Dr. Allen asked me to write an eighth blog yet again from just ten minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The news is that California has yet again flattened the curve (for a fifth time) as I write this in late February 2021. So far, our state has completed 48 weeks with the goal to flatten the curve, support frontline health workers and keep ourselves and our families healthy.
Three key points to discuss on this blog.
- Diversity and Super Bowl LV
- Truth to Power
- Transparency
Diversity and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One does not have to be a football fan to celebrate the coaching staff diversity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winners of Super Bowl LV. Football teams have seven coaches. The head coach, assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, special teams’ coach, offensive line coach and strength coach. The Buccaneers head coach is white and the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl. Their assistant head coach, defensive, offensive coordinator and special teams are all African American. Their offensive line coach and strength coaches are women.
The National Football League is 80% African American and the owners are 99% white. The NFL has been behind the curve (putting it nicely) on hiring African American coaches over the years. Also, having African American quarterbacks although common today wasn’t that way twenty years ago as African Americans weren’t perceived to be smart enough to be a quarterback…even in the 1990s. Finally, in Super Bowl LV a woman was one of the referees for the game…another first. Diversity is here and accelerating …what side of history will you be on?
Truth to Power
Speaking truth to power in my perception is to stand up for the truth even when it is uncomfortable. I became more intentional with this regarding standing up against systemic racism in conversations with acquaintances and casual friends in 2020. It was challenging at times, but I no longer could just “try and get along with everyone.” The distortion of plain truth and facts is not acceptable, and we need to have the back of the truth. An example is calling the storming of the Capital on January 6th for what it was… insurrection and domestic terrorism caused by lies and falsehoods from the president.
Transparency
Transparency is returning slowly to our country, linked in no small part to a White House press secretary having daily briefings, updates from health experts on COVID19 and vaccine distribution and using facts not conspiracy theories to drive our decisions. This has been missing for the last 4 years that I became immunized and worked on surviving. So, I am challenging myself and challenge each of you to continue to hold ourselves accountable in our actions and conversations to create living systems in our community, workplace and personal life. You can use the Nature’s model to create a better world as Dr. Kathleen Allen describes in her book. If you have not bought the book “Leading from the Roots”, do so today, it will change your life.
And as always, remember our Heroes on the frontlines will live in our hearts and minds forever. Our collective will to fight systemic racism will grow in our DNA. The question remains what each of us will choose…for me Count Me In with gratitude and love!
David – World Traveler, Poet, Actor, Taxi-Driver…Blogger
I love this on Diversity…” The National Football League is 80% African American and the owners are 99% white. The NFL has been behind the curve (putting it nicely) on hiring African American coaches over the years. Truth to Power…on point “ calling the storming of the Capital on January 6th for what it was… insurrection and domestic terrorism caused by lies and falsehoods from the president
Transparency favorite line…” This has been missing for the last 4 years that I became immunized and worked on surviving.