Black Succession Plan ACTIVATE!

When I got married and started having children, I was in a position to have a peek at how the “other half” lives. I saw them making plans and building nests for their children’s children. Their “broke” was a far cry from my “broke”. I wanted that for my family but had no real starting point. I’d watched the various television series/movies and read about wealthy white families’ succession plans that allowed wealth to transfer between generations. Heirlooms, artifacts, finances, land, resources, relationships… all passed down. I knew what it looked like, but I didn’t know how it actually worked. Not for Black people at least; we’ve been set up to remain behind in this country (but that’s another story for another day). Eventually, I ended up working on some projects on Black generational wealth. I started to see the big picture which also made me go back and look at the blurry pieces of my own experience.

I grew up in a Christian home in which my parents were fairly visible branches on a large tree when mega churches were on the rise. I watched my parents work in ministry together, and at one point I even imagined what it would look like for them to pass their spiritual giftings on to me and my siblings. The foundation had been set for us to replicate a smaller version of the first family that we served. But that didn’t happen, at least not how I expected it to. Drama. Divorce. Disillusionment. Death. All clouded the thoughts of succession. There would be no Victor Newman passing on the family business to his children type storyline in my life. When my mom passed, I found journals, scrap notes, and recordings of ideas she’d been ruminating on for years. Book outlines. Business configurations. Ministry missions. The problem was, there were no explicit instructions for what was to happen after she was gone. As I look back, I wish that we’d been more intentional. I think about what it would have been like if we’d spent time sitting around the table and formally vision casting. In hindsight, I think we all had visions so much larger than ourselves that it scared us to voice them aloud. By the time we started having meaningful conversations, it was too late to dig deep.

Over the last 15 years, the longing for legacy has resurfaced in a myriad of ways. Through therapy and my commitment to “keep on living” as the old folks would say, I have recognized the way that the seeds of legacy have indeed been planted and the very ways it has begun to bloom in my own life. Relationships with my mother’s confidants. Courage to dream outside of my journals. Open dialogue with my own children. Earlier this year when Bishop Jakes transferred the Woman Thou Art Loosed mantle to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts I was awestruck. Not only did he transfer the legacy, but he also gave her permission to expand the capacity for the vision in her own way through Woman Evolved. I texted a childhood acquaintance that has become a good friend “Girl! Are we going to talk about this?! We’ve rarely seen this happen in Black church.” With the exception of Bishop I.V. Hilliard and his daughter, Dr. Irishea Hilliard in 2018, we have not seen succession plans publicly and successfully executed. Neither of these moments happened from a place of scandal, tragedy, or loss. They are filling from a full place, a place of clarity with time left on the clock. And I love that! Not only do I love it, I want it! But not just for me. For all of us.

So what does that look like? Here are a few things that I think are key:

• Abandoning beliefs and habits that don’t serve the purpose of succession;
• Willingness to have hard conversations about life and death;
• Updating life insurance policies;
• Communicating dreams and desires;
• Writing down detailed plans;
• Thinking beyond yourself.

I’d love to hear from you about how you and your family/business partners are working on your succession plan. What things do you already have in place for your legacy foundation? If your loved ones were to get the call today, would they know what to do tomorrow? I’ve had two parents pass without a plan. It’s taken me what feels like forever to get back on track. And I don’t wish that feeling on anyone. So it’s time — Black succession plan ACTIVATE!