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-NuestraHermana

the idea of meritocracy is an interesting one to think about in this convo too. because i think we acknowledge that the world isn’t a meritocracy, and just because you work hard or are qualified doesn’t mean you’ll get ahead. so we start to disrupt that notion and try to build something we think is fair, such as the meritocracy system. but to outcompete or outshine someone in even a meritocracy type of system still promotes exploitation and ableism. so building an environment that is supportive is going to take a much more radical shift in thought than what is normative.

also, i read that article the other day too and it was def an interseting read. not only does that become individualistic, we then lose trust in the movement. and movements rely on people, coalitions, and collaborations.

1. audre lorde writes “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”. in relation to school, work, life, activism, etc, self-care is important. but maybe that is because these spaces are consistently oppressive, exploitative, and ableist. the question is then, how do we re-imagine these spaces otherwise? it is as if these spaces are inevitably places built so that we can look for self-care elsewhere. re-imaging then becomes a really hard process, because most of us don’t know what it can look like. for example, what will work look like, be like, operate like, if self-care (or even just care in general for one another) is part of the job card and job environment. in some instances i think there are moments such as retreats, check-ins, 1:1s, built in relaxing time in these spaces that can gateway to imagining work in a different light.

2. charles stephens’ “when the movement does not save your life” talks about work within the community and the instances of microagression, community violence, activism burnout, inclusive movement, etc ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-stephens/black-lgbt-activism_b_2871379.html ) the work that we do within activism is what motivates us, but at the same time, it can also be a very violent and dangerous space. we end up pushing ourselves hard. its the mentality that “if i don’t do it, no one will” which is kinda individualistic if you think about it. and i think youre right, we need to change that mentality…stephens end his piece by saying that those who are in the movement of liberation must be kind and show gratitude. i think that what we should do, not only for others, but also for ourselves.