This month I am celebrating! In addition to it being Black History Month, I was excited to kick off my year with two speaking engagements. I presented my workshop on First Generation Wealth Builders, which focuses on money, family, and how the two intertwine when looking at creating wealth.  I did so as part of a series highlighting black voices and the black experience within tech. 

The internet has been floating a lot of memes in celebration of Black History Month. One in particular said, “Im Black every month, but during Black History Month I am Blackity, Black, Black.”  And I can’t stress enough how much I felt that in my soul. I am not sure what it is this year, but I am feeling called to be more authentic and push my already bright personality to be a little EXTRA. 

I’m talking kids showing up at daycare with history-making black excellence plastered on their onesies… thank you Target for highlighting black art. I’m zooming my presentations with my curls popping, letting my tresses “shine bright like a diamond,” lipstick a little bolder, and honestly just beaming with pride to be gifted more melanin than not. 

It feels good. 

Too frequently, people want to stamp out pride in our identity- and let me be clear, if it happens once, it is too frequent. We are constantly walking the path of attempted healing. Wondering, thinking, exploring. Asking questions like: How to help disperse anger after being passed over for that promotion, left pondering if it may have had to do with the color of our skin. Asking if and how to approach a colleague who “isn’t racist,” but is definitely saying racist shit. How to support my younger clients who are navigating their biracial identity when they feel as if they have to choose. 

I have heard and experienced countless ills of racism, both blatant and subtle, from friends, family and clients. This shit isn’t pretty folks, so when I find myself so filled with pride and joy, it deserves to be shared. Always.

I was going to take this time to focus on how those “new year, new me” goals are going, but that feels like a better end of Q1 discussion. 

This month I am celebrating, relishing in being Black and proud. And that in and of itself is something to celebrate.