2020 was a year of unprecedented circumstances that continues to test our resolve as we each continue to find our footing in the context of this ever-changing, “new normal”.

As I reflect on the experiences of this past year: a global health pandemic, economic crisis, political unrest, and on-going racial injustice, I can’t help but be moved by the levels of resiliency I was privileged to witness both in my staff and in our youth participants as we met each of these realities head on.

a freedom to express opinions resulted in numerous opportunities and solutions towards not just surviving but Liberty’s Kitchen’s ability to thrive

Our ability to respond and pivot successfully, during these trying times, was a direct result of our organization being more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Like many, Liberty’s Kitchen was suddenly faced with a series of variables that challenged our ability to remain sustainable. Thankfully, we have nurtured an environment where different backgrounds, experiences, perceptions, personalities, and cultures inform our strategy and decision-making. As a result, a freedom to express opinions resulted in numerous opportunities and solutions towards not just surviving but Liberty’s Kitchen’s ability to thrive.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t speak to the fact that, as a man of color, leading an organization that works primarily with youth of color, that the importance of emphasizing the right to be accepted and respected for who you are is both an obligation and a responsibility for Liberty’s Kitchen. Our values resonate with being committed to excellence, interdependent, youth-centered, and racially equitable. We have to reflect that in our staffing, and in our culture, if we expect our youth to be able to advocate for themselves in the future. Again… it’s about being that change. There are so few businesses and organizations that effectively lead through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion, and as a result deprive so many the opportunities to make impacts in social change where they’re needed most. Liberty’s Kitchen prides itself on being an organization that works collaboratively with like-minded organizations that value investments into diverse cultures, where everyone has access to the same treatments and experiences, that don’t separate, but celebrate individuals for who they are or how they identify.

The evidence is overwhelming that when the work space reflects a more diverse, equitable and inclusive  environment, employees are more productive and more engaged. This year alone, we’ve experienced more than enough examples where leaders who follow through on a narrow-minded scope of intentions, based from a limited perspective, focused on benefiting only a particular percentage of the population, result in dangerous and irresponsible outcomes. We have to be better. Liberty’s Kitchen will always be a place that perpetuates healing, help, and hope. We owe it to ourselves to be the best that we can possibly be, not just for now, but for the future of generations to come. In doing so, we will continue to practice and advocate for environments to become more diversified, equitable, and inclusive until it becomes the norm.

A little about Liberty’s Kitchen

Liberty’s Kitchen is a non-profit in New Orleans, established in 2008, to provide a space where youth and young adults who have been criminalized, marginalized, and disenfranchised could come to find hope. Here for over ten-plus years, we have served more than 800 youth with the provision of hot meals, opportunities for education and employment, and most importantly a system of support. Our youth are vulnerable and meet daily with extraordinarily difficult challenges that deprive so many of them the opportunity to reach their full potential. It is our mission, here at Liberty’s Kitchen, to provide pathways for our young leaders to create and achieve their vision of success. It is important that our environment demonstrates the value of community, and we work daily to present a space where they feel empowered to be collaborative, innovative, and productive. Which is why for us, the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, are more than just popular buzzwords. They’re integral to our culture and how we approach this work.

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.”
– Mahatma Gandhi.