“I Cannot Sell You This Painting”
/“I Cannot Sell You This Painting.”
Artist Titus Kaphar on his George Floyd TIME Cover
In her expression, I see the Black mothers who are unseen, and rendered helpless in this fury against their babies.
As I listlessly wade through another cycle of violence against Black people,
I paint a Black mother…
eyes closed,
furrowed brow,
holding the contour of her loss.
Is this what it means for us?
Are black and loss
analogous colors in America?
If Malcolm could not fix it,
if Martin could not fix it,
if Michael,
Sandra,
Trayvon,
Tamir,
Breonna and
Now George Floyd…
can be murdered
and nothing changes…
wouldn’t it be foolish to remain hopeful?
Must I accept that this is what it means to be Black
in America?
Do
not
ask
me
to be
hopeful.
I have given up trying to describe the feeling of knowing that I can not be safe in the country of my birth…
How do I explain to my children that the very system set up to protect others could be a threat to our existence?
How do I shield them from the psychological impact of knowing that for the rest of our lives we will likely be seen as a threat,
and for that
We may die?
A MacArthur won’t protect you .
A Yale degree won’t protect you .
Your well-spoken plea will not change hundreds of years of institutionalized hate.
You will never be as eloquent as Baldwin,
you will never be as kind as King…
So,
isn’t it only reasonable to believe that there will be no
change
soon?
And so those without hope…
Burn.
This Black mother understands the fire.
Black mothers
understand despair.
I can change NOTHING in this world,
but in paint,
I can realize her….
This brings me solace…
not hope,
but solace.
She walks me through the flames of rage.
My Black mother rescues me yet again.
I want to be sure that she is seen.
I want to be certain that her story is told.
And so,
this time
America must hear her voice.
This time
America must believe her.
One
Black
mother’s
loss
WILL
be
memorialized.
This time
I will not let her go.
In March, CPL launched a new conversation series, to explore this question: “What is a positive response in times of extreme disruption?“
Essential Conversations:
Purposeful Leadership through Disruptive Times
A weekly Zoom gathering to set your purpose and intention as a leader in these times
Mondays, 8:00 - 9:00 am CDT
Here are three practices to be present to what is needed around you:
1. Listening
FIRST. LISTEN. A natural respect for all voices emerges when we listen with respect for everyone’s voice without fixing, problem-solving or advice-giving.
The practice: next time you are with someone, listen as if your life depended upon it. Because their life might depend on it.
2. Speak from the Heart
Take a chance to speak about what has meaning and purpose for you. It will most likely be meaningful for the person you are with. Speaking honestly and simply from the heart is compelling and authentic.
The practice: Pause, take a deep breath, put your hand on your heart. Ask yourself, “what is at the heart of the matter, right now?”
3. Slow Down the Conversation
Being interested. Follow the other person’s lead. The tendency to have a quick response, or talk over someone with excitement, isn’t the same as deep listening.
The practice: Allow pauses between the speakers, for connection to occur and to allow something new to emerge.
#purpose #artofconvening #convening #listening #leadership #practice #authenticengagement
