On Their Shoulders I Stand + a Playlist
Words by: Nicole Jacobs Silvey | Music by: Abby Yemm
Nicole Jacobs Silvey — public speaker, business consultant, founder of Connection Coach KC, and champion of herself and others. Image credit: Nicole’s Instagram
Hi, Nellies! We are excited to welcome guest writers to this space. This piece, by Nicole Jacobs Silvey, is about what Black History Month means to her. Nicole is a local public speaker, business consultant, and founder of Connection Coach KC. She is also a Nellie and a daily inspiration on living a life of purpose.
Black History Month is a bittersweet occasion for me. As proud as I am to celebrate all of the Black Americans who have come before me and paved the way for the life I now live, I am acutely aware that the rest of the year that same history is often dismissed, devalued, or overlooked. In February we celebrate what is treated as an invisible history and then in March, we slide back to our default… a white-centered narrative that focuses on the achievements of those who look very different than me.
When I think of writing this article for The Nelle, it is not lost on me that for the majority of her life my grandmother was prohibited from joining women’s clubs where the membership was reserved for white women. That recent past seems at times to be both current and yet generations away; what was once overt racism has often given way to more subtle microaggressions and biases.
In spite of systemic oppression and marginalization, Black people have not only survived but managed to thrive. When I think of resilience, I look no farther than my grandmother who traveled to the U.S. as an immigrant from Jamaica in search of better opportunities for my mother and her brothers. I think of my great-grandmother who worked as a domestic to provide for her family and was bursting at the seams when her grandson graduated from college. In one generation, our family went from cleaning homes to owning them. For me, Black History is a living history and my family represents a portion of the Black experience.
Soon The Nelle will open its doors and has the opportunity to create a space for womxn that I wish my grandmothers had lived to see -- a location where diverse women from various backgrounds can share space and connect in meaningful ways. For that I am hopeful. For that I am grateful. We have the opportunity to uplift and amplify those previously silenced voices and highlight the history that is woven into every aspect of our country. We can model for our girls what we see for our future. We can teach them that Black History is American History.
2020 was a year we will not soon forget; no matter how hard we try. And while there were incredibly painful moments, I am encouraged by the opportunity to dig deep and begin to heal the wounds of racism that run deep in our country. I am reminded that antiracism work begins first by listening to the journeys and experiences of others. In listening, we learn and continue to gain understanding about our role in dismantling racism and fostering equity.
Black History is a time of great reflection and celebration. It is a time when the spotlight shines on what is typically in the shadows as we recognize the contributions of Black Americans from the last four centuries. While a month is woefully inadequate to celebrate the breadth and depth of contributions of the Black community, I use February as a reminder of how far we have come and a motivator for how far we still must go.
This month, I am reminded that I am both my ancestors’ wildest dreams and their greatest hope. It is on their shoulders that I stand and it is with outreached arms that I lift up those that come behind me.
I am Black History.
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