|
I have to admit that writing a post this month has been difficult. Watching Southern states pounce on the opportunity to disenfranchise Black voters has been painful. I think of all the sacrifices that so many made to ensure that the large Black populations in those states could have representation. The actions of legislators underscore the need for the protections that have been in place for many years. Those protections have been undermined for years as part of a concerted effort by conservative legislators and court justices to shift the scales towards injustice. When people ask me how I can stay hopeful and continue the work during times like these, I tell them that I think about my parents. They were both part of the Great Migration and worked hard to ensure that my siblings and I would have a better future. I always remind myself that I am my ancestors’ wildest dream. I recently attended the Stanford Black Alumni Summit – which afforded me a hug from the actor and fellow alum Sterling Brown (!). It was such an affirming space, and I left the weekend reinvigorated and ready to face whatever challenges may come. I also got to fangirl with former Stanford Football Coach Ty Willingham. |
When the work brings you home
Since the summer of 2020, a recurring them for me has been reconnecting with my hometown of Spokane, Washington. I have complicated feelings about Spokane – I often describe it as growing up in a place like Mayberry R.F.D. where we felt free as kids in the late 60s and early 70s to ride our bikes everywhere and we stayed out all day until dinner time. Spokane was also a city lacking in diversity, and we were very aware of the fact that Spokane was less than 1% Black during that time. Add to that the fact that our family was Catholic (I am the youngest of 7) and you get the fodder for much of the issues I experienced around race that I describe in my book Radical Empathy.
I mention all of this because we are in a particular political moment when we are seeing young people grappling with issues of race, gender and division in a way that I know I was hoping we would be long past by now. I happened to be in Spokane for an event at my high school, Gonzaga Prep, when I heard about an incident at Gonzaga University that made the local news. I checked out the Instagram account of the GU Black Student Union and was dismayed to see that they had been targeted during an event that was meant to celebrate their community. Unfortunately, I’m well aware of the racism that continues to plague the city where I was raised.
After the summer of 2020 I also stepped in to support Gonzaga Prep when a group of alums called the school to task for incidents that happened there. I worked with the faculty and staff to develop guidelines for dealing with racial incidents, and since then have been an advisor to the school president and a member of the school board. It has also been an opportunity to connect with my Catholic roots, and in particular, the Jesuits who were an inspiration to me. I discuss my time at Prep in my book Radical Empathy. G-Prep was one of the first clients I worked with and that work help me to develop the ongoing workshops I do, including now at Gonzaga University.
Emotional Labor and the need for allies
In Radical Empathy I discuss the fact that for many of us, having to do this work is a form of emotional labor. I have had to come to terms with the fact that as a Black woman and a leader, I feel a responsibility to speak out and take on these issues when needed. It is more important now than ever, but it doesn’t mean that I put myself on the front lines. We need our white allies more than ever to take up the slack, on all fronts. This isn’t just our battle – it’s a battle for the ideals that we claim to have as a country, as human beings, and for those who are religious, as Christians. We have to find common cause in the promise of America that allows us to have our differences and the freedom to express them. The assaults on academic freedom, science and frankly, common sense were unimaginable not long ago, yet here we are. Don’t let apathy or fear keep you from speaking out and finding ways to support those who are under attack. Keep the faith.
