This is the Too Many Trees newsletter, where I share what I’ve been writing and reading in the realm of leadership and personal development. My coaching practice is centered around the idea that we are more effective in moving towards our goals when we become more conscious and intentional in focusing our time and attention.
2020 continues to be increasingly distressing. I had originally planned to focus this issue on my experience with the wildfires in California, including having to evacuate
from my Guerneville vacation due to a nearby wildfire (photo below), and yet the title is also appropriate for how I feel after Jacob Blake was murdered last week.
How does a policeman who is supposed to “Serve and Protect” shoot an unarmed man in the back seven times in front of his kids?! I can't see how anybody could consider doing that unless they don't see a man - they see their own fear projected onto the color of a man's skin. This is reinforced when we see Kyle Rittenhouse, an armed man who had already killed people, walk by the police unimpeded. I appreciated Trevor Noah’s discussion of the situation, and particularly recommend the speech from Blake’s sister as she angrily shares that she’s stopped crying because this has been happening for years. “I don't want your pity, I want change.”
I feel helpless in the face of the outright racism that is reinforced by a president who instigates his followers such as Rittenhouse and the Proud Boys in Portland to violent acts in the cause of “righteously” protecting property and neighborhoods. This is nothing new, of course. I am reading Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste, and have to stop reading every few pages because of her intense descriptions of how Blacks have been tortured in state-supported ways throughout US history; she shares that the Nazis, when studying the US system in the 1930s, thought that “American law went overboard” in being too severely racist. But even with the laws off the books, the structural racism and implicit devaluing of Black lives remains.
And that won’t change until people with a voice, people with privilege, speak and act to drive change and advocate for Black bodies and lives being treated with respect and equality. I was inspired by how NBA and WNBA stars used their platform last week to raise a ruckus by going on strike during the playoffs - this ESPN piece by Dan LeBatard shares how players have used their power over time to move the NBA from “Republicans buy sneakers too” to become a more overtly political organization. I also appreciated Katie Barnes, an ESPN reporter, sharing her own stories of racism e.g. the difference between how her Black dad and her white mom were treated by cops: “Being Black in the United States means that race always matters. There isn't an option for me to just not feel it.”
So what can I do in support? I can say that Black Lives Matter even though it has taken me too long to do so. I can acknowledge how my privilege has been a tailwind in my career, and continues to protect me in letting me take a break from the struggle if I want. I can amplify the good work others are doing, by returning to the resources I found after the George Floyd killing to find other possibilities for action, and studying the White Accomplices site which has great suggestions.
In addition to the social justice actions necessary to oppose a system where Jacob Blake, a man, a father, a husband, a brother, can be shot in the back seven times without consequence, I have also been looking for opportunities to contribute to creating a more diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem. A few I’ve found:
Kate Huyett’s Pay It Forward initiative which is designed to “create a network of professionals who were committed to creating access for Black individuals in the startup and marketing space.” You can volunteer your time through this form. I have had several conversations with Black professionals after signing up last month, and have valued the opportunity to help them with the experience and connections I have accumulated through my privilege-driven career.
My friend Charlie O’Donnell at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures started a project called Circulate to create “more Black founders as well as those from other underrepresented communities and leveling up the networks of those who had already taken the plunge” by hosting industry-specific events to bring together diverse perspectives, including experienced professionals and industry newcomers with big ideas.
Lolita Taub is launching a new VC fund with a specific focus on investing in community-driven companies and focusing on underestimated founders, and is looking for investment partners.
If you or your company are undertaking an effort to improve Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, please consider using a Black-owned DEI firm.
I’d love to hear your suggestions for other opportunities to contribute to making the world more diverse and inclusive.
In the meantime, I continue to show up as a coach, helping those I meet find their way forward. Part of that is paying attention to what we each control, being aware of our choices, and how we communicate them, as I describe in recent LinkedIn posts:
Moving out of the “to me” mindset - inspired by a podcast interview with Maria Konnikova describing her training to become a professional poker player.
Describing constraints in terms of effort rather than as absolutes - instead of saying “I can’t do that” or “I have to do that”, I find it helpful to say “I can’t do that …unless X” or “I have to do that …or consequence Y” so I can consciously consider the tradeoffs I am making when choosing what to do.
I shared this XKCD comic describing how to communicate one’s Covid comfort zone as a good example of how to be appropriately direct in sharing one’s boundaries, rather than too indirect or too direct.
I continue to be here to witness, to listen, to learn, to amplify, and to support. Just reach out (eric at toomanytrees) if you want to share your story, or just need to vent. I also welcome feedback on how I could do better - suggestions welcome.
Thank you for reading. See you in a couple weeks.