Siouxland Magazine - Volume 1 Issue 4

Siouxland Magazine | Resilience / 10
What Does Resilience Mean to You?
Insights from Our Conversation Starters
Man this thing about resilience is tough. When I first thought
about it, I just knew what I wanted to say but as I gave it more
thought and in the wake of watching two of the most powerful
pieces of media, “When They See Us” a Netflix docu-series
and “Emmanuel” a limited showing movie, I had to re-think my
feelings about resilience. I’m reminded of the great poem by
Maya Angelou, Still I Rise from the beginning she writes, “you
may write me down in history”, already pointing out
how a people will be marginalized and relegated to
second-class status. As she writes about the judgments and
treatment of black America she constantly exclaims Still I Rise.
When you think of what a race of people have had to endure
and yet there is a hope that one day our voices will have a
resounding ride to the sky and be as loud as the rolling sea.
When I think of resilience, I think of the #exonerated5: Antron
McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana,
and Korey Wise. I think of all the mothers that have had to
bury their children to senseless violence, especially young
black men, I think of those families that lost loved ones to
organizations such as the KKK, I think of those neighborhoods
that have been redlined and gerrymandered, and yet everyday
those individuals still rise! Let’s have that conversation.
Ike Rayford
Leadership Nut
Growth Believer
Customer Service Savant
Resilience is being able to bounce back when you’ve been hit with a negative
situation. You learn from that mistake and you get back up again. As babies,
we learn to crawl before we can run.
Recently, we had to practice resilience. We had a roof leak, and as a property
owner, one must resolve the problem before it escalates and creates
damaged goods and unhappy customers. We could’ve thrown a fit like a
baby or we could be professional to get the issue resolved. In life, we have
the option to be a cry baby or be an adult and resolve the problem.
Without resilience, I doubt I’d be as confident about myself today.
I wouldn’t have been able to help our family business grow into 31+ years,
these past 10 years. Coming from an immigrant family and first generation,
you have to be confident in whatever you want to accomplish in life. Nothing
is handed to you on a silver platter. You have to put in the hard work and
commitment.
Peggy La
Independent Woman Who Loves & Leads
Eager & Determined Entrepreneur
Local Asian Food Provider