We acknowledge our past so we can co-create our future
“Love & justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.”
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the harvest & share gratitude with loved ones.
Thanksgiving is also a potent time to acknowledge our collective past.
Growing up in the so-called United States, I was taught to think of Christopher Columbus as a discoverer & hero. (He was not.)
The “discoverer” storyline erases the lived experience of the original (& current) stewards of this Land.
The “hero” storyline erases the reality of genocide, indoctrination, & assimilation.
Controlling the storyline of our collective past is a tool of colonialism & white supremacy.
As a white-bodied person, it is my responsibility to dismantle my internalized colonialism & white supremacy so I can support our collective liberation.
So this Thanksgiving I’m exploring how I’ve “controlled” the storytelling of my story within my business.
I’m calling in curiosity & asking myself:
In the creation of my about page, what truths have I omitted because I’m scared of how I might be perceived?
In doing so, how have I perpetuated the power of white supremacy & colonialism to my benefit?
What do I want to do instead?
So far, this I know: My work is to honor the truths of my lineage, trainings, & teachers.
I can no longer erase parts of my story.
I can acknowledge the both/and of my story:
I’ve experienced incredible teachings and also some of my teachers are problematic.
I’ve received life-changing wisdom and also I navigate the edge of appreciation & appropriation.
I’ve been trained in profound modalities and also they’ve been used by others for extraction & exploitation.
This Thanksgiving not only do I acknowledge our collective story of colonialism & white supremacy, I also acknowledge my internalization of these oppressive systems.
I sit in the grief.
I honor the process.
I share gratitude with my loved ones.
May this message inspire you to get curious & explore how colonialism & white supremacy show up in your life, work, & personal practice.
May you be resourced & supported.
h/t Kelly Diels for teaching me how I can acknowledge the paradox of my lineage.
I’m currently enrolled in Kelly’s Feminist Copywriting Certification & it’s everything I thought it would be & more. If you want 2022 to be the year you align your messaging with your values, I highly recommend you join us.
