Are you familiar with Friere?
Do you have a great Lorde quote in your email signature?
Perhaps some bell hooks on your bookshelf and a framed King Jr quote somewhere.
๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ?
Words are powerful.
They signal our intentions and tell people how smart and well-read we are. Yet, for many of us, when asked to show where we live these words to support our communities, we may stumble.
To look from the other side for a moment – there is nothing quite like being dehumanised based on your identity in a space which has writing by Chinua Achebe, Betty Friedman, or James Baldwin present.
Whether an eye-catching email signature or a school mission plastered all over the walls, we need to make sure the connection between our words and our actions is clear and intentional.
For me, this means systematically questioning my actions, listening to the input and critique of those around me and those impacted by my actions, and sharing my platform.
I do this to ensure the identities impacted, which are not my own, are present and can influence the change that is happening. I know that this is having an impact, because of the responses I receive to my work and the changes I am tracking in my network and people who are interested in collaborating with me, yet I also know that there are always improvements I can make, so I listen for those voices too.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ?
๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ โ find a quote or piece of writing you have in your workspace or use frequently. Read through the writing and then complete these sentences:
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย To make this a reality, each day Iโฆ
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This improves the lives of the people in my community byโฆ
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I know that this is happening becauseโฆ
To end with a quote from the brilliant bell hooks:
โ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
#DEIJItsWhatWeDO #SystemicEquity
