“Each person shines with his or her own light. No two flames are alike. There are big flames and little flames, flames of every color. Some people’s flames are so still they don’t even flicker in the wind, while others have wild flames that fill the air with sparks. Some foolish flames neither burn nor shed light, but others blaze with life so fiercely that you can’t look at them without blinking, and if you approach you shine in fire.”
What does Lagniappe mean?
Like many of us, the word “lagniappe” has roots in many places. In the broadest and most beautiful sense, it means “a little something extra.” You’ll find the concept in multiple places and iterations—from many nations in Africa to Spain to the Quecha speaking people of the Incan empire to where it all coalesced in Louisiana. It’s the baker’s dozen— the 13th beignet when you order 12. We add as much as we can to our work and turn what might be considered a little into a lot.
At Lagniappe, we build as you do. We grow as you do. We give a little extra and we support you in taking care of yourself, your organization, and your movement as you do the same.
What it means for our work together is that we show up. And then we SHOW UP— for each other, our movements, our collaborators, and for ourselves. It’s the Lagniappe way.
Who is Marquita James?
Marquita’s practice ranges from helping individuals navigate murky situations to helping organizations design healthier dispute resolution systems. Marquita provides impact-driven, equity-immersed consulting services as both an independent practitioner and in partnership with Strategies for Social Change, a woman of a color owned consulting firm committed to using innovative solutions to help social change organizations transform the world. Her work centers the learning, growth, and development of organizations and the individuals within them. Marquita delights in helping organizations embrace healthy, sustainable approaches to conflict resolution assessment and strategy, organizational change, leadership development, and deep, transformational equity work.
She has been facilitating difficult conversations and providing training and coaching since her time with the Harvard Mediation Program at Harvard Law School.
When Marquita is not elbows deep in the conflict resolution and consulting worlds, you’ll find her hunting for live music, attempting to dance bhangra, or pining for gumbo from her home state.