I am so eager to see these white organizers saved from the garbage heap of history and dusted off. I need to know about them. So many people do--not just for hero worship or even just strategic reasons, but because we can become what we've never seen, and too many of us who long to move through the world in restorative ways have ZERO images in our minds and hearts of what that looks or feels like.
So well put, my friend. Isn't it wild how much these stories are buried? I think you and I are an interesting case study-- we're curious folks who read a lot and are particularly interested in social change- you think we'd have come across these particular mentor stories way before 20 freaking 20... but many of them still take a lot of diggin! And, to your point, the loss then is in our collective "flailing-to-be-good-white-people" imagination of what we could build together.
As always, great stuff, thank you! I am slowly making my way through the book Joyful Militancy, which feels like a great follow up to this post. The authors talk about how we hold true to our values, but let go of "radical rigidity." I feel like the dismissal of white folks you're sharing here is just another example of radical rigidity!
I couldn't love this more, Garrett. Reminding me of adrienne maree brown's call to make activism an "irresistible invitation." Also, how meta is it that we're becoming polarized over whether to be polarized? Thanks for your steady-headed wit and pragmatism.
I am so eager to see these white organizers saved from the garbage heap of history and dusted off. I need to know about them. So many people do--not just for hero worship or even just strategic reasons, but because we can become what we've never seen, and too many of us who long to move through the world in restorative ways have ZERO images in our minds and hearts of what that looks or feels like.
So well put, my friend. Isn't it wild how much these stories are buried? I think you and I are an interesting case study-- we're curious folks who read a lot and are particularly interested in social change- you think we'd have come across these particular mentor stories way before 20 freaking 20... but many of them still take a lot of diggin! And, to your point, the loss then is in our collective "flailing-to-be-good-white-people" imagination of what we could build together.
As always, great stuff, thank you! I am slowly making my way through the book Joyful Militancy, which feels like a great follow up to this post. The authors talk about how we hold true to our values, but let go of "radical rigidity." I feel like the dismissal of white folks you're sharing here is just another example of radical rigidity!
oh my goodness adding that to my list right now.
I couldn't love this more, Garrett. Reminding me of adrienne maree brown's call to make activism an "irresistible invitation." Also, how meta is it that we're becoming polarized over whether to be polarized? Thanks for your steady-headed wit and pragmatism.
Polarization squared lol!
Nothing to add but thank you 💔
Thank you, as always!