Lift Every Voice and Sing
Commonly referred to as the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has gained recent attention through performances on large stages such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and other events in February. The song has origins in a poem written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900 to celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. In reflection, I am not sure if I have heard the song performed in any other month, though it is a message that can be applied throughout the year.
Why Is This So Important?
For a moment, I ask you to reflect on what could be considered the opposite message of this song, that is, suppress every voice and be silent. My hope would be that no one would willingly suppress voices be it our own or the voice of another; however, we know that it happens. Being silent can be more of a challenge for multiple reasons including setting, relationships, and sometimes simply knowing what to say as well as when to say it.
Spoiler alert. There is no perfect answer and it will not always be easy. What we can do is become more aware of how voices may be suppressed, intentionally or incidentally, work to identify our own authentic voice and understand how to create and maintain spaces of psychological safety where we can all sing.
A Voice Delayed and Silenced
Here are some facts about me. I identify as an introvert and until several years ago, I would cringe at the thought of having to write something. Why? How are these connected?
While in elementary school, I had an opportunity to participate in a writing academy. I felt that it truly helped me to become a better writer and I actually enjoyed the ease I felt of getting my thoughts, and my voice on paper. My family and I moved a few years later and I had to attend a different school that had not participated in the writing academy program. As a 6th grader, I attended 7th-grade classes because my reading and math levels were above my 6th-grade peers.
When I entered high school, initially my papers were returned to me and I was accused of plagiarism, being told it was not possible for someone of my age to write the way I did. This forced me into a phase of self-editing and self-suppression to fit what I thought my teachers expected from me. I hated writing to the point where I often would delay doing the assignment until it was too late for me to do it with any authenticity, just going through the motions to get it done. Even then, I felt as if my procrastinated and rushed voice was further filtered through editing to fit me into someone else’s box.
Similarly, I am a person who leans more towards deeper intellectual conversation as opposed to small talk. While this has often led to what I felt were great conversations, due to reasons including my role at the time, years of experience, age, and perhaps even race, the reach of my voice was limited to the few in my proximity. My frustration, withdrawal, and self-identified introvertedness from these interactions are because many of the conversations were about things we are continuing to struggle to address in a meaningful and sustainable manner.
These life experiences, though hopefully not intentional, kept me silent for years. Additionally, I have to fight these past experiences each time I am called to lift my voice even in spaces where belonging and inclusion have been identified as priorities. Not that I feel I alone have all the answers, but it is challenging to reach answers for all people without hearing all voices.
I am grateful for the people in my life who have either created space for my voice or who have inspired me to speak my truth. Reflecting upon what we can do for others, offering authentic praise is one thing we can all do.
When I was in college, I took a course in social anthropology. We were required to maintain a journal for our weekly readings. Even this type of writing placed me into a hyper-self-critical mode of paralysis. I recall unclenching my jaw, relaxing my shoulders, and allowing my open thoughts to flow onto the paper. When my professor returned my journal, she looked me in the eyes, paused, smiled, and said thank you. The feedback provided in my journal spoke to my writing being equivalent to embarking on a journey and that I had an excellent mastery of the English language. The comments resonate with me to this day as her primary course of study was as a linguistic anthropologist. After that day, I always looked forward to sharing my thoughts through writing or conversation.
In your life, personal and professional, reflect on the people around you and how you work intentionally to create space for their voice. This is rooted in building positive, supportive relationships, developing trust, maintaining open channels of communication, and taking the time to engage in conversation to ask, and/or improve your understanding of what psychological safety means for the people around you.
Lifting Your Voice
In DEI work, some comments I hear frequently are, “I don’t know what to say”, “I don’t want to say the wrong thing”, or “As a person not of that particular identity group, am I able to say anything?” In response, I listen, validate their concerns, and walk them through a process to identify their voice. It is important to keep in mind that while we may have our own experiences, they are exactly that, our experiences. Each of us, even in similar spaces, may experience the world in completely different and valid ways.
In his book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2009), Stephen Covey presents voice as the nexus of our beliefs, talents, conscience, and needs. When I work with groups, we engage in activities to explore the following:
What do you believe about a given concept or project?
What training, skills, or life experiences do you have related to this concept?
What do you feel passionate about, and what would you like to see as a result of your contribution?
What is the need of your organization or of the people around you?
Combining these factors allows us to find our authentic voice in each situation, empowering us to sing. The situation may be a project or even an organizational purpose. As leaders, further responsibility comes in creating spaces of psychological safety, lifting every voice, where people can speak openly and confidently about what they believe and how they can contribute to the collective vision or organizational need.
The core of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work is that we engage in practices where we see, hear, and engage each person in an authentic manner, highlighting and encouraging their humanity. When we lift, we empower and encourage. When we sing, we have the power to inspire and ignite change.
Your mission is to lift your voice, sing, and inspire others to sing their heart songs.
