Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA’s Post

Precisely the kind of insightful commentary you'd expect from two tremendous leaders in the heritage preservation & tourism field! Bravo, Shauntee Daniels & Lucille Walker.

“How do you expect me to remember instructions that we discussed a month ago?…” These were the words shared by an employee. Rather than being deterred, I was inspired to create more streams of communication and to share resources in different formats. We have all spent time creating protocols, developing systems and have shared standard operating procedures. What we don’t do a good enough job of is sharing these resources in different ways for our people to feel connected. Communication, Communication, Communication and some more communication. We can all agree that communication is a key component to success in business, strategies, relationships and so much more. Get informed, be inspired and stay connected. Chicago Defender has been a constant fabric in the American black experience. More than a local paper, The Defender has been an engine of ideas and opinions that galvanized black people nationwide. Founded in 1905,The Chicago Defender celebrated its 115th Anniversary in 2020 and the evolution being recognized nationally as the 2nd most widely read and best African-American Newspaper by Nielson and Essence Survey 2014. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

I just finished In The Black, penned by one of our giants in the commercial real estate industry, T. Dallas Smith. A few thoughts that his story sparked for me… 1) Focus = Power. In the busyness of life, if we can do the work to hone in on a singular purpose, and apply our authentic selves to it, we have the ability to move mountains. T. Dallas Smith & Company didn’t become the largest black-owned tenant rep firm because they tried to do it all. They found their focus, and they went all in on it. 2) Servant leadership is the best kind of leadership. Every day we should strive to better serve those we love, those we work with, and those who need our product or service. We should sow seeds of service at every opportunity, with no worry about the harvest. God will take care of that part. 3) Patience x Persistence is KEY. We often create hard timelines for when we want to see our vivid dreams turn into tangible realities. When things don’t work out exactly according to plan, which they often don’t, we feel the weight of all kinds of negative human emotions. This has led countless dreams to be placed in the junk drawer or thrown out all together. Applying more patience around the things we don’t control, while maintaining a persistent pursuit of our goals is how the intangible becomes tangible. And it usually comes together even better than we envisioned! Big gratitude to T. Dallas Smith for sharing his insightful story and for clearing the way for more black representation in the CRE space. Let’s keep building and creating black history!!!

Recognizing Black history as an integral part of American history is essential, including the incredible advancements in healthcare that have been made by African Americans. From groundbreaking research to transformative medical breakthroughs, Black medical experts have made significant contributions that have helped advance the healthcare we have today. Learn more about a few of the African American pioneers who have made significant contributions to research, science, and healthcare here: https://bit.ly/3uok4nY

Meet Dionn Tunis, an ILD, NSIP, Polymyositis advocate! === 🔹 How do you celebrate Black culture and heritage during Black History Month? The amazing thing about Black History Month is that for me, it's every day. I appreciate and recognize my ancestors who have gone on before me and laid a powerful foundation. The generations who have fought for me without knowing my name. Dr. MLK Jr. said it best: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Living with ILD is extremely challenging, yet I try to stand firm and help educate more people about this disease. Black History Month reminds me to be like my ancestors and continue to put one foot in front of the other...because that's still progress. 🔹 Reflect on the importance of access to proper healthcare and education when navigating a new diagnosis. It is imperative for proper healthcare and education when navigating a new diagnosis. It can be scary when you receive the news about a diagnosis. Especially one that seems uncommon. With the proper education and healthcare, you can learn about the diagnosis as well as make sure you are following up with proper doctors to help you on your journey. It can be life-changing. 🔹 What would you like to share about your journey with PF? I started with a scary, nervous, lonely journey but have been able to turn that around. Today I have proper education and awareness about my diseases as well as individuals to help me along the way. I'm thankful to the PFF for providing those things.