Issue 61: Chess
Noun. A boardgame between 2 players that simulates a war between two kingdoms.
Photo Description: A dark brown queen chess piece wearing a gold crown is placed in the middle of a chessboard. A line of dark brown pawns is lined up on the left of the board. A line of light brown pawns is lined up on the right side of the board.
Check-In:
At a recent event, an icebreaker asked participants to “choose a postcard that represents your personal experience as a leader of color.” When we got to the table full of postcards, I immediately picked up a picture with the queen piece on a chessboard (see picture above). I don’t know how to play chess, but based on my limited knowledge, I believe chess is a game of strategy, and my experience as a leader of color requires me to assume that skillset. I need to know the unspoken rules, continually think three plays ahead, and still be able to see the whole board because any wrong move could get me knocked out of the game. (See contextual intelligence framework coming soon!)
After we chose our postcards, we found a partner to talk to. When sharing my initial reflections with my partner, he told me that the queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess. It can move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and as a skilled player, you must protect your queen.
Isn’t it interesting to know that you should be protected, and to be protected is to win, yet for me as a queen leader of color, I so often haven’t felt protected…
The event where I experienced this icebreaker was to roll out research that I had the privilege of co-authoring. The study names various things school systems can do to create the conditions for principals of color to thrive. (Note: I will let you know when it’s widely available.)
Societal conditions have changed from the beginning of this research project to the end; however, as a leader, I’m still responsible for making forward progress on the chessboard. Institutional conditions leave me even less protected, so my moves may not be as loud at times, or maybe under a different name, but it’s about getting two steps ahead.
And that’s the hard part. Although my work and mission may seem like they’ve gone “out of fashion,” it doesn’t mean that the people I’ve always served shouldn’t get the support they need. So I will continue to build the research base, provide the language, and say what no one else is willing to say because I’m a Queen moving all over the board playing a game where leaders of the global majority win.
What game are you playing?
#mondaymotivation: “There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” -Toni Morrison
Interview with a Leader of the Global Majority:
Tommy was the Chief Equity Officer in a large district in Georgia for over 4 years. The comments below are Tommy’s and do not reflect the opinions of his district. His first excerpt was in Issue #1: Liberation.
Mary: You talked a lot about needing to be strategic in your role. How did you approach that when you started?
Tommy: I had to figure out, so if I'm a chief equity officer, where do I need to be situated? What tables do I feel I need to be at? And where do I need to be able to leverage the resources? I had to informally go to different people saying, ‘I'm drafting a policy. What do you think? What are the things that are important to you that need to be in it?’
Mary: Many people might focus first on launching programs. How did you decide to move beyond that?
Tommy: Because I had those conversations, I realized very quickly, ‘Oh, nope, don't end up in that space.’ And they let me know. They said, ‘If you end up in that space, that is a mouse wheel… your programs are to fix problems that the organization is creating unintentionally. So you're not really creating a systemic [change]. You're a fixer.’
Mary: What did you choose to focus on instead?
Tommy: I strongly believe that there are three things that you really have to focus on if you're going to do systemic change or transformation: you've got to focus on your systems, your processes that run those systems, and then the people.
Tommy: So my next step was to really start looking at the strategic planning process, getting involved in that, making sure that the voice of equity was there, but not a voice, but a driver.
Mary: You mentioned that policy is an important tool. How did you approach that?
Tommy: I knew that the policy has to drive the actions of the organization… The policy passed very quickly. No drama because I managed [the] white space and everyone was able to be a part of that conversation. So they saw themselves reflected in it.
Tommy: Now it may not be what I wanted. It may not be my first draft of what I intended for it to be, but it was what the organization was able to do at that point in time. And I was able to communicate that this is a start.
Mary: How did you build partnerships and navigate power within the district?
Tommy: I had to assert myself in their space. But I had to do it in a very respectful team space of, ‘We are colleagues and we have the shoulder up.’
Please let me know if you would like to be interviewed and/or if you would recommend someone to be profiled in this section. I need new interviews!
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To:
READING: I’m slowly making my way through Percival Everett’s expansive catalog. My latest read was The Trees. Everett nails satire in this book by combining history, horror, comedy, and whodunit while creating an impactful critique of race in America. I was first introduced to the book through the podcast The Stacks. Warning: the podcast episode includes lots of spoilers. You can find a full list of my book recommendations here. Please note that I am an affiliate with Bookshop.org and receive a small compensation for your purchase when you use the book links provided.
ALSO READING: In Defense of Noisy, Disruptive Movements by Julia Roig and Rinku Sen highlights that there can’t be nor should there be just one way to respond to actions against the most marginalized.
LISTENING TO: This is a Trevor Noah’s What Now podcast STAN account if you didn’t know. I’m a few months behind so could list a few episodes that are good to listen to but the conversation with Jonathan Haidt, noted social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation was informative as a parent and educator.
WATCHING: Whenever I think I’m working in a high-pressure situation, I watch The Bear to put it all in perspective. Season 4 is out now. I can only watch one episode at a time, but your nerves may be better than mine!
How to Continue to Support Leading-Within:
Go to Amazon and rate or review the book there! Reviews are a great way for others to see that this book is worth the time to read.
Post about the book on social media using the hashtag #leadingwithin. Even better if it includes a picture of you WITH the book!
Host a book club with your affinity/ERG group. Two study guides are also available on the ASCD website - one for leaders of color and one for white co-conspirators that are perfect for starting a group conversation. For book clubs with participants who have purchased and committed to reading the book, please reach out to me so I can support your journey!
Connect with me to speak to your organization or group about topics covered in the book, like ‘practicing love and rage’, ‘building a coalition’, and ‘taking a stand’.
If this is your first time reading, please go back and read my Introductions post.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. If you like it, please share it with your network!