vision grew not because of the impact the chamber was having on the community, but seeing the buy-in of the vision from other leaders. This where you go from having a vision to becoming a visionary. A visionary knows that it’s going to take more than them, their skills and resources. If your vision is big enough, it’s going to take a village.

Lastly, because it takes a village, you have to be willing to delegate and let go. People thought it would be so hard for me to pass on the chamber to a new leader. Not only was it my plan the whole time, but as I grew to become a community builder, the chamber was one of the several aspects of my newly formed and bigger vision. When Dr. Sidni Shorter became the new President & CEO, I transitioned to a facilitator, supporting her and navigating her through the vision and identifying new leaders into other roles created in the other projects and organizations that I developed. Having a good leader in place gave me the confidence that I needed to continue to grow as a facilitator of a network of leaders within the community to carry out the vision I have set out to accomplish.

Passion, influence and becoming a great facilitator are the qualities of a visionary. It’s not about a position as a CEO, government official or a celebrity. I was none of those things, and I still don’t possess any of those roles. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most influential people during his time, and didn’t begin in those roles. But he was passionate about his cause and his influence grew. While he maintained as being the voice of his vision, so many others stepped up and gave their voice.

We all have the potential to be a visionary. We all have dreams and goals that are in our minds. They are in our minds for a reason. Someone put them there, and they are not meant to just sit and remain a dream. Don’t limit yourself to what you’re capable of. Get passionate about your dream. Know you have a village that will support you. And if you feel you don’t have a village, then your passion will lead you growing one and building your influence. My encouragement to you is become a visionary. The community needs your ideas, thoughts, and we’re excited to see your dreams come to fruition!

live with purpose!

Rebirth of a Nation

America’s first feature-length motion picture premiered on this day, February 8, 1915. The film premiered at Clune’s auditorium in Los Angeles, California and was a box office smash. During its unprecedented three hours, it popularized countless filmmaking techniques that remain central to the art today. The film, Birth of a Nation, was produced by DW Griffith, based on Thomas Dixon’s novel, The Clansman. It tells the turbulent story of American history in the 1860s, as it followed the fictional lives of two families from the North and the South. In the film’s climax, the Ku Klux Klan rises up to save the South from the Reconstruction-Era prominence of African-Americans in Southern public life. 

Birth of a Nation was one of the most offensive films ever made, because of its explicit racism. The film provides a highly subjective history of the Civil War, Reconstruction and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. African-Americans are portrayed as brutish, lazy, morally degenerate and dangerous, and played by white actors with blackface. Riots and protests broke out in several Northern cities and the NAACP engaged in a campaign to have the film banned. The film was eventually censored in several cities, but was still seen by millions of people. Although the KKK was suppressed by the government in the 1870s, it was re-founded in December 1915 and spread throughout the North and the South. By 1924, Klan membership was estimated to be as high as three million.₁ Birth of a Nation consequently gave ‘birth to a nation.’

“Don’t forget what I am.

Don’t forget who I am.

I am Black dude.

And don’t forget how I got here.

My ancestors were kidnapped, I don’t even know where the fuck I’m from.

They were put on the bottom of boats.

They sailed across the Atlantic.

Many of them died.

Only the strongest survived.

And once they got here, they beat the humanity out of my people.

They turned us into beasts of burdens.

They made us do their work, and the irony is hundreds of years later, they’re calling us lazy.

We fought in the civil war, we damn near freed ourselves.

Now we are all here.

Four hundred year nightmare.

Took us four hundred years to figure out as a people.

The white people’s weakness the whole time.

Was kneeling during the national anthem.”

-Dave Chappelle

It was 2016, just over 100 hundred years later, Colin Kaepernick was seen on the sideline kneeling while the National Anthem was being performed before an NFL game. Before this time, Kaepernick was labeled as a star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He holds the NFL records for the most rushing yards by a QB in a single game and season. He led his team to the Super Bowl in 2013 where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens by just three points. With his success, Kaepernick used his rising NFL star platform to bring awareness to police brutality and racism against African-Americans. Many fans of the game did not like his form of protest and the act brought so much controversy, it brought not only the attention of Commissioner Roger Goodell, but also President Donald Trump. After that season, Kaepernick’s contract wasn’t renewed and hasn’t taken a NFL snap since. The President took an extreme dislike to the extent of calling Kaepernick and the other athletes who kneeled names, saying they should be fired and shouldn’t even be living in this country if they are to ‘disrespect this country.’ 

But it wasn’t just Kaepernick and other NFL players who took a knee, other professional athletes in soccer, basketball and others took a knee as well. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, more protests and riots broke out around the country. More athletes and other entertainers began to speak out on police brutality and the injustices against African-Americans. For us, this isn’t anything new. While the world was shut down from COVID watching George Floyd being murdered by a police officer, it brought unprecedented visibility to the injustices African-Americans have been rioting, protesting and advocating against since having a voice. We can say it began with Negro spirituals such as “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” to Billie Holliday’s “Strange Fruit” in the 1930s. Gospel music artist of the 60s, Mahalia Jackson, used her gospel music heiress throne throughout the civil rights movement, performing alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and for American presidents. Even though hip hop has been marked as music produced by ‘thugs and criminals,’ it constantly talks about racism and the systemic barriers, from Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” in the late 80s to Donald Glover’s song, “This is America.” Today, it’s not just hip hop that is trying to ‘fight the power,’ you can now hear it in pop, R&B and even country music. Let’s not also forget all the countless films that share examples of racism in our country, from the movies sharing the lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, to ‘Do the Right Thing’ by Spike Lee, “The Hate You Give” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” just to list a few, in addition to the countless documentaries. Since 2020, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video created special categories featuring films and documentaries to help bring awareness of not only Black History, but Black Excellence in our community. We’ve seen the power of how entertainment can drive influence and change. But is it enough? 

While we, as African-Americans, our influencers, entertainers and allies strive to bring awareness of what needs to change, the government is now trying to censor what can be taught in schools. They fear ‘critical race theory’ (CRT) admonishes all white people for being oppressors while classifying all Black people as hopelessly oppressed victims. These fears have spurred school boards and state legislators all around the country to ban teachings about racism in classrooms. Some parents also worry about their kids learning things in school they do not have the capacity to address.₂ Similar to how I struggle helping my kid with math. I was so good at math in school, but now I can’t remember anything my daughter brings to me for help. Our future, not just the future of our Black youth, but all youth, are at risk of being prevented from understanding what makes this country who we are today. Even more seriously, I am a Black man who is a step-father to three non-Black children. Conversations about what happened to George Floyd, the protests and the things being heard at school over the last two years have been not only uncomfortable, but enlightening. I’m amazed how much my children don’t know what I feel they should know to navigate this world and how unprepared I am in sharing with them about Black History other than my own experiences. I can share with them how I feel, but am I doing more harm than good sharing my feelings, which could possibly not always be positive nor accurate? On the Daily Show, comedian DL Hughely said while interviewing guests, “Slaves weren’t allowed to read and now it’s becoming illegal for our youth to read about enslaved people.” CRT is being grossly misrepresented in the public eye, which is probably one of the main reasons why it was only being taught and mainly purposed for college graduate courses and law school. CRT is the study of the racism that is embedded in our US social institutions such as the criminal justice system, the housing and labor markets and healthcare and not white people as individuals or even entire groups of people. However, many Americans are not able to separate their individual identity from institutions that govern us. What that says to me is that they perceive themselves as the system and are unwilling to remove the blind spot obscuring the fact that America is still not great for everyone. Birth of a Nation was seen by millions of people around the country and the harm it has inflicted on African-Americans, particularly African-American men, has yet to be lifted 108 years later. This advocacy for ‘censorship’ of our past is attempting to forget the transgressions and move on believing either the systemic barriers can be resolved without looking at our past or believing that these barriers don’t exist. We live in a land that ‘celebrates’ Martin Luther King, Jr. and ‘acknowledges’ February as Black History Month, so I struggle to understand this hypocrisy of celebration and recognition while attempting to censor the purpose behind it all. 

So, while our life experiences in this country are trying to be silenced and we are being continually oppressed in the systems, the media is trying to advocate the injustices louder. We have seen how entertainment can bring influence to society. Following the predecessors of past entertainment, including Birth of a Nation, music, film, athletes and influencers of today have brought awareness to racial injustices in our country, and even more significantly in the last two years. Entertainment award shows, such as the Grammys and Oscars have allowed celebrities to use their platform to advocate for change, while seeing the entertainment industry grow more and more diverse, particularly the LGTBQ+ community. Film and music are a stark contrast from the 1915 film, trying to change the narrative and pushing to make significant strides for change.

The main question we should be asking ourselves is who do we want to best educate our youth, our future, on not only how this country truly came to be, but how to communicate and connect with others that don’t look like them? How would you tell your white child why their classmate was treated differently than they were, ask questions about offensive language or references, or worse, your child comes home using racist and offensive language? How would you respond? Whether you’d believe it or not, your children are not much different from when you were their age and are still hearing similar offensive language that you heard, or possibly even used. If you’re not prepared to address it, who is? Who would you like them to address it with? Wouldn’t it make sense to prepare our teachers properly to have these conversations? The teachers who are paid to prepare our students for the future? We are in a very interesting time where I am seeing our country more divided than I have ever witnessed and banning CRT, or any type of ethnic studies from our schools, only pulls us further apart. Later in the segment of the Daily Show with DL Hughley, he goes on to say that while white people disagree with the actions of the KKK and white supremacy, they are not opposed to the outcome. If we are not willing to teach our full past so students have an understanding of the community growing around them, we could potentially experience a new birth of a nation; a nation that reverses the progress we have made causing greater pain and prove that America wants a superior race. To avoid this ‘rebirth,’ I ask, who do we want educating our students about our growing multicultural nation? Someone like me, concerned, frustrated and motivated to bring change, our entertainers, whose influence is stronger than our own government at times, you, who often has no idea how, or our school system, supposedly purposed to build our future? By eliminating the latter, we should be very concerned who will organically move to that position. 

₁“The Birth of A Nation” opens, glorifying the KKK. History.com editors. Link. A&E Television Networks. Published 2/9/2010

₂ “Why are States Banning Critical Race Theory?” Rashawn Ray and Alexander Gibbons. Link. November 2021

War on Woke: The Dangers of the Critical Race Theory Conversation

I am a Black man that is a step-father to three white children. They are not full white. Their mom is half Vietnamese. Both of our extended families represent several different races. During the social unrest in 2020, they saw me in my most vulnerable state. At random times, I would just break down crying overwhelmed by it all. It stemmed from the news, social media, conversations in the community, or just me reflecting on our back patio or at the peak of a hike. Life was hard that year. They really didn’t know what to do, but to console me and just be there for me. Growing up Black in Utah has always been hard. People have been nice for the most part, but there is a lot of ignorance. Since there is not a lot of diversity, many are not exposed much to different cultures and experiences. Offensive comments are often made, but not intentionally to offend. They just don’t understand. I wasn’t the best one to educate them, as I grew up a little shy and not one to engage in any drama or confrontation. But I felt forced to do so, otherwise a similar encounter with others may not go as peaceful. So, today, when my kids see me emotional about it all, they want to learn. They want to understand. They want to know how to be there for me. But they have little understanding of why it’s harder for me. If they don’t have as much understanding, how many other Americans are in a similar position? I believe we have a good idea, because that’s why we remain in this state of civil unrest today. We only have an understanding of one culture in a land of many cultures.   

I didn’t learn much Black history in school. All I remember was slavery and the Civil Rights movement. It was probably one chapter of the history book. Most of the time when it was taught, it was uncomfortable for me, because it was a white teacher trying to teach it to a class of mostly white children and me. I was often one or one of the very few Black students in the class. They tried videos and movies, but they didn’t have enough material to teach it effectively. Even during Black History Month, I learned more about history at my church than I did at school. Even then, it was just highlights of accomplishments of Black individuals, but not enough to really provide me an understanding of my history. It took several years of my own journey to learn about where I came from and the experiences of the Black community. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I had a greater understanding of why we are still encountering the challenges Black Americans are experiencing today. I learned from church, music, like R&B, Jazz, Gospel and even hip-hop and movies and television series. When I became an adult, I read books to learn more. But how many of us, Black or white, or even of different ethnicities and races really take the time to learn about ourselves or even one another? If we do, it’s mostly from a reactive state rather than proactive. I felt that more than ever in 2020, and here we are in 2023 back to the ‘status quo.’

We want the United States to be a welcoming and diverse country, but we don’t make the intentional effort to make everyone feel like they belong here. It takes nonprofit organizations, activists and even companies to take the initiative to bring change, but it’s not embedded in our government nor culture. We speak of things being equal, but how can things be equal if we are not taking time to fully understand why some of our American citizens are still challenged with barriers to access resources, opportunities so they can strive to obtain the American dream?  

The first time I heard about critical race theory was from my brother-in-law. It was his dissertation for his graduate degree. He has always been very educated and an amazing artist and would share his knowledge in his artwork. I recall seeing his art displayed in an art gallery several years ago. He would have the descriptions below the pieces and I rarely understood them. I would ask him to interpret to help me understand what was being displayed because they were so deep. When he mentioned he was studying critical race theory for his degree, I didn’t fully understand it then. He is now currently working on his PhD.

Critical Race Theory left my mind for several years and didn’t hear the term again until President Trump began talking about it in 2020. “Why would the President bring an academic concept into the public eye,” I wondered? It caused a great deal of confusion for people, particularly for most of America who have never heard of this concept before. Critical race theory, or CRT, is a 40-year old study of the systemic barriers that exist in legal systems and policies. An example would be ‘redlining,’ where government officials drew lines around areas deemed only available to a ‘certain composition of inhabitants.’ Banks would refuse to offer mortgages to Black people seeking to live in those areas. While there have been advancements in policy to eliminate redlining, we still see it occurring in certain areas today. The theory also studies links between political power, social organization and language. Fundamentally, CRT studies the outcomes of racial disparities, not on individual beliefs, and calls on those outcomes to be examined and rectified. However, since this concept has been brought out from academia into the public eye, it has evolved as the basis of all diversity and inclusion efforts. Some politicians see critical race theory as discrimination against white people in order to achieve equity. They use CRT as a defense mechanism when people advocate to expand the education of all American cultures in school curriculums. They fear the content will be oppressive to white students and make them feel inferior. However, by the curriculum remaining the same, nonwhite students feel inferior and oppressed, because they are not learning about the contributions and experiences of their race and ethnicities in this country, and struggle to understand why they are being treated and looked at differently and how to navigate their experiences. This often results in deep conversations at home with parents and family, which could either help gain a better understanding and know how to navigate their experiences better or it could hinder them by being resentful and angry about what they have learned, leading to a more negative outcome. While parents strive to raise their children to become successful in this world, we are not educators and we can only share from our own experiences – good, bad and ugly. A foundational support of teaching in a formal environment, like all other history lessons, would be much more effective. 

We just celebrated the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. We highlight his impact by sharing the speeches he gave and the marches he led. However, certain areas of the country are now discussing banning any and all curriculum that shares why we celebrate MLK. We can have a holiday, but let’s not talk about all he did for this country? If what I experienced in school was challenging, imagine what it would be like if more information was removed from the curriculum. If my kids are challenged with learning about the struggles of Black Americans, how are all our other future leaders going to be able to work, socialize and connect with others that don’t look like them? We are already in a divisive society and this discussion around critical race theory is just making it worse. 

Critical race theory should be used as all other academia theories are used – in the higher institutions to be researched and studied until educators are able to form a strategy or solutions to present with policymakers. Having been brought to the general public with no background of the concept has only brought confusion and misinterpretation. Does this mean I’m asking for a ban on critical race theory in K-12 schools? Well, it was never supposed to be there in the first place and it has never been in the schools. It’s far too advanced. CRT has only been in higher education. What I am hoping we can do is improve the grade school curriculum, especially in history, so students have a better understanding of why diversity, equity and inclusion is an important conversation. Not the concepts of CRT, but a basic understanding that provides a foundation for students to have a better understanding why Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders were so important to our society. If we do not do this, students will gather information in their own way, which will only cause more greater issues. We have positioned our country in a very dangerous situation. Rather than dig for concepts to use for division and growing a platform, we should be aiming for understanding and unity. That will make our nation stronger and more powerful. Going the direction we are heading now will only lead our once powerful nation to becoming more and more vulnerable. Let’s remove the conversation about critical race theory and work on how we can better educate our future about each other.

Where Do We Grow From Here?

When I speak to a new chamber member, or community leader or partner, and we set an agenda or plan for next steps, I always end with ‘I look forward to growing from here.’ Not going. Growing. It’s an intentional direction to move upward. Going doesn’t determine a direction. Growing does. America needs to grow from this. We can’t continue going this same direction. We won’t survive.

I have never had this feeling about an election. Is this what it feels like living in a country with corrupt leadership? If Trump is re-elected, will I feel like I will become a refugee in another country because I had to flee for my safety from the only country I know and love? When he was first elected, I found it silly that someone would think to leave the country because their chosen President wasn’t elected. We live in America. A country people migrate to because of the opportunities and freedoms we have. We are one of the safest and strongest nations in the world. Why would you want to leave just because Trump was elected? I mean, come on. He’s the primary leader, but he’s not king.

Well, here we are four years later, and he’s acting like a king, working to dismantle or change American values to reflect his. Voting for a president has never felt like this. Before, it didn’t matter if it was a Republican or Democrat, Bush or Cinton, Dukakis, McCain, Romney (God, I wish Romney ran again. I would have voted for him against Hillary Clinton). I’ve never leaned one way or another. I always looked at the person. Did Obama have an advantage for my vote because he’s Black? I can’t deny that. But he isn’t Kanye West either. He’s intelligent, eloquent, and educated. He inspires when he speaks. He gives hope. While not everything he wanted to accomplish was achieved, the country recovered well from a recession. Things were looking up. However, police brutality became visible again and there was the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin that ignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Then we saw the division grow. As much as most wanted, America was not ready for a Black president. I learned the terms unconscious bias and microaggressions during his presidency. I had no idea what those terms meant before his term. The actions were more visible when a Black man led the nation. Things people would say or what they would accuse him of would baffle me, but it wasn’t hard to understand why people would act that way towards him. Obama’s presidency uncovered what’s always been simmering since desegregation. Racism never died. It’s been simmering. Some people really thought racism died when Obama became President. His term turned up the heat up on racism. 

Here we are just four years after his term with Trump as the new president, and the heat on racism has turned up to a level I have never experienced. People I thought I knew closely, I now see their perspective, their biases, and their racism more visibly. I guess I didn’t know them as well as I thought. It’s unfortunate they don’t understand or refuse to understand their racist behavior. Through posts and comments I see on social media, I have become uncomfortable with these associations and have debated whether or not to remove them/unfollow them. But I can’t. I have to keep myself informed of their perspective. I want to keep trying to understand their viewpoints and try to understand how they can support someone who is visibly racist, facist, sexist, and a xenophobe. Someone who struggles with communication, inconsistent in his messaging, and denies any mistakes or takes responsibility. I don’t understand how people thought it was a great idea to elect someone who has no experience in politics. I would never want an accountant to be my dentist or a mechanic to do my surgery. Yet, we elected a real estate mogul to lead our nation as the President of the United States, the highest government ranking in the country? People thought it was a good idea because of his business mind, and we saw how well that mind worked during this pandemic. This year shows what happens when you choose power over people. People are hurting financially, mentally, and physically, and he shows no empathy. There’s a huge movement; the largest civil rights movement in history, and not only are the voices being ignored, the attention is going towards the violence, which has only occurred less than 10% of the protests. Most of the protests have been peaceful. Yet, no words. No empathy. Just ‘law and order.’ Just recently, Trump banned any diversity training that discusses critical race theory. Understanding systemic racism in our country is how we grow and unite. But Trump denies systemic racism exist. It was plainly visible during this pandemic, when Black and Brown people were disparately impacted by the virus testing positive, and more of the Black and Brown businesses have been shutdown and not to reopen than white businesses. Their businesses also had more issues in gaining access to the loans and grants that came available through the CARES Act. When there’s a certain group of people that represent the same race, negatively impacted by a system, that’s called systemic racism. And it’s not just during the pandemic. It’s in housing, education, healthcare, corporate, and throughout our government, including law enforcement. If there was no systemic racism, there wouldn't be a need for a Black Chamber, diversity officer of an organization, and other organizations like the NAACP, Human Rights Coalition.

When you hear the phrase ‘history repeats itself,’ I never expected this. Martin Luther King, Jr. led peaceful protests, yet much of the images you see of the protests during that time are law enforcement beating and killing citizens, using water hoses, tear gas, and other weapons of excessive force. All we want our leadership to do is listen. Just listen. Please just listen. Just let us share with you our perspective and our pain. Let’s come together and find common ground to discover solutions to unite us and grow from this experience. But it can’t happen when a leader thrives on division and bullying. It can’t happen when we are continually being asked to be silent, ignored, and portrayed as thugs. How will this solve anything? It should be common sense to bring leadership together for a discussion to hash things out. In most cases, there’s progress. When there’s sincere curiosity and seeking to develop an understanding between both parties, common ground can be found and solutions will be developed. But in this leadership, we are not given a chance. Without this opportunity, the nation will always be in this place. We will never grow. It’s time for a change.

When sports teams fail to succeed or have issues leading a team, management fires them and looks for another coach. Same with corporations. When a CEO or President can’t meet expectations, the board decides to go another direction. Trump has had four years to prove himself. Each year, it got worse. This year has shown his true leadership experience. He can lead his business. He can’t lead people. I wish his followers would see this. I don’t understand how they don’t, which further shows the ideology of his followers. Followers who support this type of leadership. Followers who either unconsciously or consciously follow his vision of Making America Great White Again, meaning white people are still superior and everyone else, whether from here or not, are not as valued. They must abandon their culture, which was told was welcomed and adapt to a system that is not built for them. His followers don’t care to hear or understand. They are excited to see this kind of leadership. Leadership to show this kind of power. Leadership that aligns with racism, the Confederate flag, and an American flag that was desecrated by changing its colors to black, white, and blue to support law enforcement that has racially profiled and killed black people without consequence for over a century.

In the past, I couldn’t tell if someone was republican or democrat. It didn’t matter in conversation. Even when they admitted their party alignment, the conversation or demeanor didn’t change for me. It’s a lot different today. It’s sad that I feel safe in my neighborhood because I haven’t seen any Trump signs and see Black Lives Matter and Biden signs all over. I am uncomfortable around Trump supporters. They are empowering hate because of either ignorance or they just support this kind of power.

America has lost its values. I will always love this country. It’s almost like an abusive parent. I don’t know anything else. I’m born and raised here. The love is unconditional. But I am struggling to show my love. I will always support, always work hard for it. But I’m embarrassed to admit I’m an American right now. I remember attending an international conference in 2016, and people from other countries were sincerely concerned that we are going to allow Trump in office. I told them it wasn’t going to happen. We’re not that crazy. Now, these same individuals see that we are that crazy. We have lost our minds, and maybe they are embarrassed for us and may even have some pity. America is not the same country any more. We are not the dominant nation we once were. And as long as we continue this culture, we will eventually have American refugees from a civil war escaping to other countries. Sounds extreme, but I never imagined us being in this space either. I pray for our nation, our citizens, and our leadership that it won’t come to this, and that we find a way to come together and grow from this.

July 4, 2020: Living in the Divided States of America

We, as a nation, suck at communicating. One of the most important skills in communication is listening. As a man, who has been in a relationship with an amazing woman for over 11 years, I understand how important it is to listen! However, this skill hasn’t been utilized by the nation’s leadership, nor its citizens in several years. 

We all have our ideas about how this nation should be operated and led. I’m sure you would agree that about 99% of us want what’s best for our country. So, what makes us so divided? Aren’t we supposed to have different ideas and views to think through, collaborate, and find solutions? This is what is supposed to make us great. If we all believed the same thing and had no one opposing us, we would never grow. We see this in business. I see this in the Black Chamber. Once I found board members who not only bought in to the vision, but made it their own, the organization grew more than I ever expected and we continue to grow. When we meet, we share ideas. We ‘listen’ to each other. When we disagree, we talk it through until we find a solution and way forward. The culture we have is welcoming and united, and we are strong because of it. Our last chamber meeting with board members and committee members had nearly 30 people of all diverse backgrounds attend focused on one goal; black economic empowerment in Utah. 

In America, however, it’s the complete opposite. We don’t want to hear or listen to the other side. We are not willing to concede to the notion that the opposing side may have some thoughts that make sense. Instead, we push our agenda to them and they push back. So, we arm ourselves with a response to defend our positioning build this wall or barrier in front of us. Thus, our perspectives and ideas just hit the walls of those opposed, and we’re just not getting through to each other. We become more frustrated, more angry, and annoyed, making that wall thicker and taller every single day.

As I have studied and taught leadership for several years, one principal that has always stuck with me and I have continued to apply ever since is to listen to understand, instead of listening to respond. As someone who grew up shy and introverted, listening makes communication for me easier, because I don’t have to talk as much! The more I listen, the more I begin to learn and understand the person who I am listening to. Even when there’s a response formed in my head, I still continue to listen. I allow them to finish their thought. This is the most important part of listening. Allowing them to finish. Because when they have nothing more to say, and if they want the dialogue to continue, they will have to listen to you. It seems so simple, yet it’s so mentally challenging for all of us. 

We are in a society of distractions that has limited our attention span to that of a goldfish. We can’t watch TV, eat, or even be in conversation without looking at our handheld device or have the urge to. We are consumed with so much in the world, that our mind is moving through so many thoughts, that to just simply listen and pay attention to what someone else is saying requires more energy than ever before. 

I experienced this when I began coaching. As a coach, your main job is to listen and help your client find solutions. After every two-hour coaching session, I have to schedule time for me to rest and re-energize. It requires a lot to really focus on a person for two hours!

So here we are, lacking or not willing to use the energy to listen to understand, so we are just quick to respond instead; not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they may have a valid argument. But, nothing is being resolved here as we are just talking to the defensive barriers that have been put up in front of us because we simply just don’t want to understand, yet we want them to understand our view? How do we expect this thought process to work? 

If we take the time and listen with intention to each other, we’ll begin to see the walls come down. Imagine a drawbridge that connects separate land when it is down. When we choose not to understand one another that drawbridge is up, not allowing us to connect to each other. We’re not connecting. Connecting is the goal of communication. Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in such a way that it increases our influence with them. We will have no influence with people if we are not connecting. And in order to connect, we have to listen to understand until that drawbridge comes down. When the bridge is down, we now have common ground. Common ground is where everyone’s needs and values intersect. This is where we come together, find solutions and grow. If we don’t establish common ground, we will never grow as a community, as a nation. 

Everyone communicates, but very few are connecting. Connecting increases influence. Leadership is influence. Nothing more. Nothing Less. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership has decreased our influence with the world. Leadership has decreased its influence with its citizens. Because leadership is not connecting. The drawbridge is up, dividing the great people of this nation. We won’t connect, we won’t establish common ground, we won’t find solutions, and we won’t grow, until leadership decides to listen to understand. It’s a shame our nation’s leadership has dug us into a hole that will take several election terms to dig out of.

I’m having a hard time today celebrating July 4th weekend in 2020. It’s supposed to be Independence Day. We are not independent this year. We have become trapped by our inability to connect. 

People feel imprisoned by their fear, confusion, anger, and pain over a pandemic that has trapped people in their home because it was poorly managed and communicated by leadership. 

This is supposed to be the land of the free and home of the brave. Yet, people have become cowards sharing their thoughts, frustrations, and demands on social media instead of communicating and connecting with the leadership who have the ability to bring change. It seems more satisfying for them to shame and put down others through a platform that has caused anxiety, peer pressure, and stress since it was released, when it was supposed to be simply another channel for people to communicate. 

How can people feel free, when still, four hundred years later, feel denied of their liberties and equal treatment of an oppressive system? A system that labeled slaves ⅗ of a person, and since African-Americans have become free, are still fighting for that ⅖ to be treated whole? How can someone feel free when they are denied their rights of the legal process that was created for everyone? Instead, they meet their judge and executioner in the space where the crime allegedly took place, yet displayed no threat to the officer nor public?

When the docs were signed on July 4, 1776, America was given its independence, but many people, people who played a critical role in this country, weren’t given their independence. Even when given their independence on June 19, 1865, they were still imprisoned by lack of resources and education. They were still imprisoned by inequality, and still fighting for the same freedom, the same independence given to America in 1776, still 155 years after supposedly receiving theirs. 

People come from all over the world escaping their circumstances and seeking the America Dream, only to discover they are not fully welcomed here, even though that’s what the Statue of Liberty stands for. 

We have a lot of work to do for America’s citizens to fully feel the Independence given in 1776. The Liberty Song, written just a few years before July 4, 1776, says “United we stand, divided we fall.” We are falling fast. This year, I hope leadership recognizes it takes more than a healthy economy for a successful nation. It takes unity, acceptance, inclusion and justice for all. We need a new vision. It’s not my vision. It’s not your vision. A new vision. A vision we call ours. A vision that is created when we connect and shared on common ground. That won’t happen, until we listen.