B@ND, Black (employees) at Nextdoor, is excited to commemorate and reflect on the triumphs, struggles, and achievements of Black folks across the diaspora this Black History Month.
Last year, we explored the concept of Black joy. This year, we are reflecting on resilience as an act of revolution.
The Resiliency Institute identifies resilience as the ability to adapt to and accommodate stressors and challenging situations aka the “bounce back.” Black history lessons often center stories of racism and oppression, but our history and our present is much more colorful, expansive, and nuanced. Conversations surrounding Black folks and resilience call us to unearth stories, both old and new, of Black folks evolving and thriving within the confines of a society plagued by systemic racism.
Resilience is not about ignoring your pain or pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, resilience is an act of resistance, survival, and celebration. Resilience is about love for self and community and hope for the future.
Black folks have always been resilient. We’ve created businesses and founded schools in the face of racial terror. We’ve helped send men to the moon, become president, and are responsible for significant inventions. But you don’t have to be famous to model resilience, as a matter of fact, most people aren’t. There are neighbors like Shawn, who started a nationwide movement after feeling afraid to walk in his own neighborhood, the group of fathers who worked together to stem violence at a Louisiana high school, and the mom who sends her kids to college, despite never having attended herself.
These examples show us just how much resilient people support and rely on the care of their communities.
We believe that resilient neighbors and resilient communities are at the heart of Nextdoor’s mission to cultivate a kinder world where everyone has a neighborhood they can rely on. Communities can improve their resilience through programs and policies that advocate for affordable housing, healthcare access, food and employment stability, quality schools, and more. This Black History Month, we’re calling on neighbors everywhere to highlight stories of Black resilience and to work together to create kinder and more resilient communities.
This blog was written by B@ND. B@ND is an Employee Resource Group at Nextdoor that cultivates community and champions the advancement of Black employees. We aim to educate Nextdoor leaders and staff on the challenges and experiences of Black people across identities, support Nextdoor in its efforts to create an inclusive and equitable workforce and culture, and to support and empower the communities we operate in.
Sources:
- Nextdoor Blog. Celebrating Black joy in the neighborhood. https://ndmultistage.wpengine.com/2022/02/01/celebrating-black-joy-in-the-neighborhood/
- The Resiliency Institute. Resilience as Revolution. https://www.theresiliencyinstitute.net/resilience-as-revolution/
- Bethune-Cookman University. Who We Are. https://www.cookman.edu/about/
- Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/
- NASA. Who Was Katherine Johnson? https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/who-was-katherine-johnson-k4/
- Daily Hive. 120 things you probably didn’t know were created by Black inventors. https://dailyhive.com/seattle/inventions-by-black-people
- Nextdoor Blog. #WalkWithMe: Join the movement to build more inclusive, welcoming neighborhoods. https://ndmultistage.wpengine.com/2021/05/13/walkwithme-join-the-movement-to-build-more-inclusive-welcoming-neighborhoods/
- Washington Post. Kids were fighting in school. Dads began patrolling campus, and the violence stopped. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/10/28/dads-duty-patrol-school-fights/
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