Power

Racism is not a problem to be fixed by an individual. It won’t be fixed by the awakening or enlightenment.

It can only be fixed by understanding power- who has it, and how it gets used.

Power-The ability to decide who will have access to resources; the capacity to direct or influence the behavior of others, oneself, and/or the course of events

Always living deep within questions of inequality and injustice is the question of power. We are born into a specific set of social identities and that they predispose us to unequal roles

Unequal roles = Unequal power

Racism, transphobia, xenophobia, homophobia, islamophobia, sexism and all the other “isms” are about Power.

Power

Those with the most power can thus afflict anyone of any gender, sexual orientation, color, community, culture, or country, who craves power above the need to respect the “Other”

We have created institutions and systems  that continuously place the desire for power above the desire for love and connection

So every day ask yourself:

• In whose interest do institutions operate?
• Who benefits and who pays from societies “norms”?
• Who are we sacrificing when we follow the status quo?

There is no system that is neutral. There is no system that is fair as long as unfair and hidden advantages exist

Power maintains dominance. Dismantling systems is about dismantling an unjust power structure.

This game we play every day called life is not fair.
This game we play every day called life is not just

It is actually not a game at all. There are real life or death consequences as we navigate power in our everyday lives.

We all lose when we think oppression only happens in the hearts of a few and not see it as economically and politically structured.

We all lose when we do not call out the moral and social cost for swimming in these systems built around power belonging to some and not all.

These systems appeal to our lower-selves, because of socialization that is based up the dehumanizing many for the benefit of a few.

“Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression, because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action.”

~Malcolm X

What does real power look like in your life and the choices you make? What does action look like for you? How will you show up?

It is time to fight the power, it’s actually past time.

Let’s go get free.