LaShuna McBride is chief of staff at Committee for Children, a nonprofit supporting children’s safety and well-being through social-emotional learning and development.
Eleven years, three months, and 20 days ago my life’s story was forever altered by a single seismic event—my beloved mother departed this world. In an instant, everything changed. In many ways, it’s the day in which one arc of my narrative ended and another began. After more than a decade of reflecting on her invaluable teachings, I've finally internalized my mom's most crucial lesson: to be unapologetically me.
