Justikeandthetribe

Leading With Love and Compassion

This blog is for the individual that desires more of themselves + the people in their lives.

Thriving While Black

December 07, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, careers, financial freedom, generational wealth, life, purpose

In this season of my life, I am beginning to recognize the subtleties that connect trauma to lack. I understand that finding my worth was paramount to so many other things in my life. Truthfully, it is my natural instinct to struggle as a black woman just because of the historical narrative attached to what it means to be a black woman. So much of my healing has been unpacking my lack + the narrative surrounding how I view myself in a world that diminishes my very existence. Its complicated! My mother lived in a constant state of scarcity due to the effort that was exerted on something she didn’t understand …her worth.

Being In Service

October 12, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black middle class, careers, education, life, purpose, relationships

Whenever I am asked to do anything I always consider two things: is this person representative of the things I value + how can God use me to be a vessel. It is important for me to remain a student worthy of the spaces that the Universe allows me to enter. It is central to my beliefs to remain relatable to my audience so that my message doesn’t get misconstrued by an inflated ego. It is imperative for me to always remain humble, kind + teachable so that the person that I am makes room for the person I am becoming.

Lessons

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black female doctors, black, careers, education, leadership, love, people of color, personal development

I have come to realize that the cost of living authentically is expensive because it requires me to take ownership of spaces that typically didn’t welcome my ancestors. It’s requires a responsibility that unravels in every action, word + deed. It requires discipline to stay before the Creator not to confess my limitations but rather to express my upmost gratitude. It also requires a burden that most people don’t desire to carry due to the obligation to ignite others to pick up their mantle + race to accomplish their purpose.

US: GENDER

May 27, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black middle class, education, careers, financial freedom, generational wealth, history, leadership, people of color, personal development, personal growth, wealth, white fragility, women of color

To understand gender one must consider the position of black women. The mere fact that we are the most under represented + under paid; yet the most educated informs us that the roots of sexism are founded in the same economic + political institutions that serve the foundation of racism. Daily we crawl from under the heartbreaking backdrops as we illuminate this earth shattering persona just to gain respect. Often assumed to be a single mother despite being betrothed while her relationship suffers as she over extends her participation to compete with women who have the luxury of not being in the labor force. It’s complicated! Overwhelmed with the realization of having to choose between being a mother or a wife in order to survive undermines the well-being of black families. Historically devaluing black women reinforces autonomous women while simultaneously promoting broken homes.

US: CLASS

May 20, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in careers, history, love, LGBTQIA, personal development, race, wealth, financial freedom, generational wealth, black middle class

While watching the movie US, it was the typical backdrop for a traditional black family forced to keep up with their wealthy counterparts as they venture down the rabbit hole. Progress is foreign to black people largely due to the story of race. Most black people consider themselves middle-class; yet only 42% of us own homes. While most of us are doing substantially better than our parents + grandparents; we carry the generational lack that keeps us enslaved. While racism was central to our story, today the picture is extremely more complicated. Although we have an annual spending power of 1.2 trillion, our households have only held a median of $11,000 of wealth. Leaving us only two options: buy up the block or be a business on the block.

Always On

December 10, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in careers, leadership, life, personal development, personal growth, queer, women of color, women's rights, white fragility, relationships

When I walk into a room oftentimes I am cloaked in numerous statistics, concealed by my accolades, + accosted by an overzealous presumptuous person who often feels like I don’t belong. Sometimes I am even exhausted from the door by the frequent questions that only demand the need for my respect or the lack thereof. Moreover, I am never surprised when I have to overlook someone for thinking that their effort with cross-cultural dialogue has now yielded recognition for something they are still unpacking. It’s a thing!

Evolving

October 23, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in careers, education, leadership, life, personal growth, queer, women of color, womanaremagic

Finding my place in the world has been exhilarating, disconcerting, and often times intimidating. After a few missteps in life, I have slowly learned to do what feels beneficial to me. Ironically, in a world full of pretentious over-doers, I have often felt like my best wasn’t good enough. While all accomplishments are commendable, I have learned that some are often disregarded because they don’t look successful enough by society’s standards. If your hustle is otherworldly like mine, then you quietly devote your life to the things that will allow you to keep your integrity and ultimately make you happy.

Doing What I Love

September 03, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in leadership, careers, queer

I acquired my education with a deliberate intention to do something that I loved. It was necessary to have more than just a paycheck that carried the weight of an unfulfilled adult with tons of student loan debt. It was essential that I made more than an obscene amount of money, because I watched people “forget”. You know the people that get a touch of amnesia when they have acquired that particular number in their bank account; yet they can’t seem to remember what it feels like to want to make a difference. It was imperative for me to live in service because I have witnessed the benefits of doing magnanimous deeds. It was one of my non-negotiables, an unwavering fervor to do things that brought me immense joy!

Allow Me To Introduce Myself: The Quiet Revolutionary

May 13, 2018 by Ikeranda Smith in women of color, queer, careers, leadership

In my pursuit for a career, it was extremely important to be myself. It was essential to exude my heritage because my ancestors required me to represent the highest version of my elders. The proclivities of my forefathers were anchored in reverence, rooted in intellectual prowess, and cultivated with exceptional discipline. The mere fact that I accepted the mission was revolutionary! So many of my predecessors stopped short of the requirements to fulfill this purpose; therefore, I had no other choice but to be unequivocally original.