Faith & Reinvention: Testimony of an Economic Survivor

Posted on November 1, 2011

for EmpowerMeMagazine.com

We live in a time of extreme economic insecurity and instability. There seem to be so many forces that are beyond our control. I have learned that working hard, surpassing expectations and adding value to employers does not make one immune to lay-offs or downsizing. Over the past decade of my professional career, I have been laid off three times. Each job loss has presented its own unique challenges that had to be overcome in order to regain employment.

I started my career in the private sector working in sales and account management. After a few years I became very stagnated and realized that I needed to shake things up. I decided to step out on faith to relocate and enroll in a graduate film program in Washington, DC. It was a difficult decision, because it required living away from my daughter who lived with her mother and was four years-old at the time. Even though I did not finish the program (I moved back to Charlotte, NC to be closer to my daughter), I was able to navigate into a more meaningful career in the non-profit arena after teaching middle school for a year.

The first non-profit position as a Youth Program Specialist ended abruptly when the organization had to let me go due to a lack of funding. Fortunately, I was able to find an even better position as an Education Outreach Manager with a history museum within a few months. After almost two years at the museum, I was hired as a Co-Director for an organization that empowered young adults to become more active citizens. But, I found myself searching for a job once again, due to staff reductions caused by the economic decline of 2008 to 2009.

This time, I was able to meet with an incredible career coach, named Nick Beamon. Nick helped me realize the importance of defining my passion and understanding my core competencies. He said having an authentic understanding of your personal and professional self and projecting that to potential employers increases your ability to attract the right career opportunity. Through the assistance of a colleague, I was introduced to the CEO of a mental health company, who asked me to draft a job description based on the value I could bring to his company. Six weeks after my last assignment ended, I had a new position as Director of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships.

If you have been counting, than you know that there is a third lay-off in my career history. I was impacted by another financially-induced downsizing only a year after my start date. My faith in God, and in myself, have been tested and strengthened during this latest employment challenge. I finally got the push I needed to start my own business. This past year I produced my first film and founded a media production company. Becoming an entrepreneur is my most recent reinvention, but it will not be my last.

4 Lessons of Career Reinvention I Try to Live By:

1. Believe in the possible

Faith enables us to believe in the possibility of an outcome that is different than our current circumstances. It means believing that you have everything you need to begin the journey towards reinvention, no matter what the present looks like. But, we have to make the choice to acquire a life of greater fulfillment and freedom by taking deliberate steps and making the necessary sacrifices to realize our dreams.

2. Get out of the box

When you are stuck in your life or career, sometimes you just have to shake things up. Get out of your box or comfort zone by doing something out of your routine. You can go back to school, travel to a new place, or volunteer with a non-profit that needs help. Start that part-time business you keep putting off. If it feels uncomfortable, that's the point. Getting out of the box, allows you to gain a new perspective and stimulate your reinvention.

3. Know yourself

Reinvention is not about changing who we are, its about exploring and developing new dimensions of our authentic self. We must be able to define and understand our passion, gifts (our inherent strengths), and core competencies, as well as our weaknesses or deficiencies. Knowing yourself allows you to identify opportunities that you will excel in, because they are consistent with your passion, will allow you to build upon your best capabilities, and improve your weak spots.

4. Erase “failure” from your vocabulary

In your quest to reinvent yourself there will be moments when you fall short of your goals. Society calls these setbacks failures, but if you have learned and grown from these experiences, they can be considered successes. It is all a matter of perspective. Never allow your mistakes or losses to define you. As long as you are moving forward and evolving as a professional, and more importantly as a person, you are already successful.

Would Jesus Need His Head Examined?

Posted on May 16, 2011

for My927Charlotte.com

During a closing monologue for his HBO show “Real Time,” Bill Maher stated in his typical sarcastic fashion that, “If you’re a Christian who supports killing your enemies and torture, you have to come up with a new name for yourself.” Ouch. Maher is a self-proclaimed atheist who is ruthlessly efficient at using comedy to highlight the contradictions and hypocrisies of Christianity in general and conservative Christianity in particular.

Maher was responding specifically to the exuberance many Americans overtly expressed in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the architect of the infamous 9-11 terrorist attacks. On May 1, 2011, President Obama announced that bin Laden had been killed by Navy SEAL Team 6 in a “kill or capture” mission authorized by the president. In his interview with 60 Minutes, Obama responded to those who have questioned the operation by saying that, ”Anyone who would question that the perpetrator of mass murder on American soil didn’t deserve what they got needs to have their head examined.” But, Obama who is a thoughtful Christian, surely realizes that based on the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, it is clear that he would have some questions about anyone being killed or assassinated – even those who are responsible for massive death.

We have to keep in mind that Jesus lived in a Roman Empire ruled by those who perpetuated the death of innocent people as a way of life. Yet, according to the Christian Gospels he still instructed his followers to love their neighbors, as well as their enemies, and to pray for those who persecute them. Let’s be honest that when it comes to national defense or criminal justice, most of us ignore the verses that call us to be a peaceful and forgiving people. It’s not in our human nature to be that darn good.

That’s why we as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, those of other faiths or none at all, should pause to reflect in this post-bin Laden period. I completely understand why people were celebrating that the leader of the hate-filled movement that has killed thousands has come to and end. I definitely did not shed any tears for the man. But, as a Christian (albeit an imperfect one) and an American, I recognize that we as Church, a country, and a world continue to fall short of our humanity.

Maher said, “Martin Luther King gets to call himself a Christian, because he actually practiced loving his enemies.” We live in a dangerous world in which evil does exist and unfortunately violence will be used to maintain our safety and security. But, we must never be arrogant with self-righteousness, because sometimes the enemy is not out there somewhere. Sometimes the enemy is within us.

From Selma to Silicon Valley

Posted on February 21, 2011

for My927Charlotte.com

Alabama is one of the Civil Right’s Movements most important geographic symbols. In the struggle for Voting Rights in the South, John Lewis and about 600 marchers were beaten and tear-gassed by police, as they attempted to walk from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama on March 7, 1965, a date that has come to be known as “Bloody Sunday”. On the third attempt, the marchers (including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) were able to complete the fifty-mile journey with the help of the U.S. Army, National Guard and FBI. The Selma to Montgomery Marches were critical in building the political momentum that was necessary for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Voting Rights Act ensured that African-Americans and other disenfranchised groups had greater access to our political system. Over the years we have come to realize that political empowerment in and of itself has not been enough to close educational and economic disparities. In 1965, civil rights activists had to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the way to Montgomery from Selma. Today, we have to build a bridge across the digital divide that keeps so many African-Americans from accessing the information and resources they need to compete in the global economy.

According to the Pew Internet Project, only 56% of African-Americans have a broadband internet connection at home, compared to 67% of whites, resulting in an 11-point gap. Many of those without home internet access depend on their local public libraries to conduct online searches for school assignments or job opportunities. Unfortunately, due to nationwide budget cuts many community libraries have been closed, making it even more challenging for the digitally disadvantaged to achieve what’s left of the American dream.

Basic internet access is actually only a relatively small, yet significant part, of a much larger problem. In addition to expanding connectivity, we must also increase digital literacy and innovation among black folk. We may not have to protest with our feet in order to exercise our right to vote, but we are in need of a virtual march to Silicon Valley. The San Francisco Bay area is home to the nation’s most profitable technology companies such as Apple, Google, eBay and Facebook. African-Americans are grossly underrepresented in this region that generates multiple billions of dollars.

There are a few exceptions to the rule. Dr. Mark Dean is IBM’s chief engineer in San Jose. 28 year-old, Michael Seibel is the CEO of Justin TV (a live video-sharing site), based in San Francisco. Sensory Acumen, a consumer electronics company founded by my family members, is a start-up based outside Oakland. They hope to open a manufacturing facility in North Carolina in the future. Though it’s a non-profit based in Atlanta, it’s worth mentioning the Alliance for Digital Equality. ADE is working to ensure access to technology in disadvantaged communities throughout the United States. You don’t have to live in Silicon Valley to be a digital entrepreneur.

With unemployment almost twice as high for African-Americans as it is for white Americans, its time we understand that the solution is not just creating more jobs. We must also cultivate more black-owned businesses in the lucrative industries of technology and media to close the entrepreneurship gap. True freedom cannot be found if the majority of African-Americans remain in a state of economic dependency. There is always work to do in the area of civil rights, but that’s not our greatest challenge. Today in 2011, its time to start “marching” for venture capital.

Happy Holidays! Love, the Democrats

Posted on December 23, 2010

for My927Charlotte.com

This holiday season should demonstrate once and for all that conservatives do not have a monopoly on faith and family values. As a matter of fact, if the holidays are about generosity to those in need and a celebration of hope, joy and peace, then this year Santa and his Elves were played by President Obama and the Democrats, and the Grinches who almost stole Christmas were casted with Republican actors. Though there were some elves that tried to go on strike, the President has marshalled enough support from his party to extend federal unemployment benefits for about one million people. But, Obama has to give the Republicans in Congress something that they care about much more than the jobless people who didn't fund their campaigns. In order to make sure our fellow Americans receive the help they need, the President has to also extend the tax cuts, that were passed under former President George W. Bush, for the most affluent members of our society.

Now, Republicans have argued since the Reagan era that any tax increase for wealthy Americans (in this case, the 2% of households making over $250,000 per year) would have a negative impact on the economy. This theory has been referred to as "Trickle Down Economics". The idea is that if you provide the best tax benefits for the richest individuals and corporations, along with government subsidies, the financial standing of the average person will gradually improve.

Democrats, on the other hand, tend to believe that those who have reaped the most rewards from our financial system should pay substantially higher taxes. In turn we get better social, health and educational programs - at least in theory - that improve the quality of life for most Americans and close the economic divide. When our economy is doing relatively well, these philosophical arguments seem rather abstract. But, when one party is willing to obstruct or filibuster any unemployment extension legislation that doesn't keep the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% income earners, than the political differences become very concrete.

Our Congress, Democrats and forward-thinking Republicans, delivered another gift to our country with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I remember watching the documentary Ask Not, a couple years ago and learning how discriminatory DADT was against gay and lesbian military personnel, and how it compromised our national security prior to 9-11. While the end of DADT marks a huge victory in the on-going struggle for civil rights and equality, a progressive opportunity was lost because most Republicans and a handful of Democrats (including both Senators from my state of North Carolina) refused to pass the Dream Act. The Dream Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for over 65,000 undocumented students who were brought to this country as children, if they complete a college degree or serve in the the military for at least two years.

There is a certain religious figure who looms large this time of year. We like to tell cute stories about his birth, but we really tend to avoid his convicting message. As an adult, he had a lot to say about the corrupting nature of money, and how our spiritual health as individuals and a society, can be measured by how we treat the most unfortunate and unpopular among us. He loved people from all walks of life, but recognized that those with the greatest challenges and struggles needed the most support. Watching the debates over unemployment benefits, tax cuts and civil rights, has reminded me of what this spiritual leader once said about his followers and how they will be known. He said that his constituents can be identified by their love for one another. Regardless of what religion we belong to, or even if we don't subscribe to any, everyone can agree that we need more love, no matter what the season.

Wanted: More Black Nerds & Geeks

Posted November 24, 2010

for My927Charlotte.com

Jay-Z is out promoting his newest project, Decoded, which is claimed to be a personal narrative, lyrical deconstruction and hip-hop history all at once. It is fitting that the prolific rap artist has decided to write his reflections in the form of a 336-page book. Black boys who aspire to be rappers, and those who just love hip-hop, may actually read Decoded, one author suggests. Given the growing achievement gap for African-American youth, and African-American males in particular, getting some black kids to take time out from sports and video games to read something other than text messages on their cell phone is no insignificant feat.

According to a recent study only 12 percent of black male students nationally, performed at or above proficient reading levels, compared with 38 percent of white males. In eighth grade, only 9 percent of black males were proficient in reading compared with 33 percent of white males nationwide. The data speaks to an educational disaster that crosses racial lines, but among black youth, its catastrophic.

To make matters worse, too many black boys and girls who do strive to do their best in school are still ridiculed by their peers for "acting white" or labeled as nerds. There is a complex and traumatic socio-economic history behind the educational statistics and unhealthy attitudes among too many of our black students. The question is how do we resolve a paradoxical reality where there is a United States Present with African descent and millions of black youth who can't read living in the same country?

I am an African-American man who experienced being called white in school because I knew how to speak standard English and I enjoyed learning. Reflecting back, I can see how I tried to "dumb myself down", and fell into underachievement at times because of negative peer pressure. Fortunately, I had a mom who was an educator and a dad who was a corporate executive that demanded I do my best regardless of what anyone else thought or said. Now, I'm trying to help my 12-year old daughter maintain her own thirst for knowledge and develop the courage of non-conformity.

It was not until college that I truly felt free to indulge my intellectual curiosity and began to fully realize that it was cool to be smart - and black. That's the message that our black children desperately need. As an undergraduate in the 1990's, Cornel West and Michael Eric Dyson showed me that being a black nerd could be quite lucrative and fulfilling. Before Facebook, Twitter and even MySpace, there was a social media website called BlackPlanet.com that was founded by cool black geeks like Omar Wasow. African-American kids must not only be taught their heritage of literary, scientific and entrepreneurial achievement, but they have to be exposed to and even mentored by contemporary representations of that legacy.

There is a popular saying by Charles J. Sykes that encourages "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." We shouldn't just be nice to nerds who look like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, the founders of Microsoft and Facebook respectively, but also to those black youth who could be the tech billionnaires of the future with more support and opportunities. The bottom line is this: We need more black nerds and geeks. The first step is making sure African-American students can read.

The Rapper and the President

Posted November 15, 2010

for My927Charlotte.com

I remember watching the concert for Hurricane Relief sponsored by NBC after Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005. I was just as shocked as everyone else when Kanye West went off-script from the teleprompter and stammered out these words: "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Comedian Mike Myers, who had been trying to stay on message, looked at Kanye in disbelief. It was an awkward moment that lead to some important dialogue about the government's mishandling of the Katrina relief effort and how our country addresses racial and economic disparities.

Now five years later George W. Bush calls Kanye's infamous comments, "the worst moment" of his presidency, in his new book Decision Points. In an interview with Matt Lauer on Dateline NBC, Bush became emotional as he recalled West calling him, in so many words, a racist. Who would have thought that out of all of the low points that occurred during the Bush presidency such as 9-11, the Iraq War, and the financial crisis to name a few, a misstatement from a rap artist would make his top worst memories list.

Kanye was also given face time with Lauer on the Today Show to own up to the Bush episode, the Taylor Swift meltdown and other verbal indiscretions. Lauer was determined to pull an apology out of West, for his racial commentary on Bush, which Kanye did provide in his own way. While he was talking about the Swift episode, the Today show producers ran the footage of Kanye storming the stage to interrupt Taylor's MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech, because he thought Beyonce' was more deserving. Kanye became irritated by the audio from the video clip that was played while he was talking and demonstrated once more that he's never afraid to speak his mind about anything - including a production mishap.

Who would have thought that an off-the-cuff outburst would indelibly link a popular rapper and a former GOP president. West has already secured his spot as one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time, but he may want to follow Ron Artest and get some some counseling to maintain his balance, and avoid repeating his public relation disasters. I never voted for Bush, but he's still on my short list of presidents I would most like to have a beverage with, behind Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Both Kanye and W. should seriously consider meeting in person to share their experiences with the glory of fame and the pain of controversy. In the end, despite their differences, they may discover that they are actually kindred spirits.

Message to Progressives: Don't Worry, Stay Hopeful

Posted November 8, 2010

for My927Charlotte.com

The tide that carried many Democrats and progressives into office in 2008 was reversed this year on November 2nd. History tells us however, that the opposing party of a sitting president usually gains Congressional seats during mid-term elections. If the Democrats maintained power it would have been a historical exception.

One blogger summarized the reason for Republican victories with three words: Fear, Vengeance and Ignorance. Conservative politicians don't have a monopoly on pandering to fear and ignorance, but they seem to be much better at it than liberals. Republicans and Tea-Partiers managed to convince a majority of the electorate that the first two years of the Obama Administration were both a socialist takeover and an utter failure. We live in a political culture where those who yell the loudest and have the most clever sound bites win.

The biggest failing of the Obama team was their inability to adequately communicate their accomplishments. While Obama may not have been able to generate as many new jobs as Americans would have liked, his American Recovery Act saved millions of jobs and provided multiple billions in tax cuts. Many of the people who voted against the Democrats were recipients of the unemployment benefits that were extended three times. Obama may have inherited the Great Recession, but today we are on the slow road to recovery.

Obama’s Health Care Reform will extend coverage to over 30-million uninsured Americans. Young adults can now stay on their parent's healthcare plans until they are 26 years old. On the foreign policy front, the President ended official combat operations in Iraq and has restored dignity to the United States on the national stage.

However, when the voters’ top concern is jobs, its tough to run campaigns with the slogan, "Things may not be great, but they could be much worse." For progressives there is still reason for hope. Now Republicans have to be more than the "Party of No," because they share responsibility of actually solving the country’s problems. And if Obama and Company learn from their mistakes, they'll be more prepared to win in 2012.

Personhood and the Pursuit of Freedom

I was introduced to the philosophy of Personalism as a Master’s candidate at Hood Theological Seminary, in a course entitled “The Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Prior to taking the class, I had already developed a substantial admiration for King’s synthesis of religious devotion and political activism, which were rooted in his Christian faith and Constitutional sensibility. The course explored the spiritual and intellectual evolution of this preacher who altered our national history. King’s religion and politics were initially shaped by the prophetic black church and the historically African-American, Morehouse College. King’s graduate studies at Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University reinforced King’s blossoming desire for social change. King encountered the philosophy of personalism, which fortified his conceptual and rhetorical ability to challenge the forces of racism and segregation. I believe Personalism can also inform and inspire today’s post-colonial conversations and movements.

The Personalists, a distinguished group of theologians and philosophers primarily based at Boston University during the first half of the twentieth century were far ahead of their time in regards to their understanding of God, human dignity and equality. They believed that “personality,” more accurately identified today as personhood, was the key to all reality [1]. Bordon Parker Bowne, a foundational Personalist said we live in “A world of persons with a Supreme Person at the head...” [2]. The basic traits of personhood, according to the influential Albert Knudson, can be summarized as “conscious unity, identity and free activity” [3]. Edgar Brightman, one of King’s Personalist mentors, stated “A person is an agent, not a thing; a whole...” [4]. A person is also “a purposer - an embodied purpose or system of purposes” [5]. Consciousness, individuality and the freedom of agency is God’s desire for every human being, regardless of ethnic, religious, socio-economic and gender distinctions.

As Americans who often pride ourselves on our constitutional ideals of self-identity and freedom, these tenets of Personalism may seem intuitive or even obvious. Our history has demonstrated however, that these ethical ideals that are consistent with the highest moral teachings of the world’s religions, have been anything but “common sense” values. Like other religions, Christianity has sacred texts, theological traditions and social practices which have both confirmed and contradicted essential virtues, such as love, justice and freedom. On matters of slavery and segregation; abolition and civil rights, Christians were polarized on these issues and appealed to the same Bible to support their contrasting positions. The same book that proclaims that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:28), also instructs “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord,” (Colossians 3:22).

We have settled the moral and legal dilemmas of slavery and segregation, but some debates were never resolved. Questions of personhood and human dignity are as relevant today as they were in our nation’s past. The humanity of immigrants (documented and undocumented), same-gender loving persons, Muslims, and the underprivileged is currently questioned through words, actions and policies. Once again Christians stand at odds when it comes to determining the meaning of equality and freedom in our context. Author, Karen Armstrong says we have a choice to make at this “crossroads of history.” She explains, “We can either emphasize the exclusive and chauvinist elements that are found in all our traditions, religious or secular or those that teach us to celebrate the profound interdependence and unanimity of the human race” [6]. The labels of Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Hindu are insufficient descriptors. We must now define what kind of [fill in the blank] we seek to be.

One of the most important perspectives that King adopted from Personalism was the notion that God is a rational being who created the universe with a moral logic and direction [7]. The natural flow of Creation is towards increasing dimensions of love and its outpourings of equality and freedom. The degree to which a person or society participates in any form of dehumanization such as prejudice, discrimination and exploitation is the extent to which that individual is swimming against the cosmic current and that system is striving against the grain of divine will. If it seems that hate, violence and oppression are still normative, it means there is much progress yet to be made in the pursuit of freedom.

Ralph Tyler Flewelling wrote almost seventy years ago that “We cannot, in the present state of world-wide enlightenment, go back to embrace the ancient slaveries; we can only go forward or perish in a general holocaust.” [8]. The ultimate or ideal world must be founded upon “the personalistic and Christian principle of the intrinsic worth of the individual which is the basis of all true democracy,” [9]. Personalist ethics can be found in the democratic ideals of the United States that are informed by both the Bible and the Enlightenment, and can be found in other faith and philosophical traditions. While no human system will ever achieve absolute equality and freedom, democracy has made it possible for personhood to evolve over time in a way that is not possible under an authoritarian government.

Personhood allows us to be “aware of ends, ideals, conceptions of a possible future, and of its power to apply freedom to purposive control of the future” [10]. The freedom of personhood is “the power to choose from among the given possibilities” [11]. Our embodied purpose is to participate in God’s perpetual creation project. Our individual and collective purpose is to form a world where all members of the human family experience the freedom to choose the most fulfilling and meaningful life the universe has to offer.

On the 40th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, then Senator Barack Obama commented on King’s perspective of the moral universe and the agency that we all have in the expansion of freedom and justice. He remarked that "Dr. King once said that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. It bends towards justice, but here is the thing: it does not bend on its own. It bends because each of us in our own ways put our hand on that arc and we bend it in the direction of justice..." [12]. The God of history has created the universe with a certain pattern. It’s a pattern that interweaves the threads of love, peace, justice and freedom. Once we become conscious of the pattern, all we have to do is follow it.

Our souls at their best yearn for the same world that God desires, but the degree to which these ideals are realized in our moment on the cosmic timeline, is dependent upon the role that each of of us plays in attaining our own personhood and everyone elses. Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund (a global anti-poverty venture), says that “in a world where everything is connected, the most important thing we can do is treat our fellows with dignity” [13]. As long as countless persons are oppressed spiritually, socially and economically, the post-colonial world we dream of remains a shadow of our moral imagination. Let us begin the transformation of our individual freedom into global personhood.

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[1] Albert C. Knudson, The Philosophy of Personalism (New York: The Abingdon Press, 1927), 237; Edgar S. Brightman, “Personalism as a Metaphysical Principle,” Personalism in Theology (Boston: Boston University Press, 1943), 42.

[2] Bordon P. Bowne, Personalism (Boston/New York: Houghton, Miflin and Company, 1908), 277-8.

[3] Knudson, 87.

[4] Brightman, 58.

[5] Brightman, 59.

[6] Karen Armstrong, “Empathy,” What Matters Now (http://sethgodin.com/sg/free_stuff.asp, 2009).

[7] Rufus Burrow, Jr. God and Human Dignity: The Personalism, Theology and Ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Notre Dame IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006), 103-4.

[8] Ralph Tyler Flewelling, “Personalism and the Trend of History,” Personalism in Theology (Boston: Boston University Press, 1943), 177.

[9] Flewelling, 186.

[10] Brightman, 59.

[11] Brightman, 58.

[12] Barack Obama (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABdDSxI6eSY) April 4, 2008.

[13] Jacqueline Novogratz, “Dignity,” What Matters Now (http://sethgodin.com/sg/free_stuff.asp, 2009).