Where can upwardly mobile, young, Black business professionals go to connect in an unpretentious manner, where individuals are valued more for who they are as people versus their profession and pocketbook? Apparently, the spaces are few and far between.
In a world where Drake’s “No New Friends” is celebrated as a personal anthem, it is also a reminder that, oftentimes, we treat new relationships more like car purchases than opportunities to share more of ourselves. I mean, think about it. A person’s exterior catches our eye. We spend some time kicking the tires and looking at amenities. We take test drives for comfort and to gauge responsiveness. If it looks like the relationship can take us where we want to go, we’re willing to move from the showroom floor to our garage, all with an eye on where this new thing can take us.
It’d be great if we spent more time appreciating the experience and the opportunity to see and learn new things. It’d be even better if we recognized that everything and everybody is really just looking for a home, somewhere where we can be ourselves completely and celebrated for being such.
Founded in 2008, www.ourfamilydinner.org, was created to be just that. The organization’s mission is to “improve the well-being of young adults by facilitating authentic and loving social interactions and relationships.” Judging from the pictures and those who gathered at downtown Chicago’s River Roast restaurant, OFD is doing a great job of serving its purpose.
