“What is wrong with this picture?” queried my high school American History teacher, Mrs. Jones. She was old school: professional in manner and dress, dead serious about the importance of her subject matter, and not much fun. Add to that her proud status as an African American teacher committed to opening the eyes of her black students. You can bet her questions were never taken lightly.
Having read and discussed the assigned chapter from our standard American History book, we watched her lay down that book and pick up another. The subject of the discussion, as was often the case, revolved around patriots, those who built America into the democratic and economic powerhouse it had become. After a moment, a fellow student raised his hand; his answer missed the mark. Another answer was offered, still unsatisfactory.
Offering a clue, Mrs. Jones said, “Where are YOU in this picture?” Were you just slaves or descendants of slaves? Did your ancestors contribute more than their sweat, blood and tears to the building of this country? Who are YOUR patriots? Do you have any?”
Pausing, she then continued. “Yes, of course you do.” Opening the book in hand, Mrs. Jones announced, “I’ve taught you what you should know, now I’m going to teach you what you need to know.”
That day we learned about Frederick Douglass, not just the orator, abolitionist, suffragist, author and diplomat, but the patriot. From a slave born in 1818, to fugitive in 1838, to intellectual elite by the age of 27, Douglass constantly evolved as a reflection of what American could be and was a staunch defender of the vision the Constitution proclaimed for what it should be.
Douglass agitated the American conscience. Arguably he was one of the earliest Americans eloquently advocating that black lives matter — not three-fifths as much, and not differently than, but every bit as much and in the same way as white lives — an historical argument that is necessarily still being made today. He mirrored for all who would listen the schizophrenia of America’s moral and economic struggle with legalized slavery while reflecting the redeeming promise of the American Dream when brought within the reach of all.
President Lincoln listened. Douglass’ fearless leadership helped Lincoln find the resolve to issue the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and orchestrate the passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in 1865, taking another critical step toward a more perfect Union.
With this and other accomplishments, Douglass earned the right to stand among those courageous Americans who engaged in the long civil rights struggle that began with the Declaration of Independence, and to claim the title of patriot.
Frederick Douglass was laid to rest in 1895. Yet his spirit is alive and well in me and countless others who were fortunate enough to have their own Mrs. Joneses. They taught us the entrenched narrative — the one that supported more privilege for the privileged and advanced the impression that what it did not reveal, did not exist. But they also taught us a powerful counter narrative — one that embraced the children of once unwillingly enslaved immigrants who were patriots at heart and in deed, allowing us to recognize them among our most respected national heroes, and our most revered American icons.
This month we celebrate Black History, a moment for reflection. As I reflect, I see and feel the spirit of Frederick Douglass joined with legions of other black American patriots who exist today, ready to inspire us and re-affirm what is best about America. We just need to look at the picture of American history a different way, so we can see them. Past and present, they are all around us.
Do you see them?
It’s time to bring forward a new American narrative. The embedded narrative to which we are so accustomed does not do justice to our shared legacy, and does not serve our destiny, either. America requires a new narrative that speaks truthfully about our past and hopefully about our future.
What can you do?
See things differently. Reexamine the lens through which you see. Look for a different point of view. Examine its merits. Talk about it. Create a new or better narrative in your life. With your family. For your business. With your community.
We at Reinventure Capital are doing just that.
We see abundant opportunity existing in plain sight.
We are building our business on seeing things differently. Here is what we see:
- Less than 6% of venture funding goes to women-led businesses.
- Only 12 black women founders have raised $1 million or more in outside financing since 2012. That’s about 0.1% of total venture deals.
- The average FAILED VC-backed start-up by a white male raises
$1.3 million.
The embedded narrative is that there are just not that many innovative women and people of color capable of building investment-worthy businesses. Contrary to that belief, we see significant numbers of innovative entrepreneurs who are women and people of color who are chronically overlooked by mainstream capital, even as they are busy building first class businesses. Also within this untapped pool we see immigrant patriots taking on the challenge of reclaiming and reaffirming the American Dream of opportunity for all.
Join Us
We reject the narratives that support and perpetuate inequality, recognizing that they extinguish opportunity, stress our social fabric and cripple our nation. We embrace instead narratives that provide an inclusive, clear picture of our shared history, our common challenges and our unprecedented potential as an immigrant nation.
We are building our network of collaborators, advisors, ambassadors and investors. Let’s engage in a new American narrative together. Start a conversation or drop me a line: ed@reinventurecapital.com.