I sat across from Nikole Hannah-Jones on stage recently, and somewhere between discussing the 1619 Project and the state of corporate America, we both got fired up. Guards down. Two Black women looking at each other with a recognition that felt like grief and fury mixed.
The harsh reality we landed on: No one is coming to save us. We have to fight. We have no choice.
And honestly? I’ve been sitting with that ever since.
The Illusion of Neutrality
Here’s what Nikole and I talked about that I need you to understand: You cannot be neutral. Especially not in journalism. Especially not in leadership. Especially not in this moment.
Far too often, people—corporations, businesses, leaders—say they want to “remain neutral.” They claim it’s about being fair, being balanced, and staying out of politics.
But neutrality is a myth. And worse, it’s a cop-out.
Because when you choose neutrality, you’re not choosing nothing. You’re choosing the status quo. You’re choosing whoever has power to keep it. You’re choosing capitalism over people. Profit over principle. Your own comfort over your employees’ dignity.
Let me be clear: That is picking a side. It’s just the wrong one.
The Fall of the Gold Standard
For years, businesses held up Ben & Jerry’s as the example. The gold standard. The company that got it right. I have personally always used them in case studies as a shining example for “who is a company leading in inclusion”.
They stood for something. Climate justice. Racial equity. LGBTQ+ rights. Palestinian freedom. They didn’t just put out statements; they put their money, their platform, their brand on the line. And they never wavered. That consistency wasn’t just admirable; it was profitable. It built trust. It built loyalty. It built a brand people believed in.
Until recently.
I had a conversation with the former CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, and we talked about what’s happened since. About how even they—the company everyone pointed to as proof that you could do well by doing good- have started to bend. To soften. To retreat.
And if Ben & Jerry’s can fall, what does that say about everyone else?
Here’s what I know: You don’t have to shift your strategy if it aligns with consistent behavior. Look at Costco. They’ve paid their workers well for decades. They’ve refused to compromise on quality or values, even when Wall Street pressured them to cut costs. And guess what? They’re thriving. Because consistency builds trust. And trust builds everything else.
But somewhere along the way, we started creating leaders who forgot that. Leaders who operate out of fear instead of conviction. Leaders who think values are negotiable depending on the political climate or the stock price.
We’ve created cowards.
Have We Become Cowards?
That’s the question the former CEO and I kept circling back to: Have we created a generation of leaders—executives, CEOs, founders—who only operate out of fear?
Think about it. We’re watching the stock market crash. We’re watching businesses that stand for nothing lose out on innovation, talent, and the chance to be trailblazers. They’ve become followers, not leaders. They’re so terrified of offending someone, losing a customer, or rocking the boat that they’ve forgotten how to stand for anything.
And in that cowardice, they’ve abandoned the people who believed in them.
Black women are being disproportionately excluded from the workforce. Underrepresented communities—already underfunded in the VC space, in every space—are being further marginalized. Commitments that once felt like progress? Rolled back. Erased. Forgotten.
All because corporations and individuals lack a backbone.
Some of these corporations, like Target and Ben & Jerry’s, were supposed to be the proof that you didn’t have to choose between profit and principle. That standing for something wasn’t just morally right—it was good business. But if even they can’t hold the line, what hope do we have for companies that never stood for anything in the first place?
The Weight of Silence
As I spoke with Nikole on stage, I watched the audience. I saw people tearing up. I saw the recognition wash over their faces as they realized that the commitments they once believed in had fallen on empty ears. That the corporations they work for have disappointed them.
And maybe—just maybe—they realized they’ve been silent too.
So let me ask you: What does your silence say about your leadership?
Are you operating out of fear? Or out of strength?
Because here’s the thing: everyone is watching you. Your team. Your community. Your industry. They’re watching to see if you’ll lead.
Writing Our Own History
If you haven’t read the 1619 Project, go pick up the book. Please. Because what Nikole did was refuse to let someone else write the story. She excavated what had been buried. She centered what had been erased. She made it impossible to ignore.
And that’s what we all have to do.
There are so many people with stories they want to share but can’t. Stories that matter. Truths that need to be told. But if you don’t write your own story, if you don’t document your own history, it will be erased. Never to be told.
That’s not dramatic. That’s a fact.
Would Our Ancestors Be Proud?
I keep coming back to this question: Would our ancestors—the ones who fought, who resisted, who survived- be proud of us right now? This is for the “I am living my ancestors’ wildest dream” folks.
Or would they be ashamed at how little we’ve stood for? How easily we’ve been bought? At how quickly we’ve folded under pressure?
I think about the people who came before me. Who didn’t have the safety I have. Who didn’t have the platform I have. Who risked everything, their lives, their livelihoods, their families, all to fight for something that mattered.
And I think about what we’re doing with that inheritance.
Are we honoring it? Or are we squandering it?
We Have to Fight
Here’s what sitting across from Nikole reminded me: We are not fighting just for ourselves. We are fighting for everyone around us.
For the young Black woman who just got laid off in a “restructuring.” For the founder who can’t get funding because VCs have suddenly become “risk-averse.” For the employee who’s watching their company quietly dismantle everything they said they stood for.
We are fighting because we have to. Because if we don’t, who will?
This isn’t about being angry for anger’s sake. This isn’t about being divisive. This is about having a backbone. About knowing what you stand for and refusing to compromise on it, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
Companies like Costco prove it’s possible. They show us that you can stand firm, treat people well, and still win. But it requires courage. It requires leaders who aren’t afraid to be unpopular. Leaders who understand that values aren’t a marketing strategy, they’re not a press statement, they’re a commitment.
So What Now?
If you’re a leader—whether you run a company, lead a team, or simply have a voice and a platform—ask yourself:
What do I stand for? What am I willing to risk to defend it? And when this moment passes, what will the record show I did?
Because that’s what history is. A record of choices. Of those who stood up and those who stayed silent. Of those who had courage and who chose comfort.
Nikole and I got wild on that stage because we both know: the time for neutrality is over. The time for cowardice is over.
The question is: Are you ready to fight?
Or will you be another name in the long list of people who stood for nothing—and lost everything because of it?
If this resonates with you, if you’re tired of the silence, tired of the cowardice, tired of watching leaders fold when the moment demands courage, I want to hear from you.
I work with organizations and leaders who are ready to do the hard work of narrative reclamation, cultural strategy, and building brands that actually stand for something. If you’re navigating market entry, repositioning your brand with integrity, or trying to lead with backbone in a moment that demands it, let’s talk.
You can find me at topeajala.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
And if you want more of these conversations, the ones that don’t shy away from what’s uncomfortable, subscribe to my newsletter, How to Live Your Life to a Teee on Substack, or listen to my podcast Life to a Teee, where I talk with executives about legacy, leadership, and life.