THRIVE Community

What is THRIVE Community?

You should be thriving, but as a black woman in higher education, you probably aren’t. You likely are pulled in many directions doing both seen and unseen labor in your families, religious and service organizations, and your academic institutions. And in all the doing, the one who doesn’t get cared for is you. You can’t thrive and do your best work if you don’t tend to yourself. At LELA House, you can THRIVE and help others do the same.

THRIVE

T – Toward

H – Her

R – Renaissance

I – Insight

V – Vision

E – Elevation

As you THRIVE, you steadily move toward your rebirth (your renaissance), and with your rebirth come insight, vision, and elevation. I love this acronym, because you can always thrive without the pressure of needing to arrive.

TOWARD – You are always moving in the direction of something, and it’s up to you to make sure you are moving in the direction of your God-given path. Moving in this direction requires work, and it also requires rest. You likely have the work part down, but you need the space to rest and reset to fully move toward your calling in life.

HER – Women, and in particular black women, need spaces to experience the care we need.

RENAISSANCE – I think about the Harlem Renaissance when I say this. It was a rebirth of African American literature and culture, but at the same time it was more an acceptance of what already was. Black folks had been producing art, literature, and music, but collectively we were at a point where we felt good about ourselves and our productions and didn’t seek to impress anyone else with it, and in so doing, our art gained more acceptance. So by rebirth, I absolutely mean new birth, new you, new life, embracing what God brings, but I also mean stop trying to please everyone. Do the work God called you to do and allow Him to make room for it.

INSIGHT – You cannot have lasting forward progress without insight into what has been and hope for what will be. We need to see beyond what our eyes can see to the heart of a matter. And we need creativity in that vision.

VISION – Without a vision, the people perish. You will die without a vision for your life. Talk to God for what He has in store for you.

ELEVATION – As you thrive, you will elevate, and you will help to elevate others. If neither of those is happening, you’re not thriving.

So THRIVE Community is where black women in higher education create, encourage, hold, and demand space for our own creativity, joy, and rest.