#BeThe1st – KirkClay.com

“Politics and hypocrites is turning us all into lunatics.” — Marvin Gaye

The great author Ralph Ellison wrote, “I’m an invisible man, and it placed me in a hole—or showed me the hole I was in if you will—and I reluctantly accepted the fact.” He reminds us that there is more to creating spaces that are liberation focused than just knowing what’s right – you should also do what’s right. In his 1952 book, Invisible Man – a story of a young, college-educated black man struggling to survive and succeed in a racially divided society that refuses to see him as a human being – Ellison opens up a conversation about civics, education, and financial independence. This story points to how being our authentic selves can help us bounce back from this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis.

Not long ago, I received a call from a Black Lives Matter activist asking me to be her Congressional campaign manager. We knew each other from past work and shared a close relationship through a civil rights leader that lived in the district. After talking with him and coordinating living arrangements, I traveled to the state, to be her campaign manager.

My first day on the ground was a bit unusual; our every step was being filmed for a movie scheduled to air on Netflix, which meant our every conversation was public. It took a few weeks to build electoral momentum, but we soon hit our stride and took the lead in our Congressional bid. Soon after, we began receiving public criticism for our campaign theme #BeThe1st — asking voters to make her the first woman represent CD-1. We were ridiculed on social media for her “body type,” and it affected her confidence. She began to question if she “looked like” a Congress member and wanted to change her look. I advised her, “Inquire within, the answer to every question in any situation lives within you. The intelligence inside you has all the answers, so consult your inner wisdom. Don’t question, analyze, or doubt the first answer it gives you. Listen and obey, and we won’t go wrong.”

We doubled down and ran as our authentic selves. Later, we experienced a devastating car accident that forced us to decide to suspend the campaign for health reasons. She wanted to continue our rigorous schedule, but the doctors recommend “bed rest,” and I decided to put her health above the campaign. We did not win that race, but she ultimately won that congressional seat in the next election.

_{“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.}“

After teaching in schools of color – schools with a significant student of color population, I’m reminded that “it takes good policies from good leaders to make a good change.” Leaders should not use “inappropriately” targeted messages and “hyper-partisan” mobilization campaigns to disrespect others. Using culturally insensitive terms or twisting offhand remarks about gender, race, or religion, sparks reactions, and unintended consequences. Underneath these micro-aggressions are subtle references to our values that feed a sense of cultural paranoia and or suspicion.

The use of shame and fear to motivate partisan supporters also triggers a downward spiral that adds to society’s dysfunction. We are in one of the toughest periods in American history. There is a campaign to suppress emotions through unhealthy activities while ignoring the looming financial crisis. What’s worse is that tactics like these produce anti-public education leaders. Our goal should be to acknowledge the current environment and work to fix the problems while addressing culturally relevant issues related to it.

Back in the 2006 elections, extremists unleashed a harsh “cultural war” to get their base to vote. The political atmosphere is similar to that of today. However, there’s strong evidence that things may be different this time.

We’ve had four years of new registrants, and many young voters plus voters of color (VOC) will vote for the first this year.
Political geography is surging in majority-minority cities like Norfolk; the population grew 3.4% to 242,803.
This gives Norfolk more than 83,000 “key” Voters of Color.
People of Color are over 26% of Virginia’s Citizen Voting Age Population — they were 24% of vote share in 2008 and about 23% in 2010.

It’s incredibly important for students of color to learn to address unique cultural concerns at an early age when the mind is most active. Studies show us that learning the appropriate way to heal, grow, and stand up for what they believe in during this cultural storm will stay with them. I like to compare helping students of color to address their unique concerns to self-advocacy and self-management – everyone needs to respect and set healthy boundaries.

As Ellison states in his prologue, “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” Suppose a new coalition of conscious Whites, Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, Women, and Young Voters all demanded honest and trustworthy leaders. Our nation could quickly bounce back after this global pandemic, economic, civil, and human rights crisis. If we all are civically engaged, this turmoil we have today will give way to a full, coordinated community experience. Moreover, we should continue to develop transformational relationships that dramatically impact education, leadership, and civic engagement. If we unify, the entire nation will discover a renewed sense of civility. Students of color will develop a healthy self-confidence, see themselves as capable learners, and become authentic leaders. In turn, they will be the first generation to live free from the fear of poverty, violence, and premature death.

To be continued …

Kirk Clay is the President of Capitol View Advisors — a collaborative acting on its values in creative and strategic ways to connect communities with the information and resources they need to support and further their aspirations.

By Kirk Clay

“Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you.” — Marvin Gaye

Reflection

I remember my first trip to Atlanta, Dr. Joseph Lowery — a civil rights leader who helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) — recruited me to help him on a project. He asked that I help to manage a “Mississippi Voter Whistle Stop Tour” through the Deep South and wanted me to join the caravan in Atlanta for the launch of this effort. This project was an experience of a lifetime for me and my first multi-state civic engagement bus tour. Being a twenty-something organizer from Toledo, I knew not many politicos from my generation and background would have this opportunity. I felt lucky to get his attention so early in my career and often wondered what caused him to “like” me and take me and become my mentor.

The flight was delayed in Washington, DC, by six hours. I will never forget how nervous I was running through the Atlanta airport, having arrived close to midnight. My flight was delayed because of the weather, and in those days, I had no way to get word to the team that I would be arriving close to midnight. To my surprise, friendly law enforcement officials were waiting for me to land and whisked me through the airport to the ground transportation area. When I got there, I was surprised to see five black Chevrolet SUVs sitting in the airport driveway.

With the doors open and his feet on the dashboard, he sputtered, “don’t just stand there, get in. We have to make it to the Mississippi Delta by sunrise.” Of course, that’s what I did. We traveled all night to make up for the lost time. We only stopped for gas, snacks, and a hot meal. His amazing network of restaurants and gas stations opened their kitchens along the way.

We didn’t have a heart-to-heart talk about the fact that he held up the entire movement for me that night. Later, I eventually mustered up enough courage to apologize, saying, “I’m sorry for causing such a mess at the airport. What can I do to make things, right?” He took a deep breath: “Well,” he said decisively, “we in the movement promised never to leave anyone behind, and everyone is important to the movement so just leave no one behind, then we’ll be alright.”

Discovery

The question is, “how will the digital divide affect learning for students of color as the education community moves toward distance learning?”

One thing is clear; Covid-19 has exposed how important having access to quality education is. Also, this pandemic has highlighted the racial and economic inequalities that exist as it relates to technology in our school system. Sure, there are many great teachers, schools, and curriculum — remnants of from past “good” educational policies from eight years ago, but there is a clear technological divide as well. Resources that focus on parental support, teacher pay, and student-centered learning are still needed, but that’s not all. We must be acutely conscious of the effect that recent policies have had on the nation’s educational system, especially as it relates to students of color and communities of need.

This effect will be made worse by the coronavirus, mainly as we struggle to identify appropriate curricula, responsive, interactive learning models, and help students in need find a decent meal. These problems emphasize a pressing and terrible truth that we, as a country, still have a lot of work to do to level the playing field for students of color.

The choice is clear if we must choose one area of focus for immediate impact — its technology. That will be the most substantial determining factor for students of color. For students to be successful during this time of distance learning, they must have access to quality education, equipment, and technology — including broadband. Think about Rev. Dr. Lowery’s philosophy, but instead of traveling to the Mississippi Delta for civic engagement, this journey is for the future of lifelong learners of color. We must account for the fact that these students will one day end this journey with a cumulative amount of discrimination, microaggressions, racial stress, and trauma. Therefore, we must help them find ways to take care of their educational needs and mental health throughout this journey.

To be continued …