when you know the notes to sing...
...You can sing most anything! (Do-re-mi from Sound of Music)
This seems to apply to almost anything - from learning the letters of the alphabet so we can form words to knowing the ingredients in a recipe to be able to cook.
It also applies to our conversations about social justice.
Since listening to the hours of comments about (mainly opposing) a diversity, equity, and inclusion proposal from a local school board, I've been deep in thought about what is happening in our public discourse on these topics.
The next local meeting is next week (are you following this in your local communities?) and I am preparing to return and try again to connect across this immense divide.
One of the largest barriers seems to be having a common understanding of the notes we are singing.
So, here's a couple basic notes that we need to clarify to support true understanding and dialogue.
Anti-racism - Opposing racism. (From online dictionaries: The policy or practice of opposing racism and promoting racial equality. Or... A belief or doctrine that rejects the supremacy of one racial group over another and promotes racial equality in society.)
Equality - People get the exact same thing, regardless of other factors. (While this has been promoted as an ideal, this is not what has happened in actuality. One clear example with far-reaching implications is the G.I. Bill. Learn more about its application here.).
Equity - Each person is supported with resources according to their needs so that each person truly has an "equal" opportunity to reach the same success. This basically means trying to bring everyone to the same starting line in the race, rather than having some people start far behind and then have to run around extra barriers and over extra hurdles to reach the same finish line.
For more examples, here are two short YouTube videos you can watch.
What does all this mean?
When someone voices their opposition to these concepts (or a proposal based on these concepts), how do these concepts "sound" to them? What notes are they hearing? Do they actually object to these values, or is there something else that's creating misunderstandings or discord?
Without understanding where these objections are coming from, it's hard to formulate a response that can support the dialogue and, hopefully, finding common ground to move toward a more just and compassionate community.
Ready to go out and engage in these conversations?
You matter. You can make a difference. I'm so thankful you're here.
