Tuesday Thoughts | 18 June 2024 | 'Hate' is a four-letter-word

At least a few times a month, someone asks me, how it is that I manage to keep up with writing this newsletter, on top of all the other commitments I have; my job – as Executive Director of a busy Professional Association, my volunteer roles, including on the Boards of 2 Charities and as Chair of a City of Markham Advisory Committee, plus my writing, consulting and speaking.

Honestly, some weeks are a slog, this week in particular, I found it hard to sit down and just start typing. Sure I could tell you its because tomorrow I’m running a Board Orientation session for the first time in my current role, and they didn’t really get an orientation last year, so I’m starting from scratch; or, I could tell you its because I’m giving a speech tonight, and of course, I’ve been chipping away these last few weeks at a slide deck that makes sense for the audience (high school, college and university students); or, it just might be that I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all I have on my to-do list just as I’d love to be slowing down for summer.

But the reality is, that this week is pretty par for the course, the tasks that are crowding out my to-do list might be different from last week, but being busy is my standard M.O. (modus operandi – which I love saying out loud, and barely ever abbreviate).

I had a really hard time getting started this week, but in the end, I was able to start tapping away at the keys for two main reasons: accountability, and purpose.

You might know that #TuesdayThoughts is a more than three-year-old weekly practice for me. Every week since April 27, 2021 I have posted my ‘thoughts’ right here on LinkedIn; and while readers have come to expect a weekly missive from me, at the end of the day, I’m the one who holds me accountable to show up, and share something, even if its not particularly profound (but hang tight I’m getting to something real, I promise).

One of the ways I hold myself accountable each week for meeting the commitment to myself, and to all of you my dear readers (874 of you and counting), is by remembering WHY I keep writing. By early 2022 as we started to ‘return to normal’, people started seeking me out to tell me about how something I had written had made an impact for them.

Now, with my ‘official’ Mission: “To Change the World, By Inspiring Actions, That Amplify My Impact” being able to reach hundreds of people with a weekly call to action means I am crystal clear on my purpose for keeping up ‘my weekly writing practice’ (as I’ve taken to calling it).

If you’ve been a part of the #TuesdayThoughts and the #SmallActionsBigImpacts communities for any length of time, you’ll also be familiar with the Motto I adopted from my Great-Grandfather – “Everyone Must Serve”. I had a chance to write about him – Rudolph Augustus Burke – last week on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of his Birth, and to tell the story of how I came to learn about phrase that would become one of the guiding stars of my life.

It was on that same day, as I had the chance to read the thoughts of another family member, that I learned that,

“As JAS (Jamaica Agricultural Society) president, (he) went on several delegations abroad to sell Jamaican Farm Produce including Coffee and Bananas.

On one occasion necessitating a stop over in Nassau, Bahamas (he) was refused entry into a hotel because of his Black skin.”

Rudolph first became JAS president less than 100 years ago, which means that some time in the last century, someone refused this incredible man entry to an establishment, not because of his character, but because of the colour of his skin. I’m honestly getting a little teary-eyed just typing this.

It knocked the wind out of my sails a bit, just remembering that it was not so long ago, that this sort of thing was possible, and legal, and ‘acceptable’. When a white cop kneeled on the throat of George Floyd four years ago, it shocked us, as it should, it did not go unpunished, but again it reminded me that hatred and discrimination still have a foothold in this world.

On September 19th of last year, I had occasion to address my local City Council in my role as Chair of the Race Relations Committee, during which I stated that “I want to be very clear; Anti-Black Racism still exists in our community. As recently as a few months ago, one of my immediate neighbours shouted a racist slur over the fence at a gentleman working in my yard.”

While I don’t believe that I am often in any physical danger – in part because I am mindful of where I go, and how I act when I’m outside of the safe bubble of living in Canada’s most Diverse Community – I never really know when my emotions and mental health will come under attack. And I’m close to ‘white passing’, I’m the mild version of a person of colour, in fact a Black classmate in high school once called me ‘whitewashed’ which I assure you I did not take as the compliment it wasn’t meant to be.

While Tuesday Thoughts began on April 27, 2021, it really found its feet during February of 2022 – Black History Month – in a lot of ways part of the ‘purpose’ I find in writing down my thoughts is the ability to tell hard truths, call out injustices, and work to combat hatred and prejudice by allow readers to feel like they know me, which of course reduces feelings of ‘stranger danger’.

I would be remiss, if I didn’t mention that June is a month where we honour two communities that far too often are the focus of prejudice and discrimination; here in Canada it is National Indigenous Heritage Month, and around the world Queer Communities and their allies are marking Pride Month. At the same time, Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism continue to grip our streets and our institutions. There is far too much hatred left in this world.

Hanging on the wall in my home studio is a painting, part art piece, part statement – it reads in bright neon pink – “Stand Up, Speak Up, Speak Out”. Let us not let another Century go by, where generations-to-come continue to lament that hate has not been stamped out.

Today is the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, a concept that in strictly legal terms is challenging to define, but in the court of public opinion and in our own hearts and minds is quite simple.

Today’s Call to Action, is to continue to rage against the machine of prejudice, and injustice, and hate.

New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of #TuesdayThoughts might find interesting, important, or informative;

📣Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): Tonight I'll be in Brantford Ontario giving a keynote talk at the kickoff for the City's Student Entrepreneurship Launch; I'm excited to be giving a modified version of my talk "Everyone Must Serve: From Customer Service to Servant Leadership" adapted for an audience of teens and 20-somethings. Check out my one-pager for information about booking me for your event.

🗓️Hold These Dates: 18 June 2024 - City of Brantford 2024 Student Entrepreneurship Launch (by invitation only) | Where to next? I'm looking for a handful of Speaking and Consulting Engagements through late 2024 and into 2025 to continue to make an impact. Details of my offerings are on my website daniellerussell.ca.

📺 What to Watch: This short video from Ed Hansen focused on the quote "You do not need to fight every fight you are invited to", h/t Joe Salemi, CAE

📖 What to Read: If you've got little ones who have a "My Lawyer Dad" a hand illustrated book for 2-6 year olds h/t Omar Ha-Redeye

✅ What to Do: Take a Summer Solstice Food Tour with Howard Tam | Respond to the call for feedback from the Design of Public Spaces Standards Development Committee (AODA) h/t Julie Sawchuk | 💜💛Golden Hawk Alumni in the legal field, register to attend the Laurier Law Reception | Apply to speak at DisruptHR Toronto

📻 What to Listen To: Check out the Ignite Your Events podcast from our friends at Ignite Magazine h/t Debbie van der Beek | This episode of the 'Destiny is Debatable' podcast featuring Kevin Rempel | This episode of the '100 Ways to Make $100k' podcast featuring Lori Nikkel CEO of Second Harvest

👷🏽♀️Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Board of Directors (multiple vacancies) @ CAPSA Canada h/t Natalie Duchesne

✒️ Take Note: Huge Congratulations to my friend Sandra Moniz, CAE, CMM on being named the 2024 Portraits of Giving recipient for Vaughan for her work in founding and continuing to be the driving force behind 'The Purse Project' | Some incredible ladies have founded Be Uninterrupted h/t to founding member Vasie Papadopoulos, MSC, MBA

CALL FOR CONTENT: I crowd source 99% of what appears in New and Noteworthy, but I would love the help of the Tuesday Thoughts Community to identify content about you and for you. Got a cool new project? A Job Posting to Fill? Or just something you found interesting? DM me with a link.

I am a Certified Association Executive with over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions across Canada’s Not-for-Profit Sector, with deep ties in the Meetings and Events Industry. I use the art of storytelling in speech and writing to explain ideas, and to inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics. Learn more about how we can collaborate;

🤝 Consulting Services: I offer a suite of consulting services for Associations and Charities, and am interested in working with likeminded organizations on projects that contribute to better governance, leadership and the overall growth and health of Canada’s Association and Not-for-Profit Industries.

🗣️ Speaker/Facilitator: I have spoken to standing room only crowds in the Association and Events sectors, connecting ideas and people; topics include, The Introvert Experience, Imposter Syndrome and Mentorship, EDI: Lived Experience as a BIPOC Woman in Leadership, Minimalism and Essentialism, Finding Your Voice and Building Your Unique Brand, Making and Impact, and the #TuesdayThoughtsFormula. NEW: Speaker Onesheet (ratesheet available on request)

✍🏽 Contributing Writer: I have written for Industry Publications and Blogs with a focus on the role of Associations, Volunteerism, and the Intersection of Not-for-Profit Management and many current social and economic trends. My inclination towards storytelling lends itself well to the style of Creative Non-Fiction.

⚛️ The Tuesday Thoughts Formula: I am on a mission to inspire actions that amplify my impact, each week I follow the #TuesdayThoughtsForumla to deliver a call to action inspired by relevant stories; new this year, I’m bringing live demonstrations of the formula to the stage to help conference, event and meeting attendees tell their own stories that amplify their ROI of in-person attendance.

💻 Check out my website daniellerussell.ca or email me: danielle@daniellerussell.ca

🚀 I’m on a Mission to Change The World, By Inspiring Actions That Amplify My Impact! Despite my Introverted tendencies, if I have any hope of success this cannot be a solo affair. Join my community where I Connect People and Ideas;

💭 Tuesday Thoughts: Join the #TuesdayThoughts community, subscribe to the Newsletter and get your copy of the #TuesdayThoughtsBook, The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact. Like, Comment and Share to keep the conversation going, and amplify the thoughts that inspire you to action.

🤝 Let’s Be Friends: LinkedIn: Danielle S. Russell, CAE (she/her) | Instagram: @danielle.s.russell