There are so many thoughts in my brain, jumbled and tumbling over one another. I want this to be a space of healing, but there is no healing possible without giving voice to experiences of oppression. Silence feeds violence.
Lately I've been trying to step back to hear and read the voices of others, especially black voices. I've been too complacent in my own life up to this point, content to settle for using my own experiences of oppression as a proxy for empathizing with others rather than doing the hard work of examining the history of systemic injustices embedded within the institutions and culture of the country in which I live. While finding points of connection is important, understanding the history and framework in which various forms of oppression dwell is essential for creating effective change, as is elevating voices beyond just my own.
The past is a painful place to gaze upon, but that doesn't make it any less necessary to see it. To that end, I wanted to share some resources that have been pushing me to grow, even when they've been uncomfortable or painful to hear or read.
The first is a podcast series called "Behind the Police." It discusses the history of police and policing in America, and it's been eye-opening for me.
The second is a book by Angela Y. Davis. Titled "Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement," it's helped me to conceptualize intersectionality as more than the intersection of individual identities, but also as the intersection of collective movements, often spanning the globe.
The last thing I want to mention today is a podcast episode of "Unlocking Us with Brené Brown" featuring Laverne Cox. A (rough) paraphrase of a line that keeps repeating in my head from it is "At the end of the day, I'm fighting to make sure no kid gets beat up on the playground." There's a lot more to the episode, but whenever I get overwhelmed by the number of battles there are to fight, I am both galvanized and centered by that succinct summation.
What are some resources you have been finding helpful lately?
