Before you get defensive, I am not calling you Christopher Columbus. I am not talking about ships, flags, or claiming land. I am talking about something quieter- the way you decide what is valuable, what is acceptable, and who gets recognition. A lot of people think colonization only exists in history books, but the mindset behind it shows up in everyday life. So let’s ask some honest questions.
1. Have you ever been more willing to accept an idea because of who delivered it instead of what was actually being said?
2. Have you ever assumed something was less valuable because it came from a person, culture, or community you did not expect to be the source?
3. Have you ever questioned someone’s experience or knowledge, but accepted the same information once it came through a different person?
4. Have you ever called something strange, unprofessional, unrealistic, or too much before asking yourself why you felt that way?
5. Have you ever benefited from something without asking who created it, where it came from, or why those people were not the ones being recognized?
6. Have you ever noticed that some ideas, styles, practices, or traditions become easier to respect after they are renamed, repackaged, and introduced through a different community?
7. Have you ever confused familiarity with quality?
8. Have you ever given someone less grace, patience, or understanding because of your assumptions about them before you actually knew them?
9. Have you ever wondered why some people are allowed to be individuals while others are expected to represent an entire group?
10. Have you ever asked yourself why certain things seem to gain value only after they are separated from the people who created them?
The reason I ask these questions is because this conversation is bigger than one industry or one example. My original thought came from watching the way Black spiritual practices are often viewed differently depending on who is presenting them. How something that can be dismissed as superstition can become respected, organized, and profitable once it is placed into a different framework.
But that same pattern can be seen in many areas of life. It affects the way people view culture, creativity, beauty, leadership, relationships, and identity. It also affects who is believed, who is celebrated, and who is constantly asked to prove their value.
Most people do not intentionally choose these beliefs. We absorb ideas from the world around us. The question is not whether you have ever been influenced by certain ideas. The question is whether you are willing to examine your beliefs and where those beliefs come from.
If this made you stop and think, that is exactly where the work begins. In July, I am expanding this conversation into a full framework for the community. We will go deeper into how inherited beliefs about value, credibility, culture, belonging, and identity show up in our relationships, spirituality, and businesses.
This is not about reading a post, agreeing for five minutes, and moving on. It is about understanding the patterns, identifying where they show up in your own life, and learning how to challenge what you have been taught to accept.
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