Today marks Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day. On this day, June 19th, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed Black people that the Civil War was finally won, and they were free. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed more than two years earlier, this declaration by Granger effectively ended slavery for 250,000 Black people in Texas and beyond.
For me, Juneteenth is both celebratory and heavy. I take time to reflect on how far we have come and how far we’ve yet to go. Because the end of slavery brought with it the Jim Crow South, redlining, systemic racial discrimination, white supremacy, and violence, its long-term legacy persists.

Authenticity comes with prerequisites.

For many folks with marginalized identities, being authentic at work means:

1. knowing who the audience is;

2. assessing whether or not the environment is psychologically and even physically safe;

3. evaluating the cost and benefit of being authentic, and if we are prepared for the consequences.

In other words, before you ask your colleagues to bring their true selves to work, think about if your organization has cultivated an inclusive space that ensures accountability and is free from discrimination, exclusion, and retaliation.

Madam Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, so eloquently penned what many of us are acutely aware of in her dissent today. She reminds us of how this decision is deeply reflective of the racist ignorance that is pervasive in our country - still. Thank you Justice, for stating the obvious - and for reminding the country of your own lived experiences.

“Our country has never been so colorblind,” Jackson wrote. “Given the lengthy history of state-sponsored, race-based preferences in America, to say that anyone is now victimized if a college considers whether that legacy of discrimination has unequally advantaged its applicants fails to acknowledge the well-documented ‘intergenerational transmission of inequality’ that still plagues our citizenry.”

I used to wait for that apology.

And quite frankly, I used it as an excuse to hang on, not let go of anger, and delay my healing process.

Particularly for that trauma that I had experienced throughout my career.

Former bosses & colleagues who with their actions and words reminded me I didn’t belong in that organization.
‍
Former bosses & colleagues who with their actions and words reminded me I didn’t belong in that organization.


Let’s start healing by ensuring we play a role in creating workplaces where we all can thrive and belong.

ADDRESSING MICRO-AGGRESSIONS MATTERS. Small acts or behaviors over an extended period of time, whether intentional or not, that bring disruption to the integrity of a functioning work environment can threaten the very foundation of an organization's or institution's culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. Establishing hashtag RestorativeAgreements in preparation for and anticipation of unexpected/uncomfortable situations is a great practice in cultivating bravery to address micro-aggressions in real time.

Leadership is an intricate balance with a multitude of perspectives, making it a unique art and a collective science.

We compared 40 definitions to explore the recurring themes that emerge when renowned leaders speak about leadership. Percentages indicate the proportion of definitions in which a theme appeared.

Which definitions of leadership have you found most helpful?