Finding Hope & Power in Our 'Pulpits'

This original iteration of this blog was published on the Engaging Local Government Leaders Blog.

Storytime: Flashback to December 2014 at the height of the holiday shopping season, and there I was, laying on my back in the middle of one of Atlanta’s busiest malls, Lenox Square. No, this wasn’t an adult temper tantrum over a missed sale, but my first peaceful protest. A part of the (then) #ShutItDownAtl movement, this “Die in” was arranged by the NAACP youth council and the National Action Network to shed light on and protest the death of Eric Garner and the others murdered by the “hands of the system.”

As shoppers stopped to take photos, join our moment of silence, and read our pointedly pinned protest signs, I didn’t realize that I was exercising the power of the “agency” I had. Some define agency as “your reach, sphere of influence, or pulpit.” The acclaimed urbandictionary.com notes agency as “one realizing and using their power to further their ends.”

Fast forward eight years after that peaceful protest to today, I realize that I have another obligation to use my agency - the agency granted by my experience in local government, my personal platform, and calling to civic engagement.

The Power of the Pulpit

The pulpit, defined as “a raised platform or lectern in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon,” is familiar to many of us. Whether you’re like me, who remembers growing up and attending long Baptist church services with your grandma, or have seen them in classic movies, we are all familiar with the image and representation of a pulpit in religious standards. But what about the symbolic pulpits we occupy daily in our individual lives — the roles where people listen to, trust, and admire us?

Over the years, I’ve worked to equip myself with more knowledge, understand the power of my vote, build the courage to speak truth to power and privilege, and encourage and uplift marginalized populations. But two years ago, I, like many others, found myself asking: Now what? Now that I’ve seen all of this injustice (the murder of George Floyd, the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, the slaying of Breonna Taylor, and hear the cry of voices for advocates), what more can I do to help to combat systemic inequality of America’s marginalized populations and support in building future we are proud of?

I started filling in my “Now what?” question bubble by exercising my agency through my work as the then Director of Communications for the Georgia Municipal Association. I’m continuing that work through Momentum Minutes.

My “Director Pulpit”

What started with me assisting in crafting a statement from our officers quickly grew into real work and plans. These plans included the creation of an internal; staff-based Equity and Inclusion Task Force and a statewide town hall with Georgia Public Broadcasting. We also urged and equipped leaders in Georgia’s 538 cities to lobby the General Assembly for swift adoption of Georgia’s hate crimes legislation. These actions inspired the creation of an online toolkit for cities to use as a foundation for open and honest discussion and mandatory diversity and sensitivity training for elected officials across the state.

The examples set and risks taken by these leaders further encouraged me to ignite my influence. As one of the co-chairs of GMA’s internal committee, I held some pretty groundbreaking conversations with my non-minority colleagues who wanted to stand alongside me as advocates but had no idea where to start or how to address racism displayed by their loved ones. Some of these one-on-ones left me in tears of gratitude for being trusted with this assignment and for the opportunity to turn difficult and contentious conversations into conduits for change.

Now, It’s Your Turn!

During my immersive introduction to championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), I started by advocating for one foundational belief: Everyone deserves to be treated equally, fairly, and justly under the law and by societal institutions. When we have a common goal, we can get things done.

Friends, will you accept the charge to listen deeply, unite widely and act boldly to deliver results? It’s past time to set the standard and illustrate a willingness to stand in solidarity to create lasting change in your states, your cities, and the hearts and minds of everyone in your spheres of influence.

For many, the introduction to action starts with a conversation. The power of conversation — authentic healthy, and active dialogue — is your opportunity to go deep into your thoughts to unearth ideas you never knew you had and biases you never thought existed. They also allow us to brainstorm substantial and meaningful steps we can take. These conversations can happen virtually or in person with your boss, colleagues, family, and friends. Stay tuned for more ways to hold these conversations. But in the meantime, I encourage you to make a list of those who are impacted by your influence.This could be entire organizations, small groups of people, or just one person to start. There’s a high probability that some people on this list will never get the opportunity to listen deeply, unite widely, act boldly and deliver results if you don’t introduce this opportunity to them through the Power of Your Pulpit.

This is For You, Too!

And, to those still working up the courage to use their agency or seeking direction, remember that just because you have not fully realized your role in this revolution doesn’t mean you don’t have one.

It’s time for us to allow the ideas in our minds to be fueled by the convictions in our hearts because that’s when the action happens! It’s up to us to take control of our agency and do our part in redeeming the Soul of America.

We are in this together!