Justice for Medlock

Today, Governor Jared Polis announced Dannette R. Smith, MSW to lead the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). Smith will start as BHA Commissioner on March 18. The Denver Post coverage shared Smith’s appointment which is a big win for Justice for Medlock and the community, as Smith is a Woman of Color, and is connected to Dr. Medlock via a national fellowship. The Denver Post also highlights Morgan Medlock, MD, MDiv, MPH's ongoing EEOC case, after being discriminated against and unjustly removed from her role as the BHA Commissioner. The appointment of a Leader of Color, after the loss of Dr. Medlock, builds off of Dr. Medlock’s foundation of community-centered co-creation and success in launching the BHA. The people of Colorado deserve the accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive behavioral health care that Dr. Medlock was working to deliver. With Smith starting her role on March 18, the JFM collective truly hopes that final justice will be delivered to Michelle Barnes, Interim BHA Commissioner, who has not only lied to the people of Colorado, but also harmed BHA employees with historically resilient identities, and has several open civil rights complaints (all of which JFM has reported on with receipts in previous drops).  JFM will continue to report on Dr. Medlock’s federal racial discrimination and retaliation complaint. The collective will continue to seek Justice for Medlock so thank you for supporting the movement. 

“What’s your take on why all these Black women who were promoted to EDs or C-suite positions in 2021/22 are now facing tremendous outstings or fleeing the nonprofit sector?” Okay, so stick with me here. The term “glass cliff” was coined in 2005 by Michelle Ryan and Alex Haslam to describe when women are promoted to leadership roles during times of crisis, often setting them up for failure. But lately, I’d like to be explicit about the intersectionality of what Black women face—a trend I’m calling The Ebony Edge. Yep, someone get me a book deal, I’m working on a dictionary. 📖 So let’s talk about the Ebony Edge. Post-George Floyd, many Black women were elevated into Executive Director and C-suite roles, celebrated as symbols of progress and change. But here’s the reality: they were stepping into environments that were already in crisis—often with limited resources, unsustainable expectations, and without the support needed to succeed. They weren’t just leading—they were expected to clean up the mess. And when things didn’t turn around fast enough, or when they tried to make real, systemic changes, they found themselves facing an impossible drop. No tools, no safety net, no room to breathe. So, while the glass cliff describes the challenges women face when promoted during times of crisis, the Ebony Edge is about how these challenges are amplified for Black women, who are navigating leadership under the weight of additional expectations, racial bias, and fewer resources. It’s being handed a broken system and then being blamed when you can’t fix it with a single hand in a 2-3 year period after inheriting a generation of issues. It’s almost like a modern-day mammy scenario—brought in to fix everything, but then pushed off the cliff when it gets too hard. Black women are not disposable, nor are we your garbage disposers. We can’t keep celebrating these appointments if we’re not willing to change the conditions around them. #EbonyEdge #AskMe #AskSade #SadeKnows

“Black women [are] being promoted into leadership positions and then given the near-impossible task of fixing a broken culture or turning around an insolvent organization, all while incurring the added labor and toll of acting as representatives for one or many systemically marginalized identities and populations.” See what else Cicley Gay has to say in the article, “There Is Nothing Uncomplicated about Being a Black Woman Leader”: https://bit.ly/4f4AhBd

I have been gaslighted, discounted, and undermined at every junction of my career. I found that if I stayed the course, was successful, and did not outshine or question my White progressive counterparts, then I was okay—but as soon as I began to speak up about inequities occurring in my workplace, then suddenly I did not have emotional intelligence, or was taking things too personally, or somehow not only did leadership feel bothered by my “attitude” but also (phantom) staff felt the same. (Staff members were never named, leading to my paranoia vis-à-vis coworkers I once thought I could trust.) Nonprofit Quarterly

Despite increased dialogue around racial and gender bias and discrimination, women of color struggle to advance in their careers due to the rigidity of unjust systems. Stanford Social Innovation Review

The recent The Denver Post article, while shedding light on the challenges Colorado nonprofits face, only scratches the surface of the deeper issues at play. Mentioning Dr. Medlock's dismissal without delving into the harm she endured and continues to combat adds to the erasure of her experience. By amplifying the narrative of her firing without acknowledging the broader context of racial discrimination and institutionalized biases, media outlets inadvertently side with the oppressor, perpetuating a cycle of injustice. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gNiMXGuD.

His words can never be unheard, his dream can never be erased. For his dream lives within each and every single one of US! Continuing to dream that someday OUR Dreams will become reality! Thank you Morgan Medlock, MD, MDiv, MPH for your dream, for I stand in Solidarity!

My shero Dr. Morgan Medlock is the convocation speaker at the MLK celebration at Valparaiso University today. She inspires me to do greater work in the world as Martin Luther King inspired us all. I still believe in your vision Dr. Medlock. I carry that light with my always. 🙏🏾❤️