Seeing Past the Pain to the World We Need
It’s hard not to be shaken by this week’s images of weeping families in El Paso and Dayton or of the traumatized children who were left orphaned by vindictive ICE worker raids in Mississippi on the first day of school. It’s easy to be driven to anger and despair over a President who not only fails to take responsibility for his role in creating these tragedies, but who, at best, revels in the chaos created by his hateful rhetoric. Our Fear Monger-in-Chief and his enablers seem far more concerned to giving comfort to white supremacist apologists than the survivors, their families and the diverse communities that their failed moral leadership increasingly puts in harm’s way.
Yet, we cannot let that be the lasting image.
Centerstage must be the reality of resilience that lies alongside these painful open wounds. We draw strength from the hundreds of people who are beginning to see the light every day and realizing that they can no longer stand on the sidelines while hate threatens their neighbors. We draw strength from the thousands — especially our black and brown women, girls and femmes — who have always been there and who remain committed to providing the kind of safety that doesn’t come from the reckless use of state violence, but from the security that comes with affordable health care, housing, childcare, education, living wages, green open spaces and protection from sexual harassment and sexual assault. From those who have gathered courage to do the radical work of transforming and redefining our institutions to meet the needs of every member of society and not just support the classist, racist and misogynist system enjoyed by the privileged or wealthy few.
We cannot be distracted from fighting for the just nation that we deserve and to standing up to the fear that threatens our communities, no matter how powerful the source. Instead, we must do all that we can to restore the dignity of our democracy and empower the inclusive and intersectional coalitions that are needed to tackle urgent challenges like climate change. We must do this grounded by the radical love of our family and friends, guided by the lessons of the past and unafraid of being led by black, brown, asian, indigenous, queer, gender nonconforming, muslim, and disabled folk. We will continue our fight for the world we deserve and stand up to the fear that threatens our communities, no matter where it comes from.
As author Arundhati Roy writes, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing”. We dreamt it, we envision it and we are working towards it. That vision is rooted in love, compassion, solidarity and lead by women and femme, who are more than up to the task to see justice done. #Femmeagenda
by: Marcia Olivo, Executive Director, Miami Workers Center
