Our Leading Role: Transitions and Change
2020 is a movie. Uplifting Black women as protagonists is how our country can avoid a tragic ending.
Written by: Mekaelia Davis
Photography: Melquan Ganzy
I remember the end of 2019 and feeling thrilled about the possibility of the new year. It felt like 2020 would be a year of balance, a year of vision. It started with inspiration from luminaries like Oprah and quickly turned to what feels like the first of a multi-series movie franchise called "The Endings We Face." We've seen a global health pandemic accompanied by economic downfall, grocery store boxing matches over toilet tissue, job losses of unseen proportions, and political leaders redefining leadership roles by not leading at all. All of this, as with much of American history, is compounded by individual and systemic racism, wherein Black bodies — in this case, those of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd — are the price for change.
As we approach the second half of the year, 2020 has now transitioned into the second installment of our movie franchise. This feature includes a global fight against racism. Our heroes face a fragmented approach to reopening states and cities while battling an infectious disease and facing shortages in medical staff and supplies. Let's not forget a high-stakes election cycle that will lay the foundation for the third and fourth installments of the franchise (tentatively titled "The Beginnings We Deserve").
The Transition We Need
We've seen a range of public responses to our crises. From big public statements from global corporations to growing financial commitments and campaigns to support and invest in Black businesses, we are witnessing an inflection point. Simultaneously, our social media feeds and public discourse have a waning focus on the value and importance of Black lives. And the movie is turning to the predictable moment when the villain does something criminal.
Like other significant political, economic and social movements advanced throughout history (see: the origin of Black Lives Matter, almost every democratic electoral campaign, suffrage, etc.) Black women will play a key role in helping the country transition to what comes next. As an easy comparison, transitioning to natural hair was such a monumental process that Black women designed an entire universe of beautiful and inspiring content (including this publication) to support themselves and the world in understanding the value and ways of valuing natural Black hair. This, after Chris Rock's "Good Hair," highlighted how deeply Black hair was devalued in the beauty industry.
As a country, we suck at transitions. Our justice system fails at supporting formerly incarcerated folks, which has led to exceptionally high rates of recidivism. Our education system is trying but struggles to prepare young people for college, where just over 60% of college students graduate from their four-year degree in six years. Our employers still grapple with supporting parents. Only 16% of private industry employees have access to paid leave, and parents face significant challenges returning to work with childcare costs eating over 35% of a single parent's annual income.
We are now faced with a set of transitions at a larger scale. Some that will impact generations to come. The case for investing in women as a solution is clear. Since 2016, Black women have helped drive our economy as a growing share of entrepreneurs and breadwinners, and represent the bedrock of culture as creators and innovators. Focusing on the recovery of Black women and building our skills and resources will be vital to navigating COVID-19 and creating a world where anti-racism is the norm.
The World We Deserve
We have a ton of experience to learn from. Anytime we've wanted something different, we've built it. When faced with challenges, Black women lean on knowledge and relationships that make us resilient and sophisticated. We learn. We adapt and we can do that again. Incredible Black women are building a new economy that we can all learn from. Here are a few that are creating the language, tools, and programs that can help fuel our future:
Watch Melissa Bradley, founder and managing partner at 1863 Ventures, co-founder at Ureeka, professor at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business (and like four other titles) on the importance of investing in New Majority entrepreneurs.
Read Lauren Jacobs, executive director at the Partnership for Working Families and nationally recognized organizer/thought-leader, illustrate the need for a new relationship with American corporations.
Watch Kathryn Finney, a serial entrepreneur, investor, futurist, and founder of Digital Undivided, talk about changing tech's face.
Listen to Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, discuss how states can support workers of color through COVID-19 and unemployment.
Read about Candice Matthews Brackeen, founder, and general partner at LightShip Capital and founder and CEO of the Hillman Accelerator, recent close of the largest initial venture capital fund led by a Black woman.
Read testimony from Connie Evans, president and CEO of American Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), advising congress on the realities facing small businesses, especially Black businesses, navigating COVID-19.
Each of these women represents some of the diversity of ideas and experiences that can help us transition to a more equitable and just economy. As Black women, we continue to be conduits for change, and I look forward to the final installment of the 2020 movie franchise, where our leading role shines through as the heroes we’ve always been.
