I am celebrating Black Heritage Resource Groups this week as I continue to resist the Anti-DEC Movement within the US.
I was saddened to see that the DOD and several government agencies have recently disbanded resource groups showcasing various ethnic or other groups. Many people think we don't need this group as everyone should be treated equally. Well, I think that is nonsense, as most people tend to socialize with people like them. These groups allow people to see things that they may not encounter in their daily lives. They help bring other people's points of view into personal focus.
For example, In 1994, while I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, one of my fellow airmen (Daniel Skurka) decided to join the Black Heritage Committee for the DR. Martin Luther King JR. Celebration. He said it was eye-opening and quite an experience, so I joined the group with him. It should be noted that Both Daniel and I are white Americans. Daniel and I took on any role they needed us to do to ensure that the celebration was a success. I even wrote an article for the base newspaper on Dr King's work and ideas.
I enjoyed the experience so much that I have always tried to join those groups when available.
During my UPS Career, I was fortunate to work with quite a few of these groups, which allowed me to meet and interact with people outside of my social Spectrum while continuing to learn about other cultures.
I want to leave you with this comment. It's incredible what people can accomplish when we work together for the good of all.
In Celebration of Black History Month and resistance to the ongoing Anti-DEI movement in the US. I want to celebrate Diana Hicks Sherer.
She is not a world-renowned author but does have a fictional book titled "World Champions Only," about relationships and behind-the-scenes deals made for the Fight of the Century. Diana was a Soul Train Dancer from 1980 to 1988. She was one of the trailblazing female sportswriters who covered various sports. She later became the Director of Marketing and public relations for Forum Boxing. She was also one of my Partners at the UPS Call Center in Las Vegas. She gave me the mantra: " We are getting older and have limited energy, so we need to pick which battles are worth spending it on!" Do I do it right every time? Not really, but I always go back to her words when I self-review to be better the next time.
In the spirit of Black History Month and resistance to the anti-DEI movement in the U.S., I would like to celebrate Author Tressie McMillan Cottom.
Several years ago, our UPS Director asked us to read her book THICK, which provided a personal perspective on being a Black woman. It was painful to read, but I am glad I was asked to read it with an open mind. What some of us take for granted is not the experience our Fellow Americans have to deal with.
I have followed Tressie on social media(Twitter, X) ever since because she shared personal experiences and a powerful message that we can be better.
Here is the link to Amazon on her book. It has 4.7 stars
