My daughter is graduating from high school today. I have to say I'm quite proud of who she is; who she is becoming. She's being formed in deep ways as she pays attention to and responds to what's happening in our world as a result of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd and so many precious black lives, known and unknown.
Where will her path lead? What will she do, as Mary Oliver says, with her one wild and precious life?
How can we form our children ( our future leaders) to be truth tellers? To be courageous in the face of injustice? To love all people? And in a culture where "We have witnessed the collapse of the legitimacy of leadership." says Cornell West?
It starts with all of us embodying those things ourselves as parents, teachers, and leaders. We have a moral responsibility to do so.
And it starts with seeing each other
and seeing all people's humanity, especially those who are oppressed. Black Lives Matter.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said we have a choice between chaos or community.
What are the steps you can take to see, really see another?
And what can you do to allow yourself to be seen? When we see each other's humanity, we are able to connect, build trust, and collaborate. Those things become possible. And when we can do that, we then have a chance at addressing the complex issues of our time.
Truly, without this, we are choosing chaos.
As a white person, I have a choice whether or not to address racism. My black brothers and sisters do not. I choose to educate myself. AND not just keep it intellectual, but engage my body, heart, gut, mind, and soul.
On this day of my daughter's graduation, I bless her with continuing to live a full live of empathy, and to not settle for the status quo.
Links and Resources
Black Lives Matter - Seattle / King County
Racial Microagressions in Everyday Life (developed by M Chumbley and Debra Baker)
Interview with Resmaa Menakem re racialized trauma and his book
White Privilege (developed by Maggie Chumbley)
Rev. angel Kyodo Williams → https://angelkyodowilliams.com/
Robin DiAngelo Resources → https://robindiangelo.com/resources/ (Author of White Fragility)