Jordan Green-Ellis, Black History is American History

On Monday, February 28^th, the last day of Black History Month, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) held a “Black History is American History” event with motivational speaker Jordan Green-Ellis. The event was divided into two segments, the first being an open forum for students to discuss their thoughts and feelings regarding diversity on campus.

McKenna Booker, a representative from the ODEI office started the discussion off with a simple question: how can the ODEI better serve you?

The general consensus from the students was that there needs to be a better balancing act for organizations on campus regarding COVID limitations, that the university can host several performances and events but diverse organizations on campus are barred from inviting alumni or hosting larger scale events. At the mention of events, it was brought up that there are several organizations on campus that host events or celebrations that are members only, yet it is seen as non-inclusive should African American students want to host a healing event for students of color only, a safe, dedicated space where they can heal together and discuss thoughts without shame or catering to other students’ feelings. This discussion then brought to light the larger issue of students of color not feeling heard or seen by staff and faculty.

A student from the NAACP of Frostburg said: “you say you want to talk to us and help us but then don’t come to our events and show up late when you do. Little things like that build trust.” When asked for a deeper explanation, students agreed that the university and its staff only want to appear to support students of color rather than actually following through with the effort that requires that. Another student wanted it noted that diversity doesn’t “end with Black people” and it’s telling that the people interviewed to work for the school can only “name two Black organizations”, never another race or ethnicity.

When asked of how to overcome this obstacle, the NAACP representative said that the issue is not about more diversity training for staff. The issue is that there has yet to have a dialogue be opened outside of performances and that the excuses made by staff and faculty need to stop, with one student stating, “It’s one thing to not feel comfortable to not show up to a black event, it’s another to keep making up excuses.” There is no need for an invitation and staff attending General Body meetings of organizations on campus needs to be regular before that happens. It was then agreed that the Bobcat Leadership Union (BLU) meetings would be a good starting point, considering that most of the prominent organizations on campus would be in one room for faculty to converse with. This lack of trust leads to larger issues of students of color not reporting instances of racism on campus because they do not know, identify with, or trust the faculty members.

This conversation then went into issues with representation on campus, with students fearing that the lack of representation comes not from the pond we’re drawing employees from but catering to white employee and student comfort. On the subject of white allyship in organizations, a student commented “it’ll be interesting to hear what they have to say but it’s important to include that kind of diversity as well because it works both ways. They’re learning and we get a vision of what they have to put on the table,” which concluded a general feeling of “once there’s trust” amongst the students present who agree the more people for the cause, the better.

This portion of the evening ended with a plea from Booker that they can only act on the paper trail left behind by students who report, make their issues known, and are willing to advocate for themselves and their peers, or “shake the table”, in order to bring about the change they hope to see.

Jordan Green-Ellis, a motivational speaker who primarily operates in Maryland and advocates for education and financial stability, was introduced with a slide show depicting several famous faces from African American history, over these images he gave an opening dialogue about “someday”, a reference to the speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where Green-Ellis stated to African Americans, it is their “saving Grace in order to fight the war… their dream… that someday they will be free.” This moved into the importance of what it means to have a dream, to have a purpose, to speak. He begins his explanation for the importance of words with this:

“Words move people to action, words are extremely powerful… you have no idea the words that you may say this evening how it may inspire or equip someone sitting next to you.”

In doing so, he begins his first lesson of the evening or principle to follow which is to be present, for you will never get this moment back again. Be present for the opportunities you may not know exist yet. He goes onto explain that you already know what you’re going back home to, but you do not know what lies ahead that is worth discovering. Green-Ellis told the students a story of talking to his mother, during which he found out that she had used her retirement funds in order to pay for his college which got him to where he is today. He uses her and the rest of his family as his “why”, that is the thing that motivates him beyond himself, that keeps him going when he’s downtrodden.

The slideshow then changed to a photograph of Jordan Green-Ellis compared to a photo of Dr. King on that balcony that Dr. King was killed on, showing how pictures can capture a moment. Green-Ellis stated that in that moment, he came to realize that King’s life, although impactful, was short-lived and the dream that he fought so passionately for had been passed onto us. That this is our moment. For background and the importance of speech, Green-Ellis went onto explain the background of King’s famous speech, including the inspiration from Prathia Hall who first brought up this dream and Mahalia Jackson who had Dr. King tell the world about it when it wasn’t in his speech in the first place.

Green-Ellis said:

“In that moment something in Mahalia said to tell them about that dream. They may not know if it. Use your words to build up or tear down as needed or as necessary” then went onto explain that “sometimes we don’t see change because we don’t say anything? We allow life to happen to us… you have the power to control and the means and the authority to change the situation that you see as being wrong. If you’re looking for a sign or permission… the feeling in your heart when racism and microaggressions happens is your permission. Don’t ignore it.”

The second principle is committing to action, doing what you say you’re going to. For this example, he used Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted 381 days, exactly as long as it needed to for civil rights leaders to complete their objective. To apply this to the students in the crowd, Green-Ellis said with confidence, “You might get some things that are okay, but sustained success – if you want to be remembered, Perseverance. Without it, that thing we’re committed to won’t be obtainable because we all make plans that fall through.”

This principle of perseverance also came with challenges such as doubt, fear, and burnout. Jordan Green-Ellis seemed to peer into our souls and stare down the shadows of negativity that loomed over us as he shouted:

“Problems are opportunities… problems are indicators for us to step up to the plate. Those of us who get the most [out of life, out of the moment] are the people who deliver when the stakes are high, when the rubber meets the road. Sometimes you only get one shot. Sometimes you gotta deliver that first time and that’s why we have to maximize every single moment. If you quit, you will never be… too many of us get caught by surprise because we think it’s supposed to be easy. That’s probably why the dream is still unaccomplished… we get stuck, and we don’t know what decision to make or what plan to stick to. It doesn’t matter where you come from, how much money you have, what your skin looks like, your sexual orientation… you are going to run into a situation that will try to make you second guess – and when you do, will you stick to the decision you made at the beginning?  Imagine if everyone who decided to make a change stuck to that decision. The race isn’t given to the swift or the strong… it’s given to the person who endured to the END. If things don’t look like what you thought they would, it doesn’t mean you should give up or change – it just means you’re not finished yet. You don’t stop in the middle of a test or the highway, you don’t quick because you aren’t there yet.”

For the third principle, the slide show showed Claudette Colvin, who stayed on the bus before Rosa Parks but did not receive the credit because no photo was taken. Green-Ellis used this to demonstrate the importance of telling your story. In his own words, he said “you need to be so firm in what you believe that you are not afraid to tell your story… no matter how many times you seemingly failed or missed the mark, no matter how ugly it is…” because your story in all its ugliness and darkness is “disguised as a catalyst for change, [the chance] to see [a] significant change in your community.”

To the audience, he asks: how many more Claudette Colvins are out there because they never shared their story? He then goes onto say “No one is gonna tell your story but you… put it out there. You’ll clean it up and edit it eventually but right now, it needs out there. Even the parts that make people uncomfortable. Every last detail” because, in the end, “those details are what connect us. What makes us see each other as the same.”

The feelings that come with such vulnerability, Green-Ellis says, should not dictate our decisions and life path. They cannot be in the front, he explains, because then that means everything you do will be dictated on whether or not you feel like it – and that’s not commitment. With this, he brings in the student experience and how going to class, turning in the work, and doing all other day to day things we’re exhausted of are important because we’re seizing the moment, yes, but also gaining the credentials that demand respect.

The last principle is to live altruistically. To start this off, Green-Ellis read a quote from one of Dr. King’s sermons where he said “[everyone]… must decide whether or not to walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness” because when we all choose to live for one another, we will have created a coherent system where everyone in the world can live exactly as they are meant to, doing what they were meant to do. With that being said, Green-Ellis makes the note that not everyone will choose this path of enlightenment. Because of that, we must strive to be the thermostat and not the thermometer, a way of speaking that tells us to control ourselves, not match lower vibrational energies. Lashing out at those who hurt us or hold us back is not in alignment with our dream and therefore does not give justification to respond in the same way, doing so pushes us further away from the world we want to create.

Green-Ellis then goes onto explain that everyone is a product of their experiences. The reason these people may act this way is because they have never experienced someone like you. That problem of encountering them, is an opportunity to make them experience something new and better, but most importantly:

“It’s not an accident that you’re here… your life is intentional, live like it. Decisions need to match your words and your actions need to reflect your ultimate dream.”

At the end of the presentation, the floor was opened for questions and the students were eager to ask what had been buzzing around in their minds. These questions ended in two pieces of incredible advice in addition to the already beneficial principles which were: focus on the vision, not the sight, which is to say that we should not get distracted by temporary setbacks and problems but the bigger picture. The second piece of advice was to write down a list of what you want the next five to ten years to look like, then give that list power and start working toward that bigger picture you’ve created.

All in all, both segments of the evening were astounding, and students left with not only the passion to continue on their journey but the tools to continue even when that passion falters. Students were also encouraged to join Jordan Green-Ellis at his Student Success Summit on May 2, 2022, at 12PM, held on Webex. Further information, presentations, and media can be found on his website or in his book “Caps and Gowns, All Smiles and No Frowns: The Keys to Earning a Debt-free Degree”

As for our very own Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, their future events and other information can be found on their own website which can be located through the university’s page.