It was hard not to think of grifter and Black impersonator Shaun King through this though I imagine he’s not specifically whom you’re writing about.
Roxane Gay shared an article about how shitty Thurgood Marshall had been in his rise to power, Marshall’s loyalty to J Edgar Hoover and routing out Black activists who were too outspoken against white supremacy or capitalism. The heartbreaking part of that was about how the NAACP used and discarded Emmett Till’s mother Maime Till-Mobley, raising mother using her as a spokesperson and then kicking her to the curb when she asked to be paid.
I also was watching the Twitter storm yesterday with Nikole Hannah-Jones and the knives out approach that Twitter is. While that rabbit hole leads to Patrice Coulors $6 million dollar BLM mansion.
I read this through the lens of the Gospel of Kindness that Sharon Salzberg teaches. I can’t imagine how anyone who’s paying attention isn’t freaking out right now. The Supreme Court throwing out the Clean Water Act and Amy Coney Barrett not bothering to write a defense of the 5-4 decision says everything about the horrific abuse of power we’re all witnessing. Flint still doesn’t have clean water; we’re all Flint, Michigan. We’re dying of whiteness. Racism and capitalism and patriarchy are killing us. And yet, we’re alive. I love your beautiful ode to mindfulness and your White Guy test. Thank you for saying stuff no one wants to acknowledge. Keep going. You’re doing great. ❤️🩹
One thing I always keep in mind is that a person doesn’t have to be perfect for their words to be true. Or at least for me to get something out of it. When I read things by people I respect and they use terms I feel are problematic I don’t waste my energy being upset that they didn’t use the right word. Instead I give them the benefit of the doubt and just swap in the one I figure they meant. This way I don’t let it stop me from receiving the information of their message and I can receive the wisdom by not focusing on the ignorance.
Also I have personally experienced being helped by someone who later on I realized was very problematic. And it made me realize everyone can be helpful to someone at some point in their lives and just because they are not where you are in your exact journey, it doesn’t mean they have no value. Once I grew past where that person could teach me I simply divested my energy from them and focused on people who I could still learn something from. Trying to tell others who they should and should not learn from is overlooking the fact of individual discernment. People have the responsibility and the capability to be discerning in who they choose to listen to. And in the end people will divest when it no longer serves them.
But I also try to remember that no matter how great someone is it’s dehumanizing to forget that they are simply an imperfect human capable of being petty and acting out of trauma just like the rest of us. So I try not to expect perfection from the people I learn from, and don’t take everything they say like the word of god if it doesn’t resonate with me. It’s the way I save my emotional energy and not let capitalism win by exhausting me.
This is so thoughtful and grounding. Thank you. It also lends perspective for me, on how much it benefits those who own the ‘messaging mechanisms’ to keep us focused on the “little shit.” I don’t want them to own my attention - distracting me from systemic issues and rewarding us for hostility that disrupts our communities’ natural inclinations to organize. It doesn’t take any money to organize, only a shared mission and love. It’s so easy to move away from that and get hooked by the petty moments. Mistaking the feeling of ‘hot under the collar’ for dopamine. I guess if one doesn’t know what Joy feels like they might accidentally believe that is it? Surely I have.
2, 4, and 8. Those are your approaches where I see I’ve missed. I really appreciate this. Going to hold myself to those moving forward. <3
I really resonated with your article where you said it hurts to be disliked by people you value. I feel that way a lot but we can’t just change who we are to suit others. I have read a few of your blogs and listened to a talk you did on YouTube. While I don’t agree with all your perspectives I think you are a valuable voice out in the world. Also you’re kind of a badass :)
You are articulate, engaging, and deeply care about elevating people who are disenfranchised. I know you already know this but please hear me when I say you are valuable regardless of what ANYONE thinks. Even people in your circle who you wish would be on the same page as you are.I will try to take my own advice, too. Thanks for being you.
So greatly put!💚 Everything you wrote!! I feel that in my work with my community, in sustainability, culture identity and bioregionalism. Our region is indigenous and afrocostarrican land, and now jungle is destroyed in the name of Ecotourism while community leaders fight with each other instead of cooperating to save our mangroves from becoming eco hotels and our coral reef from being destroyed for yachts to be able to anker.
Great article. It's important, in my view, to untangle, in our minds, what's individual and what's systemic. Where does change begin? Perhaps, if enough individuals address our own issues, the Greater Power will create an opportunity to change the system? An allegory: A Dutch friend tells me that reclaimed land, called a polder, is not fruitful for about ten years. Then, rain and weather helps the salt disappear and the first plant that grows is a stinging nettle. Later, it is ready to plant crops. So, be a stinging nettle, by addressing what needs to be addressed.
Really appreciate your generosity in sharing this - your guidance in discerning what action is in alignment with your values and purpose is both nuanced and practicable. For me, I try to avoid outrage and intervention that isn’t generative in some way, while not veering into silencing hurt and anger. Your work helps me find the path. Thank you
It was hard not to think of grifter and Black impersonator Shaun King through this though I imagine he’s not specifically whom you’re writing about.
Roxane Gay shared an article about how shitty Thurgood Marshall had been in his rise to power, Marshall’s loyalty to J Edgar Hoover and routing out Black activists who were too outspoken against white supremacy or capitalism. The heartbreaking part of that was about how the NAACP used and discarded Emmett Till’s mother Maime Till-Mobley, raising mother using her as a spokesperson and then kicking her to the curb when she asked to be paid.
I also was watching the Twitter storm yesterday with Nikole Hannah-Jones and the knives out approach that Twitter is. While that rabbit hole leads to Patrice Coulors $6 million dollar BLM mansion.
I read this through the lens of the Gospel of Kindness that Sharon Salzberg teaches. I can’t imagine how anyone who’s paying attention isn’t freaking out right now. The Supreme Court throwing out the Clean Water Act and Amy Coney Barrett not bothering to write a defense of the 5-4 decision says everything about the horrific abuse of power we’re all witnessing. Flint still doesn’t have clean water; we’re all Flint, Michigan. We’re dying of whiteness. Racism and capitalism and patriarchy are killing us. And yet, we’re alive. I love your beautiful ode to mindfulness and your White Guy test. Thank you for saying stuff no one wants to acknowledge. Keep going. You’re doing great. ❤️🩹
One thing I always keep in mind is that a person doesn’t have to be perfect for their words to be true. Or at least for me to get something out of it. When I read things by people I respect and they use terms I feel are problematic I don’t waste my energy being upset that they didn’t use the right word. Instead I give them the benefit of the doubt and just swap in the one I figure they meant. This way I don’t let it stop me from receiving the information of their message and I can receive the wisdom by not focusing on the ignorance.
Also I have personally experienced being helped by someone who later on I realized was very problematic. And it made me realize everyone can be helpful to someone at some point in their lives and just because they are not where you are in your exact journey, it doesn’t mean they have no value. Once I grew past where that person could teach me I simply divested my energy from them and focused on people who I could still learn something from. Trying to tell others who they should and should not learn from is overlooking the fact of individual discernment. People have the responsibility and the capability to be discerning in who they choose to listen to. And in the end people will divest when it no longer serves them.
But I also try to remember that no matter how great someone is it’s dehumanizing to forget that they are simply an imperfect human capable of being petty and acting out of trauma just like the rest of us. So I try not to expect perfection from the people I learn from, and don’t take everything they say like the word of god if it doesn’t resonate with me. It’s the way I save my emotional energy and not let capitalism win by exhausting me.
This is so thoughtful and grounding. Thank you. It also lends perspective for me, on how much it benefits those who own the ‘messaging mechanisms’ to keep us focused on the “little shit.” I don’t want them to own my attention - distracting me from systemic issues and rewarding us for hostility that disrupts our communities’ natural inclinations to organize. It doesn’t take any money to organize, only a shared mission and love. It’s so easy to move away from that and get hooked by the petty moments. Mistaking the feeling of ‘hot under the collar’ for dopamine. I guess if one doesn’t know what Joy feels like they might accidentally believe that is it? Surely I have.
2, 4, and 8. Those are your approaches where I see I’ve missed. I really appreciate this. Going to hold myself to those moving forward. <3
I really resonated with your article where you said it hurts to be disliked by people you value. I feel that way a lot but we can’t just change who we are to suit others. I have read a few of your blogs and listened to a talk you did on YouTube. While I don’t agree with all your perspectives I think you are a valuable voice out in the world. Also you’re kind of a badass :)
You are articulate, engaging, and deeply care about elevating people who are disenfranchised. I know you already know this but please hear me when I say you are valuable regardless of what ANYONE thinks. Even people in your circle who you wish would be on the same page as you are.I will try to take my own advice, too. Thanks for being you.
So greatly put!💚 Everything you wrote!! I feel that in my work with my community, in sustainability, culture identity and bioregionalism. Our region is indigenous and afrocostarrican land, and now jungle is destroyed in the name of Ecotourism while community leaders fight with each other instead of cooperating to save our mangroves from becoming eco hotels and our coral reef from being destroyed for yachts to be able to anker.
Great article. It's important, in my view, to untangle, in our minds, what's individual and what's systemic. Where does change begin? Perhaps, if enough individuals address our own issues, the Greater Power will create an opportunity to change the system? An allegory: A Dutch friend tells me that reclaimed land, called a polder, is not fruitful for about ten years. Then, rain and weather helps the salt disappear and the first plant that grows is a stinging nettle. Later, it is ready to plant crops. So, be a stinging nettle, by addressing what needs to be addressed.
Really appreciate your generosity in sharing this - your guidance in discerning what action is in alignment with your values and purpose is both nuanced and practicable. For me, I try to avoid outrage and intervention that isn’t generative in some way, while not veering into silencing hurt and anger. Your work helps me find the path. Thank you