by brandirichardthompson | Feb 16, 2026 | Courage & Culture, Federal Service & Public Policy
In 1863, a man named William Cooper Nell walked into the Boston Custom House and sat down at a clerk’s desk. It doesn’t sound revolutionary. But Nell was Black. He was the first known Black civilian federal employee. And that quiet, unremarkable act — a...
by brandirichardthompson | Feb 9, 2026 | Courage & Culture, Federal Service & Public Policy
600,000 Jobs Lost. A 7.5% Unemployment Peak. And a Pattern America Has Seen Before. A crisis doesn’t always announce itself with a headline. Sometimes it shows up quietly — in data tables, in unemployment duration charts, in the slow disappearance of women who...
by brandirichardthompson | Jan 26, 2026 | Courage & Culture, Crisis Leadership
And what real crisis leadership requires when your employees need you most Sixty CEOs recently revealed their true priorities by signing an open letter. The communication addressed “de-escalating tensions” related to ICE enforcement operations affecting...
by brandirichardthompson | Feb 1, 2023 | Courage & Culture
Today marks the first day of Black History Month, an outcropping of Black History Week which began in 1928 with the theme of Civilization: A World Achievement. This year’s theme is Black Resistance. From our roots on the continent of Africa to this day, people of...
by brandirichardthompson | Feb 27, 2022 | Courage & Culture
On March 8th, I will be presenting for this year’s International Women’s Day event, themed Together We Thrive! Joining women from around the world to share inspiring messages of hope is my idea of a wonderful time. See you there!...
by brandirichardthompson | Apr 20, 2021 | Courage & Culture, Federal Service & Public Policy
I reached out to my parents to once again share my concerns about where we are in the federal government service and how far we still have to go to honor and value uniqueness. My Mom was concerned that my negativity about the lack of progress meant that I devalued...
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