Living By Our Core Values in 2025 and Beyond
A Painful Moment of Realization
Recently, I had an experience that shook me to my core. While carrying two heavy bags of groceries, I fell hard in the parking lot. (I seriously injured three fingers and my knee.) Groceries spilled everywhere. People looked but didn’t stop to help. They drove or walked around me like I wasn’t there. The sting of their indifference left me angry and disheartened.
That anger grew into something darker. I decided that I wouldn’t help anyone anymore—not hold a door open, not offer a hand—because, in that moment, I believed they wouldn’t do the same for me. But then I realized something: this reaction wasn’t consistent with who I am. Compassion is one of my core values. That momentary hurt pushed me away from the very principles that define me.
This experience reminded me why core values matter, especially as Black people navigating in predominantly white spaces. Life’s chaos, systemic racism, and daily aggressions often challenge us to abandon what we hold dear. But our core values are what keep us grounded and remind us of our power, our dignity, and our humanity.
What Are Core Values?
Core values are the principles and ideals that define who we are and guide how we live. They are deeply personal, rooted in our experiences, culture, and aspirations. They are not just beliefs; they are the foundation of our character and decisions.
Individual Core Values: These empower us personally and help us align our actions with our truths. Examples include:
Self-Acceptance: “I am enough.”
Pride: “My Blackness is beautiful.”
Boundaries: “I will protect my peace.”
Collective Core Values: These are shared principles that unite and uplift communities. Examples include:
Solidarity: “We rise together.”
Reverence: “Black spaces are sacred.”
Resilience: “Our joy is revolutionary.”
Core values give us purpose and direction. They are the ideals we return to, especially in challenging times.
The Importance of Core Values for Black People
For Black people, core values are more than personal ideals—they’re tools for survival and empowerment. Living by our values in predominantly white spaces often feels like resisting a current that tries to wash us away. The system wasn’t built to support our values, and it actively works to undermine them.
Individually: Our values affirm our humanity. They remind us that our voices matter, our contributions are significant, and our lives have worth.
Collectively: Shared values unite us as a community. But collective values are often feared and targeted because they represent strength and solidarity.
Take the Black Panther Party (BPP) and its 10-Point Program. These core values focused on freedom, justice, safety, and equality. The BPP’s programs—like free breakfasts for children and health clinics—embodied values like solidarity and care for the community. Yet, the FBI labeled the BPP as the “greatest threat to internal security” because collective core values threaten systems built on division and control.
Or consider the Principles of Kwanzaa. Values like Umoja (unity) and Kujichagulia (self-determination) celebrate Black community and empowerment. Yet, Kwanzaa has been ridiculed by mainstream society because it represents the strength of Black collective values.
Despite these attacks, these examples show us the power of core values. When we live by them, we reclaim our humanity, resist oppression, and create pathways for liberation.
How Core Values Empower Us
Core values are our anchors during chaos and our guides toward empowerment.
Personal Empowerment: When the world tells us we’re not enough, values like self-worth or pride remind us of our inherent dignity.
Community Strength: Values like solidarity and resilience unite us to fight injustice and support one another.
Historical leaders lived by their core values:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was guided by nonviolence and equality, which fueled his leadership even in the face of hatred.
Harriet Tubman’s belief in freedom drove her to risk everything to liberate others.
Malcolm X’s value of self-determination inspired his fight for Black pride and autonomy.
Maya Angelou’s value of truth shone through her poetry, helping others find their voices.
These examples show that core values are not just ideals—they are transformative forces.
Setting and Strengthening Core Values
Unlike fleeting resolutions, core values are deeply rooted in your identity and aspirations. They guide your decisions, dreams, and actions.
Here’s how to identify and live by your core values:
Reflect:
What principles have been most important in your life?
What values guide your decisions?
Identify:
Choose values that resonate with you personally (self-acceptance, authenticity) and collectively (unity, cultural pride).
Write Them Down:
Keep your values visible—as a daily reminder of who you are and what you stand for.
Revisit and Refine:
Core values evolve as you grow. Reflect regularly to ensure your values align with your current goals and identity.
Ask yourself:
Which core values have guided me through life?
What values do I want to carry into 2025?
Next Steps
This is just the beginning of our conversation about core values. In the coming weeks, we’ll dive deeper—starting with individual core values and how they can empower you in the face of challenges.
In the meantime, I encourage you to reflect on your values. Share your journey with me—I’d love to hear your story.
Our individual core values empower us.
Our collective core values unite us.
Together, they remind us of our resilience, our brilliance, and our power to create a just and equitable future.
Ready to get started?
Reflect on Your Journey
Let’s carry our values forward into 2025 and beyond.
