Common Shared Humanity

Hi Friends,

I hope you all had an enjoyable summer. I have been reading I Never Thought of it That Way: How to have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica Guzmán and it has been shifting my perspective, yet again. Isn’t learning wonderful?! I highly recommend the book and I’m hoping to share some resources related to what I’m learning and seeing that might help illustrate just how essential these perspectives are for creating the world we want to live in. In case it’s not clear, that world includes every single one of us.

The goal is to reduce the divisions among us and to find ways to connect over our shared humanity.

I’ll start with a very clearly laid out opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof called “Here’s Why We Shouldn’t Demean Trump Voters” in the New York Times last month. He rightly points out the classism that many progressives engage in, even as we fight against sexism and racism and how important it is that we learn to stop doing that, not simply because it is expedient for the upcoming election, but because it undermines our moral values to demean any group of people for any reason.

Much has been said about Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, but I was particularly moved by Phillip Bump’s focus on her phrase that most of us “will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.” He explains the genius of her phrasing: “Her line overlapping affirmative action and generational wealth wasn’t offering “affirmative action” as a pejorative term. It was, instead, contextualizing a different way in which people are boosted by circumstances that aren’t always under their control. It was a defense of affirmative action programs that noted how wealth built in an explicitly unfair economy was its own form of unearned advantage.” I share this here to highlight the ways in which most of us have more in common in our experiences of (economic) systemic oppression than not.

There was a story in the Washington Post recently about a Black couple hosting parties at their home and their neighbors calling the police. The article by Ellie Silverman does a good job of capturing the nuance and complications of the situation and it made my heart ache. I share it here to highlight the situations that arise when people don’t reach out and get to know each other as people, but treat a situation as something for the police to handle. I can see so much lost opportunity for everyone involved to create a connection and the ability to treat each other as people instead of a problem.

The next story is by Abha Bhattarai about how the unhoused population in our country increasingly includes working people. Besides raising awareness about this growing problem (again, along economic lines), I encourage you to consider your assumptions about the unhoused population and consider that who you might see on the sidewalks and streets is not a complete picture. For example, ask your local school or school district about their programs for unhoused children and learn more about the less visible unhoused population in your community. Did you know that it costs less to provide basic preventative support for people (housing, food, medical care, etc.) than it does to address the challenges they face when things fall apart (prison, ER visits, clearing “encampments,” policing and crime)? There are multiple studies that prove this, but we’re way behind because of fear, ignorance, and a lack of connection around our shared humanity.

Another article that broadened my understanding of the complexities and brilliance of humanity is the Washington Post Opinions series highlighting government employees. Michael Lewis wrote about Chris Mark of the Department of Labor in an article called “The Canary” and I found the entire thing riveting. But what keeps running through my head is the way the article brings out the personal story, the relationship he has with his father, the ways he has adjusted his perspective and understanding of the world because of his experiences. “But Chris had been endowed with a deeper-than-usual desire for fairness. He had a powerful father and a powerless mother and wound up feeling powerful sympathy for the underdog. He’d ended up working for the institution best equipped to help the unlucky defend themselves from the lucky. And the effect of his work had indeed been to make the world just a little bit less unfair.” I am so grateful for the problem solvers who are passionate about their work for its own sake.

If you’re interested in another perspective-challenging experience, I want to highlight Robin Givhan’s article about artist Hank Willis Thomas. His description of the conundrum of race is poignant “‘And so there I am: [Race] is not real. But the impacts are real! But it shouldn’t exist. But it does!’” The images of his work are striking, particularly “The Cotton Bowl” and his statuary with hands and arms is very moving to me. “Thomas strives to link our past to our future, to communicate urgent and difficult ideas when words fail us, when politicians make matters worse, and when moralists and terrorists all lay claim to God’s unique favor. As we struggle to communicate across the divides — political, racial and demographic — perhaps a monumental sculpture or a disruptive photograph can help us better recognize each other’s humanity.” [emphasis mine]

Food for thought (and action!).

Emily
Listen. Amplify. Follow. In Solidarity.