The Honeybee's Lifestyle

Tag: memphis blogger

  • Equity Summit Takeaways

    Hello Honeybees,

    This is the final installment of my Chicago series. I hope you enjoyed taking this journey with me here and here.

    I was in Chicago to attend the Policy Link Equity Summit 2018. Please pay them a visit to get the full understanding of the work that Policy Link does. It was an experience that I will not soon forget.
    As you can tell by the title the Equity Summit was a conference that addressed ways to create policies to make our communities safe and balanced for ALL, this equality goes beyond just black & white. Although that is a great starting point for my Memphis community. This is about Equity for all. It was about making policy to make change in our world. Here are a few takeaways.

    Takeaway One- Art Driving Activism:The Young Artist Movement in Chicago     #OurFuture

    The theme for the day was #TrustYouth   During our mobile tour we spent time on the North side of Chicago at the Free Street Theater learning how the young people of Chicago use art as part of their activism. They call it Social Justice Theater. These young people are not afraid to speak up & speak out. They give me hope for our future. We then moved to the South side of Chicago. I had a chance to meet Ayesha Jaco (Lupe Fiasco’s sister). She taught us a few dance steps..FAME style to the music of Curtis Mayfield. If you don’t know the legacy of Curtis Mayfield let me know so we can talk about it.  We also talked about “tone”. We listened to the Michael Jackson version of Billie Jean followed by The Civil Wars version. Same lyrics but delivered in different ways changes the whole tone of the song. My takeaway from this exercise was how you say something matters just as much as what you say. A great reminder especially when you are having a difficult conversation especially around diversity & equality.  Thank you to our amazing tour guide Donnie Nicole Smith, the Executive Director of Donda’s House (named after Kanye West mother).

    Takeaway Two- “Policy comes before power”  #OurPower

    The plenary sessions were the best. The passion and fire for creating policies that focus on equity was very powerful. A few phrases that stood out to me were “Pissed with purpose” and “Radical hope, radical imagination”. Edna Chavez spoke about the March For Our Lives Movement from the young Latina perspective. When I tell you that this young lady was impressive, believe me she was. It was great to hear Linda Sarsour co-chair of the 2017 Women’s Movement, share her thoughts and perspectives. Charlene Carruthers of BYP100 dropped this gem on us….”People like mutuality as long as they can stay on top”…..read that again and share it with a friend.

    Takeaway Three- Still Fighting: Overcoming Structural Racism and Political Opposition in the South  #OurNation

    This was my second favorite session. Living in a very red state as a person of color or just a person who is in anyway “different” has its challenges. This session shined the light on some things that sent me to Google. Yes, I will find a book to dig deeper but in that moment I needed some clarification. Did you know that 38% of the electoral college votes are in the South? As stated in the session “In order for our nation to move forward the South has to move first”. The two terms that sent me to Google were, the Black Belt, this has nothing to do with karate and Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy. The Southern Strategy is in full effect in 2018. I’m currently listening to the podcast Slow Burn: A Podcast About Watergate. Unfortunately we are definitely repeating history with #45.

    Takeaway Four- A Momentum Shift

    About 10 years ago I went through the New Memphis Institute Fellows program. That year long program forever changed my life. It was the catalyst for me wanting to work in nonprofit. The Equity Summit is the catalyst for me to continue moving forward more energized than ever before. It opened my mind to new ways to create effective change.

    Thank you to Momentum Nonprofit Partners for coordinating the Memphis delegation. I am forever grateful.

     

    Beewisdom-“Freedom is people realizing they are their own leader.” —Diane Nash, Coordinator of the Freedom Riders

  • Rest, Refocus, Release

    Hello Honeybees,

    Last week I was in Chicago for the Equity Summit 2018, more on that next week, and I was sitting in the hotel lobby talking with some new found Memphis friends. There was an older gentleman sitting with us but he was not part of our conversation. At one point he interrupted the conversation and asked me for the name of my therapist. I looked at him with a bewildered look & said “excuse me, but I don’t have a therapist but I could use one”. Mental health is important. He laughed and said that I was so happy and that I had such a great outlook on life that he wanted to go to the same therapist. I received that compliment and my spirits were lifted. The three days of rest, refocusing and releasing were a success. I was in a happy place and I guess it showed.

    I really appreciated him saying something because I really needed to hear it.  Although I was in Chicago for work it felt good to just get away from the everyday grind. It was great to have some time to myself to really think and figure out some things. I was able to reflect on some future projects and decide if I wanted to move forward with them or put them on hold. I was able to refocus and put some things, people and relationships behind me. Not always easy to do but for my happiness it had to be done.

    Top:Thrifted Ann Taylor, Jeans: Old Navy, Shoes:Versona (Southaven), Necklace: Target

     

    I am so looking forward to not only the remainder of 2018 but the plans that are already in motion for 2019.

    My best is yet to come.

    Beewisdom-Don’t just be good to others, be good to you.

  • Respect YOUR Journey

    Hello Honeybees,

    Have you looked at someone you deemed successful and thought….. How did they do it?  You’re thinking, wow that was quick or they became an “overnight” success. Yep, I’m raising my hand because I am totally guilty of these thoughts. Who wouldn’t want to be an “overnight success”. But when you take the time to dig a little deeper and yes you must dig deeper, you find that there is rarely an overnight success story.

    In fact, most overnight successes can take an average of 7-10 years or more

    That’s at least 7-10 years of being in the game.

    Being consistent.

    Working hard, even when no one is watching.

    Sometimes its late nights & early mornings.

    It could be missing out on some hang time with friends.

    Whatever the case may be if you want to be successful you have to do the work and put in the time. The journey can be long and hard but if you want it bad enough you will do what needs to be done.

    RESPECT YOU PROCESS

    Your success doesn’t have to look like someone else’s success. Your success looks like YOU.

    Top: GAP- MidSouth Outlet Thrift    Pants: Merona –Target   Shoes: Tahari – TJ Maxx   Necklace: Target   Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T6- Amazon
    Photos: Sherill

    Beewisdom- People think I’m an overnight success. No. It’s just that you all found me overnight- Leslie Jones