This is Us!

This is Us is a very popular television show on NBC. Although I have not seen more than a couple of episodes of the show, I know that it is very popular and critically acclaimed. This is Us showcases the dynamics of a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-dimensional family. It tells of their past, current situation and future by showcasing various life experiences. The family experiences happiness, sadness, reflection, pain, pleasure and more. This is Us reflects the spectrum of what life is.

The Monitors Club hosted its annual holiday party this weekend and exhibited our version of This is Us! The Monitors Club was founded in Minnesota in 1955. It is an organization founded by and currently led by Black Men. The founding purpose of the Monitors is to monitor events happening in the Black Community. The Monitors goal is to make sure that Black families are receiving their equitable share in education, health and economics. The Monitors Club also serves as a social organization for Black Men to fellowship with one another. I am proud to be a member of the Monitors since 2018.

The Monitors Holiday Party was a true gathering of This is Us! Over 290 guests experienced great fellowship, food, live music. a DJ and lots of celebration. The race of the party goers was predominantly Black and they were dressed “to the nines.” We laughed, we smiled and we danced the night away. We had doctors, lawyers, political leaders, preachers, corporate and nonprofit executives, educators, bankers, judges, business owners, pilots, civic leaders, and more in attendance. We embraced the fact that This is Us in Minnesota. While many of us ONLY talk about disparities plaguing Black people in Minnesota, we must also acknowledge, celebrate and recognize the amazing and beautiful Black people in this community and how we have had great success. This is Us!

We must recognize the investments of the Monitors Foundation and how it consistently gives to organizations serving Black families and students. The goal of the Monitors Foundation is to build the foundation from a half million dollars in assets to a million dollar foundation in the very near future. This is Us!

The Monitors started in Minnesota in 1955. They monitored the Black Community and cared about the success of Black families. We celebrate the more than sixty years the Monitors Club has continued to serve and invest in in the Black community. I realize that Minnesota must work to eliminate racial disparities caused by structural racism and other barriers. However, during the journey towards eliminating these disparities, the Monitors Club and the room full of guests from the Holiday Party should be recognized and acknowledged as beautiful, resilient and strong Black people that are doing great things in the community. This is Us! Let no one tell you or others that this part of the Black community does not exist in Minnesota. Nights like the Monitors Holiday Party need to be recognized, celebrated and repeated. This is Us!