"And yet, by our powers combined, we were regularly engaging in two of the most important activities humans can do. It helped me so much to start thinking of ourselves as a team." Amen!
I love it! Yes! And in addition to being a team, important - essential - to acknowledge that people are playing for your team whether you know it or not. Find out who is playing on your team and acknowledge them and compensate them if you can. And then do your part for the team. A lot of people think that by going to work/being rich they have exited interdependency and become a team of one. Not true at all, as you so rightly articulate, Lisa. The game is being played, whether you see it or not. Any privilege we enjoy is because of the team, teams oriented both toward progress and those oriented toward oppression.
Oppression teams: As a white person I “enjoy the privilege” of whiteness as elevated through the team sport of white supremacy, which we all (white people) participate in to some degree, unwittingly or not.
Progress teams: As a worker and woman, I enjoy the absolute privilege of workers rights and (what remains of) reproductive rights, as well as the intersection of those things that many, so many other people fought for.
We can’t keep making progress if only some people are fighting, for real fighting for it. And for real I am fighting for (and with, ha!) my kids night and day for them to be well adjusted team members. Please own your place on the team!
I know that sounded preachy, just some pent up frustration during this season of “what the hell team are our elected officials on anyway?”
Yes, yes, yes! WHY do all the meetings happen at 7pm? I am so glad that members of my community can go, but I want to be involved in the conversation too. Grateful for aunties who can advance our interests even when we’re not able to be in the room. (But let’s also try to have pizza and childcare available for sone meetings so we can be!)
Pizza and childcare at all organizing meetings! It honestly probably wouldn’t be that hard to organize. Find a couple teenagers to watch the kids, and everybody who attends kicks in to the babysitting and pizza fund. Do it on a Friday night so everybody doesn’t have to rush home and get their kids to bed quite so early, and make it a 2-3 hour event so folks can actually socialize and take advantage of the cheap babysitting.
"And yet, by our powers combined, we were regularly engaging in two of the most important activities humans can do. It helped me so much to start thinking of ourselves as a team." Amen!
I love it! Yes! And in addition to being a team, important - essential - to acknowledge that people are playing for your team whether you know it or not. Find out who is playing on your team and acknowledge them and compensate them if you can. And then do your part for the team. A lot of people think that by going to work/being rich they have exited interdependency and become a team of one. Not true at all, as you so rightly articulate, Lisa. The game is being played, whether you see it or not. Any privilege we enjoy is because of the team, teams oriented both toward progress and those oriented toward oppression.
Oppression teams: As a white person I “enjoy the privilege” of whiteness as elevated through the team sport of white supremacy, which we all (white people) participate in to some degree, unwittingly or not.
Progress teams: As a worker and woman, I enjoy the absolute privilege of workers rights and (what remains of) reproductive rights, as well as the intersection of those things that many, so many other people fought for.
We can’t keep making progress if only some people are fighting, for real fighting for it. And for real I am fighting for (and with, ha!) my kids night and day for them to be well adjusted team members. Please own your place on the team!
I know that sounded preachy, just some pent up frustration during this season of “what the hell team are our elected officials on anyway?”
This is so beautiful, Lisa, and it shouldn’t be so revolutionary but it absolutely is.
Love this perspective- thanks Lisa ❤️
That Carl Sagan-esque poster you made for your classroom is so good. Do you still have it?
Sadly no! I wish I did! I don’t even have a photo of it or I would have included it in this post for sure.
Yes, yes, yes! WHY do all the meetings happen at 7pm? I am so glad that members of my community can go, but I want to be involved in the conversation too. Grateful for aunties who can advance our interests even when we’re not able to be in the room. (But let’s also try to have pizza and childcare available for sone meetings so we can be!)
Pizza and childcare at all organizing meetings! It honestly probably wouldn’t be that hard to organize. Find a couple teenagers to watch the kids, and everybody who attends kicks in to the babysitting and pizza fund. Do it on a Friday night so everybody doesn’t have to rush home and get their kids to bed quite so early, and make it a 2-3 hour event so folks can actually socialize and take advantage of the cheap babysitting.
Bookmarking this one. Wow wow wow. Thank you!
I really love this newsletter, as a long-time auntie and hopefully soon-time parent. It always makes me feel connected to hope and purpose. Thank you.
Thank you for reading, Sabina!
Thank you, this really shifted something inside me!
Thank you for reading, Rebecca!