Affirming Difference, Embracing Unity

white people, men, and cisgender heterosexual people need listen to the experiences of others —this is non-negotiable. To even begin to understand the impact of systemic racism and patriarchy in our society, we must listen to those most deeply impacted, personally and collectively, by these systems of injustice. Only the oppressed can tell their stories and speak about their fears, sorrows, anger, and truth; and there certainly has not been enough listening. As a first step in building a movement to transform our society, we need to build listening circles. Simply listening. Eventually, after marginalized people have a sense of being heard and understood, we also need to create space to listen to those deemed to have more power in society to hear their experiences and to see how systems of injustice keep us all disempowered, beholden to the powerful, and separated from one another. What we need to understand...