On Shifting Sands

I always welcome a colorful reminder to “respire” or “breathe.”

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

(also known as my favorite passage of all time.)

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Notions & Contemplations

Shifting SandsWhen I began formally working in the field of equity and inclusion in the Summer of 2020, the national conversation on race and justice was reaching a first-in-my-lifetime fever pitch across the United States. The murder of Black men and women by police officers unleashed the righteous anger of people who believed in a country and society that could–must–be better than it was. Protests and rallies swelled in communities large and small, and many people were searching for answers to really big, important questions, like “what is my role in this moment?” I personally heard from dozens of colleagues and friends–all well-intentioned white people–who felt compelled to action but weren’t quite sure of the right first step. My colleagues and I at the Southern Equity Collective welcomed their inquiries and the thoughtful discussions that followed.

The tenor changes, the work continues

Nearly three years and twenty-three engagements later, we are still engaged in deep reflection with clients about the meaning and manifestation of equity and inclusion in the workplace. But the tenor of the dialogue has changed. With demands for equity and justice becoming a more permanent part of our public discourse and the pandemic subsiding, we are all finding our way to a new sense of being in the world. The sands of our society have shifted. We are not sinking, but we cannot quite stand in the same place.The truth is that the sands were shifting long before the Summer of 2020–it’s just that most of us chose to ignore the change underfoot.

When “normal” is not universalIf you are a white person in the United States, chances are you have spent most of your life moving through majority white environments, if not entirely white environments. The upside is you’ve probably been relatively comfortable. For the most part, you fit in. You know the unwritten rules of How To Move Through The World.The downside of this scenario is that you might feel unprepared for life in these modern times. Our norms are changing–and thankfully so. We are increasingly part of professional and social circles rich with diversity, and I don’t mean just in terms of race, gender, faith, or age. From expectations of personal space and time to communication and conflict styles, every person who enters a group has their own sense of what is and isn’t “normal.” Then, one of two things can happen:

#1 We expect individuals from different backgrounds to assimilate into the dominant group culture–some of which is unwritten and therefore pretty challenging to adopt. In this case, it’s likely that the individual is unable to fully contribute and/or decides to leave in short order. The dominant culture persists and, spoiler alert, the group languishes from homogeneity.

#2 We create space for individuals with distinct lived experiences to influence the group’s norms. In naming and reviewing the norms on a regular basis, we stay attuned to the needs and expectations of group members; in turn, we foster more trust and a more inclusive environment where all can contribute and thrive.

We live in a time of great transition, of constantly shifting sands. Change can be hard, especially for those of us who have moved with relative ease in an outdated, unjust social order. The invitation, available to all of us, is to lean into the change: to question how our existing norms might be limiting our progress and to welcome the answers with an open heart and mind.

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On My Kindle + Feed + Calendar

Enough.

Ever felt overwhelmed by the looming climate catastrophe so much so that you want to curl up in a ball and take to the streets–at the same time? Yeah, me too. Instead, I recommend listening to Enough., the podcast “for those who are fed up, but not giving up.” Brilliant minds (and dear friends) Erin Allweiss and Melody Serafino, pictured to the left, take us through implications of–and solutions for–personal consumption habits that might just help the Earth stay, ya know, inhabitable for a bit longer.

Drapetomania: A Negro Carol

I’m very excited to tune into the M.D. Schaffer’s “Drapetomania: A Negro Carol,” directed by David Kote and featuring my friend & co-founder, Jonas Chartock. Check out the play description below and buy virtual or in-person tickets here (showing on select dates between March 23rd and April 30th).

Confronted with the devastating reality of police brutality and institutionalized racism, interracial couple Maggie and Wayne must face what it means to raise a Black child in today’s landscape. Battles arise when the ghosts of L.D Barkley, Anna J. Cooper, and John Brown recruit Wayne to become a modern-day African-American civil rights leader, as bigoted and bitter Samuel Cartwright desperately fights for the reinstatement of chattel slavery. As the chaos ensues, the characters are suddenly challenged with their own fictionality, begging the question: who and what has the power to control and resist?

Refuge

Last Spring, Beau and I had the absolute honor and delight to attend the Atlanta premier of REFUGE, “a feature length documentary that follows a leader in the KKK who finds healing from the people he once hated - a Muslim heart doctor and his town of refugees.” The film is a STUNNING piece of storytelling, and I agree with critics that it should be required viewing for anyone living in these United States. I’m thrilled that Refuge, directed and produced by friends Erin Bernhardt and Din Blankenship, will be available in select theaters and via Amazon, Google, and iTunes on March 24th.

Executive Produced by Katie Couric, REFUGE provides an enthralling exploration of hatred, its origins, and the means of healing. REFUGE has won the Audience Award, Jury Award for Best Documentary, Impact Award, and Student Choice Award at numerous film festivals. It was recently included in USA Today's List of Movies You'll Want to Watch in 2023 and will be eligible to be considered for the 2024 Academy Awards. The latest review of the film states: "If you’ve ever despaired that America is too divided to come together again, you’re about to experience a glimmer of hope. This should be required viewing by every single person in the country." Please visit www.refugemovie.com/watch for more details on where you can watch REFUGE beginning Friday, March 24 in theatres and on demand.