Kelli King-Jackson, ACC

Coaching for Black women leading in white spaces.

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Privilege & Power

“Forget intention, are you having an impact?”

Last week I walked deep in the waters of privilege and power.  A colleague told me they recommended me for a opportunity because I am ‘a person of color.’  Their words.  To my face.  I totally did not know what to do.  And they totally did not know what to say next.  After a few awkward stutters from my colleague I tried to move the conversation forward.

Then I went home to process.

I was taken back by the statement.  Offended even.  How could one of my liberal colleagues feel it appropriate to say that they recommended me for an opportunity because of my race?  More importantly, what was I going to do about it?

After a day of thinking, I decided to respond via email.  I did not want my thoughts to be lost in a flurry of emotions and frustration.  I took my time and crafted an email that listed why I felt uncomfortable and how the conversation made me feel.  Then we talked face to face.

The points I want(ed) to be clear are that:

  • It is not the responsibility of people of color to diversify organizations and institutions.
  • It is not the responsibility of people of color to make white folks/folks in power to feel comfortable with diversity.
  • Diversity that is not impactful if it is not intentional.

Privilege and power come with responsibility.  What you say and how you respond to things said to you are based on the privilege and power you hold.

There are more than enough people of color to fill executive leadership and board of director positions.  The fact that more of these positions are not filled by people of color is not acciential.  We can no longer say ‘there are not enough’ or expect people of color to continue to fight to kick down barriers.  It is time for folks of privilege to use their powers for good.

If you think the world should be more diverse, make it happen.

This is my edited response.  What I said to the person in question is private.  The themes and why I responded are universal.

The important fact is that I spoke up.  I did not let this blip on the radar pass.  I did not hide my concerns.  I did not let someone else’s power trump my feelings.  I did not let my feelings be invalidated by someone else’s intentions.

Impact trumps intention every time.

Have you been in a similar position?  If so, how did you respond?  Which was more important – intention or impact?

kelli

Childcare – The Low Hanging Fruit

Low hanging fruit.  Ripe.  Ready to be picked.  Easy to reach.  Social or political ‘wins’ most folks can get behind and that don’t have many cons.

In today’s economy, our lowest hanging fruit is childcare — basic facilities (or homes) that offer children of low-to-moderate incomes a safe place to learn and socialize.

My 3.5 year-old godson (GS) is bright, inquisitive, and active.  As a middle class godparent, I want him to learn in a pretty building that keeps him engaged and pushes him to new heights.  In my neighborhood, that type of childcare costs $1200+ A MONTH.

Cheese! Photo Credit: Kelli King-Jackson
Cheese!
Photo Credit: Kelli King-Jackson

That is a mortgage payment and far exceeds what his mom can afford. Though highly educated, my GS’s mom has been in-between jobs for some time.  She has forged ahead, kept her LinkedIn account updated and secured several short-term jobs that have carried her from month-to-month.

My GS’s mom applied for childcare assistance and even secured a temporary position that provided a childcare subsidy.  Neither of these opportunities panned out leaving my GS home with his mom.

Many public school districts no longer offer programs like early head start or full day preschool.  When you can find a half-day preschool program, you have to also find (and pay for) a childcare facility that picks up/drops.

Our first step to getting more families back to work is ensuring that every child had access to safe, affordable, full-day childcare!  This is low-hanging fruit we all should be able to pick. Until this happens, families like my GS’s will continue to teeter on the line between poverty and the middle class.

We need ALL moms to raise their voices in support of mom’s like my GS’s.

If you agree, contact your elected officials.  Ask them to:

  • Increase funding for early childhood education
  • Support efforts to raise quality standards for childcare facilities
  • Bring back programs like early head start and full-day preschool.

Also, make sure you’re registered to vote and turn out to support candidates on November 4th! If we raise our collective voices for all families to have basic access to quality, affordable childcare we can begin to pick this low hanging fruit and bring in an amazing harvest – more children ready to learn and more parents back to work!

kelli 

This blog is cross-posted at MomsRising.

Sleep

Sleep and I have a tumultuous love affair going on. Since as long as I can remember I’ve loved to sleep. Falling asleep is easy. Staying asleep is a bit more complicated. When people yell or slam doors I immediately wake up. When my allergies are bad I snore. When I’m stressed I grind my teeth. When I’m worried I wake up in the middle of the night. When too hot or too cold I get restless and wake up. Even with interrupted sleep I will eventually get back into a deep sleep. But sometimes it takes a VERY long time.

Tonight I’m tired so all I want to do is sleep. I stayed up late cleaning last night and did not sleep well once I finally settled down which means tonight I’m going to play catchup. The lights are out and the candles burning. Hopefully I will fall asleep while reading and won’t wake up until tomorrow morning. What do you do to fall (and stay) asleep at night?

Here’s to a good nights sleep.

kelli

P.S. Just a few more days until this 31 Day Blog Challenge is over. Let’s just say I’m excited 🙂