A Glorious Mess
The Burnout is Real
Phew!
We are feeling all the things — exhilaration, exhaustion, hope and heartbreak. We have momentum and will face set backs. But we have each other.
And it’s not just young people. This march was intergenerational, intersectional, inter-everything. And thank god, because we are just getting started. As we report in this week’s #WELLREAD, finding balance within ourselves and fighting for balance in our systems is a constant and relentless practice. And the burnout is real, especially for those who are most vulnerable.
So it’s not enough to march on and fight forward. We need to create a culture of mutual care for ourselves and one another. That means cultivating the conditions for balance and belonging EVERYDAY — centering self-care in our personal life and fighting injustice in our public life.
It won’t be easy, but it can be done. And according to Adrienne Maree Brown “the world is a glorious mess and we’re going to be ok”. So there.
Kerri Kelly
1. CENSUS
We are obsessed with the idea of citizenship — not the kind that is reduced to what documents you have or where you were born — but a citizenship where everyone belongs. So the latest move by the administration to add “citizenship” to the consensus is a really big deal. Here’s why: It’s the basis for deciding the number of representatives each state gets in Congress and how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed. The weaponizing of the census will likely result in reduced responses and an inaccurate account. But the resistance is already responding. At least 12 states have threatened to sue. And there is already a movement for EVERYONE to mark themselves undocumented in solidarity.
2. MARCH MADNESS
We are still buzzing from an inspiring (and record breaking) #MarchForOurLives. Not only was it unprecedented in turn out, it was intersectional and impactful. For young people of color, the march represents a lifelong battle. Even parkland students acknowledged that the medianeglected black voices in coverage.
Edna Chavez spoke out for the kind of violence that doesn’t make the headlines. And 11 year old Naomi Wadler dedicated her speech to the black women and girls who have just been numbers. #SayHerName. But Emma Gonzales provided the most memorable moment, with few words, restraint and emotion that made it a profound expression.
Can teenagers save America? They’ve done it before. The gun debate is a culture war and young people are gonna win it.
3. GUN CONTROL+
Image by The Unapologetically Brown SeriesA movement of gun reform is impossible without addressing police violence and the ongoing threat to black and brown bodies. Just days before the #MarchForOurLives, Stephon “Zoe” Clark was shot 20 times in Sacramento for having a cell phone. And the cops that shot Alton Sterling aren’t being charged. The disparity between the public’s response to #BlackLivesMatter and school shootings is disturbing; even though people of color are more likely to be killed by guns than white people. We need solidarity if we want to win.
4. WEEKLY WOKE
White people, your revolution is NOW. And your daily spiritual practice is not enough…
“Apply the idea about a having a daily spiritual practice to unlearning racism. Make unlearning racism your spiritual practice. If you don’t have a spiritual practice, make unlearning racism your hobby. Let racism take up as much time for you as it does everyday for Black people.”
Brittney Packett breaks down white privilege and how it’s impacting the gun debate. And #NotRacists be like…Here are the top 10 phrases you hear from people who say they are “NOT” racist (includes favorites like “I don’t see color” and “I dated a black girl/boy once…”). Good god. And please read these 10 books (before you go asking a person of color to explain things to you).
5. BURNOUT
Often we are praising the impact of activism, but there is a cost as well — burnout, sickness, even death. According to Black Lives Matter activists, self-care is essential to sustaining and surviving. Grief is a seismic force for change, but it also takes its toll. And BlackGirlInMaine is calling us up to defend and protect the next generation of activists:
“If you were heartened this past weekend at the sight of young people leading the charge, perhaps you need to ask yourself how you can support these activists. How can you ensure not just their physical safety but their emotional and mental well being too? That requires intentionality and action. While not everyone is not meant to be on the front lines, we have a responsibility to provide whatever resources we can to the larger movement beyond empty words. Back up your words with actions.”
6. WISDOM
We are reveling in the words of Naomi Shihab Nye, who shared her wisdom on On Being’s podcast. Here is a taste of her medicine:
“Let me peer out at the world
through your lens. (Maybe I’ll shudder,
or gasp, or tilt my head in a question.)
Let me see how your blue
is my turquoise and my orange
is your gold. Suddenly binary
stars, we have startling
gravity. Let’s compare
scintillation — let’s share
starlight.”
7. LEADERSHIP
Image by Fast CompanyLeadership coach Tanya Tarr breaks down the four leadership styles that make up the women of Black Panther — Nakia, Okoye, Shuri and Ramonda. Which one are you?
WELLread is produced by CTZNWELL, a nonprofit mobilizing the wellbeing community to take action for the health and justice of all people. Was this email forwarded to you? Find out more about our organization and subscribe.
