2020 GlobalMindED
The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
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THE NEXT GENERATION MATTERS TODAY
 
THE EPSILON IOTA BOULE OF SIGMA PI PHI FRATERNITY
For four days in June, Tulsa, Oklahoma had its place in the national and world news. JUNETEENTH celebrations broke out across the country and more people across the globe than ever before were made aware of the 1921 race massacre that totally destroyed Tulsa's black neighborhood and business district--widely known 99 years later as Tulsa's Black Wall Street. The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has come and gone, and the streets of Tulsa are quiet once again. Boarded-up buildings are returning to business as usual. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 continues to alter our lives and take the lives of those we love.

As members of the EPSILON IOTA BOULE, Tulsa's Chapter of the oldest Greek-lettered fraternity of professional black men in the world, SIGMA PI PHI, established in 1904 in Philadelphia, we are well aware of the disruptions that our country and the world are facing. We realize even more the importance of our collective response and the impact of our response upon the growth and development of this generation and the next generation of black men. EPSILON IOTA BOULE'S members are black professionals of Tulsa and surrounding area: doctors, lawyers, authors, (corporate) executives, consultants, ministers, entrepreneurs, educational administrators, government officials and more. 

Our Fraternity was birthed during the era of exclusion from existing professional organizations, thus the need to create our own. Our existence today makes us fully aware of the importance of seizing the moment-to make and leave a lasting impressions of the best of who we are and to embrace who we have become. Between 1863 and 1865, enslaved Africans around the country were given liberty to breathe freely for the first time. Even so, those enslaved in Texas were force to labor [for two additional years] after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. They were kept purposefully-unaware of their freedom by those who valued economic utility more than their shared humanity. The notification of their freedom finally came from General Gordon Granger, who led thousands of federal troops into Galveston, Texas on [June 19th, 1865]; Thus the celebration called JUNETEENTH was born, a landmark day in the history of America, a day for all Americans to embrace and cherish the freedom of their brothers and sisters. The freed slaves are our kin and all those who traveled the hundreds of years' journey through the Middle Passage from the continent of Africa to America-not to be welcomed as partners in the shaping of this great nation, but as slaves without rights. Their dignity was not recognized. Their humanity was not shared. Unlike those who came to Ellis Island to build their own dreams, those shipped from Goree Island were brought to this country to build the dreams of others. They came to further someone else's agenda, to create a better future for someone else's family, not their own. 

TO BREATHE IS TO LIVE. And this is what we want for these days and for all generations that follow-the ability to live and breathe without being hampered by the insidious acts of others. Recall the heart's cry of Dr. King; "Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. " George Floyd's dying words have become a rallying cry for justice to roll down, for equity and dignity to be accorded all. Yes! Black Lives Matter! This is more than a slogan that accompanies protest marches. This is the collective memory of our history spilled out on the streets of America for all to hear and know. 

If the great Atlantic Ocean should have a day of reckoning and that great body of water should give up its dead, Black Lives would rise from the bottom of the ocean's floor to testify of the thousands whose lives were forever lost as the soul-crushing depths sucked from them their last breath of life. These are the ones who died before slavery had the opportunity to kill them.
This lament is the painful mourning of Ida B. Wells, the black journalist whose life became the pen that sought to bring an end to the rash of blacks being hung throughout many of our southern states. Thousands of blacks gave up their last breath. Their black kin would mourn privately-fearing for their own lives. Those black lives being hung often provided Sunday afternoon entertainment for many of our white citizens, who along with their children would gather to watch the pangs of death while enjoying a picnic lunch. Black Lives did not matter to them. The greater society seemed not to care! For many, we were considered expendable carnage. 

99 years later, a mournful spirit hangs over our Tulsa. We still have no conclusive idea of how many blacks who were killed during the infamous 1921 Race Massacre that totally obliterated Tulsa's Black Wall Street. Black Lives Matter is the cry of our soul from a deep place within our human existence. We invite all of our fellow citizens around the nation and the world to join with us as we continuously and passionately seek to honor the existence of all black lives. 

George Floyd's dying voice pleading for his life has become a rallying cry for Justice to be actualized for all. It is time for all our leaders (at all levels) to embrace this moment afforded our nation to institute reforms where desperately needed-healthcare, jobs, livable wages and within our police communities. Floyd's last words have become the first words for millions around the world. His cry to breathe may have fallen on deaf ears of the Officers close by, but they have been picked up and loudly projected by the listening world. We have witnessed unprecedented protest marches from all corners of the globe. Listen to us. Hear us. See us. We can't breathe. 

Conversations around racism are finally entering our public discourse. People and organizations of influence are stepping up and lending their voices to these critical issues of the day. Honest feelings are being shared and honest questions once kept private are now being asked aloud. Unfortunately, racism is not the subject of a bygone subject, but a very present reality. These are unparalleled times, but also times of great opportunity. We must seize this moment! Our response as citizens of Tulsa and as members of Epsilon Iota Boule is critical for this captive moment in history, and for the next generation of Tulsans who will be tasked with doing their part to ensure the endurance of the nation. Abraham Lincoln in his 1863 Gettysburg Address stated, "We are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated long endure." A nation of free people is indeed a fragile commodity-one that requires an intentional dedication to unselfishness as germane to its endurance. Building such a nation is not an extra-credit project, but a life-long process.

In the 1830s, the French philosopher/diplomat, Alexis de Tocqueville exhorted our nation to live up to its own ideals, to live out its own creed for all to see. Our own documents express who we hope to be-a land where all are welcomed to live their best lives. Hope and Courage are required Habits of the Heart if we are to be benefactors for this generation-the generation who expected Baby Boomers of our generation to right the social and economic wrongs within our country. Alas, much remains to be done. 

Like an unexpected anthem, "I can't breathe" has become an international refrain embraced by all who understand that the sideline is not the place where heroes stand. No time is better than now to embrace the work that has been overlooked, undervalued and left undone. Nelson Mandela has left these powerful words to guide our hearts and hands: "We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right." 

From June 19 to June 21st, the eyes of the world were upon Tulsa, Oklahoma the city that gave us "Black Wall Street" and the city that watched as "Black Wall Street" was totally destroyed. COVID-19 was an unwelcomed guest and its impact remains to be seen. Tulsa hosted the President of the United States of America. On June 19th,Tulsans remembered, recognized, and celebrated the black Texans, who were among the last to know that slavery was over and that they were indeed free. 

Against this backdrop, we must all embrace the "charge" left us from those before us-to use our influence to impact lives of this and the next generation. Momentary victories will not ensure a race well run. The positive impact of our actions during this crucial time in America and the world will be far-reaching. Generations not yet unborn will be the recipients of our actions. What ideals do we want them to embrace? Their future must be on our minds. Their wellbeing must rest in our hearts. As activists before us, we must follow the proven paths to form new ones. Becoming the nation of our scared documents is still in process. It is an ongoing journey--one that requires unselfish commitment from each of us and each succeeding generation. If we are to ensure the endurance of the nation that Abraham Lincoln believed in, then we must become the endurance we seek. 

THE NEXT GENERATION MATTERS TODAY; thus our commitment as a fraternity to social action-a never-ending process. Only four men were involved in the start of our great fraternity in 1904, but their commitment to personal and professional excellence has increased the initial Four Seeds of Promise" to over 5000 members throughout the United States, England and the Grand Bahamas. Yes, to us, at Tulsa's Epsilon Iota Boule, OUR INVOLVEMENT matters! Black men, youth and adults, should never be considered an endangered species. The inquiring press and their roving cameras have gone from Tulsa, but we remain. This generation of black youth will have our shoulders upon which to stand... to reach up to the tallest of trees and to breathe the fresh air of justice. No one should ever again have to use his or her last ounce of courage to cry out for life: I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

I can't breathe.


This article has been sanctioned FOR PUBLICATION by Tulsa, Oklahoma's EPSILON IOTA BOULE OF THE SIGMA PI PHI FRATERNITY. The principal writer and content contributors are all members of Tulsa, Oklahoma's EPSILON IOTA BOULE of the SIGMA PI PHI FRATERNITY.
Principal Author: Clifton L. Taulbert. Content Contributors: Paul Samuels, Ray Owens, Sam Combs,  Carl Bracy.
NOTE: Permission was granted to use my picture and reference my association with GLOBALMINDED
Links to recent presentations on access and equity:
Curated sessions from GlobalMindED 2020 YouTube channel:
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From Harvard Business Review:

From the World Academy of Art & Science and UN; Geneva Global Leadership in the 21st Century econference:
Listen here for an interview with Pam Newkirk, GlobalMindED speaker and author of Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion- Dollar Business. 
Responding to Crisis
The 30-Day Justice Plan
As the reset of America is underway, understanding the role you can play in a system of change can be difficult, but we encourage you to listen, learn and be active. To start, instead of, say, a juice cleanse, feed your brain and move yourself with this practical plan over the next month. Here's our guide of what to read, watch, listen to and do in order to be part of the solution.
All  2020 GlobalMindED virtual programs are available NOW on our YouTube channel. 

GlobalMindED and the SDG Impact Fund are delighted to announce  GlobalMindED's Donor Advised Fund. 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Women's Declaration and Action Platform. Many from around the world are thinking of 2020 as the gateway to our most vital decade for delivering equity, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world where all can thrive. Our key time for these outcomes is 2020-2030.

GlobalMindED DAF and the SDG Impact Fund are a powerful combined force for good as the 2019 year comes to a close and we reflect on the gratitude and the commitments we make to the causes we care most about. The DAF offers immense power and flexibility for giving prior to the year's end as you plant seeds of generous intention for 2020 and the decade ahead.

When you contribute to GlobalMindED, you support First Gen students. We have served more than 400 students by connecting them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. Your generous support will allow us to take our work 10x and reach these talented students at scale who lack the resources and support we provide. Your support also helps teachers who can't afford the conference fees, faculty at colleges which are under resourced and students who persist at those universities despite food insecurity and/or housing insecurity.
Meet GlobalMindED Founder, Carol Carter as interviewed by Tim Moore on his podcast Success Made to Last: From Success to Significance

Listen to Part 1 of Carol's interview 
Listen to Part 2 of Carol's interview

Find out more about this and other podcasts at:  Success Made To Last

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