This may become an annual event. Today I completed the 2nd Annual reading of “I Am That One Black Friend: Lessons From a Magical Unicorn” by my good friend Cassandra A. Porter. I hadn’t originally planned on reading it, but a few weeks ago as I was going through my bookshelf, it was oddly sticking out a bit. I grabbed it, flipped through the pages, and put it back. That night I was contemplating on the books I have read in the past year. Several books got a second reading after I left my job in July. I recalled how much MORE I learned reading these books a second time. I had enjoyed every moment of them, again. The next morning, I grabbed the book, a bookmark, and got going.
During this book, you get to get a glimpse into the experiences of Cassandra growing up, learning about unwritten rules, obstacles, and safety issues that are not apparent to white people. She provides stories and commentary on 37 different lessons that she can share. These aren’t trivial lessons. They all hit hard, some of them like “Lesson in keeping white people comfortable all the time” or “Lesson in we are always teaching white people that we’re the ‘Safe’ Black people”. I realize and understand that I am and have been blind to many of the things she and many other Black people have gone through. I understand that is my white privilege. I also understand that it sucks. Even more, I understand that if we are ever going to seriously address this in the world, it will take allies. The re-reading renewed my want to be one of those allies.
I have had the awesome pleasure of knowing Cassandra for almost 10 years now (She has known my wife for longer, and likes her a lot more, rightfully so). I had the pleasure of working alongside of her at the children’s choir parents’ group. She has amazing energy and presence that really made a difference in how I enjoyed serving in that group. I remember hearing some of her talk about her company and what they do. I saw first-hand her take on the role of Unicorn mom to protect and make sure her Unicorn daughters were enabled to participate and remained safe. I saw her Unicorn daughters grow up with a strong Unicorn Mom. I’ve met Cassandra’s mom, Loretta, and you can easily tell the influence she had on Cassandra. Every time I have seen her, I get to experience her smile and ability to talk to everyone.
So here is my call to action for you all.
1. Buy this book and corresponding workbook. Cassandra is an amazing teacher through these books.
2. If your group or company is looking for racial equity training, check her out and give her a buzz. Her experience and credentials in this space are amazing, and she has impacted so many people with her training.
3. If you aren’t connected to Cassandra, fix that. She’s on social media, so you will want to hit that “Follow” button on her profile.
You can find Cassandra at https://cassandraporter.com or https://favoritepartofmyday.com
She is on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-porter-83516525/
I can’t explain the rush of energy I received while writing these short number of words. I strongly believe EVERYONE should own and read this book. I hope that the continued wisdom and perspective I get from this book will radiate through you when you read it.
Who knows, maybe I’ll be back next year after the 3rd Annual reading!
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