5 Things / Traitors
Black History Month is quiet again this year. But of course, Black people keep making history, like Laila Edwards, the first Black woman on the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team. She’s out there breaking ice. Bonus good vibe!
I read an article in the New York Times by Nikole Hannah-Jones which gave me hope: What It Means to Be a White ‘Race Traitor’. In it, she traces the history of those whose activism led to their deaths, but whose deaths inspired other whites to action, ultimately leading to progress.
Progress has always depended on people willing to betray the status quo of their own privilege. I’m reminded that the "good vibes" I write about are sometimes born from the courage to be unpopular for the sake of what’s right.
I don’t need perfection. I need willingness. I am here to own my influence and use it to do what’s right. What about you?
This Week's Good Vibes:
Gold, visibility, zero apologies
At least 47 publicly out LGBTQ athletes were identified for the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics, a record for these Games. One of them, figure skater Amber Glenn then won Olympic team gold with Team USA and faced anti-LGBTQ backlash after speaking openly. Visibility without protection can increase risk, especially when public attention spikes after success. ♐️Representation alone is not a safety net.
Lillian Bonsignore was sworn in as the Commissioner of the Fire Department of New York, becoming the first out lesbian and second woman to lead the agency. Bonsignore started as an EMT in 1991, was a 911 first responder, and rose through the ranks. Her appointment challenges the traditional gendered hierarchy of fire services and brings visibility to LGBTQ+ leaders in high-stakes roles. ♐️Representation is also about the decades of grit and field expertise that marginalized leaders bring to the table.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX show centered Spanish-language music on one of the world’s biggest stages, with guest appearances by out gay man Ricky Martin and choreography featuring same-sex and mixed-gender pairings. The set also included “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” bringing themes of colonial history into prime-time entertainment. Major broadcasts often treat Latino culture and queer visibility as side notes, and this performance flipped that script by making cultural identity and language, and inclusion part of the headline. ♐️ Put underrepresented voices at center stage, then give them creative control.
Access took the main stage
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance included Celimar Rivera Cosme, marking the first halftime show to feature a Puerto Rican Sign Language interpreter. Cosme has worked with Bad Bunny since 2022 and preserves Puerto Rican Sign Language. Language access is cultural access, and disability inclusion is stronger when accessibility reflects community-specific language. Deaf communities are not monolithic. ♐️ Budget interpreters with relevant language expertise from day one.
Some blind and low-vision fans experienced the Super Bowl using a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates for key plays, and pairs with real-time audio. This technology was piloted during the regular season. Sports access has long centered on sighted audiences, leaving blind fans with partial participation. This tactile tech allows active, independent engagement with broad implications for other events and even classrooms. ♐️ Build multimodal access into live experiences as a default, not an add-on.
Good Vibes to Go:
Chris Simmons, the first Black Partner elected to the US Governing Board of PwC, has a new book out: NOBODY TOLD YOU: What Blacks, Asians and Latinos Must Know to Win at Work. It’s on sale on Kindle. Chris is a wise man and I’m really enjoying this book! It’s a great book for everyone.