The Obviousness, Ridiculousness and Societal Risk of Racial Bigotry and Racism in America

 MGK January 15 2021

There are a lot of ways to look at the January 6 attack on our Nation’s Capital, and one of those is to look through the lens of race.  The events at the Capitol Building earlier this past summer and now on January 6 make the state of race in our country quite clear.  Comparing the vastly different police and military reactions to the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and last week’s insurrection, it is easy to see both racial bigotry (an assumption that black people are more violent and less worth of respect and consideration) and racism (the use of organs of the state to institutionalize and act on that bigotry in terms of policies and practices).  Not only is the racial bigotry and racism obvious, the more light shone upon it demonstrates how ridiculous it is.  However, it is much more than just ridiculous, as these recent events demonstrate the risk to the country of unfettered bigotry and racism. 

The difference in the treatment of a group of very racially diverse protestors with a group that was almost entirely white is obvious to see.  Just contrast the pictures of police and military in combat gear with combat weaponry lined up in the hundreds surrounding the Capitol building as BLM prepared to protest, to the pictures of a relatively small police presence with limited weaponry and few reinforcements on January 6.  Given what was known about each group, it is easy to see the ridiculousness of racial bigotry.  According to research at Harvard’s Kennedy School (Chenoweth and Wallach), BLM protests were largely peaceful, with a few exceptions, and the violence that occurred was not insignificantly from police or right-wing counter protestors.  In 96.3% of the BLM protests, there was no property damage or police injuries.  The study’s authors concluded that “[T]he protests were extraordinarily nonviolent, and extraordinarily nondestructive, given the unprecedented size of the movement’s participation and geographic scope.”  Contrast this to what we are now learning was known about the Capitol rioters.  The FBI not only had intelligence that there was likely to be violence by a large group determined to invade the capital, they also knew that dozens of known domestic terrorists who were on “watch lists” were intended to be in Washington.

This demonstrated the ridiculousness of how these events were dealt with so differently.  While there was no reason to anticipate destruction or violence at BLM events, the police and military preparation was very robust and aggressive, culminating in the violent clearing of a peaceful protest in Lafayette Park so that the President could be photographed holding up a bible in front of the church across from the park.  Peaceful protestors were attacked, and pepper-sprayed, for a political photo op.  Contrast that with pictures of police taking selfies with the invaders of the Capital and with police opening up barriers to allow protestors on the Capitol grounds.  Yep, that is ridiculous.  It is not just ridiculous though; it is also risky.

Do we know if the reason for this very different law enforcement treatment is racial bigotry or racism, or both?  It sure seems that way, and we will know more soon as the investigation is just starting.  However, what we can see very clearly is that a great deal of risk is created by these attitudes and actions.  Some have known about the risk racism presents for a long time.  We can see this awareness broadening recently, as Donald Trump’s FBI concluded in the past year or so that our greatest national security threat is right-wing, white supremacist, domestic terrorism.  FBI Director Christopher Wray said, "What I can tell you is that, within the domestic terrorism bucket category as a whole, racially-motivated violent extremism is, I think, the biggest bucket within that larger group, and within the racially-motivated violent extremist(s) bucket, people subscribing to some kind of white supremacist-type ideology is certainly the biggest chunk of that."  The mainstream public dialogue about race and racism rarely goes to risk, as our dialogue is more often a debate about the extent to which racism is real, or a problem, or significantly impactful in people’s lives.  We need to shift the race conversation more often onto this topic.  Think about the risk of January 6.  According to some, we were literally a couple of minutes from what might’ve been a hostage-taking and/or massacre of members of Congress.  This would not only have been a human tragedy, but it also had the potential to greatly destabilize our government, create a constitutional crisis, and perhaps even a successful coup by Trump and his supporters.  If we are unable to confront, combat, and significantly reduce white supremacy, we put our ability to govern at risk.  These are the most apparent existential threats that unmitigated racism evokes.  There are many other threats related to our ability to lead in the world, to develop beneficial relationships, and to be the country to which the world’s best creative and innovative talent wants to come.

We are an increasingly racially diverse country, and that is not going to change.  In fact, we are going to become even more racially diverse, with whites becoming less than 50% of the population in about 25 years.   Is the racial bigotry and racism on full display now a reaction or backlash to our changing racial demographic?  I think yes, to at least some extent.  I also think some level of reaction and backlash to real change is inevitable, whether we are talking about the shift from in-person to online-based banking or the changing racial composition of our country.  We can look at this backlash as not only inevitable but also a sign that real change is taking hold.  Change heightens risk though, and can bring about a crisis.   The Japanese symbol for crisis is a character that includes words equivalent to “dangerous opportunity.”  The obviousness and ridiculousness of racism is on full display, and I believe this is evidence that real change is underway.  Can we manage the crisis? Can we mitigate the risk as we move through this period, so that we can stand on the other side celebrating one more big step forward?

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The Coming Presidency of Joseph R. Biden: A Bridge Through Troubled Waters

MGK

January 3, 2021 and updated April 22

Preface:   I found this short essay that I wrote in April 2020 and never published.  I think it is still on target, generally.  The economic recovery has been a K, not a V, as wealthier people most have seen their wealth recover quickly from the pandemic lows while many middle and working class people, especially those in the service industries, are experiencing difficult times with employment uncertainty.  I am not sure whether the coming historic election that will mark a real shift is 2024 or 2028; I now lean towards 2028, as the election showed how polarized we still are, and are likely to continue to be in 2024.  The dam of our polarization might not break until late in this decade.  I do still see Biden as an historic transitional figure.  His election, in spite of  disasterous Congressional and State-level results for Democrats, is an incredibly important event; it dwarfs everything because it gives us a more stable path through the transition. Four more years of Trump might’ve been too much for already strained democratic institutions to bear.  Autocracy could have been the result, and violence from the left and the right would've occured.  This would’ve given Trump an opportunity to consolidate even more power.  Think about how close we’ve come to one of those scenarios and it is easier to see why Biden was the best nominee this cycle.  He is moderate and experienced enough that a backlash to his election will not gain sufficient strength to truly destabilize the country.  When I wrote this, I predicted his presidency wouldn't be seen as an immediate success.  My view is shifting, as he is taking bold action that is broadly supported.  He is embracing, and I believe will fulfill, an archetypal role of facilitating a generational transition.

The Coming Presidency of Joseph R. Biden:  A Bridge Through Troubled Waters

April 21, 2020

Note:  Obviously, it is audacious to assume Biden will win.  I don’t know it to be true but I believe it to be likely.

If Joe Biden wins the presidential election, for much of the country it will feel like a huge sea change, the end of the Trump era.  It will feel to some like we’ve “crossed over” a dark period.  Many will expect big shifts in how we feel, what we do, and how we engage each other; in short, a change in the basic socio-political dynamic.  They might also expect that the pandemic will end and the economy will improve; a “V” recovery so to speak.  I think they will be wrong.

The Biden Presidency will more likely be a period of deepening the political divide during a time in which the economy will worsen.  The long-building problems in our society are coming to a head, and will be for next several years, no matter who the president is.  There are any number of important issues that have been simmering for decades.  Income inequality and the wealth gap tops the list, as this affects everyone and the status quo is unsustainable.  This is directly related to the kind of economy, even the form of capitalism, that will work best in the future.   However, these aren’t the only issues coming to a head.  Cultural and religious conflicts have taken far too big a role in our public policy discourse, creating false dichotomies and deepening political schisms unnecessarily.   Our ongoing journey around diversity and inclusion is coming to a head as the dominant white majority is soon to be less than 50% of the population.  The level of open and covert racism in our socio-politico debates and our policies (i.e. immigration, voting rights, social safety net) is unsustainable. 

Essentially, a lot is happening and it is coming to a head now.  The pandemic lays it all the more bare.  Perhaps this is due to cyclical change processes that repeat over time, connected to generational transitions (i.e. The Fourth Turning, 1997) or socio-economic and institutional cycles (George Friedman, The Storm Before the Calm, 2019).  However we look at it, we are being roiled, the pandemic is enhancing all of this, and it is going to get more challenging.  The seeds will be planted though, for a better future.

In Biden’s presidency, things will get done but it might not seem that way.  The political climate will be as, or more, contentious than ever, but some issues will get addressed.  Healthcare is a good example.  Even in the very politically polarizing Obama presidency, the Affordable Care Act was passed and it changed the whole discussion of healthcare.  Several years of public polling show that the support for the fundamental changes the ACA brought in the areas of pre-existing conditions, a goal of universal coverage, coverage not dependent upon on employer, etc. is strong.  So even while in a contentious period, real change happened.  I think with President Biden real change will occur as the ACA is built upon in some significant way; a pandemic reminds us of the value of universal healthcare.  It is possible that after months of clearing skies and oceans, there will be more appetite for substantial investment in green energy, particularly as part of an economic stimulus program.  Quite possibly some substantial steps on immigration could happen, though that might wait for the next President.

After Biden’s one-term presidency, the country will be ready to shift, more ready than we will sense at the moment.  2024 could be an historic election.  In my work helping organization’s change I have noticed that the times of the most contention are often the times when the biggest changes are about to happen; contentiousness can be a sign of engagement, and engagement creates the social and political energy for change.  The Biden presidency will not be viewed as particularly successful, as there will be much sacrifice and pain, though our regard for it might grow with time.  We will look back at Biden as the leader who created the bridge to the next generation of leadership.  This bridge though will not be constructed over the troubled waters but instead will pass through them.  Let’s hope it can hold.

Our Parents, Ourselves

 MGK

November 13 2020

This is dedicated to my Uncle David, a father to 5 children, who passed away just today.

I was reminded of my Mom the other day as I was writing in my journal.  She died almost 6 years ago but she is very present for me.  I remember a lot about her and I think my clarity grows with time.  When I doubt myself, I remember her lack of belief in herself despite her smarts, her natural gifts, and her strong intuition.  As I continue to develop, and become more fully who I am, I am doing this with her, for her, as a continuation of her legacy.  She grows through me and I grow from her.  I should remember more often that I have within me the best of both of my parents.  I have my Mom’s openness, curiosity, and natural desire to keep learning, and her ability to move easily across situations and people.  I also have my Dad’s unbridled optimism, his openness to all people, the way he relates to others at a very human level, and very easily.  I have his tender heart and emotions that are just below the surface.  This is a good combination, when I am able to let myself really be present to it.  It is my foundation, and it is the core of my faith in myself.  It is a hard thing to build on one’s parents’ legacy.  It is easy to get trapped in their inherited challenges, and not find the best way forward.  Nobody has an easy life, especially psychologically, and our success at managing our own development as human beings is connected to our ability to look clearly at who we are and who we’ve come from, to understand the patterns of thought and behavior that can limit us, but also the ones we can use to move us towards a more full expression of ourselves.  I see clearly in me both my mother’s challenges in getting beyond her self-doubt, and I see the side of my father’s happy-go-lucky personality that can lead to denial.  I can incorporate those aspects into me; I can see them, feel them, and reflect on them in ways that challenge me and move me forward.

Each of our lives is a challenge and an opportunity.  Our history is not in our control, but our present is.  How do you see in you, the traits of your parents?  Which of those traits make you uncomfortable?  Look at them closely.  Which strengthen you?  Embrace them.  How about the ones good and bad, that you find it hard to see and acknowledge, and own?  Ponder them and own them.  From this place you can experience both the embrace of your parents and the distinctiveness of yourself.

Blog#5: It's Not Them, It's Us

 

It’s Not Them, It’s Us

MGK

October 25, 2020

In this period as we near the culmination of the election, I was thinking about an essay I wrote a year ago, just as the impeachment proceedings were unfolding.  I didn’t publish it because I didn’t know that it would resonate with the folks in the center and the left; I was hard on us who occupy that space.  As the anxiety and energy builds with the election it seems like a good idea to review and share my thoughts.  The core idea of what is included below was written a year ago, but I’ve updated it for today.

The impeachment of Donald Trump was an attempt to lay things bare.  Many, like me, indulged the fantasy that the moment had arrived, the facts would be compelling and overwhelming, and Trump would be seen for who he really is and be held accountable across a good part of the political divide.  What happened though, was that our polarized and paralyzed political process was what was laid bare.  I, and others, thought that something would snap and the cavalry would come in and start to return everything to normal, however...lather, rinse, repeat, and we got caught up in the drama of it all.  Some checking our phones and twitter feeds constantly, some just tuning it out completely, with both reactions keeping us stuck.  For the other group, the Trump supporters, they had similar reactions, just with a completely different lens.  While we think they are out of control and destroying the country, they essentially think the same of us.  For those of us caught up in all this for several years, most of our energy goes into the drama, and not into thinking about what is really happening and what we should or could be doing.  For those of us tuning things out, we are missing the opportunity to help shape the direction of the country at a critical point in time. 

Projection is a psychological dynamic defined as the “theory in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities…by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others” (compilation of several sources).  We are all about projection now.  The President has given a master course in projection; when he accuses others of that which he does but doesn’t want to acknowledge, he is projecting, but Donald Trump is far from alone in this.  What good students we have been, as our own projections just feed the dynamic.  Not that projection isn’t a normal psychological dynamic, but it usually doesn’t happen so intensely on a societal level.   However, I believe it is now, and that we are mistaken in thinking that the only thing that needs to change is the President and his supporters. These days too few of us take responsibility for ourselves, our roles, and our lives.  We blame others for our own misdeeds or shortcomings. 

When I say “us”, I also mean me.  I have blamed Trump and Trump supporters for everything bad happening in this country the last few years.  I blame them for racism and sexism.  I blame them for income inequality and greed.  I blame them for bigotry and stupidity.  I blame them for climate change.  I blame them for the potential collapse of our democratic norms and systems, a collapse that really and truly could last a generation or even be permanent.  From the perspective of Trump supporters, people like me are to blame and plenty gets projected in our direction.  We are elitists, we are naïve, we are against working class jobs, we are anti-freedom, we hate America.  Projection clearly comes from both sides. On the left side we wear our “woke-ness” as a badge of honor, looking to score victories over those less “woke” by pointing out our superior morality and their ignorance and bigotry.  We seem unable to acknowledge our own learning journey on issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, social class, etc.  We not only project our unowned biases, we also project our greediness and small-mindedness, the part of us that doesn’t care about others; all of this we project onto “them.”  Our world has become a huge projection screen fed by a social media machine filled with either distractions or self-fulfilling prophecies.  It is hard to find space outside of that maelstrom.  It is emotionally draining and exhausting.   Ultimately, we act as a circular firing squad and find it difficult to come together around difficult challenges.  There is no room left to think and solve problems.

“We” got “us”’ to where we are.  That is the simple truth.  We have nobody to blame but ourselves.  Analysts and academics much more informed than I can describe in great detail how our society didn’t deal with deep-seated issues like wealth inequality, climate change, racism, sexism and other forms of bigotry.  The bottom line is that most all of us helped us get here, and we are still doing what got us here.  We only listen to or read perspectives that support our own.  We try desperately to convert others to our viewpoint, without understanding their's.  Much of our capacity for listening, empathy and learning has disappeared.  Our fear and our uncertainty, the gnawing sense that something is very, very wrong, paralyzes us and pushes us to what is familiar, only deepening our challenge.  We are in a self-reinforcing negative spiral. 

It is time to let go of these projections.  It is time to take responsibility for what we have control over, namely ourselves, our attitudes and our behavior.  I’ve noticed this shift in me as the election approaches.  This is no longer a reality TV show.  This is real and we are all actors in real life.  I see more clearly that my judgementalism towards others just feeds this unended circular and unproductive dynamic.  I don’t have to change my mind about what I think is right, I just need to focus my energy differently.  How do I spend less energy angry and blaming and more energy creating what I think is the best future?  How do I develop the empathy that allows me to see all of us as works in progress, deserving of caring and consideration?  I believe I see this happening now, as people I know, who while always voters, are very involved in volunteering in the campaigns during this election season.  They are not surfing twitter; they are making calls, sending texts, sending money.  In other words, they are engaged in productive behavior to create what they believe is a better future.

The days ahead will be even more challenging if the administration in the White House changes.  The possible, even likely, election of Biden will be the start of a difficult process, not the end.  More on this in the next blog.  What is clear, though, is that we will need to engage each other to move forward effectively, especially given the pandemic.  The drama, the projection, the animus will need to be replaced by engaged community members.  Think about how you can put your energy for change to good use.  Local government involvement is a great place; I joined my town’s conservation commission and am involved in important work for the future of the town.  I’ve also met many members of my community whose political affiliations are secondary to our shared agenda of our town’s natural resources.  There are a wide range of community organizations that need help going into the worst part of the pandemic.  School teachers need support, healthcare workers need support, your vulnerable neighbors might need help getting food and supplies, food pantries will be under stress again.  Holding a new set of legislators accountable for action at the local level will be necessary.  If Biden and Harris are elected, any changes they make to policy will need broad engagement and support to work.

I hope to have something big to celebrate on November 4.  At the same time, I will remember that we are all in this together.  Its not them, it’s us.

Thanks for reading, and as always, please comment!  If you can’t get the comments to work, send me an email and I’ll publish them.

MGK

PS.  A Note on Projection.

This paragraph was part of a longer essay, but I think it is relevant to the essay above.  So if you are interested in a couple hundred more words…

What is underneath all of this projection and how does it feed this cycle and keep us stuck?  From the right, envy must play a role for some.  If I see others being successful, seemingly happier, adjusting well to a rapidly changing world or living in an exciting city that could make me feel envious, as could seeing the lifestyles and jobs of others being promoted as ideal.   Since most of us don’t want to own a feeling of envy we project it as resentment, a powerful force when properly stoked.  There is probably a good dose of powerlessness in this dynamic.  If I feel powerless I might, instead of finding a way of asserting my own agency, blame others.  I will do the same if I am uncomfortable with my somewhat unconscious biases about people who are different from me.   Related to envy is, perhaps, a fear of being excluded.  This is deeply ironic coming from the right wing which sometimes wears exclusion of others on its sleeve.  But isn’t that the point here?  Projection captures all kinds of irony, because when we project onto others what we can’t accept in ourselves, we are demonstrating deep irony.  And again, this deep irony is not limited to one side of the political spectrum.  On the left or in the center, we are often unable to handle the dissonance from our stated values, via our unconscious mind.  When we are invested in a particular self-image (i.e. liberal, progressive, open-minded, inclusive, “woke” etc.) and we know deep inside that we aren’t living to that image or those values, we become likely to project that dissonance by pointing out how others aren’t living those values.  We might label these individuals as deplorables, for example.  The things we unconsciously fear we are, get projected onto them.  The truth is, we are all a little bit deplorable.  Please don’t hear me minimizing the truly awful and bigoted words and behaviors from the right, particularly Trump supporters.  Their bigotry is no longer unconscious; it is intentional and harsh, and even worn as a badge.  I am not writing a “both sides do it” article.  Instead, I am arguing that we are all contributing to the conundrum we find ourselves in, and that change requires that we stop feeding it.   We can get there by embracing reflection and authenticity.

Blog #4: Don't Be Afraid, Black Lives Matter

Don't Be Afraid, Black Lives Matter

MGK

July 30 2020

Black Lives Matter, as a statement and as an organization, has gained both resonance and support across the country in recent weeks as yet more instances of unjustified killing and harassment of black people have come to the attention of the entire country.  This is shown in public polls and is happening in tandem with an increase in the percentage of Americans who believe racism is a serious problem.  Yet still many whites ask something along the lines of “why do they say black lives matter, don’t all lives matter?”  What is causing this question, and why do so many white people ask it?

At one level it seems fairly easy to deconstruct the statement that “black lives matter.”  It is simply a statement that is meant to respond to overwhelming evidence that black lives matter less than other lives in this country.  It says nothing about other lives, and clearly does not imply that lives other than black lives don’t matter.  It is a statement of sadness, frustration and anguish, a simple and eloquent request that the mistreatment of black people stop.  It isn’t a negative statement, it isn’t confrontive in a conflictual way, and at some level it is both a statement intended to empower and also a cry for help.  Yet many whites, and probably some others who are not black, feel that it is some sort of threatening statement against people who aren’t black.

What is the sticking point?  Why do so many of us whites have an immediate defensive reaction to that statement?  My husband and I were discussing this the other night, after a conversation he had with another white person who raised the “’don’t all lives matter” question.  He was able to talk that individual through the question to see what is really meant by “black lives matter”, and it was a productive dialogue, but in the course of that conversation he had a sense that the barrier to understanding was fear.  I agree.  For us as whites to fully take in what is meant and implied by “black lives matter” we have to confront some difficult realities:  being white includes privileges that we haven’t earned, and we might be complicit in maintaining those privileges.  That is a discomforting thought because many of us have an image of ourselves as fair, as believers in meritocracy, and as having earned whatever we’ve achieved due primarily to our own individual efforts.  That discomfort can be scary.

When we are confronted so clearly with evidence of unearned privilege it creates an internal conflict:  how can I be a good and moral person and at the same time be on the receiving end of unearned privileges?   Two conflicting perspectives create what a psychologist might call “cognitive dissonance.”  Cognitive dissonance can create fear and we try to avoid fear.  In order to avoid fear, we have to avoid thinking too deeply so we defend ourselves and turn a plea for help from another into an attack on ourselves.  Sometimes we push past the cognitive dissonance by not engaging it or making it about somebody else.  In other words, we project our fear onto other people.  These two reactions describe in in a nutshell the race dynamics in this country over the past 150 years.  We will never get “past” racism if we can’t engage it honestly in the present moment as it is occurring.

If you are white, and you want to reduce racism, start by asking yourself what it really means to be white, something we whites rarely think about.  Ask yourself why we know so little about the daily experiences of black people.  Ask yourself how, despite any other issues related to your gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, and other differences, your whiteness has given you privileges large and small.  Ask yourself how those privileges make you feel, in the context of the values you hold and who you aspire to be.  Then, stop undermining honest and hard conversations about racism.  Stop turning a call for justice – BLACK LIVES MATTER – into an attack.  If you are a well-intended white person who has thought seriously about issues of race, quit projecting your fears in a self-righteous way onto other whites who haven’t done that reflection; if fact start talking to them.  Start acting like black lives matter.

Blog #3: Why I am Optimistic About Inclusion

Why I am Optimistic About Inclusion

Even as we seem to be going backwards, beset by polarization, we continue our inevitable journey to be a more inclusive society.

MGK July 2020

It might seem like a strange time to be optimistic about inclusiveness in the U.S.  Many of us are in streets protesting police violence against Black people, as yet more incidents of police targeting and killing Black people have been made public and visible.  White supremacist groups are much more visible and even being mainstreamed by political leaders.  What was considered fringe has become legitimized for many.  It is a scary time, and it feels like we are peering into the abyss of intolerance, or perhaps we have already fallen over the edge.  Have we really taken so many steps backwards, or are we just seeing more clearly what was already there?  I think both are true to some extent, but I favor the latter; I think we are starting to develop a more widely held view of “what is”.

If we take a step back we can see that diversity and inclusion have been a dilemma for this country since the beginning.  I use “dilemma” intentionally; inclusion of diverse groups is not a problem to be solved, it is an ongoing dilemma to be managed.  When our country was created we weren’t very open, fair or inclusive.  However, our stated values often were, though probably the founders didn’t fully realize how diverse and dynamic the country would become a couple of hundred years later.  Their ”enlightened” ideas though were expressed and have survived the test of time, at least rhetorically.  The way in which we became a country, and we are a very new country still, created conditions in which we would always be grappling with this dilemma as we simultaneously 1) created a culture and set of laws and practices which put immigration, and the attendant diversity, at the core of our development,  2) went even further via articulated notions of equality of opportunity and 3) enslaved millions of people and denied full rights and freedoms to millions more.  This implicit paradox and hypocrisy have been the fuel for substantial progress over the last couple of hundred years, as they create a vivid picture of the gap between who we say we are and how we really are.  The moments when we see and feel this gap so clearly are moments of cognitive dissonance that drive change.  I believe we are in one of those times right now, and that our current polarized, and intensifying, societal dynamics can be understood as a sign of progress, a sign that accelerated change is underway.  That is why I optimistically believe this period will ultimately lead us to discover even more deeply, the value of inclusion. 

Our history is an important guide.  As a country we have moved inexorably towards becoming both more diverse and more inclusive. The end of legal slavery more than 150 years ago and the extension of voting rights to women 100 years ago were big steps, though with a lot of time in between.  This progress has certainly not been in a straight line, and at times it has felt more like regression than progress.  However, if we step back and look at the past several decades the big picture shows tremendous progress and change.  The successful challenging of barriers based on race led to full legal and civil rights for African Americans and the end of Jim Crow laws.  Significant workplace barriers were overcome, including workplace non-discrimination laws banning discrimination based on gender, race, age, religion, and more, including just this year, sexual orientation and gender identity.  In another significant achievement, the Americans with Disabilities Act, a sweeping law to create access for people with disabilities, was passed 3 decades ago.  Messy and painful though the conversations are, we are getting better at honestly confronting and talking about sexism and gender bias.  In recent days, there are signs we are slowly becoming more able to talk about race, at least in a way that includes white people in a broader and more serious way.  I not only see this in the public discourse, I also see it in my personal and professional interactions.

We will continue to evolve

I believe this evolution will continue, for 3 main reasons: inevitability, progress, and necessity.  Diversity and inclusion are increasingly inevitable in the U.S.  As a nation we've been heading down this road almost since our inception, and it has accelerated in the last several decades.  We are already quite racially diverse, with the % of people of color now nearing 40%.  Beyond just plain demographic diversity, we have also increased the level of diversity in all kinds of roles in our public and private institutions and in government.  It isn’t realistically possible to turn back from this progress because this kind of change has built on itself as many Americans’ definition of what is possible has grown as diverse representation across roles has increased.  We simply are going to be diverse, increasingly so, and the only question is how inclusive we will be and how quickly.  Even inclusion is inevitable, though, short of a complete revolution of our legal system and culture. 

Progress has been sure, though slow at times as described earlier in this essay.  Measures of public attitudes over the last 50 years reflect a growing awareness, tolerance and acceptance of more diversity.  This trend has accelerated particularly among younger people.  We have become more aware, but also more effective, and this shows in the growth of a more diverse group of leaders across almost all institutions and organizations, public, private and non-profit.  At the highest levels of our government we had a 2-term African-American President.  One party had a female candidate in 2016.  The presidential field this year was diverse by race, gender and age.  At least one of the VP candidates on the ticket will be a woman.  Though uneven at very senior levels, private companies are increasingly diverse in their management ranks, and their focus on being both more diverse and inclusive is only increasing, as seen in the billions of dollars being invested in diversity and inclusion efforts.

The last reason, necessity, is the driver that hasn’t been fully acknowledged, but is driving institutional behavior, like the examples cited above of companies putting pressure on state and local governments to not adopt non-inclusive laws, ordinances and practices.  Institutions see the business value of both diversity and inclusion.  In fact in my experience working with dozens of large companies, they don’t just see the value, they see that the full engagement and inclusion of an increasingly diverse labor pool and marketplace is essential to their ability to thrive, and even to survive.  In a global and multi-cultural context we simply must be more inclusive if we are going to treat patients, serve customers, build effective strategies, and more fully utilize our human resources.

What seems to be getting in our way is actually accelerating change

So even if you find the optimistic case as compelling as I do, why can change seem so slow, or do we appear to be going backwards at times, like these last few years?   When it comes to inclusion, it has been a rough few years.  After the high of electing our first non-white person as President, it seemed we had made a great leap forward as a diverse and inclusive society, regardless of whether one supported President Obama’s political views.  It doesn’t feel that way, though.  These last few years of regression, of increased overt discrimination, a rise in hate crimes, and an increased polarization between identity groups, is disturbing, upsetting and frustrating to many, including myself, a White, Gay, Jewish man.  It feels not just like a step back, but like we are turning back.  However, this is a normal dynamic when significant change is happening.  Often, when change accelerates, or becomes real, there is a counter-reaction, or resistance to that change.  So perhaps the extreme polarization, and all of the attendant acting out and reactivity, just reflects inevitable resistance to inevitable societal change.  What if, in fact, the intensity of this resistance is actually a sign of how deeply and quickly we are changing?  In my work as an organizational change consultant for large companies, I have noticed that big changes produce big backlashes.  Think about big changes you’ve experienced and how you and others have reacted to it.  Don’t you or others push back even if the coming change is inevitable, or push harder the more uncertain the future?  Don’t our worst behaviors tend to come out in these times, especially if we feel uncertain, vulnerable or afraid?  That is what I believe is happening at a societal level among many people.  However, the good news:  the more that resistance to change becomes overt and explicit, the more quickly change can accelerate.  Why?  Resistance reflects energy and engagement, and real change requires energy and engagement.  As resistance intensifies, underlying biases and bigotry come to the surface and there is a much greater possibility that those biases and the attendant behavior can be confronted, examined and shifted.  I believe this is happening and helps to explain the shift in public opinion showing up in multiple surverys (i.e. Pew, Monmouth, Civiqs) about racism (more of us believe it is a problem) and the Black Lives Matter movement (a majority of us support their work), as well as what appears by observation and anecdote to be a broader and more sustained participation of whites in the protests and ongoing dialogue.  Perhaps sunlight is, as has often been said, “the best disinfectant.”

 We are all a part of making our way forward

As a nation that is young, and constructed in a way unlike most any other nation, we have a tendency to continually reinvent ourselves.  Our “reinventions” are often messy but usually fast, as least as compared to much of history.  George Friedman's new book, The Storm Before the Calm, speaks powerfully to our national reinventions.  We succeed because we find new ways to engage each other, new ways to tap the inherent talent and capability of our population, and we keep our founding principles alive.  In this way, diversity and inclusion have been at the heart of our evolution ever since the founding, although most of the real progress has been in the last 60 years.  This is not going to change, and importantly it will continue and accelerate.  Sometimes we emphasize our differences, sometimes our similarities.  Both are important and relevant, and both will always be part of our national culture and dialogue.  Some thought the election of the first person of color to the Presidency meant that we were “post racial,” like we had solved the “problem” of racism.  Diversity and inclusion are not “problems” that we will ever “solve.”  They represent an ongoing and somewhat unique dilemma that we will always have to manage.  In managing this dilemma we need to continually engage each other on these topics.  It is important that we don’t project our unowned biases onto each other in search of a scapegoat, but that instead we ask questions and we seek to understand all who are well-intended.  We must leave room for discussion, and for disagreement, and we must sometimes draw lines consistent with our founding values.  It will never be enough, but we will progress.  As each wall comes down, we will need to manage the invisible shadow of that wall, and quickly another wall will appear; lather, rinse and repeat.  The skillset that is needed to be a good citizen, an effective leader or influencer in the United States will always and increasingly include understanding the meaning and power of our differences.  Effectiveness will increasingly be measured by the capability to dissemble bias in ourselves, others, and in groups and institutions.  Creating dynamics that more fully include more people will continue be a source of innovation and a driver of success.  The next challenge always emerges even as the earlier ones persist.  We’ve made progress on racism, sexism, heterosexism, transphobia, etc. but barriers remain.  For 20 years at least, we’ve been talking about socio-economic class diversity and a wealth gap, but we are only at the awareness phase.  I hear this topic come up more frequently with my clients, and I imagine this awareness will transition to some action as part of this next national reinvention.  Socio-economic class intersects with gender and race, and we are in the process of figuring out how to talk about that, particularly as the current socio-political backlash appears to be led by working class whites.  This conversation is never-ending, because our change and reinvention process is never-ending.

So as we sit here now, in a period that feels like a big step backwards, with an added layer of intensity due to a pandemic, it is still true that our fate rests with each other.  In some ways the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates this point, as it provides a clear sense of shared fate, that we are all in this together, and that our diversity, as evidenced by the heroes of this pandemic, is implicit to who we are, and that our ability to be inclusive as a society is directly related to our ability to survive.

Because of our unending interdependency it is important to continue the work of increasing our awareness and our effectiveness in living and working together across our many differences.  We still have a rough period ahead of us.  We will figure this out and make our way forward, but our work won’t end anytime soon.

Thanks for reading!  I enjoy comments…what resonated, what you disagree with, what I missed, etc.  

BLOG #2: Two Short Pieces on Presence

Two Short Pieces on Presence

Thanks to those of you who read my first blog: Flipping the Racial Script.  I’m excited about the opportunity to connect in different ways, so please use the comment section to share your perspective!

I will try to write in different ways and from different perspectives.  I will write about different topics.  I’ve decided to not be too overt about politics, so only rarely will there be a piece that could be seen as political “punditry.”

I’ll also try to pull themes through my writing.  Two themes are common for me.  One is paradox – I love paradox.  The 1^st blog about flipping the racial script embraces paradox because what I am saying is that it is time for white people to have less conversation about race across racial groups and more conversation within our own racial group.  That seems counter-intuitive at a time when we are supposed to be connecting more across our differences.  Yet, I think we can’t connect across a difference until we understand who we are, more fully.  And that is the paradox.

The second common theme is about presence.  I’ve been writing a lot about being present, all of it from my own journey towards more authenticity and presence.  I will share more of this soon.  This theme, like the first, will pop up in direct and indirect ways.  You will see it in today’s blog entry( below) as I share a short essay and a poem.  These are shorter and easier to read perhaps that my 1^st blog.  My cousin told me I needed to write shorter pieces, so I am listening to her (at least this week).

Anyhow, the essay Neuroplasticity of the Spirit, was written April 2019.  When I reread it recently, I realized I had started to apply during the “lockdown”, what I had been writing about the year before.  You will see that in the short poem, Pandemic and Presence. Please let me know what this stimulates in you – does it resonate with your experience?  If you are willing, use the comments section and I (and hopefully others) will respond. 

Neuroplasticity of the Spirit

MG

April 25, 2019

Neuroscientists tell us that we establish neural pathways in our brain, associating and connecting one thing with another.  It helps us to make sense of complicated and overwhelming sensory input.  These neural pathways are functional shortcuts.  They deepen over time, and pull us into them as we continually reinforce them.  While functional in some ways, this reinforcement can also keep us limited or even stuck.  Fortunately, because of neuroplasticity, we more clearly understand that we can be choiceful in how we keep, change, or establish new pathways.  Our neuroplasticity continues for most of our life.

I was once told to see myself as a part of everything, not an observer but a participant.  My spirit knows this is true, because it is always a participant.  Just sitting on the porch on this fine spring morning looking at the green field, trees about to leaf, cool breeze overcome by warm sun, I am not just watching.  I am in the scene, and my presence is as important as the stones lining the path from this porch, the geese honking as they fly by, and the bright white birch meeting my stare.

If I can see how everything is connected, then I can see how pathways form.  Looking into the field I can see a path into the woods.  This path has been a walking path for at least several decades.  Sometimes, like the pathways in my life, it is easy to see; sometimes though, it is hidden as light changes, the grass grows, or a fresh snowfall covers it.  That path, and my paths, are both a history and a guide.  I am pulled down a usual walk, comfortable and automatic.  It rewards me with its familiar view.  It also limits me as I don’t think of another path into the woods, and all that could open up.  Why even would I when such a familiar and proven path exists?  The path makes sense and it fits the scene, just like my own mental pathways, evident in my life, fit my scene.  Our pathways are self-fulfilling prophecies, like how my grassy path into the woods is maintained by human steps, enhanced by mowing, and fed by the collection of moisture in the depression.

My spirit sees my whole scene.  It sees my well-worn pathways.  It sees how everything relates, and where the paths lead.  It sees how my body’s sensations can spark a cascade of thoughts and unacknowledged emotions.  It sees how those emotions affect the body, creating physical sensations.  It sees how thoughts interact with my emotions.  It sees how the repeated and circular interaction of all the parts of me slowly dig out pathways that are both neurological and psychological.  Fortunately my spirit serves not just as a historian but also a guide, because my spirit knows paths not yet taken.

If I let it, my spirit slows me down.  It provides a holistic view of the scene and a deconstruction of the elements, like how when a stream slows the sediment settles to the bottom, the branches and leaves gather themselves, eddies form, and new pathways emerge.  When I let my green path into the woods grow out, when I walk at the edges, or when I simply go in another direction, the field looks different and other options are revealed.

This is timeless.  I can always slow down, pay attention, let things settle.  Like that stream, I can realign myself, flow more freely, and move towards new destinations.   New pathways can emerge and even deepen in their own right.  Call it spiritual plasticity.

Pandemic and Presence

MG

March 30, 2020

I slow down.

not willingly,

but gradually.

 

The distractions still flash, and pull my attention,

like how stars bring us light long after they die.

A life filled with distraction goes quickly.

A day filled with unconsciousness can go faster.

How ironic.

But if I embrace the nothingness with consciousness, time slows,

each moment more fully lived.

The extraneous shutting down

like a body dying

with the energy going to the core,

to what is essential.

What is dying is the mundane.

Layers melting away,

less and less

until less is more.

In the end we only grapple with our self.

 

But now,

for the many who will come back,

what will we have learned?

How will we be different?

Will our vision have changed, will we see ourselves more clearly, will we see each other more fully?

When we slow down can we change faster?

Reading a verse, over and over,

looking out a window with interest and curiosity,

I listen for the sake of listening.

Sitting with pen and page I ask for guidance,

in my raw presence,

willing to be lead by spirit and soul.

 

I slow down,

not gradually,

but willingly.