Black History is more than a month-long celebration to raise awareness about the contributions of Black leaders to our community and nation. It is an extraordinary time here in the South Sound to celebrate and highlight the growing number of Black leaders across sectors, inside and outside of government, and remind people that we are not a monolith.

Over the last 40 years we have made progress nationally with increasing Black leadership. Yet, locally, it has looked and felt a bit different — until now.

Today, the South Sound has many examples of Black leaders at nearly every level of government, business, nonprofit, labor and education — and there are mentors for the next generation of diverse leaders. For a region whose leaders have not historically represented the populations they serve, this growth in local Black leadership — and how they got there — is remarkable. Many of these leaders are fostered here at home, shaping the world around them, inspiring the future and representing their communities to build a more just and inclusive future for our region.

The South Sound is not a majority-minority community and Washington State has an overall Black population of 5.8%. But, when given the chance, voters of all backgrounds — and those in positions to select who leads — are choosing Black leaders. It is clear that these leaders are chosen intentionally because they are talented, open-minded, smart, qualified, and represent all of us.

As Pierce and Thurston Counties grow in population and influence, we are seeing a trend in fostering local Black leadership including:

• April Sims and Cherika Carter were selected by their peers to lead the Washington State Labor Council as President and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. This duo is the first
• Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders is the youngest and first Black man to serve in this elected role.
• Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson is the Commanding General of the nation’s First Corps based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He has held this duty assignment since 2021.

It takes people who are open-minded, talented, qualified and with a deep desire to lead to serve in these roles. You can read more about additional local Black leaders here.

And let us not forget that those of us who have the privilege of serving today are able to do so because of those that came before — when doors were slammed shut for them.

While representation has improved, disparities for the Black community persist in life expectancy, home ownership, household wealth, contracting rates for small businesses, education, public safety, health outcomes and more. Meaningful federal police accountability legislation is still needed and we must continue to invest in Black communities here at home and across the country. People must understand that uplifting the Black community is not a zero-sum game and that doing so is good for all of us.

It is a privilege to work with and among some of the South Sound’s strongest and most effective leaders. Our region is far from perfect yet we are strong, diverse, open-minded and a growing community for local Black leadership.

We have a deep talent pool and an awareness that we must build the bench of the next generation of leaders.

I am proud to be one of the many African-American leaders here at home who is fighting for a more safe, more just and more secure nation that strives to live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.