JUSTICE. EQUITY. DIVERSITY. INCLUSION.
cancel culture.
a precision tool, not a hammer.
cancel culture is a hot topic.
it’s a trigger — for many on both sides of the conversation.
for some, it drudges up notions of intolerance.
many argue it’s antithetical to human existence.
after all, humans are flawed beings.
we make mistakes.
hopefully, we evolve.
therefore, how can we cancel folks for erring?
how can we provide zero room for growth, for accepting critique, and pivoting accordingly?
aren’t we supposed to be creating safe spaces—they argue?
others might contend that the act feels overly performative. after all, how many folks are facebook warriors against r. kelly by day only to be jamming to bump n’ grind by night?
and they are all absolutely correct-ish. these arguments come up a bit short.
any tool, inappropriately wielded, has the power to inflict harm—or serve a fool's errand.
appropriately brandished, the act of ‘canceling’ individuals is actually one of many tools used in service of justice and equity.
imagine, two folks are walking down the road, and the person on the right steps on the toes of the person on the left.
the toe-stepper might quickly apologize and that apology might be readily accepted.
now, let’s say that the toe-stepper steps on the other person’s toe again, just a few blocks down, not once but twice.
well, the person whose toes are being stepped on might stop and say: hey, you keep stepping on my toes. would you mind watching where you walk?
they’d be well within their right to do so and the toe-stepper might even apologize, again.
but what happens if they keep stepping on the other’s toes?
at some point, the individual with the bruised toes might start saying to others: yo! watch out for so and so they are a toe-stepper. i’ve tried to tell them but they keep stepping on my toes.
and, perhaps, after a few conversations, it might become clear that this individual is a habitual toe-stepper.
so, the community may in turn reach out to said toe-stepper and offer feedback — perhaps even resources and tools on how to break their toe-stepping ways.
alas, it might become clear that this individual is not only aware of their behavior but also has zero intention to course correct.
at what point is the community no longer obligated to hold space for this toe-stepper to learn and grow?
at some point the needs of individuals within the community must come first — the community is entitled to safety.
it is time to cancel the toe-stepper.
keep in mind, there are many tools at our disposal.
we can call folks in.
we can call them out.
and, sometimes, when they refuse to listen, grow, or face accountability for their actions it becomes time to cut them off — to cancel them.
is this a tool we should swing with wild abandon?
absolutely not.
it is, however, to be used on the deserved.
now listen, there are likely still folks sitting out there in moral opposition to ‘canceling’ as recourse. i’d ask them to consider turning the spotlight inward for a beat or two.
perhaps ask ourselves: are we really in opposition because of perceived unfairness, or is it instead resistance driven by personal fear or discomfort? or perhaps, we fear accountability?
for the first time, for many, there are far more voices in the conversation.
and, those that have sat at the center of the system for so long are having to make room for others — others that don’t look like them or communicate in familiar ways.
others who have been sidelined for far too long.
the reality is that more voices are exerting norm-challenging views and holding individuals accountable for what feels like unexpected reasons.
bubbles bursting left and right.
it can feel dizzying.
embracing canceling as an option isn’t about aligning to some politically correct paradigm.
it’s about realizing that there has been a significant lot of folks sitting on the margins of our society with little to no outlet — no agency, minimal power, and abysmal social justice.
we must be careful that attempts to cancel cancel-culture aren’t really poorly shrouded attempts to silence dissenting voices.
voices that we aren’t used to hearing from.
voices that we aren’t used to having a seat at the table.
voices that don’t usually hold us accountable.
toe-stepping is bound to happen from time to time.
we avoid getting canceled when we stop, listen, and commit to new behavior so that we don’t make the same misstep again.
