I’ve been having all kinds of thoughts about authenticity. It is a rich and dynamic subject! I’ve been talking to some of my friends about it and plan to reach out to a few more on Thursday to discuss some ideas (Elizabeth and Sho–be ready!). I’ll probably share what I learn on Friday. We will see!

For today, I have a guest post from my mom. She sent me this last night, and I think it’s lovely and connected to authenticity. Enjoy!

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Thank you, Jackie Robinson

I just finished watching Ken Burns’ documentary about Jackie Robinson. It brought forth in me a curiosity about voice. Voice is a powerful tool in revolution—in moving forward with a momentous leap in the evolution of humanity. Jackie Robinson was a symbol of the evolution of civil rights in America, and he searched for his voice throughout his lifetime.

He often had to wait before he could express his voice, and in some cases, people only heard his voice after he was gone. But he did have a voice, and he used it.

This makes me look at my own voice and the revolutions I partake in daily.  It is sometimes easy to speak, especially in those times that a wrong is so obvious that my voice comes out naturally and with power and truth behind it.  As Jackie experienced, that voice is not always applauded or accepted.  But there is a peace that occurs within that carries one through those uncomfortable moments of disagreement.  There are also moments when issues are not as clear – that are grey.  Where does voice stand at those times?

I think back to the late sixties and early seventies when people my age had a loud voice against the Vietnam War.  Some voices called all soldiers murderers.   I was “grey” about that because my brother was putting his life on the line in Vietnam.  I did not see him as a murderer.  I saw him as a young boy trying to discover discipline and to define himself as a young man.

Jackie Robinson was looking for a president who would bring equal rights to African Americans.  He was in the “grey” as he and his perspectives changed from Independent to Republican to Democratic.  But the whole time, he stood up, and he gave his voice.  A thing to be admired.

We live in a society that revers black or white, right or wrong, and often leaves no place for grey.  No wonder we cannot move forward!  We do not exercise our voices because we think that if we don’t express our voice in black or white, right or wrong, we’ll be ignored or even hated. We live in a grey world, but we’re restricted to black or white. In such an environment, it seems like it’s best to say nothing.

But Jackie had a voice throughout his life, and he made it heard. And guess what? He often changed his mind! He played in the grey. I contend that this is how he found his true voice—he was willing to take a stand, and he was willing to change his stand. And, he was always willing to give his stand a voice, whether or not it was popular or misinterpreted.

One of Jackie’s disappointments was that he was not given the chance to become a manager in baseball because he was Black.  A few days before his death, he was honored at the World Series.  When he spoke to the crowd, he graciously thanked everyone for the opportunity he had to play major league baseball and he voiced that he would not be content until he saw a black face as 3^rd base manager.

What does this give to me?  I am inspired by his courage to speak out in midst of being in the “grey”; of his being willing to change his mind when he discovered that his chosen political party wasn’t giving him what he thought they could and voicing his dissatisfaction. I am moved by him voicing his “stand” until his dying day.

We, most of us really, live our lives in the grey. Our lives are neither black nor white, right nor wrong. Our lives are lived in the in between. Yes, we have moments of clarity, and those moments allow us to be at peace with our voice. However, we must learn to be at peace with our voice during the moments of grey. It is okay to later eat our words. It is okay to be wrong or to be on the wrong side.

We gain power when we stand in the grey and we speak up.

If you are uncertain, speak your uncertainty! A conversation can only begin when you express your voice and when you can hear another person’s voice.  Conversation is what moves us forward in our human evolution. Speak! Be willing to get it wrong. Be willing to change your mind. Be willing to find your voice, your stand, your impossible promise for the world.

List what you stand for. Put your stand(s) on your bucket list and speak them into existence, no matter the consequences.  Be humble in your humanity and powerful in your voice.

Thank you, Jackie Robinson, for showing us the way.

Lavonna Stathes