A Black Man Discovers #onlyness & American Identity Via A Native American Perspective

Ever seen two American Indians in the same place at the same time?

The thrust of the impact of author, public speaker, and “Jane Bond of Innovation” Nilofer Merchant’s new book The Power of Onlyness lies within yes, #onlyness. “Onlyness” is a word related to the idea that within actualizing the power related to making visible one’s identity lies their unique ability to affect positive change in the world. It’s an impressive concept, but as both an African-American and a self-styled agent of sociopolitical progression, the term — in the wake of the anguishing pain of Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charlottesville — creates a call to action, but also a call to fear because being black and “only” in America in 2017 can sometimes feels like being black, manic depressively lonely, and at worst, dead. In wanting to empower myself to more significantly unlock my #onlyness, it occurred to me that in studying the legacy of Native Americans. In discovering and comparing how Native and African Americans gain visibility and identity — but now with the promise of almighty #onlyness as a catalyst — I’d get a sense of how to soldier forth, create a world that could feel the impact of my #only best self, and thus survive America.