White supremacists storm the capital, and we are ready to move on

All of us true patriots--which I define as people who love and wish to preserve American democracy, the speaking of truth to power, equal treatment of all people, and freedom from violence and oppression -- where horrified yesterday. It certainly felt like the icing on top of the autocratic, conspiracy theory cake from hell we've been forced to consume for the last four years. 

I kept imagining if it was Black or Latino men scaling the ramparts of the capitol and what would have happened to them.  Who made the decision, the intentional choice, to let these white terrorists run amok? Who thought it was good for America and the world to embarrass the oldest democracy on earth?   

Bottom line, we still have a lot of work to do in this country. On both the issue of democracy and the issue of racial bias. Very intertwined but not the exact same.

I’m spending a lot of time reading historical books these days. It’s giving me perspective.  This is all the continuation of a long and hard journey of democracy that is repeatedly tested, and it reaffirms that we must stay engaged and upset and vocal to keep it alive and ever improving.  

It also gives me optimism that we will overcome.  Trump has been a major test of our values, but we have overcome bigger ones. I still love my country very much for all that is good about it, and I can be both patriotic and simultaneously keenly aware of our very grave sins (both current and historical).

I take some comfort knowing that we are part of a long and universal human journey of trying to address prejudice.  Every single nation on earth deals with the problem of humans mistreating each other for racial, ethnic, gender, caste, etc. reasons. At least we are having the hard discussion in an open and honest way and as time goes on increasingly not letting things slide anymore in this country, struggling and striving, and sadly taking a few steps back sometimes. We’ve been in the stepping back phase for a few years, but most of us are not accepting it.

And every human grouping has had to deal with deranged autocrats, but frankly in most of those cases the autocrat wins. When the U.S. Congress continued its work last night, I felt proud. We should have very high standards for American democracy, and we have fallen short recently, but we can also feel proud that our institutions have mostly held in the face of 4 years of having a populist dictator in the highest democratic office.

This nightmare is about to end, and the long hangover to pull out the roots of it is about to begin. Some European friends have remarked that overcoming the Trump era of hate toward our fellow citizens may take a few generations, based on their experiences in striving for equality.  It certainly resonates based on our experience here of a long journey to even get to where we are.  Well all the more reason to start now.  Talk to your kids, your neighbors, your colleagues about these issues.  Let NO racism or sexism (or any other ism) slide anymore, ever.  Help them understand that democracy is imperfect, but facts are facts, and the pillars of democracy are more important than any one issue or person.  Meet people where they are and bring them with you on a journey to see the light.  

 Stay hopeful my friends.  As we turn a dark corner, I’m trying to be. 

Ingrid

On the anniversary of 9/11

9/11 is always a day of remembrance here in the U.S. 

Many of us will remember where we were on that terrible day, how we felt. I recall every moment of it, and the days that followed. I remember suddenly bursting into tears at random times, fearful for my country's safely, sad for the many families impacted by tragedy, grateful for my own safety (I had landed that morning at Logan Airport, from which some of the hijackers took off).  

What I didn't anticipate at the moment, but I'm guessing one group of Americans instantly did, was the anti-Muslim sentiments that would grow (or at least reveal themselves) as a result. I remember being shocked by deeply prejudiced statements from senior people blanketing an entire religion and its followers as somehow inherently violent, and we still hear those comments occasionally from leaders today. As if every major religion on earth hasn't been twisted a thousand times to justify brutal violence against others, and subsequent retaliation, and more violence. Let he whose religion is without sin cast the first stone. Just as it's not my fault that European Christians ransacked the Middle East for centuries, it's not my Muslim neighbor's fault that some sociopath who happens to call God by the same name committed an act of violence here. In fact, my neighbor was probably hurting more than most on that day. I know, it seems so obvious. Right? Apparently for many it is not.

In our national reckoning with racism and the many other forms of prejudice, I don't hear much talk about the experiences of Muslim Americans in this country, at least not as much as I think the topic probably deserves.  Perhaps we have an opportunity to listen and learn. And turn our remembrance of 9/11 into something productive.

Wishing everyone peace and thoughtful reflection on this day.

Ingrid

Thinking about equity | Day 1 of virtual education

My family made it through day 1 of full day virtual public school education today.  It was stressful, but with organization and patience, we got through it. Oh, that and a colossal dose of good fortune and privilege. My kids are not affected with a disability and have two parents who can work from home, are computer savvy, can provide them each with a quiet room to work and a comfortable workstation with strong wifi, can afford to live in a school district that is progressive, equity-minded, and with sufficient resources to hand out free touch screen chromebooks to every single kid, and put enough food on the table so that they can focus their energy on learning and not hunger...the list goes on. 

I am humbled by our situation and thinking hard about the many families around the U.S. and the world that are struggling tremendously because they are missing even one of those components through no fault of their own. 

Inequity in educational outcomes will surely be exacerbated because of this mess. It makes my heart ache and wish, once again, for the kind of national leadership that would focus it's energy on helping Americans in need get through this terrible time, rather than denying there's a problem or pretending inequities don't exist or worse, don't matter.

Ingrid

 

John Lewis and environmental justice

Like many of us, I've spent recent days reflecting on Congressman John Lewis' tremendous life and the decades of positive impact he had on our nation. 

Among the issues he correctly saw through the lens of social and racial justice was protection of the environment. He knew that damage done to our planet almost always disproportionately harms those at the lower income scales and communities of color.  

To learn more about his legacy on environmental justice issues, see a recent article in Forbes here.  

And to learn more about the racist history of the mainstream environmental movement, and why environmental justice is still such an urgent and under-addressed issue, read more here.  The Washington Post treats this issue well in the context of a recent acknowledgement by the Sierra Club of its racist origin story. 

To address these challenges, Democrats in Congress have put forward specific legislative proposals that should have our support.  

Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the Senate version of the "Environmental Justice for All Act," a companion to sweeping legislation, H.R. 5986, drawn up by House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) earlier this year.  

As summarized here by E&E News: "The bill would amend the Civil Rights and National Environmental Policy acts to better incorporate environmental justice concerns into government policy.  It would also create additional grants and programs to provide communities of color better access to the outdoors."

In addition to taking anti-racist action in our daily lives, we can also voice support for legislation like this. We can do this to honor Congressman Lewis' remarkable life and make a better, greener future for ALL Americans. 

Ingrid 

Happy Juneteenth!

Happy Juneteenth!

It is so painfully obvious to me that this should have been a major U.S. national holiday for a long time now.  The day that all slaves in this country (which incidentally considers itself a "beacon of freedom") were finally set free? Of course we should be celebrating this day! This should not be a day for Black Americans alone to celebrate, but we should ALL commemorate it as an important step toward living our ideals. A journey far from complete, and better understanding and acknowledging history is part of that journey.

I know some have been advocating for this for a long time, and many (especially a lot of White people like me) are only now joining the party.  Let's seize the momentum and get it done!  There is legislation being proposed at the national and state level around the country.  Learn more about the history and movement to make it a holiday here:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/06/juneteenth-celebration-hope/


Ingrid

P.S. I think it's important to acknowledge that slavery actually continues throughout the world today, including in this nation. The legal U.S. institution of slavery was finally brought down on this day, but many millions are still held in horrible bondage worldwide. Learn more about that here: https://www.cfr.org/interactives/modern-slavery/#!/section2/item-5 

A resource for folx trying to learn

All of us who have the good fortune to not be subjected to racial prejudice ourselves, but wish to better understand and support the cause of justice, are on a journey of learning.  We can learn by reading, discussing, listening, reflecting, and asking ourselves and others hard questions.

To assist in that journey, I'm sharing a clear and simple resource that I believe can be helpful.  It answers timely questions such as "What is structural racism?"

I hope you find it useful. 

11 Terms You Should Know to Better Understand Structural Racism  

my best, 

Ingrid

Resources for educating kids about equity and justice

It's incumbent on us all to educate ourselves, talk with our friends and family, and most importantly, build empathy and motivation for change among the next generation. 

For anyone looking to better understand racial injustice and find resources for how to talk to children about these issues, I would point you to a resource developed by our local school district's Equity Initiatives Unit.  It's really well organized and easy to find what you need. With a cover note and link from them:

"Please see An Educators Guide to This Moment: Resources for Educators, Parents, and Students, developed by the MCPS Equity Initiatives Unit to help students, staff, teachers, and families process this difficult moment in our country. It is a public resource and we encourage you to share it within your school communities and beyond. It's extraordinarily well done."  

I couldn't agree more. 

peace, 

Ingrid