I’m sure we have all had one or multiple conversations this week around our nation’s racial equality issues. The problems run deep and require a higher level of understanding than what you get if you’re just scrolling through headlines. I personally have spent a few years working on building my own understanding of the inequalities that exist in our world, and yet I would still put myself at a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 when it comes to having true understanding. I have a lot of work to do, and I’m guessing this week taught you that you do, too.
When we hear phrases like “we need systemic change,” it’s easy to lose momentum because of how daunting that sounds. Systemic changes come with actions like voting. Tragically, there are some who feel like their vote hasn’t been heard in the past, which can really take a toll on hope for real, sustainable change.
America needs a leader –– many leaders. We need folks who can galvanize us around a mission: A mission to tackle these issues head-on, including the education system and the criminal justice system.
I titled this “The next 30 days” because I am hearing folks say they want to start somewhere meaningful. The majority of people genuinely want to take action and want to move our country forward, as the peaceful protests show.
There is work we all can and should do. Know that it’s not easy, but it’s important. We all have a part to play in creating change. It should be clear that this has taken many years to reach this level and it will be a marathon, strong and steady, to move forward. Check out this post on Medium for a list of 75 ways you can contribute your time, energy and resources. I’ve poured through it, and it taught me a few things. I know it can feel overwhelming and hard to know what to really do next. My prayer is for God to direct me toward clarity of impact. Thus, the idea on starting in 30 day increments…
My thought process is to break it down into some areas where I – and most others – could use grounded information with the goal of building foundational understanding. Here we go…
- Listen to understand. Reach out to the people in your life who are from other backgrounds. Ask them how they’re doing. Ask them to tell you their story of living in this world. Listen intently. My goal is to have three truly strong, meaningful conversations during the next 30 days.
- Read to understand. Take the time to read up on structural racism to better understand the gravity and depth of the reality we find ourselves living in. (Developing a common understanding is central to getting to the root of the problem. Check this site out for videos and other resources, as a starting point. And if you haven’t already seen it, check out this IGTV post from Viola Davis!)
- Research local. Look for examples of systematic issues in your state or area. Education is a terrific place to start and was recommended by a friend and after a close review, I would say education reform is mission critical. I will use Kansas as an example. On this site, you can compare the many variances between districts. When you see gaps in performance, consider the lost opportunity children have across the state. This alone should demonstrate that this is a primary issue that we all need to consider critical to achieving equality. (If diving through data isn’t your thing, watch the documentary “Waiting for Superman,” for terrific content on the topic.)
I hope this helps you on our collective journey to serve well. If we keep perspective, keep praying, be kind always, and keep moving with unbridled determination and strength, we will create change. We have to believe that and lock arms tightly.