How Am I Doing…The Update
It’s been almost three months since I first posted about how I was doing during the social unrest crisis. I thought it would be good to follow-up that post with periodic updates to better measure the change and my adjusted worldview for those of you who care. So let’s get to it…How am I doing?
At this point I would say slightly less good. The agony booth has been turned up a notch. The battle between what brings us together as Americans seems to be under constant assault by the things that divide us. A phrase I heard recently sums it up. The names of those being killed in our community change but the color of their skin continues to be the same. We have no governmental leadership at a national level to seeking to address and deal with this issue. On the flipside, we have local government working alongside private corporations and citizens continuing to put pressure on the system to acknowledge what is there in front of all of our faces and to insist on change. The battles are ongoing and the outcome of the war is still very very uncertain for me.
This morning I read an article about the cruise industry’s effort to return to operation in the midst of the pandemic. A statement that caught my eye and made me think came from the CEO of MSC Cruises in regards to the costs of their efforts to build testing capabilities into their cruise operations. He states “We are looking to develop something that can work. The cost is the last issue on the table. We want to show that cruises are the safest vacations people can go on.” Think about that statement and commitment to allowing people to vacation safely. What if the same commitment was applied to the issues of systemic racism in our society? What value could be released by providing quality of education, healthcare and life for ALL members of our community by a unlimited commitment to finding a solution.
A few specific data points that I want to share in this update that may help people see both sides of the change and battle being waged:
My company recently placed $3MM on deposit at M&F Bank (the second oldest minority bank in the country and we challenged other tech companies to engage as well in a similar activity. To date that effort has netted roughly $6–9MM in activity with the bank. Fellow CEOs at Adzerk, Pendo and K4Connect all proactively stepped up. I’ve also had co-workers and friends who made efforts to move their personal banking there as well. Unfortunately, many more people in the community ignored the challenge to play a role in the change that is needed. I’m not going to guilt you but I SEE YOU. ‘nough said there.
Over the past two months I have encountered multiple business leaders in the local community that see the social justice movement as the actions of radicals and fringe elements. While this was disappointing (especially dealing with finding another dentist to go to in downtown), what was encouraging was the number of people who came out and rejected that thinking and did so not just with their words but also with their actions. Disillusionment with the mindset of some but enthused by the mindset of others.
Recently there has been the formation of special councils and corporate roles to address the needs for diversity and inclusion. While these are well meaning and positive actions, the better steps would be to actually include diverse hires and board members within the normal fabric of corporate life. While being on a board of other minority entrepreneurs would be a good experience for me, being sought after by regular boards and decision making bodies would be better. And let’s be clear, being sought after because we have something to contribute other than our skin tone and money is what we should be striving for here. Separate does not make equal no matter how good the intentions.
My last point for this post is to end with a positive. I’m announcing a new initiative that I am developing with the Durham Nativity School (DNS). If you don’t know DNS you need to check them out because they are an amazing organization. The web site is here: https://www.durhamnativity.org/ The focus of this initiative is to help convey what I call legacy to this graduating students as they move on to high school and college. Much of what we do today is all about money but much of what is needed revolves around connections and access. I recently ran a beta of what I hope to do with Devin Kelley and the team at Method Savvy Marketing in Durham. A graduate of DNS was looking for an internship in a marketing/communications firm in the Durham area to remain close to family. Within a hour and three texts I had gotten an initial thumbs up form Devin and within a few weeks the deal was done. If we can begin to do this at scale and across industries we can provide achieving students with the access and opportunity they need to further their career journey. More to come on this effort
So we continue to plow forward. I am nervous about where we are going as a country and I am unabashedly nervous about the upcoming elections. I am strongly encouraging all who read this to get out and vote (not by mail but in person) and to bring two people with you. If the fate of how our society is to evolve over the next decade is to be decided, then it is your obligation and duty to cast your ballot regardless of your position/leanings. As one of my fav dragon’s would say…Come now don’t be shy….step into the light
