*This piece was originally written as a Toastmasters’ Speechcraft Ice Breakers Speech presented with modifications.*
I was born, buttered and raised in the South, Memphis, TN to be exact.
Living in New York City today for nearly seven years, I have truly learned to appreciate my southern roots. The manner in which I talk. The way I think. The manner of which I move about the world especially, amongst a bevy of native New Yorkers. As a young girl growing up in Memphis, I thought the city was a boring and unhappening place. I couldn’t wait to reach eighteen and leave as soon as I graduated from high school. I planned to live as far away as possible.
Looking back on growing up in Memphis, my parents made certain that my sisters and I went to excellent schools, got good grades, and went to church every Sunday and then, Tuesday, Wednesday, some Saturdays and back to Sunday of each week. They also made certain that we were keenly aware of the history surrounding the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis. My parents were followers of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights Activists. They were both college students in Nashville, TN during the early days of the movement which included the lunch counter sit-ins. Living in the south, in that time, placed you smack dab in the mist of unfolding history. In 1968, Sanitation workers would strike and Dr. King would come to protest in Memphis on their behalf. His last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” occurred in Memphis at Mason Temple the night before his assassination.
On Sundays after church, we would ride by the Lorraine Motel and every time, Daddy would say, that’s where they shot and killed Dr. King. We never knew how to respond to that statement. Leaving an awkward silence hanging in the air.
Today, decades later, I look back on my hometown and I am most proud.
The people, every school, our church, the history and Black culture there molded me into the woman I am today. My education led me to pursue a law degree where I am a practicing Attorney advocating for those less fortunate. My church provided a faith to be fearless and walk into my God given destiny. The confidence to go after my dreams and goals. The Civil Rights Movement which took place in Memphis instilled in me the courage to stand up, speak out for what is right every day. I AM A (WO)MAN.
Today, I teach my own children lessons taught to me. Appreciate your home, your community, your culture. Stand strong, stand in your truth, keep pressing forward and as James Brown would teach us, stay Black and Proud.
Black Love & Culture,
~ Stacey Mack
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