In 1991, as a condition of obtaining his birth record, I was asked the question: “What race is your son”? Instead of checking the box they wanted me to, I selected “Other” and wrote in Human. As a biracial child, I knew that his journey would be different than others. I also believe that we are all born into the Human race. It was a favorite story that my Mom used to share about having people see my children as the treasures that they are. After escaping from an extremely abusive marriage when they were young, I made a vow to do what I could to protect them, while making sure that I was “Raising Future Leaders”.
Throughout their childhood, I was a strong and vocal advocate about the importance of them being seen, heard, and acknowledged as the gifted and talented humans that they are, and refused to accept that they should be treated any less than those around them. From having a Kindergarten teacher sit my son in the front of the room while kicking under his chair, telling all the other children not to play with him because he was going to end up in jail (he is on the Autism Spectrum as high-functioning), to having to fight for my daughter to be held back a grade instead of promoting her to the next level, which would have set her up to fail because she was not where she should have been (later discovering she has Dyslexia and Dyscalculia). The lived experiences we’ve navigated together as they became teens, young adults, and even now as adults, stands on the foundation that their diversity should propel equitable behaviors so that they are included and will experience a sense of belonging.
As a protector, I knew that I had to not only teach but show them the value and worth that they contribute to this world, “lifting them up, so they could be raised.” With the understanding that they are uniquely designed to be whomever God wants them to be without dimming the lights of others or being marginalized to think that they are not enough, is something that all children should be aware of, at as early an age as possible. As thriving adults now, they are both successful on their own terms, while navigating the world as projectors, shining their light through darkness and contributing in ways that matter.
I have had the pleasure and challenge of Raising Future Leaders through community connections and with friends of my children since 1994. In 2017, a new generation of leaders entered my life, and I am Blessed to be “Gma” to four amazing Grands. The oldest recently noticed that the color of my skin was much darker than that of others in our family. I recognized that as a normal observation that we as adults see immediately, so we talked about it and moved on.
The next discussion was a bit different. He wanted to know since there were so many different colors of people, who’s in charge? Now, this question caught my attention on a different level, and me and his grandpa spent time unpacking his questions with curiosity, transparency and love. As his Black Gma, who is a strong and unapologetic advocate for “Raising Future Leaders”, I am in a uniquely qualified and important role to him (and my other Grands) so that they navigate the world through a DEI&B-focused lens, while pouring into their foundations as a protector and a projector.
By being more intentional about the impact our future generations will have on this world, we must be willing and able to provide open and honest age-appropriate Learning Journeys when topics like this come up. It’s important that they have a solid foundation to stand on as they pursue their dreams. Instilling in them their value and worth as early as possible is a first step. Through customized workshops, we will build foundations for:
- Children (ages 2 to 8)
- Youth (ages 9 – 12)
- Teens (ages 13 – 18)
- Young Adults (19 – 24)
Let’s connect to see how we can provide these foundational resources to more protectors, projectors, and our Future Leaders through a DEI&B-focused lens. As we all learn and grow in our knowledge, we will become better and stronger together.
“Even though we know someday they’re gonna shine on their own,
let us be their protector, and their projector.”
I believe that music can be a universal language, so I often use it and lyrics to strengthen our connections. There’s a message in the music, so let the music play…
ESTEP Consulting, LLC 
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