Amid the blatant racism and discrimination running rampant throughout the predominantly white Mississippi Legislature, a silver lining lies right in the center of my anger and disgust.
March is Women’s History Month, and so I intentionally find solace sitting at the feet of incomparable Black women—matured trailblazers who I have the pleasure to walk among, those presently thriving in life and joy that I get to call my family and friends, and those I’m nethered to spiritually, my cloud of witnesses and ancestors.
In the past several weeks, I’ve prayed to God, asking Him to reveal more of my heart to myself and gently cut away the jagged edges of my character. But I never expected the answers I received. Yes, it’s humbling to stand naked before God and ask for more insight, to want to really master the unknown parts of myself and to expect corrective action—I braced myself for the hard truths that would be revealed. But what moved in my spirit was confirmation over and over again that I am in the right place at the right time. Every experience, every relationship, every fault and mistake have positioned and prepared me for such a time as this.
Last month, I had the opportunity to host an MFP VIP event to speak with Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan, the first Black woman to become president of the historic Tougaloo College. Now, I’ve hosted a few MFP Lives here and there, but this was my first time doing an MFP VIP event, and Wendy Shenefelt and I filled in due to Donna’s illness and Kimberly’s travel schedule. I’m ashamed to say that this was my first time hearing of Dr. Hogan’s legacy, let alone speaking to her, so I was very nervous.
Dr. Hogan talked about qualities every good leader, man or woman, should have. She talked about remaining friendly, firm yet fair; the importance of maintaining integrity, maximizing your relationships and curating a team you can trust; aspiring for greatness and not settling for mediocrity. She talked about being blessed enough to work in purpose and passion at every