What I learned from honoring black women

Last month was Black History Month, and if you follow me on social media (Instagram and Facebook) you saw that I chose to post on a different African-American woman each day to honor their story and contribution to our world. 

What I did not fully realize when I began was how much these incredible ladies lives’ would impact me and so many others! 

These women are overcomers - they have grit, tenacity, resilience! They met resistance in their lives with courage, changing the trajectory of their future. 

Here are a few of the challenges these leaders have in common: 

• They faced discrimination because of their race and often their gender too. 

• Several lost one or both parents as children. 

• Many were abused.

• Most had no role model for their work - they were the first. 

These circumstances alone are daunting. Yet, all 29 women knew their calling was bigger than their current circumstance. Harriet would not continue to live as a slave, Maya wrote her story to the world, Venus and Serena disciplined themselves to be the best, even when they weren’t yet there. 

These BLACK WOMEN are INSPIRING! 

They are creative, brilliant, innovative, entrepreneurial, nurturing, risk-taking, cultural icons who have reshaped the world through the gifts they brought by showing up as their whole self for the benefit of many. Those working for Civil Rights benefit all of us because they made the world more equitable. The singers, writers, producers, and musicians enrich us with truth through beauty that touches the soul. The business women, which many of them double as, have led local communities and our nation into long-term investments in the well-being of children, education, community development, and international benevolence.

These women have forever impacted our world and me personally. As part of the BIPOC community, they have challenged me to continue to see them, to acknowledge their worth as equally valuable. They are our sheros and we honor them as models for all of us to follow as we live our story, welcome others, and transform the world into a place where all are loved and welcome to live into the fullness of their calling.