Thursday, December 8, 2016

Time for an Honest Dialogue


Like a lot of people, I've been thinking a lot about politics, government, and our country in general in the month since the presidential election. Anyone who knows me won't be surprised to hear that I wasn't happy about Donald Trump's election. I've got some strong misgivings about Trump's cabinet choices, but have been trying to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. And I've been trying to think of what good could come out of this presidency.

Thinking of potential silver linings of the Trump election, maybe one is this: that our country will finally have a dialogue, a reckoning, about the racism and sexism that continue to pervade our country. Because lately, the talk has not been abstract about systemic "isms" and white or male privilege. It's clear-cut, fear-based and violent actions of individuals that we are hearing about.  If we are paying attention, we currently see reports of individual acts of racism and misogyny being reported at an alarming rate since the election. There has been a documented uptick in reported hate crimes across the country. I read this week that NYC had a documented increase in hate crimes of 35% this past year. In my own town, I've come across reports of intimidation based on race at my son's high school, at my own high school alma mater, and at a local highly-respected university. And a mom at my son's elementary school shared that her cousin was assaulted on the street the day after the election by a man saying "It's official! We can grab 'em now!"

It seems to me that Trump's election rhetoric has made a lot of folks feel that they've been given license to say and do things that were completely unacceptable a month ago. What has long been simmering beneath the surface, with an implicit rule that certain sentiments should not be uttered or acted on in one's public life, has now been exposed. We can no longer use our privilege to ignore the reality for people of color and for women. These reports are in our face, and we shouldn't turn away. System sexism and racism can be ignored by exercising privilege: you don't have to drive through certain neighborhoods to see how "the other half" lives, you can consume as much media as you like and pick and choose whose perspectives you get exposed to, you can pretend that things are better than they are. But blatant, hateful acts perpetrated by individuals at an increasing rate cannot be explained away or brushed under the rug.

So, white people who want to consider themselves "woke": be brave and help shape the conversation among your white friends and neighbors. Talk to people who might not agree with you, don't just preach to the choir. And men who want to be one of the "good guys": listen to women's perspectives, seek them out in your media choices and conversations. And all of us with some measure of privilege need to consider that to make things right in this country, we will probably have to give up some stuff--starting with some of our unspoken and unconscious assumptions about the way the world should work. Maybe if we start to reckon with the fact that these individual acts of violence we're seeing are borne out of a systemically racist and sexist culture, and that we've all had a hand in perpetuating this culture, we will begin to heal.

I hope and pray that we will be brave as a community of Americans. I want to be proud of my country and my countrymen. And while the election has impressed upon me the need to pay attention to current events and weigh-in on issues with my elected officials, it has also impressed on my the importance of having brave conversations with the people I come into contact with. Politics and political action are important, without them we wouldn't have roads, or libraries, or labor laws. But conversations are the links in our culture, and they help shape the narrative of our culture. I don't claim to be the most brave or even curious conversationalist, but I'm gonna try. Never in my life have I felt it so imperative to engage in honest conversations about our country and what it is and could be. I have a feeling a lot of other people feel the same way. I sure hope so.




Monday, February 29, 2016

Pastured Poultry Means More than Free Range

I've known for a long time that "Cage Free" on a carton of eggs doesn't mean much. That "Cage Free" chickens have marginally better living quarters than the chickens whose eggs are sold without any fanfare at the grocery store. But I thought that "Free Range" meant something more, that it meant what it sounds like (chickens roaming outside for food) and so I've been shelling out the cash for years in support of that idea. Turns out that I was duped. "Free Range" means that there is a tiny bit of enclosed outdoor space for thousands of birds to compete for the opportunity to check out. They are still crowded. They are still indoors most of the time. They don't get to munch on bugs found in a pasture (the bugs that are full of the nutrients that make eggs such a great food source). And they still contribute to ill effects on the environment.

I learned today at http://lexiconofsustainability.com/ that "Pastured Poultry" is what I need to search out on my egg cartons. It's the latest in a series of efforts to define how food is raised so that consumers can rest assured that they are indeed getting what they pay for. "Pastured Poultry"--chickens who run around in a real pasture and eat bugs the way they're made to do. Cool. And totally worth the money.

And "Lexicon of Sustainability"--a wonderful project that I am just learning about that aims to give back to words their power. To make sure that consumers and farmers, and teachers, and policymakers speak a common language. So we understand the costs and the benefits of the food we put in our mouths. And so we can advocate more effectively to bring about the food system we so desperately need. Whether you're a foodie or a concerned parent, I hope you'll check out the website. I'm glad I did, it's inspiring!


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Tillman IGNITE has me all fired up!

The last couple of weeks were a typical story-line for me when it comes to (not) writing in this blog. So many awesome things happened that would be worthy of a post, but they happened in rapid succession and then I posted about none of them. So....turning over a new leaf right now.

I've been working for about three years now at Tillman Elementary in Kirkwood, MO to support an increase in outdoor, experiential education at the school. The efforts are really starting to pay off, as seen by some changes to the grounds, more teachers using these spaces this fall, and the launch of the Tillman IGNITE campaign. IGNITE is the campaign to transform Tillman's backyard from a boring blank rectangle that lacks imagination into a dynamic and engaging learning space that inspires creativity and curiosity.

Students, parents, and teachers helped create the vision; we hired a design firm to flesh out the plans and put this vision on paper; and parents helped design our marketing materials and our website. We learned that this is literally a million dollar dream, and that we need $300,000 to complete Phase 1. The PTO is our partner and included us in the recent PTO trivia night with a paddle raise devoted specifically to Tillman IGNITE. We didn't really know what to expect, but we rolled up our sleeves and worked hard to promote the project and garner support in the days preceding the paddle raise. And guess what?! IGNITE supporters stepped up and donated $34,000 in under 10 minutes at trivia night! Wow! Talk about an overwhelming moment. Add that to the $51,000 in funds that we already had, and we are almost 1/3 of the way to our Phase 1 goal!

And it's not just the funds raised that helps make the goal seem achievable, but it's the way that people came together to support an all-around good idea. And their show of support will show potential grant funders that Tillman is a good investment. My hand is cramping from signing thank you notes, because so many donors, large and small, have already contributed. This project will be an asset to both the school and the community, and I can't wait to be able to break ground. If you're so inclined, please donate at tillmanignite.org today!