Exclusive commentary to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first US-based, Africa-owned newspaper published on the Internet
I grew up in a family where diversity and inclusion were not challenges we faced directly. My late father, a distinguished Professor of Physics and Biomedical Engineer, my late Mum a Nurse Practioner and my late maternal grandfather, a revered scholar and the oldest alumnus of Dennis Memorial Grammar School, provided a foundation of privilege and educational opportunity. If my grandfather were alive today, he would be 122 years old—a testament to a legacy of perseverance and resilience.
This privileged foundation shielded my family from the struggles that many African Americans have faced. However, I do not take for granted the contributions of those who paved the way for diversity, inclusion, and fairness. Leaders like Frederick Douglass, who tirelessly fought for the abolition of slavery, and Ida B. Wells, who exposed the horrors of lynching, laid the groundwork for civil rights. Their sacrifices, alongside the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr., who led peaceful protests for racial equality, and Malcolm X, who championed Black empowerment, are reminders of the battles fought for opportunities that I now enjoy.
Similarly, American presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, who ended slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, played pivotal roles in advancing fairness. More recently, Barack Obama, as the first African American president, exemplified how perseverance, hard work, and sincerity of purpose can lead to transformative change.
These individuals demonstrated that while we cannot choose the household we are born into, we can choose how to respond to life’s challenges. Their legacy inspires me to value perseverance, hard work, patience, and a commitment to excellence. As someone who has benefited from privilege, I recognize the responsibility to honor their struggles by striving to be the best in all that I do.
The journey toward equality is ongoing, and I am reminded daily that opportunities are a gift built on the sacrifices of others.
No matter what life throws at us, we must make our beds with perseverance, sincerity of purpose, and the drive to uplift those who come after us.
