"Organizing is an art. It’s about creating common cause with those that feel, as you do, and even more demanding, creating common cause with those who don’t feel as you do, but see their fates as intertwined. In other words, solidarity. Some table-flipping can lead to solidarity, but a lot of it leads to, well, a floor scattered with painful detritus that eventually gets swept under the rug again because no one has the skills or stamina to deal with it."
I hope this piece will be shared widely. I appreciated particularly your attention to the dualistic positioning that leaves detritus on the floor but doesn't lead to meaningful change.
Yes and yes, all of this one. I'm leading myself and all of my students through these responses, as in, "So we can be recognizing them when they appear at the door, just write down how each of these might have shown up for you." Then we breathe 15 seconds with the results, allowing it to sink into the dendrites. Then revisit through time in conversation. Being with first, and then action.
I so will! I'm starting a new resilient leadership cohort this month and will be back teaching up at Montana State University in January. They'll all get it!
Beautiful and well said, Courtney. I love how you pair humanizing who we might otherwise dehumanize with looking closely at ourselves. It’s so easy to judge others for perceived shortcomings when we need to keep our eyes on our own paper. I’ll look forward to reading more.
Thanks for this brilliant quote from bell hooks that critiques the flaw of binary thinking. Hooks has many excellent books but see especially “Outlaw Culture,” chapter 20, with the incisive comment on MLK’s courage to speak the language of revolutionary love in our fractured, hate filled society. It remains as relevant now as when he spoke in the ‘60’s.
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"Organizing is an art. It’s about creating common cause with those that feel, as you do, and even more demanding, creating common cause with those who don’t feel as you do, but see their fates as intertwined. In other words, solidarity. Some table-flipping can lead to solidarity, but a lot of it leads to, well, a floor scattered with painful detritus that eventually gets swept under the rug again because no one has the skills or stamina to deal with it."
Goodness, Courtney. Thank you.
Amen Courtney. 🙏
I hope this piece will be shared widely. I appreciated particularly your attention to the dualistic positioning that leaves detritus on the floor but doesn't lead to meaningful change.
Yes and yes, all of this one. I'm leading myself and all of my students through these responses, as in, "So we can be recognizing them when they appear at the door, just write down how each of these might have shown up for you." Then we breathe 15 seconds with the results, allowing it to sink into the dendrites. Then revisit through time in conversation. Being with first, and then action.
Amazing! Let us know how it goes?
I so will! I'm starting a new resilient leadership cohort this month and will be back teaching up at Montana State University in January. They'll all get it!
Beautiful and well said, Courtney. I love how you pair humanizing who we might otherwise dehumanize with looking closely at ourselves. It’s so easy to judge others for perceived shortcomings when we need to keep our eyes on our own paper. I’ll look forward to reading more.
Wow. I loved reading this. Thank you.
Thanks for this brilliant quote from bell hooks that critiques the flaw of binary thinking. Hooks has many excellent books but see especially “Outlaw Culture,” chapter 20, with the incisive comment on MLK’s courage to speak the language of revolutionary love in our fractured, hate filled society. It remains as relevant now as when he spoke in the ‘60’s.
DD
Amazingly, I have your old copy of Teaching to Transgress! One of my treasured objects.
This says a whole lot of what has needed to be said but we didn't have the language and you offered it to us. Thank you.