The Goals and Issues are Bigger Than Your Fear

Anita Hill shared this thought with us recently as the keynote at NEHRA’s 2018 Diversity and Inclusion Gala. It was a striking message during a stunning evening.  I expected to be wowed by Anita Hill, and I was. She was sharp, honest, and on message. What I didn’t expect was the power of the messages from the scholarship winners, all High School seniors with their own striking insights.

The first winner was Troy Salmans from Boston College High, whose vision for the future is for his “children to live in a world where no one is hated for who they love.” He spoke of equality being foremost and told us: “I do not want to hide because I am not alone. And neither are you.”

Troy was followed by Saphire Broxton from Boston Latin Academy, who believes three things are needed for D & I to thrive: 1) The skill set to advocate for ourselves; 2) The space to speak; 3) Ensuring our voices are heard.

The third scholarship winner was Vivian Nguyen from Mystic Valley Regional Charter School. Vivian spoke of the importance of people being exposed to ideas that challenged their beliefs, and as a senior in high school can say “I realized the impact of my voice.”

These are the voices of hope. Of possibility. Of vision. I saw these things in the faces of these students and heard it in their words.

These are also the voices of courage, which brought me straight back to Anita Hill’s 1991 testimony. It’s sobering to look back at those events now, with the perspective of almost 30 years. I remember and honor her poise and fortitude. Her grace under pressure. Her courage. In her conversation with us at the gala she said, “if you don’t have any fear, it’s not courageous to do it.”

I’m grateful for those who see beyond where we are and envision where we can be. The gala’s celebration of D & I, and the inspiration of those honored there rekindle my hope for our future.