Colorful Gradients Unadmired: Changing the Narrative Regarding Racism Now
The ignorance of the world often makes people believe that life should be black and white – that you must choose sides – and so the world of colorful gradients goes unadmired.
A.J. Darkholme
Sometimes we get caught up in certain feelings and we worry about whether what we say will be right or wrong. At these times we have to remember that we are the ones that created these boundaries and feelings really do not have any set norms.
Although systemic racism has been our norm, we ultimately have control of our own feelings.
Many times people literally like to play it safe with fashion and their own personal style but I believe the contrast of black and white is best enhanced with pops of color.
It’s like when we try to put things in boxes as if they are all either black or white and we forget that really what the world is a beautiful mixture of so many different things.
It’s so easy to say something is good or bad or right or wrong and see it all as black and white, but if we are honest with ourselves we will see that the black is really not all black and the white is really not all white. A lot of times we think the way we do because we don’t have all the information we need.
These affordable bright orange sandals and this fun yellow bracelet add so much to a simple gingham dress.
When we put authenticity first and we are accepting of our fears and feelings we can greatly improve relationships. We can ask important questions and really and truly understand each other.
I had the opportunity to learn and be part of the conversation about Race and Racism in Education this week with many outstanding leaders. It was the MASCD Conversation on Race in Education and you can find the recording of the webinar here.
Throughout the hour and a half session, as I listened to Matthew Joseph, Hedreich Nichols, Dennis Griffin and so many more, I could feel the passionate energy, even through the zoom screen, and how focused everyone was about authenticity and asking important questions.
I love how the bright colors of this magazine clutch makes the classic gingham print of this dress more modern and fresh for the current season.
The point was made and reinforced about the power of labels, words, and phrases and how important it is to have multiple perspectives. As Adam Phyall pointed out, we can’t think because we “talked with someone black we can now relate better to our black students.”
It was powerful to me to hear Sloan Mark Joseph speak about what really must and can happen now. She broke it down into five parts. We need to find our own accurate information, have meaningful reflection, conversation, implementation, and then that all must repeat. A change of heart must happen.
This is what will take us from a society that is constantly taking sides and being comfortable in our ignorance to a world that embraces and appreciates the colorful gradients within.
When discussing the MASCD Conversation on Race In Education with my friend David Hennel, he described it as “a heartfelt, powerful wake up call to non-poc everywhere” and added that it was extremely helpful to him personally as an administrator because “we must understand, support one another and work for real change in the educational system to combat systemic issues.”
Another friend of mine, Chris Quinn, who recently retired after an amazing 30 year career in education, watched the recording and had this to say:
“I just listened to the full 96 minutes of conversation. It was phenomenal! Thank you Matt, Hedreich and the entire panel for helping me to realize that I MUST be part of changing a narrative to one that embraces empathy, trust, kindness and hope....get out of my comfort zone, get it wrong, get back up and restart. Dennis Griffin reminded me that I need to try to feel what another human feels. I can’t wait for the comfortable, safe space for the hard conversation to happen...that will hurt...but I can continue to work at developing those safe spaces! Neil Gupta talked about the need to help kids find, share and amplify their voices amid these tough conversations. Basil Martin talked about pushing past the fear, failing and trying again. The work and the conversations must continue. Craig Martin reminded all of us about the umbrella representing a shift in thinking and that we need to hold on to hope! If this conversation about race in education doesn’t move all listeners to think, reflect and act, I’m not sure what will!”
If you were not able to attend the conference and are feeling like you want to do your part to promote anti-racism, but aren’t sure what your action steps should be, I strongly encourage watching this recording.
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today. I truly appreciate your time and attention.
If you would like to connect further, please feel free to leave a comment, message, or reach out on any of my social media channels. I will surly get back to you in a timely fashion.
Yours truly,
Jennifer
ps. I’ve had this dress for more than four years but each time I wear it I add different accessories to transform it into a new look. It’s the same as when I am learning. I add new ideas as I reflect on different perspectives and hopefully become a better version of the person I was.
pps. Find lots of affordable pieces in gingham here at SHEiN and don’t forget to use THIS CODE: MTFIista for 15% off!
A fun and easy necklace with lots of interesting colors , patterns and shapes can do so much to make an outfit seem brand new. I’ve had this dress for more than four years but each time I wear it I add different accessories to transform it into a completely new look.
