It’s insane how I’ve been struggling to start these newsletters the past few months. It’s been such a whirlwind and when I think it can’t get worse, somehow it does. Yet, I do have hope. And the resources I’m sharing this month will hopefully inspire you and motivate you to engage, give back, and really help us build community.
That’s what we need: to come together and show solidarity in the face of divisiveness, hatred, and racism.
In March, my family and I were a part of the North Kansas City Snake Saturday parade. Afterwards, I remarked to my mom that there were quite a few Black families there. She replied that she hadn’t even noticed. That was another reminder of the bubble that I live in—and a nudge to make sure we’re exposing our children to different cultures and families with different skin colors, beliefs, and traditions.
Below is a resource that provides templated emails to send to your representatives—state and federal. I’ve sent off a few especially lately as the Kansas legislature appears to be going rogue and denying or taking away every right and freedom that minorities currently have.
Today, I got an actual response from Mari-Lynn Poskin. In fact, she replied to all three emails I sent even noting she was happy to receive three in a row from me. That gave me hope. While she’s not actively destroying the government or our liberties, it’s important that she knows her constituents support her actions. And that we’re encouraging her to continue to fight the good fight.
What moments lately have given you hope? When have you been reminded of your privilege or of the disparities between race, class, and geography?
I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about!
There’s no such thing as an illegal human being. You cannot have equality for some and not for all. We all are brothers and sisters.
Resources
These three resources together have reenergized me for this work. For the work of leaving my little place in this world better than I found it. For lifting others up, speaking out for those who can’t, and standing on the right side of history. And, like it or not, we are smack dab in the middle of history.
An interview with John Robert Lewis at the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival.
In this interview he mentions the graphic novels that he wrote about his experience as a Freedom Fighter.
He shared that at age 74 (when this interview happened), he was as hopeful as he was when he took his first seat at a lunch counter.
He noted that with the assassinations of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy something died in America.
A quote that received significant applause: “I fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color not to be against discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
When it comes to engaging in politics, he noted that the younger generation has an obligation, “a mandate to push and pull and not be satisfied. We have to participate.”
Jonathan Haidt’s 2012 book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. If your time is limited, read chapter 12. It takes all the previous chapters and maps their content onto conservative, liberal, and libertarian belief systems.
My overall sense after listening to this book is something he notes at the very beginning: “can’t we all just get along.” It did soften my heart a bit, making me realize that there are different moral foundations that we all abide by and going into conversations with curiosity instead of accusation would be helpful.
He digs into six moral foundations that define a person’s moral outlook: care/harm, fairness/cheating, liberty/oppression, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, and sanctity/degradation.
What’s fascinating is that our genes predispose us for being right-leaning or left-leaning. Not pre-destined, he points out, but predisposed and it’s our experiences that push us one way or the other.
I think perhaps I’m actually a libertarian—he quotes Will Wilkinson as suggesting “libertarians are basically liberals who love free markets and lack bleeding hearts.”
A keynote by David Brooks at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival—World On Fire: The Root Causes of Populism, Authoritarianism and The Whole Global Mess
This is a doozy—in a nutshell, the US isn’t the only nation opening itself up to authoritarian regimes, and a big reason why is that our world is depressed, sad, lonely, and angry.
Very much worth the time to watch this keynote even if it is a bit heavy.
Ways to Engage
Some Chicago, KC, and Kansas-specific items. Plus a virtual option from a really phenomenal organization.
April 7th-12th: Spring Art Week in Chicago; Pigment International has specific events and engagements with Black artists
Apr 10th-May 24th: I Used to Live in Chicago art exhibit, Blanc Gallery in Chicago
Apr 15th: Breaking the ICE on Immigration Enforcement and Federal Power American Public Square conversation
Loud Light, an organization that engages, educates, and empowers individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power that impacts decision makers
To the Mari-Lynn Poskin note above, I received an email from Loud Light with links to pre-filled forms to send off to legislators on specific issues and topics.
Subscribe to their newsletter and it’s as easy as clicking a button, filling in your name and email address, and hitting submit!
Pass this newsletter along to 3 people, letting them know how you’re reenergized to fight!
A reader reminded me of American Public Square. It is a fantastic organization that’s been around for 10 years. It now has many more programs and virtual options!
Founded by Allan Katz, former US Ambassador to Portugal, its purpose is to foster civil conversation among citizens.
We used to attend in the early years and absolutely loved it. I’m eager to dive back in!
Quote of the Month
This is from an interview by Aspen Ideas with Imani Perry entitled Writing as the Work of Freedom.
Writing is absolutely the work of freedom. Not just freedom dreaming but being free. There’s a reason freed people flocked to school after slavery ended.
