BUILD KNOWLEDGE, ENGAGE IN REFLECTION, MOVE TO ACTION
November 6, 2024
I actually did go to bed early. And, thanks to Facebook memories, I had done the same thing this time in 2016. In 2016, my husband woke me up from my sleep and told me the news. Now, in 2024, he did the same thing. Same news.
As a woman of color, mom to children with diverse identities, partner to an Afro-Caribbean man, and child and sibling of the formerly undocumented, I live in a constant state of making sure my humanity is visible. While I am deeply disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am also not surprised. I am also not surprised to know of family members who voted for the success of a rapist, criminal, dictator clown. I am not surprised by people who wave at me knowing full well that they voted for someone who wishes ill upon me. I am not surprised by the behaviors of our country.
This is not new.
So, I woke up this morning committing to do the same things I do everyday:
honor the humanity of people
fight systems of racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, xenophobia
write words, speak truth, engage in dialogue
make sure that the lives of children and the most vulnerable are at the center of my practice
All of these become even more challenging when an institutionalized system that stands against everything I wrote has been elected to power.
And still, I fight.
I fight because I know what happens when I give up. I fight because I know what happens when I don’t try.
So, here’s what I’m doing the next few days, in particular, and what I plan on doing as I continue my life of justice-centered work:
Today, I’m committing to service. Yes, my heart is broken. And, I know that while I grieve, there are still people in my community who do not have access to basic needs. So, I’m there. I’m serving today.
I’m in community. Part of this new administration’s tactic is to make me feel isolated, alone, and scared. I feel that. And also, I can choose community. I am choosing people. I am choosing to be with others who believe that we are stronger when we are together.
I am giving myself space. Today is unseasonably warm where I live. And, I take that as a sign from Mother Earth to go outdoors, to lay in the grass, to get some sun. So, I’m doing that periodically during the day - just sitting outside and feeling the sun, listening to the wind, tasting the crisp air, seeing the orange and red leaves.
I am feeding my body. Yes, I certainly engaged in things yesterday to help me get through the day. Today, I’m eating well. I’m nourishing my body. My body is my vehicle for my work, and so I am taking the best care of it I can today.
I am getting to work. My work is political, professional, and personal. I do not dabble in justice issues - my entire life IS about this. So, I’m getting to work. I’m writing. I’m reading. I’m blogging. I’m re-writing the intro to my next book which now must include references to what happened this week and what will happen the next few years.
The entire platform of the incoming administration is rooted in hate, fear, lies, and scarcity. Those are not my values. I believe in curiosity, collaboration, critical thinking, compassion, and community. I will continue to live those values even among people who do not value them. I will continue to behave in ways that align with those values. And I will continue to build relationships with those who share this world.
I am no fool. I know there are people who seek to hurt me, my family, those who live/breathe/behave through policies, practices, procedures, and programs designed to limit my full humanity. I will continue to teach, to learn, to lead, and to engage with integrity.
As an identity-conscious practitioner, I am not surprised by what is happening. Identity informs and impacts how we act, interact, and how we see the world around us. And, clearly, there are people who see things very differently than I do. As an identity-conscious educator, I will continue to center identity, to center the lived experiences of those who move through this world, and to center a more inclusive practice.
Before I take the stage, my host usually asks me, “Okay, Liza, are you ready?” And my response is always the same: “I am always ready. I stay ready.”
Today is no different.