We are inextricably linked to one another. But over and over again, consciously and unconsciously we have been divided and separated from one another and ourselves. We have been taught to see and judge that which makes us different, instead of celebrating our differences and seeing also that which we have in common.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” - Audre Lorde
These divisions were put in place to prohibit us from banding together, strategically created by those who have power in order to protect and maintain their power. We are far weaker as individuals divided than we are when we stand TOGETHER. And called to heal the world, we must honor our shared humanity and commit to transformation together.
While pointing to our shared humanity, we do not want to disappear the intersectional reality, where so many layers of privilege and oppression meet, but we seek to call folks into connection, to honor that we are linked to one another.
"Belonging acknowledges that we are part of each other but that we are not the same. We're constantly in a dynamic, complicated relationship with each other, and so we have to acknowledge that whether someone is Muslim, whether someone is transgender, whether someone is an immigrant, it matters. It matters to them, and it matters to us, but it doesn't mean they're other. They still belong." - John A. Powell
Our experiences of the world are not equal, but our pain, our joy, and our liberation are bound up together. We are all human, and collective healing can only be achieved when we commit to seeing, hearing, and humanizing one another.
Related toolbox resources:
Bridging: Towards A Society Built On Belonging an animated video
Othering vs. Belonging And Building An Inclusive Society by John A. Powell
Our Shared Humanity by Gloria Steinem
Remembering Our Shared Humanity by Tara Brach
Seeing White Series Scene on Radio podcast with host and producer John Biewen and collaborater Chenjerai Kumanyika
Walk this message around the world with us