Black History is American history. My narrative and experiences are part of the story of one family serving our country in war and continuing to serve our community.
Mine is a migrant African American family from the South displaced from our native country, customs, and family connections by the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and redlining policies that still linger in the shadows like a deer at dusk. The grim reality is that today we still face white privilege that can circumvent outcomes to gain power, as people who look like me are still fighting for a seat at the table. Accent Chair
As a Black girl, I grew up knowing I had limited opportunities and would need to work hard to break through the glass ceiling and historical poverty. In fifth grade, in the 1970s, my family was displaced by floodwaters. After moving from the Central Hillside of Duluth to West Duluth, I attended Fairmount Elementary School. As an adult, I learned there were neighbors who created a petition to keep me from attending Fairmount.
Despite the negative actions from adults who were supposed to keep me safe, I had one teacher, Mrs. Lewald, who saw leadership within me. She was willing to support and nurture me to play the violin, to sing, and to be a police patrol school crossing guard.
I belong. I stand on the shoulders of elders and ancestors who helped me bust through the glass ceiling. Now, together, we hold the legacy that helps me to pull up others. I am our ancestors’ wildest dreams. As a community and public-service leader and as a role model, I am helping to mentor future leaders, as we challenge the status quo by bringing innovative ideas and perspectives to public service.
Stepping outside my comfort zone to become a business leader, community leader, and public servant has not been easy, yet it is where I thrive and where I can make a positive impact in transforming communities.
I have learned from even those who do not support my work and those who use social media to spin their bias, which gives me more resolve to strengthen my armor to challenge and fight for a seat at the table. Even without the benefit of doubt — aka privilege — my work has proven that we can make better decisions in building a sustainable, resilient community for everyone even if we do not agree on everything. A community will only prosper when we are all walking on even ground.
So, at a time when our world is continuously storming, forming, and “norming,” with everyone at the table, I honor and remember Black history for those who came before me and those to come after, including the stories of sacrifice from all the people here today who built and continue to shape a path forward together for this democracy in the United States of America.
Chairs For Table Janet Kennedy represents western-Duluth’s District 5 on the Duluth City Council. She was reelected in November after being the first Black candidate elected to the council. She wrote this at the invitation of the News Tribune Opinion page for Black History Month.