I was recently interviewed with a number of other inspiring activists by Michelle Befie, a writer, filmmaker and co-founder movingStories, that works to bring people together and inspire citizen action.
I was honored to be among amazing activists Odette Ramos (Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Baltimore Women United), Richard DeShay Elliot (Co-Founder, UMBC Progressives), and Rana Elmir (Deputy Director, ACLU of Michigan).
I encourage you to read the article: https://movingstories.biz/action-items-and-inspiration/citizen-action-superheroes-part-1/
My section is entitled "Episcopalian White Man in Action," https://movingstories.biz/action-items-and-inspiration/episcopalian-white-man-in-action/
A few of my quotes:
We work hard at creating a virtuous cycle that goes something like this: (1) People sharing and knowing about events so they can get engaged, (2) acknowledging and thanking the people who share upcoming actions and (3) after the action happens, reporting back so people feel validated and inspired to do the next thing.
I’ve obviously been born into a lot of privilege as a middle-class white American male. And if you’ve been given that kind of privilege it has to be a part of your efforts in life to share that privilege. I’ve taken that call very seriously in everything I do.
Also, as activists, we must realize it’s never one big event like breaking down the Berlin Wall. Sacrifice, as it relates to political engagement, is often quite thankless hard work requiring a stick-to-it-ness. It requires ongoing consistent effort.
We don’t often recognize the fact that much of the Civil Rights Movement was black church women doing the hard work of organizing, boycotting and making sure people got where they needed to go. They were the real heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Unseen, unheard and, yet, the backbone driving change. The same goes for today. That’s just the way humanity rises.