Because Love Liberates

“Because love liberates…” Don’t you love the title? This quote comes from the one and only Maya Angelou, an amazing poet, civil rights activist, and speaker. This month had me thinking about the true connection between Black History Month, Diversity and Inclusion, and Love. There’s a commonality between all of these - and it’s that love liberates! 

Diversity and our Biases

I love cooking and eating, and Diversity makes me think of how wonderful a recipe tastes when a variety of spices cultivates a swirl of different aromas and flavors. Imagine how boring a dish tastes with the same one or two ingredients every day; it’s so bland. But how much more impact and unity can we shape when we add ingredients of care, appreciation, respect, and trust to treat our fellow human beings? 

Same goes for our environment. An environment with the same people can become monotonous, too. When we work and live with people who represent different ages, genders, religions, sexual orientation, and race, we learn so much more and become smarter. A company’s culture becomes inherently more creative, innovative, and expansive. 

How aware are you of your biases? We all have them. In my DEI work, I begin with helping people become aware of their own biases and move toward accepting the biases. People are not always aware of the role they play in the subject of DEI and default role identifiers, and it can really surprise them. Simultaneously, it validates their current language and decision processes. The question to contemplate is: how can you be even more effective with others when you are aware? The thought is: what action can I change to remove bias and offer inclusion and equity. (If you’re interested in discovering more about this, connect with me and I’ll be happy to explore with you). To get started, I recommend an eye-opening free assessment Harvard provides called the IAT assessment, Project Implicit https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Inclusion and Belonging

Diversity represents inviting someone new to the meeting and inviting them to speak up. This shows action and an offer of inclusion and respect, for sure. One small action can demonstrate a big step of helping others feel a sense of belonging (by the way, on the Maslow Hierarchy of needs, belonging is number 3 out of 5 levels).

From 2020, we are all aware that wearing masks help with protection and safety against COVID-19 (among other viruses). But have you ever noticed the masks people wear because they don’t feel safe to reveal their true selves? They wear invisible masks to hide their true self, the opposite of feeling liberation. 

Ponder this: Are people around you wearing invisible masks to blend in due to a lack of a diverse environment or lack of inclusion? What masks do you wear when you don’t feel you belong? 

We certainly became more aware of racial injustice last year from the tragedy of all lives lost due to COVID-19 and the even worse effect on underrepresented communities. When we consider everything, we must acknowledge that some good things also occurred. 

One great benefit I gained was the opportunity to collaborate and establish partnerships with others. Conni Medina, Cecilia Gorman, Chelsea Szabo, Hema Dey, Denice Hinden, Earsa Jackson, Tolu Babade and Desiree Saddler are a few wonderful partnerships created based on our differences in race, religion, experience and thought. 

What is one action you can do to step out of your comfort zone to include someone else in an effort you’re pursuing? I remember taking walks many times last year and seeing groups of people in my neighborhood gathered in their driveways, lounging in their lawn chairs, and enjoying each other’s company, food, and libations. I was not invited, and I suspected why… 

When we are able to start gathering again, who will you invite and include? The next time you work on a project, who’s someone new you can invite to collaborate, learn, and grow together?

Love first

Let’s refer back to the title “Because love liberates.” How does love liberate for you? 

• Love liberates you because you don’t have to have all of the answers.
•  Love liberates the people you include because they feel valued. 
• Love liberates you because you get to hear from voices different from your own and learn.

Love is a verb. We know what love is, the question is...how well do we show it? 

In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13 guides us on the principal and value of love. Here are few verses to illustrate that:

Verse 4 Love is patient, Love is kind,

Verse 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking or easily angered

Verse 7 It always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres

How patient are you with others? When do you extend a hand to someone else? It’s important now more than ever to show love, compassion, and grace. This is a very touchy time in history where the country has been divided and new tensions arose with the effects of the pandemic. As polarizing as it has become, love is the missing ingredient. 

During a time of such uncertainty and darkness, there is a huge opportunity for love to persevere. It’s a time to bond as a community and come together to encourage others and offer love first. Wearing a mask out in public, for instance, can be seen as loving your community. Although it does help protect you against possible infection, it also decreases the odds of you spreading the virus to others that may be immunocompromised or at a higher risk. Wearing a mask can be seen as a small act of selflessness and love for others. But that’s clearly not all it takes… 

What are other ways to spread love? For starters, check in on your loved ones. They may be going through a completely different experience than you may assume. Invest in their well-being and offer a hand. People need to be heard, understood, and appreciated. Times like these can be isolating, especially with stay-at-home orders, so check in on those you are close to. Another way you can spread love is by surprising your neighbor, family, spouse, children, colleague, etc. with a gift. Because we aren’t able to gather, it can be lonely for many, but sending or delivering a small gift can make that person feel so special and seen. It could be a “just because” small gift or hand-written letter to personally show them how much you care and love them. 

There are probably millions of ways to show love, but we have to start to take an extra step during a time like this. When you express your love for others, it’s a liberating feeling for both sides. So why not continue to show up and show love more often?

Beauty of Diversity, Inclusion, and Love

As a leader in any capacity (family, community, place of work), I hope we will heed the lessons of love and do our part to demonstrate to others, all others. When we do this routinely, it will be easy to recognize and appreciate the beauty in diversity. Helping others feel included will feel natural and stimulate the feeling of love and belonging. Let’s get on the same team as we share a common goal and bring forward our differing strengths and gifts. To close, as Amanda Gordon reminds us in her Inauguration poem The Hill We Climb, “For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” 

Contact me:

Email: michelle@thechampgroup.com

Website: www.beasaleschamp.net