Article by:
Dr. Gerald D. Curry
Recently, I attended a gala event, where I met some amazing people. I am surprised at the number of people who came out, because of the horrific impact that the COVID virus is having on this nation and the world. There must have been a minimum of two hundred people dressed their best, and willing to make the sacrifice, while wearing their mask and maintaining social distancing as much as possible. While safety is critically important, my point in this article is to highlight the number of business owners who are committed to supporting one another. While this may not be anything new, it comes at a time when the simple and mundane needs to be magnified, because it makes such a remarkable difference.
People have been coming together in times of need for centuries, and while this appears to be expected sometimes it just does not happen. At the above event, I was impressed with the variety of small business owners who attended, from bankers, lawyers, event planners, artist, publishers, bakers, liquor manufacturers, cigar vendors, marketing experts, teachers, and so many more, I could not keep up. All these entrepreneurs’ primary goal was to contribute their products, skills, and abilities towards two common goals, sharing their services and providing value to the event. I thought it was refreshing to see so much creativity in one space, all working together to ensure everyone had a memorable and enjoyable experience.
There is power in collaboration, because it shares unique talents towards one uniting goal that transforms what is, into what can be. It elevates everyone’s participation and engagement to a higher level because there’s strength in unity, and creates superior cooperation, as we all move forward together. Additionally, it conserves resources, because people can feed off one another, and loan one another’s strengths, by replacing each other’s weakness. The way to successfully overcome and outpace this COVID virus is by working together, and not tearing one another apart.
There is power in collaboration and this fact has been proven time and time again, throughout our history. We can witness the collective efforts of communities that have overcome tremendous odds by uniting and triumphing the odds and disparities they confronted. When I reflect on the strengths of many of our southern black communities, where poor people would chip in to support their children going to college or paying a bill. I personally remember my mother sending me next door to borrow a cup of sugar from our neighbor when we ran out and loaning a friend a few bucks for a tank of gas. You see all of us have had to rely on one another in times of crisis, and the COVID virus is a crisis like none other.
By coming together, we demonstrate our commitment and determination to succeed. No man lives on an island, and we are our brother’s keeper. These truths have been etched in our memory and repeated appropriately when necessary, because of their timeless application. The next time you need to accomplish something, don’t try to go it alone, but reach out to your community, and leverage each of your friends and relatives to ignite a firestorm of support by bringing their friends, and soliciting as much support as necessary. You will be surprised at how much can be done in a noticeably short period of time. Truly, there is power in collaboration.