Solid Gold Neighbor - Cultural Wealth
by Cuevas Peacock, Assistant Director, Community Relations - City Growth
Cultural Wealth is a term reasonably unknown to most, first used by Dr. Tj Yosso when describing the students of color he worked with, and the skills and strengths that they possessed during their university experience. Cultural wealth is defined as “an array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and used by Communities of Color to survive and resist racism and other forms of oppression.” Within our office, we have expanded this term to mean how we celebrate and advance communities of color.
This month marked the birth of James Baldwin. Baldwin is an American-American writer, who some might argue was the greatest of all time. Known for his riveting works detailing his lens of the black experience post-great depression up until the civil rights movement, he has authored a vast collection of essays, novels, plays, poems, and short stories. Baldwin was a leading voice and intellectual during his time, often called on as a guest for popular TV shows and to lecture at universities across the country. Despite his worldwide impact, I did not know of James Baldwin until my Junior year in college. Sadly, James Baldwin is one of many people, places, and contributions made by African, Asian, and Latinx descent within our country whose stories go untold. This creates a need to be intentional in celebrating our communities of color here at Baylor and within the Waco community. The opportunity to honor those who have built our country is why I am passionate about the work we do in the area of Cultural Wealth. There are many stories that haven’t been told and still are being written that we get share. It’s an opportunity I don’t take for granted and am humbled to be given a chance to do.
Cultural wealth creates an opportunity to celebrate the best aspects of communities of color to highlight the people places and events that have shaped these populations but are often overlooked by mainstream society. It doesn’t stop there, though, as Cultural Wealth places a lens on the areas in which society has failed specific populations evident through the racial inequities seen across nations systems. Through the facilitation of conversations and support of initiatives that seek to establish equity for all in health, education, and economic development, am I able to advance cultural wealth. As a result, we can ensure Baylor is an active participant in community efforts to ensure that all of Waco thrives. The opportunity to enhance the quality of life for all Wacoans, is my “why” for doing the work I do in the area of Cultural Wealth.