What If I Were Black? | A Letter From Our Founder

I am Brown. What if I were Black?

My Manhattan upbringing was an eventful combination of the Smith Houses projects on the Lower East Side, and a fully-staffed building on Park Avenue. I was an emancipated minor, I got my GED, I dropped out of college after three years, and I have succeeded more than I have stumbled. Those early experiences gifted me with a unique perspective into how differently those worlds are structured, what the outcomes are for most people that live within each of them, and what I consider the most important lesson that I have ever learned - that all people are human and more alike than they realize.

Reflecting on my still-evolving career at 38, I now have an impressive resume, a strong network, and this year I launched Butterfly Voyage - my own company which counts diversity as one of our four key pillars. I’ve always given myself credit for beating the odds by pulling myself up by my bootstraps. A successful Brown woman that did not come from a privileged background in real estate development? What a way to feel like a unicorn. June 2020 ripped away those gold stars and forced me to ask myself a very uncomfortable question.

What if I were Black?

What would my journey have been like if I were Black?

Would there even have been a journey if I were Black?

Not pretty answers, are they? This is a pivotal moment in history to bring about genuine change. It is not about me and it is not about my experiences, those are for another day. My experiences simply validate my right to think that I have a perspective; they allow me to come to terms with the things I inherently know and have known to be true. In retrospect, I have experienced colorism, racism + discrimination, and they are not the same. Let’s break it down.

Colorism
A practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin. This practice is a product of racism in the United States, in that it upholds the white standards of beauty and benefits white people in the institutions of oppression.

Racism
The individual, cultural, and institutional beliefs and discrimination that systemically oppress people of color.

Discrimination
The mistreatment of an individual or group based on their social membership, regardless of their social power. Anyone can experience discrimination.

Where do I go from here? Where does my company go from here? Our first step is to see color. Our second step is to acknowledge color. Our third step is to pointedly ask “where is the color?” when we don’t see any. Butterfly Voyage is making these specific commitments to the Black community in 2020 and beyond.

01

Butterfly Voyage commits to highlighting Black-led companies + Black individuals who are making + have the potential to make a difference in real estate development via our newsletters and social media channels.

02

Butterfly Voyage commits to ensuring that Black collaborators that are recommended to potential clients are extra-prepared to successfully introduce their offerings into the real estate development RFP + Pitch process.

03

Butterfly Voyage commits to pro bono strategic consulting services to at least one Black-led real estate development focused collaborator per year. 

04

Butterfly Voyage commits to challenging + engaging with the real estate development industry about diversity, inclusion, and opportunities for Black collaborators.

In closing, I’m going to do my best. I promise to try. I promise to listen. I promise to question myself about my own inherent biases, to push myself to go further than I have before. To push my team and our clients to do the same.

Butterfly Voyage stands with the Black community, and we always will.

MKB

A special thank you to Temi Adamolekun, the Founder of Pembroke PR. Temi and her team helped BV come up with our specific, actionable, and measurable commitments. Temi is one of the smartest people you will ever meet, full stop.