Dear Black Man,
This is the first of four Emotional Business IQ new letters/blogs for the month of June dedicated to conversations with Black Men. I have given a lot of consternation of what I wanted to say in this often-complicated dance between Black Women and Black Men. I further had to figure out how to frame it without straying too afoot of Emotional Business IQ. I started by looking at the entrepreneurial men that I have in my circle of influence now and in the past.
My father was the first person who introduced me to entrepreneurship. Although he always had a job from a postal worker to working for the State Department, he also had side hustles. Now, my dad was quite a character married as many times as you have digits on your hands yet, all my siblings were born from his first marriage to my mother. He gave me the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” for my 21st birthday. I am sharing this to lay the foundation that I had a father in my life and that I was Daddy’s girl.
The most gut-wrenching conversation I witnessed was between my grandmother and my father. My father told my grandmother that he had never felt supported by her. He did not mean that she had not loved him or helped him. She took all five of us siblings in after my parents divorced, when my mother was temporarily unable to care for us. He said that he never felt she believed in him and was proud of him. That was a watershed moment.
I am sharing these deeply personal memories to let you know Black Man I care about you. I want you to succeed. I am cheering you on! It may not always look the way you want. I am willing to learn. If you are willing to teach. This does not make me vulnerable or weak, it makes me strong enough to show you at the deepest level I can relate to you.
I welcome your interaction with this post. Let me know your thoughts. Also, a big thank you to the many men who support this newsletter.