Blog Posts

2/2/2021

Black History Now More Than Ever

Read Now

Black History has always been American History, and now more than ever, its value and critical importance are on full display throughout the nation. The genius of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who founded Black History month nearly 100 years ago, has caused generations of advocates to pay homage throughout the month of February to historical and current black men and women for their trailblazing sacrifices throughout the ages.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
Each year Black History Month is also celebrated in England during the month of October, a tradition that started in 1987. Canada started celebrating Black History Month each February in 1995. Historical abolitionist activities in the Republic of Ireland contributed to Black History Month becoming official in October 2014. And the Netherlands acknowledged Black Achievement Month starting in October 2016.

All thanks to ONE man's dream of giving dignity and honor to a race of people whose bloodlines spanned two continents.

BRAVERY THROUGH THE AGES: REV WILLIAM GAINES
I draw strength when I reflect on the stories and countless acts of bravery and courage from African Americans of the past. Some of them are my ancestors, like Rev. William Gaines, who in Savannah, Georgia in January 1865 sat with other black leaders in conversation with General William Tecumseh Sherman to figure out what to do with so many newly freed slaves. My relative is listed as the SIXTH member of this meeting. Here is the link to read more: http://www.freedmen.umd.edu/savmtg.htm.

ELLEN AND WILLIAM CRAFT
Speaking of courageous black people from Georgia, I can never get enough of Ellen and William Craft. Their daring escape from slavery in 1848 took them from their Macon, Georgia plantation through Philadelphia and Boston up into Canada and ultimately England, where the bounty hunters were guaranteed not to track them down. Ellen was a fair-skinned biracial woman dressed up as an injured man, with William acting as her servant. They pulled off one of the greatest escapes in American history and lived to tell the story.

STACEY ABRAMS
Georgia giants continued making history when black women, including Stacey Abrams, decided to use their community and church-organizing skills to get people out to the polls, not once but twice. First to flip Georgia from red to blue by choosing Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President in November 2020. Then, flipping Georgia blue again with the historic election of a Black Baptist minister and a Jewish journalist for the two US Senate seats on January 6, 2021: Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

That's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the countless contributions of black people throughout the ages. Nearly all aspects of American governance, policy, economics, education, commerce, art, culture, and religion intersect with the black community.

So don't even think about pivoting to "All History Matters," especially during February in America. You will be drowned out by the drum beats, gospel chorus chants, and poetic prowess of millions of black voices demanding a unique identity in the fabric of American society.

Black History IS American History!!!

The Association For The Study Of African American Life and History

Black History Month and Dr. Carter G. Woodson

During the dawning decades of the twentieth century, it was commonly presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of slavery. Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the development of the social, political, and economic structures of the United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one man, Carter G. Woodson. And, his brainchild, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc., is continuing Woodson's tradition of disseminating information about black life, history, and culture to the global community.

Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson (1875-1950) was the son of former slaves and understood how important gaining a proper education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one's divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years.

In 1912, Woodson became the second African American to earn a PhD at Harvard University. (W.E.B. DuBois was the first.)
Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

Under Woodson's pioneering leadership, the Association created research and publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937), which garners a popular public appeal.

In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr. Woodson's legacy.

In honor of all the work that Dr. Carter G. Woodson has done to promote the study of African American History, an ornament of Woodson hangs on the White House's Christmas tree each year.

Source: Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)

By Korey Bowers Brown

http://asalh.net

2 Comments

1/24/2021

ABR: Accountability Before Reconciliation

5 Comments

Read Now

By Carole Copeland Thomas

Here we are in these early days of the Biden Harris Presidency, and the battle cry for reconciliation is on full display. My response: Not yet. Nearly three weeks ago, the very foundation of American democracy was rattled and almost overtaken by an angry mob of largely white anarchists who felt that 80 million voters had stolen their rightful President's victory. They were wrong. They believed the Trump lie and acted on it. As a result, federal property was damaged, six people were killed (including the officer hit over the head with a fire extinguisher and the other who committed suicide), and many federal workers were scared out of their wits. The Vice President was threatened with hanging and was rescued in large part by a quick-thinking black US Capitol police officer. Other anarchists sent death threats to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others in Congress.

All based on lies.

All fueled in part by military veterans, law enforcement officers, Ohio bar owners, and Pennsylvania zealots trying to sell Speaker Pelosi's laptop to the Russians. All fueled by lies.

Lies that quickly gathered followers on Twitter, Facebook Parler, and the dark web. Lies that were nurtured by President Trump because of his desperate need to steal the November 2020 general election, he simply didn't win. And to further add injury to insult, lies that the former President held onto that prevented him from formally conceding the election, right down to stepping into the helicopter that flew him to his farewell speech on January 20th. Lies. More than 30,000 lies in four years—disgusting lies.

Lies that cost me business because of a September 2020 Executive Ban that blocked diversity training programs for federal agencies and federal contractors. Lies that generated a 1776 report just days before President Trump left office. In that report, more lies were reshaped into unrecognizable historic patriotism.

Here's what Former Director of the CIA Mike Pompeo said on Twitter the day after the 1776 Report was released:

"Woke-ism, multiculturalism, all the "isms- they're not what America is. They distort our glorious founding and what this country is all about. Our enemies stoke these divisions because they know they make us weaker."

So, according to Pompeo, my work over three decades as a diversity thought leader, speaker, and trainer is worthless, seditious, and divisive. If that were the case, President Biden would not have so swiftly signed one of 30 Executive Orders that reversed the September 22nd diversity ban signed by Trump.

Pompeo, like boss Trump, was a major peddler of lies.

My response to Pompeo, who called me the enemy, is: "Good riddance to both of them for generating the lies that continue to wreak havoc in our nation."

So, I cannot in good faith champion a reconciliation process before holding political leaders, business executives, and civic advocates accountable for the extensive and generational damage they have done to our society. There has to be an acknowledgment of truth in order to root out the lies. Clearly, the second impeachment we're now witnessing is a step toward accountability. We don't know what the Senate will do or if the Senate will convict President Trump. At least the House of Representatives had the guts to denounce an outgoing President whose selfish lies led to violence and death.

And when it comes to business and commerce, my annoyance is on full display. I am watching and monitoring those companies who wrote compassionate letters of support for Black Lives Matter after George Floyd was killed. Through their political PAC organizations, some of those same companies gave gobs of money to Republican legislators who fully embraced the Trump election laws. Some have recently cut ties with these legislators.

I cut ties with My Pillow propped up on my bed. I took this pillow and threw it in the trash when I learned that Mike Lindell, My Pillow CEO, was one of the main proponents of the election lies. He was seen visiting the White House after the January 6th insurrection. He and Rudy Giuliani continue to fan the fires of hate, election lies, and unwavering loyalty to Former President Trump. Several companies have dropped his products from their inventory, including Wayfair, Bed Bath And Beyond, and Kohl's.

The same can be said for the complicit behavior of Social Media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They must be held accountable and not allowed to serve as the distribution channel for Trump lies and conspiracy theories. Yes, Twitter has banned Trump, and Facebook, too. Let's keep it permanent. Parler, the widely uncheck fringe group platform, has also been removed from Amazon, Apple, and Google. Let's keep it that way.

And here's what Mary Trump, the former President's outspoken niece, said today on Twitter:

"To anybody interviewing congressional Republicans: first ask them if, in one word, they accept the results of the 2020 election. If they say anything other than yes, cut their mics and end the interview. Better yet, find out ahead of time and don't have them on at all."

I do believe in reconciliation. It's a necessary ending platform that will restore the country and help heal our deep-seated wounds. With truth, accuracy, and transparency, the road to reconciliation will lead to the right path for our sustainable future.

However, the most effective path to reconciliation is through the gateway of accountability.

Conservative leaders MUST accept that Donald Trump LOST the 2020 presidential election. They must also denounce those who became anarchists the minute they stormed into the US Capitol and breached security measures to do so.

Americans MUST work with the Biden Harris Administration to fight COVID by wearing masks and practicing safe social distancing measures.

Americans MUST also work with the Biden Harris Administration to help tackle the economy, bring jobs back into the marketplace and find new solutions for communities of color far too often left out of the economic gameplan.

And Americans MUST admit that our racial issues are deeply dividing our country, are institutionally embedded in our nation's fabric, and must be acknowledged if they are going to be resolved.

Reconciliation? Yes. But Accountability must be fully applied, administered, and rectified if reconciliation has any chance to make it in our great country.

-Carole

5 Comments

1/16/2021

Clear And Present Danger In Plain Sight

3 Comments

Read Now

Most of us launched our New Year with high hopes, plenty of expectations, and a reassuring notion that the worst of 2020 was behind us. You know that feeling, the COVID vaccine was on its way, and health care professionals were at the front of that line. The political and economic uncertainties were turning a corner, with a new presidential administration ready to take over. We were promising to move in a new direction after the pomp and circumstances of a January 20th Inauguration.

All of that was awaiting us, in addition to our New Year's resolutions and weight-loss commitments.

And then it happened right in front of our eyes on live television. The January 6th Insurrection on the US Capitol changed everything. It shocked us, frightened our spirits, and ripped off America's band-aid, exposing an avalanche of old and new national problems.

Ripping Off America's Band-Aid

There are five layers of old skin that were ripped off when QAnon, The Proud Boys, and other anarchists/white supremacist groups stormed into the US Capitol, demanding that their grievances be heard. On full display were:

Violence
Racism
Anti-Semitism
White Privilege
&
Anti-Democracy

These five tenants are embedded into America's fabric and provide the building blocks for fringe groups like the Proud Boys. And the stakeholders of these far-right groups represent the largest danger to our country: domestic terrorism.

As articulated by Congressman James Clyburn, the Democratic House leader whose single endorsement relaunched Joe Biden's presidential candidacy,

"It is time in our country to admit that we have a domestic terrorism problem."

The problem is an old one. It kept festering and exploded in mid-air on January 6th when an angry mob of white anarchists burst into the Capitol to save their president, whose lies they believed!!!!

They beat white police with no regard for "Blue Lives Matter." In one instance, DC Officer Mike Fanone probably saved himself from being beaten to death by yelling, "I have kids." No such luck for Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher and died. And let's not forget Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, who couldn't take it after guarding the Capitol on that Wednesday and committed suicide days afterward.
They were all white.

Heroes like black Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman probably saved Vice President Mike Pence and others in the Senate Chamber with quick thinking. Seeing the Senate Chamber unguarded, Goodman picked up his baton and led the crowd in the opposite direction, allowing Pence to be whisked away with seconds to spare.

Yes, the bravery of many whose quick thinking and service to the country probably thwarted a catastrophe that could have killed lawmakers, staff, and building maintenance members by a mob fueled by a lie.

On the anniversary weekend of his 92nd birthday,
What Would Dr. King Think About America in The Year 2021???

Dr. Martin Luther King's message to us some 57 years ago is as applicable now as it was when he uttered those words during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.
This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy; now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice; now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood; now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment."

Yes, my friends, the January 6th Insurrection reminded us of the unfinished business we still have in America. And it showed that a lie told enough times can turn into another person's truth. Until we tackle the impact of Violence, Racism, Anti-Semitism, White Privilege, and Anti-Democracy, we will never be the superpower country we claim to be to other nations around the world.

It will take accountability BEFORE healing. Rushing into healing, unity, propagandized corporate letters, and singing Kum Ba Yah, aren't good enough. We have a sizable portion of our country that believed the lies, galvanized their own racial bigotry, and tried like heck to end our democracy. They failed. And they must continue to fail as we stand up, speak out and say NO to their path of destruction. The accountability MUST be our focus BEFORE we can even seriously address a unified front toward reconciliation.

It will take an uncomfortable examination of our personal fault lines that contributed to the degradation of January 6th. Discussions in large and small groups will provide the path forward. Having new leadership team in the White House will certainly help the cause.

We are in a clear and present danger that will marginalize us all in America if we don't seriously address the angry white mob carrying Trump and Confederate flags. They have every intention of pushing our democracy off the cliff of our future.

Wake up, stop denying it, and help lead our nation through the painful but necessary path of accountability BEFORE healing.

-Carole Copeland Thomas
Your Comments Are Welcome

3 Comments

1/8/2021

ARREST THEM ALL !!

4 Comments

Read Now

ARREST THEM ALL!
A Special Commentary By Carole Copeland Thomas

Photo Source: Houston Chronicle

The presidential election results had resulted in explosive consequences for the entire country. I was frantic for an endless amount of time. The minutes turned into hours, and the waiting period produced anxiety and a constant stream of prayer. News reports were sketchy at first, and then the images seared on my brain. The presidential election results angered some citizens who revolted and escalated their violence. And with each passing news report, I became more anxious. When would it end? How many would be injured? How many would be killed?

Finally, I heard from him after much anxiety. He was fine. His mother was safe. One of his sisters had been moved out of the country for safety.

During this awful time, the young man I was concerned about was my adopted Kenyan son, Naftal Mwangi Kiambo of Mombasa, Kenya. Sandra Jackson Jenkins and I had “adopted” him and paid for his high school fees following our 2005 trip to Kenya with eight other black women. Kenya’s contentious presidential elections of 2007 resulted in a rash of violent attacks on opposing political sides that killed over 1300 people. And even though Naftal and his family were unharmed, many people bore the brunt of the angry mobs who took their rage out on the innocent.

That incident is what I thought about when I called my niece on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 and told her to turn on her television set to the news channel and stay inside her home in Washington DC. She didn’t know what I was talking about because she was working at home and didn’t realize the angry mob was ascending the steps of the US Capitol.

A LinkedIn colleague of mine told me that her Washington, DC niece had to be evacuated from her home because of a bomb threat. I then posted on my social media pages that my friends and colleagues needed to check with relatives and friends in Washington, DC, urging them to stay home and not to venture near the US Capitol.

The attempted American coup had begun. In the most evil manner, sedition was activated when Donald J. Trump instructed THOUSANDS of white supremacists, Proud Boys, anti-government thugs, and the rest of the hardcore Trump supporters to march on the Capitol in defiance of the presidential election results.

This was NO different from 2007 Kenya. Just different circumstances, different candidates, and a lower death count. Five people dead this week, including one Capitol police officer hit over the head by one of the anarchists with either a fire extinguisher or a lead pipe. One Trump supporter with a military background can be seen on the window panes of the congressional chamber trying to break in. Police shot and killed her.

I have watched the replays of this destruction and carnage for the past two days in anger and horror. I guess trying to kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer last October wasn’t big enough. The same thugs decided to bring their Trump-inspired hatred to Washington, denounce the election results, and threaten to kill Vice President Pence, who refused to go along with their lies.

And it was all Trump-inspired. I watched his speech on Wednesday morning. It was filled with lies and filled with hate. And Trump’s message included instructions to march to the Capitol to show their strength, not their weakness.

To all of this in the aftermath of the invasion of the Capitol building while Congress was in session certifying the Electoral College votes… I say,

ARREST THEM ALL!!

No hesitation. No debate. No dismissal. No diminishing their crimes.

ARREST everyone who breached security, broke the windows, climbed the walls, and stormed into the Nation’s Capitol Building. And ARREST Donald J. Trump for inciting violence and criminal behavior.

I realize that Trump is within days of ending his presidency. However, his actions, encouragement, and pack of lies about who won the election confirm his lunacy. I also understand that the House of Representatives will bring up a new Impeachment charge on Monday, and the 25th Amendment is also being explored.

We will know the outcome of those actions by January 20th when civility returns to the Executive Branch of government during the Inauguration.

For now, I just want all of the anarchists ARRESTED and TRIED for their CRIMES.

It will take ten more commentaries to express my outrage about the lack of security during Wednesday’s invasion versus the over intensity of security at Washington’s Lafayette Square last June when rubber bullets, tear gas and night sticks thrashed about Black Lives Matter PEACEFUL protestors. The double standards are now evident and irrefutable. When you’re black, brown, or George Floyd, you’re automatically pounced on by multiple police officers.

When you're a Proud Boy, you’re SUPPORTED by rogue Congresspersons and escorted into the Capitol Building by Trump-supporting police.

Had that been Black Lives Matter supporters storming the Capitol Building, the dead bodies would have been stacked up by the dozens!!!!

ALL IN AMERICA!!

Wednesday’s historical invasion of the US Capitol had not happened since August 1814 when the British stormed and set fire to the building. The ease that the anarchists had in entering the Capitol on Wednesday suggests that SOME of the police MAY have been complicit or sympathizers of Trump’s wild lies about a stolen election. The Capitol police leadership has already resigned. More heads will roll in the days ahead. Congressional officials like Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Josh Hawley never flinched in supporting Trump’s lies, even after the invasion and after the Electoral College count resumed. They do NOT represent the integrity of the American people. They should be defeated in their next elections.

This has EVERYTHING to do with diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. That’s why I am using strong language and NOT mincing words. Donald Trump impacted my business last Fall when he issued the Executive Ban preventing Diversity Training for federal agencies and federal contractors. I was bitterly upset about that ban and openly denounced it.

I am denouncing Donald J. Trump once again for being the primary orchestrator of the January 6th Capitol invasion. Arrests must be made, and investigations must continue.

Kenya healed from their nightmare post-election days of 2007-2008. We must do so also as we face the double standards of a fractured America.

May God protect the United States during these last few days of the Trump Administration. And may we be healed and restored under the Biden-Harris Presidency.

4 Comments

12/31/2020

Watch Night 2020 Goes Virtual

0 Comments

Read Now

Thursday, December 31, 2020, and Watch Night is different this year. Some 158 years since the first one awaiting the dawn of the Emancipation Proclamation, all have been in person from open-air campfires to toney churches in Boston. This year is different. This year is the year of COVID, the invisible killer that kidnapped and ravaged the entire world with its pain and suffering.

But fear not! Watch Night has transferred to cyberspace via popular platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. I am a member of Bethel AME Church in Boston, and our service will start with a tribute to the COVID lives lost this year, followed by our virtual Watch Night service all on Zoom.

All are welcome. It's free of charge and open to the general public anywhere in the world and starts at 10:45 pm EST.
Here's the link to Join: http://bit.ly/3o9pk6A

From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American Community.

The tradition predated the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier.

The first Methodist church in America to celebrate Watch Night in the 1700s was St. George United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, the home church of Bishop Richard Allen, co-founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

However, it has become particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. The word evolved from "Freedom's Eve" to "Watch Night" as the freed and enslaved blacks "watched" the clock strike 12 midnight, turning the course of the Civil War and freeing three million slaves in the states of the rebellion.

Wishing You The Best in 2021!
Stay Safe and Continue to Stay Socially Distanced!
Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM
---------------------------

The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church
by Carole Copeland Thomas

With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. In the North, Abolitionists were jubilant that the "peculiar institution" was finally about to get dismantled one plantation at a time.

The booklet, Walking Tours of Civil War Boston sites this about this historic event:

"On January 1, 1863, large anti-slavery crowds gathered at Boston's Music Hall and Tremont Temple to await word that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the much-anticipated Emancipation Proclamation (EP). Those present at the Music Hall included Uncle Tom's Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe, poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier and essayist, poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Also present was Ralph Waldo Emerson, who composed his Boston Hymn to mark the occasion."

Now… Let's Look Back...158 Years Ago Tonight...

It was on January 1, 1863, amidst the cannon fire, gunshots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree:

Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit:
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom."

That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States."

CAROLE' S TRANSLATION:
Effective January 1, 1863, all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free.

Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US.

So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched," prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) (a slave in Georgia freed by the EP) and the other three million slaves, prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.

Following the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were freed in stages, based on where they lived, the willingness of the plantation owner to release them and when Union troops began to control their area.

Black educator and community activist Booker T. Washington as a boy of 9 in Virginia, remembered the day in early 1865:

"As the great day drew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. ... Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading, we were told that we were all free and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see."

The longest holdouts were the slaves in Texas, who were not freed until June 19, 1865, two months after the Civil War ended. That day is now celebrated as Juneteenth Day around the United States. And Massachusetts became one of the few states to officially recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday in 2020, following the death of George Floyd.

That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture.

May you and your family reflect on the journey we have all experienced in 2020. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2020.

Goodbye to the COVID drenched year of 2020.
We WELCOME 2021 !!!!

-Carole

0 Comments

12/18/2020

Coping With The Holidays In The Age of COVID

2 Comments

Read Now

by Carole Copeland Thomas

COVID has ushered in a different type of holiday season. And even in years past, for some, the holidays are a triumphant time to celebrate the Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and other religious and non-religious traditions of the season. Past years included gift-giving, office parties, and tons of food earmarked with company bonuses, holiday concerts, and family get-togethers wrapped up in bright shiny packages. Most of all, children are showcased because their excitement and anticipation of Christmas are filled with toys, presents, and at least a one week break from school.

Those are the happy reflections of the holidays that perhaps represent your current state of mind despite an invisible virus that has altered our lives worldwide. For others, a different picture unfolds as another season, yields a new level of sadness, misery, and loss.

I know both kinds of holidays, including the happiness of my childhood years combined with the first Christmas after losing my teenage son. The happy and the sad times are both graphic reminders of what many people are facing this December in the midst of COVID.

For those who are struggling to get through the season, here are FIVE ways to cope with the holidays in a proactive and intentional manner. These are proven methods that have helped me in past years and should help those who need an anchor to navigate the season.

1. Think Of December As A Temporary Moment In Time
I am reminded of my dear friend, Joni Spicer, who faced terminal cancer in 2018 and how she navigated through that year. She made up her mind, called all of her friends, and hosted her Annual Christmas Eve Open House. I dropped by early on and was amazed by her courage and confidence to celebrate the temporary. She was thin as a rail but looked elegant and beautiful. Her house was decorated like a Norman Rockwell Christmas card. I understand that countless friends attended her gathering and celebrated "the here and now" with Joni and her family.
We buried Joni in January 2019, but what a climactic ending she orchestrated with every ounce of energy she had in her body. It was a temporary moment in time and a way for this courageous woman not to let death define her holiday spirit. Her act of courage will stay with me forever.

Perhaps you can find some ritualistic way to celebrate what you have in a meaningful and spirit-filled manner. Do it on Zoom since holiday gatherings are discouraged with COVID numbers spiking up. Yes, it's temporary, but it will hopefully move you through a more inviting 2021.

2. Your Loss Is Real, And Your Pain Is Normal
Perhaps there are only a few close friends to whom you can express this emotion. Most people are simply too wrapped up in their own drama to take on yours. Some people don't care, others want you to "get over it," and a tiny fraction are gleeful about your misery.

Be careful whose confidence you keep. When you're in pain, emotionally or physically, express yourself to those who really care. Don't ignore your feelings, and don't navigate this month in denial. You're human, and your sheer resilience should help you gain the strength and hopefulness to move forward in your life.

3. Reflect On The Positive
Our human nature and our protective emotional devices propel us from zero to 500 when events take place. You receive a note from your doctor that a second test is needed for precautions only. Your mind immediately focuses on a terminal illness.

It's difficult to schedule a meeting with your boss about that raise you're going to request. Your mind tells you that something is wrong and your job is in jeopardy.

Or a normal business slowdown occurs in December, and you panic with thoughts of your company shutting down.

You see the COVID statistics and death rate in your country and around the world and overthink the possibility of catching the virus, even though you routinely wear a mask and wash/sanitize your hands.

These are all very real emotions that YOU must manage. Going to the "dark side" is a natural reaction. YOU must manage that reaction by pumping your thoughts with positive ideas, affirmations, and expectations. Do it first thing in the morning, EVERY morning, to remind YOU that a positive perspective is more productive than negative stimulators. Thank your doctor for her/his proactive choice that will KEEP you healthy in the days ahead. Understand that your boss has deadlines to meet and has NOT forgotten to schedule a meeting with you. Remind yourself next summer to add on extra marketing activities so that WHEN the December slowdown happens, you'll be prepared. And continue your vigilant health and social distancing routine so that you will protect yourself from catching COVID.

It's a mind shift, designed to redirect your thoughts in a more positive-proactive manner.

4. Add Lighting To Your Home or Office
Depending on where you live in the world, shorter days in December might affect your emotions. That's a real clinical condition for some, whose emotional state is directly impacted by increased darkness in late afternoons. And there's an entire historical pagan tradition around December 21st, Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.

To counter the darkness, add additional lighting to your home or office. If you celebrate Christmas, the lights on Christmas trees and other holiday decorations can improve your mood. So think of adding additional lamps and other lighting devices from December through March as mood-picker uppers. Fireplaces are also beneficial. Light and sunshine work wonders on improving your emotional state of being and general outlook on life.

5. BREATHE
Yes, deep breathing provides a healthy and proactive way to clear your thoughts and center your spirit for another day of adventure. As part of my morning routine after prayers and journaling, I recite a positive affirmation that reminds me to breathe and stay calm during the day. It's a good way to center yourself while being reminded that your mind and body will be better positioned for whatever life throws at you when you practice deep breathing and staying calm. That's my morning message to ME as I face all the ups and downs in my business and personal life.

From yoga to health regimens to working out, deep breathing gives you energy and provides the pathway to stay focused on your goals and objectives. There are countless breathing exercises you can build into your daily regimen to add value to your healthy lifestyle activities.

These FIVE steps will help you pick yourself up when you feel the positive energy draining from your system. Try them and pass them on to others. Learn how to take life one day at a time. Explore ways to manage your emotional and physical conditions so that you see more promising possibilities in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

Determine what you can and cannot CONTROL or CHANGE. Adjust your attitude when circumstances are out of your control. Fortifying the positive aspects of your attitude will help prepare you for more meaningful and beneficial opportunities in your future.

You can cope! You can overcome your challenges! You can make it through the dynamic days of December.

-Carole

2 Comments

12/11/2020

PIVOT: Making Smart Choices In The Days Of Uncertainty

12 Comments

Read Now

No-one could have pinpointed the enormity of a worldwide COVID pandemic crash landing earlier this year. Sure, the experts and scientists knew that some type of pandemic germ attack was bound to happen. Even Bill Gates talked about our unpreparedness for a germ outbreak in his 2015 Ted Talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Af6b_wyiwI). Yet the invisible virus snuck into our homes, workspaces, and modes of transportation, infected more than 70 million people, and killed nearly two million lost souls worldwide as of this posting. The devastation has been unimaginable, painful, and life-changing. And with so many people now working from home (WFH) using video conferencing platforms like Zoom, our communities have had to ramp up to meet the needs of our current reality.

If you think that life will snap back to "normal" early next year when a few million people are vaccinated, think again. Yes, 2021 will undoubtedly become a year of recalibration; but the recovery timeline may expand many months into our future. Based on what the experts, scientists, researchers, and business leaders say, the United States and much of the world won't ride out this pandemic until the second half of 2021, perhaps well into 2022.

Before you scream in agony, think again. Instead of passing out from exhaustion, now is your time to PIVOT.

Channel your energy and concentrate on surviving, strategizing, and steering your efforts toward a NEW beginning in 2021.

PIVOT POINTS to PONDER:

The 2021 world will NOT retrofit into a 2019-2020 pre-COVID mindset. Those days are gone, and we are NOT going back to the past.
Some workers (worldwide) will NOT return to the office as they knew it in past years. Some companies are shrinking their commercial office space by as much as 25% and preparing for a portion of their staff to permanently work from home.
You can no longer afford to ignore technology. Your very job may depend on it. Bragging about not knowing how to operate video conferencing platforms like Zoom could cost you a job, a business contract, or a choice project or career assignment.

PIVOT FORWARD

The action word is PIVOT. Finding the path that allows you to turn, rotate or spin forward should be an important priority for you as 2020 shifts into 2021. Whatever your fears, disappointments, or obstacles were for this year or last year, put them behind you and PIVOT toward 2021.

Here are 10 WAYS that you can PIVOT forward in 2021.

Take 4-5 classes on Zoom or whatever your video conferencing platform happens to be. The more you take classes, the smarter you'll be. Many of those classes are FREE online, including my FREE Zoom Tutorials offered four times each month. (www.zoombycarole.com)
Improve the way you look with online sessions. Make sure you have adequate lighting, and think about investing in an external camera and external microphone.
Build new relationships with people outside of your normal circles at work. Join a special task force or volunteer for that special assignment that will help you meet new colleagues at work.
Brush Up Your Resume. No matter what your situation, you need to have an updated resume at all times.
Create your own 2-minute pop-presentation about your family and your background. Share this history with your colleagues or new staff on your team.
Don't internalize criticism or constructive feedback from others if it is given in the spirit of truth and sincerity. Learn to use this valuable information to improve yourself both on and off your job.
On the other hand, disregard, eliminate, and throw out negative sarcasm, criticisms, or personal attacks on you, your character, and your reputation.
Keep up to date on current events, even those that involve politics. The more informed you are, the better you can address the issues we're facing in this world. Ignorance is not bliss!
Take a few free online courses or low-cost courses. Websites like www.udemy, or coursera, offer low costs courses to help expand your thinking.
Learn a new language so that you can communicate with others around the globe. There are many ways to learn from software packages like the Rosetta Stone to using the BBC.website to sharpen up your language skills. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages)

And A Bonus

11. Stop making the Imposter Syndrome your best friend! Start believing in yourself and make a list of your strengths and talents.

PIVOT FORWARD, use these 10+ steps, and get ready for a brand new you who's ready to take on the world in bite-size chunks! Don't look back! You have what it takes to move forward!

-Carole

12 Comments

11/26/2020

THANKSGIVING GREETING: PILGRIMS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, & COVID: A Special Message From Carole Copeland Thomas

0 Comments

Read Now

THANKSGIVING GREETING: PILGRIMS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, & COVID: A Special Message From Carole Copeland Thomas

Wishing you the very best throughout the weekend as we celebrate (American) Thanksgiving. (Canadian Thanksgiving was Monday, October 12, 2020. Thanksgiving is celebrated in at least seven other countries.)

As Michele Gordon said on YouTube: Zoom, "Thanksgiving is Better than ICU Christmas!"

Yes, the world is upside down, COVID continues to rage across the globe, and racial and political divisions are at an all-time high. Yet, no matter who denies it, America gets new White House leadership less than two months from now, and our progressive national pathway will be starkly different from the past four years.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Multiculturalism WILL be a national priority once again!

Don't ever forget that the Wampanoag, America's First Indigenous People, were principally responsible for teaching survival skills to the Europeans/ English who were ill equipped to survive the harsh natural realities of the new world. That act of Indigenous humanity was an essential part of that First Thanksgiving in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Therein lies the real diversity of America. Yes, cruel, violent, and harsh in the years that followed. But diverse nonetheless!

As you sit in your socially distanced home, washing your hands and wearing your mask outside, send prayers to those who mourn the loss of more than 1.42 million worldwide who have died from COVID. I have at least five friends who died from the virus. I am sure you have friends and relatives who didn't make it. Our prayers and remembrances first go to them.

And to many others whose presence on earth was felt last Thanksgiving but are gone this holiday, we light an eternal candle for them, too.

In addition to the turkey, dressing, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rice, okra, ham, rolls, and sweet potato pie that are being eaten in my house today, I give thanks for life itself, never taking it for granted.

May you reflectively give thanks for your life, your health, your work, your family, and your friends. And may you find ONE perspective of GRATITUDE throughout the upcoming Holiday Season.

Happy Thanksgiving To You, Your Family, and Your Household!
-Carole

0 Comments

9/19/2020

Living and Working Through The Triple Pandemic

27 Comments

Read Now

Our lives turned upside down by mid-March when an invisible germ knocked on doors across the world, entered, and decided to stay. Strange and unwanted, the coronavirus derailed carefully planned events and upset our lives in a manner that hasn't been seen since the flu pandemic of 1918.

Traveling To India
In February, I led a group of hearty travelers to India for the sixth time, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We carried masks in our suitcases as a precaution and made sure to tell the customs officers when we arrived in South India that we were coming to Chennai from Boston, not China (seriously). Little did we realize that Wuhan, China would become the epicenter of a worldwide pandemic that has killed nearly one million people.

Black History Breakfast
Deciding to host my March 12th Black History Breakfast was a difficult choice. Conditions gradually deteriorated when I returned from India straight through ramping up for the Breakfast. By March 11th, the cancellations poured in from sponsors and supporters who could not attend because of company policies or just fear of this thing called COVID-19. I worked with the hotel to make sure we had plenty of space between seats and ample hand sanitizer. Our usual practice of hugging and kissing our keynote speaker and award recipients was strictly prohibited. We elbow bumped instead. It ended up being a lovely event and was one of the last events that the hotel held before shutting down for several months.

Attending The Final Face To Face Church Service
I attended my last face to face church service on Sunday, March 15th. Our church, Bethel AME in Boston, has been virtual ever since, with one exception of a parking lot service held last week. The building is closed, and the Zoom/Facebook/YouTube services will continue until probably sometime in 2021. We have adapted, and the church is busier than ever online!

Hunkering Down At Home
Since those two special events on March 12th and March 15th, I have largely stayed at home. Fortunately, I have had a home office for more than 20 years and shifted a portion of my business online five years ago. Transitioning all of my business activities online was not that difficult. I have used the Zoom platform for years, never knowing that I would become a Zoom trainer and would run my entire speaking and training business on Zoom as these weeks have turned into months.

I learned to adapt to this sea change caused by COVID-19. All of the earlier ups and downs of my personal and professional life prepared me for this era. Little did I realize that the hard work preparing for and presenting my TEDx talk on "Facing Fear" last October would actually foreshadow the anguish, sadness, sickness, and death brought on by this nasty virus.

Covid Test
Last month I took my first COVID test (the self-administered nasal version) and tested negative. My younger daughter and son in law, who live with me, have also tested negative. In a few weeks, I'll take the test again to ensure a negative result to an awful intruder.

Missed Visits With My Grandchildren
I miss seeing and hugging my granddaughters and their parents, who I have not seen in person since January. That's the toughest part of fighting this deadly disease.

Adjusting To This New Normal
Spending long stretches indoors find me working longer in my office. I have started some deep dive cleaning projects in my house, long overdue from years on the road. I don't expect to travel until next summer or later in 2021 and don't anticipate traveling internationally until 2022.

Being at home so much has been a blessing to my front and back porches! I have flowers and plants everywhere! I have purchased many of my plants from the farmer about five minutes from my house. Her plants are hearty, and she operates on the honor system. You buy what you want and leave the money in her change box! Her basil plants are flourishing on my front and back porch, and I enjoy the soups, veggie dishes, and salads made with my basil, parsley, and chives. My king coleus plants look like small trees, but I had to make some adjustments on my front porch when the deer decided to eat the giant leaves for dinner!!

Economic Pandemic and Job Layoffs
What a difference six months make!!! On top of job cuts, including my younger daughter, Michelle's layoff as a high school paraprofessional, canceled projects, and business closures yield economic forecasts of uncertainty we could have never predicted five years ago.

Racial Pandemic
America's racial climate turned ugly following the tragic death of George Floyd. His murder triggered a worldwide outbreak of protest rallies. Black Lives Matter signs are rallied from Seattle to Johannesburg, and CEOs wrote apology letters all over the country.

My diversity services hit a fever pitch all summer long. Training sessions, C-Suite forums, and Third Shift workshops…you name it, and I've held it on Zoom. The key will be to sustain the anti-racism workshops and implicit bias training sessions well into 2021 AND beyond so that systemic change can become a permanent part of our institutions and communities throughout the United States.

I'll save my comments, predictions, and actions about the upcoming presidential election for my next post. I have too much to say to cram it all in one essay. This commentary sets the stage for my comments on where we are headed as a country on November 3rd.

In the meantime…

Wash your hands for 20 seconds.
Wear your face mask everywhere.
Keep your distance.
Make sure you complete your US. Census Form by September 30th.

The adventure of our lives has only just begun.

27 Comments

6/19/2020

Make Juneteenth The Appetizer Of Your Seven Course Meal

0 Comments

Read Now

For me, last year’s Juneteenth Celebration at Franklin Park here in Boston was the best. A city park filled with happy black friends, colleagues, and families all enjoying the moment of good weather, good friends, and definitely good barbecue. This annual celebration took place every third Saturday in June from early morning where you staked out your location till the evening when the charcoal embers smolder from the sizzle of the grill.

So Much Fun In Franklin Park
In addition to the families who turned out in the 2019 sunshine, many local, state, and national organizations proudly set up tables, stands, and entire corners of the park to display their emblems, symbols, logos, and signage in full recognition of Juneteenth’s real meaning…freedom for all in a joyous celebration. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, founded 107 years ago on the campus of Howard University. I am from a family of Deltas, including my sister in law, an older daughter, cousin, and my late mother. Last Juneteenth, I hung out with my Delta sisters, who proudly pitched a red and white tent at the Franklin Park celebration. And we were not alone! We were surrounded by the other black sororities and fraternities, including Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Iota Phi Theta.

Those were just the black Greek-letter organizations present at last year’s Juneteenth Celebration. We were also joined by the NAACP, Urban League, Nation of Islam, various church groups, political campaigns, and healthcare advocacy organizations. I invited two of my clients to attend so that they could see the black community's interconnection in a unified celebration of harmony and happiness. My clients saw how they could proactively build a relationship with multiple groups and constituencies within an arm’s reach of their headquarters.

There were no speeches, no planned programs, no political debate. Just plain ol’ fun, with soul, hip hop, R&B, dance musicand the electric slide blasting everywhere.

It was beautiful. It was Juneteenth 2019.

An Alternative To June 19, 1997
And it was a soothing way for me to block out June 19, 1997 the date I buried my 17-year-old son who had died in a single-occupant car crash that year days after graduating from high school.

Juneteenth 2020
Now I think of Juneteenth differently this year, where social distancing and an angry virus have robbed residents and citizens around the country from holding picnics or parades in commemoration of Juneteenth. We know this year there are large gatherings of peaceful protesters marching to restore dignity and safety in the black community following the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, D. J. Henry, Sandra Bland and far too many more. And we also know that Black Lives Matter is not just a catchy slogan by progressive liberals. It’s become a new “call to action” mounted on signs and placards and held by black, white brown, Asian, Arab, English, French, Kenyan, Brazilian, and Jamaican faces all over the world!

History of Juneteenth
The historic proclamation announced on a balcony by Union Army General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 that ALL slaves throughout America were free. The announcement was made in Galveston, Texas, because selfish white Texas plantation owners kept their slaves in bondage long after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863. They even held onto their slaves after the last Civil War shot was fired in April 1865. So you can only imagine how astonished those ex-slaves were in Galveston tasting freedom for the first time, nearly 2.5 years after the fact.

It’s that historical reality that has made Juneteenth such a festive celebration throughout the country. Clearly there are other “black holidays and traditions” that have more recognition than Juneteenth. It’s just this year, with the triple pandemic - (1) COVID-19, (2) the teetering economic, and(3) racial strife, Juneteenth came center stage when a racist president picked June 19th to hold his “Make America Great Again” rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The voices of protest pushed back, causing the autocrat to move his political mob scene to the next day, June 20th.

Only the Appetizer
The bottom line is go on and celebrate Juneteenth. Make it a national holiday, take the day off from work, and hold countless socially distanced picnics and discussion in its honor. But don’t make it an end-all. It’s the appetizer in a full course meal that hasn’t even been cooked yet. That seven-course meal must include many more intentional initiatives, policy actions, police lobotomies, and economic course correctors if this country is going to really set sail in a new direction.

So enjoy Juneteenth. But make sure you save room for the remaining six courses that will really take us somewhere into a future guaranteeing justice, economic access, and freedom for all.

0 Comments