Black Vines at CoBiz Richmond — Libations, Vendors, & Good People — We All Had a Good Time!
In the Black and Brown community, mistrust and distrust run rampant because we no longer genuinely honor the efforts, contributions, and sacrifices of those we collaborate with. Instead, ego and selfish agendas sour the beauty and power of collaborations as an instrument to help us change the outcomes in our communities. As a result, we gravitate away from each other when we should be gravitating toward each other. Fortunately, our Black Vines experience on September 24, 2022 is evidence of what is possible when we collaborate authentically.
This beautiful event came about via a collaboration between the wonderful people of BlackVines, Renaissance, and CoBiz Richmond. This event was successful due to the collective efforts of all parties. For that, we are grateful.
In the spirit of accountability as influencers, leaders, or community advocates, it is important that we eliminate the “I” language and speak on the “we” language to 1) honor and acknowledge the efforts of those you collaborate with, and 2) to check the ego rampant in our communities when it comes to building with each other.
Respect is the first currency of life and is fundamental to collective wellness. Where respect and humility are missing, distrust follows. We see that present in our communities due to poor leadership. We must change it.
In that spirit, thank you to everyone who contributed to bringing this event to life, especially Mayor Devin Murphy of Pinole and La Marla who found the local entrepreneurs to pair with the wineries, Fern and her team from Black Vines for bringing this experience to Downtown Richmond for the first time, Bret and his team at Renaissance for the introduction to Black Vines, all the wineries and vendors for participating, and all the people who attended the event and blessed our space with their presence. We appreciate you all and hope to see you soon again. Let’s Build.
- Wesley Alexander | CEO & Chief Advocate For Collective Wellness | CoBiz
