Finding My Voice – University of Nebraska

When the Black Lives Matter protests began, it really forced me to become confident in my voice. 

I got myself to do some self-examination and dig back into the history and experiences of black culture even more than I had. As these protests continued on, we as a society saw more people begin to discover and explore the lost and buried history of the black culture. 

Out of all this study and self-searching, I began to explore. 

Why do these differences exist? 

How can I build these bridges? 

What do I do? 

How do I talk to people about this? 

I’ve learned that I need to understand how to approach these things in a way that will not turn people off or elicit an emotional response. I had to retrain myself on how to communicate in these situations. I had to train myself to communicate in a way that would cancel out racism or bigotry or micro-aggressions. 

How do we move forward? 

I believe that in order to be a better member of society, a member who can contribute and be a stronger part of the black community, I need to continue to learn. I need to lead by example and lead out front. That is how we can all make a difference. 

Moving forward, I hope my story and my efforts can help inspire the next generation of athletes who are struggling with their race and identity. 

Whether it’s someone like me who is in a predominantly white sport and is also a part of the LGBTQ community, or just a kid growing up in an area where he or she doesn’t quite fit in. 

If we want to change the system and right the ship, we need to be involved. The times of just sitting on the sidelines without a voice are gone. We have to learn from our past and use that knowledge as a tool to make a change. 

If we ignore the past, we are doomed to repeat it. 

So, let’s not just use this month but every month to learn. 

Learn about the history that has been buried and hidden for so long. Learn about the history of the fight against racial injustice. 

Learn about the battle for equality. 

But also learn about our rich and bright past. We have such a colorful, joyful, and extraordinary culture that is overclouded by our past trauma. Through our food, fashion, music, dance and art, we have told countless stories illustrating our success and people over the years. We have an illuminating culture, and its time people start to notice and learn from that as well. 

Let’s take the time to understand a situation that makes you uncomfortable. Take the time, whether you are black, white, Asian, or any other race, to realize that change must start today. It must start within each one of us. 

This February as we celebrate Black History Month, I will be learning, communicating, and forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I hope you will do the same.