Uniting our Past and Future with Introspection and Imagination

This piece originally appeared as part of the On the Human Spirit series presented by the Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit at my alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana.

As stewards of our institutional legacy, we are charged with pursuing equity and justice regardless of our emotional or physical circumstance. This charge has become even more salient as we find ourselves at the nexus of two powerful forces. We are reckoning with the forces of the shared trauma of our ancestral past, which again manifested on the national stage as we witnessed the horror of George Floyd’s murder. At this same time, we are emboldened by the shared hope and determination of the fight for social justice in the wake of this watershed moment. As a principle, the work of unity seems inextricable from our current discussions of social justice. While we often think of unity as a state of being between two distinct entities, it is equally important to unite the truths of our past selves with our visions of the future.  By endeavoring to unite these two parts of ourselves, we can fully commit to the work of the present and the creation of an equitable future.

To challenge our past identities, we must embrace the discomfort of our current state.

Through thoughtful introspection, we each should make time to attend to the moments of discomfort that we have experienced in recent weeks. Though it is widely quoted and accepted that one cannot pour from an empty cup, it is equally important to learn about the shape of that cup, how much each of our vessels can carry, and where its cracks lie. Until we identify and face our recent feelings and experiences, we will never uncover transformational truths about our strengths and limitations. This introspection is critical to our ability to pour from our vessels into the collective wellspring of innovation that will drive real change. During this time of unrest, each of us has had to face knowledge about the world or ourselves that has been out of alignment with what we once knew to be true. For some, this tension may arise because prolonged isolation has magnified certain unpleasantries of our existence. Others may feel trepidation about sustaining a level of activism that has reached a personal and social zenith over the last month. In her essay The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House, Audre Lorde lays out our call to action for sustained personal and social change:

“In a world of possibility for us all, our personal visions help lay the groundwork for political action.” Lorde goes on to implore us to “reach down into that deep place of knowledge inside [ourselves] and touch that terror and loathing of any difference that lies there. See whose face it wears. Then the personal as the political can begin to illuminate all our choices.”

To define our identities of tomorrow, we must turn our imaginations toward the future.  In his essay on Embracing Radical Imagination, Maro Guevara tells us:

“Social movements are powered in no small part through radical leaps of imagination: a building of a collective narrative world none of us have lived in, but long for.”

Indeed, when we have done the work of embracing our past, we become free to imagine a shared language of equity and a community of complete belonging. By leveraging the truths of our past and clearly balancing our footing in this current moment, we realize the strength and the shade of the threads we each weave into the tapestry of this next frontier. We can think radically about roles we will play in the pursuit of justice and envision the parts of ourselves that will evolve as part of the advancement from justice to true liberation. 

For Reflection:  On our path from justice to liberation, what transformational truths do you hope to learn about yourself?