November 9, 2016 5:55am
Donald Trump has been elected to the presidency of the
United States, but that does not mean he’s won.
He and the people who support him only win if we allow
despair to swallow us up whole.
I haven’t slept since the news broke. Disbelief settled in
my heart and I thought I might actually vomit. But a still, small voice was
louder than the fear that was pressing in. It rumbled, “But the artists…the
movers…the shakers…all who came before…this election does not mean their fights
were in vain. This is not the end, unless we decide it is. And I say it’s not.
And my friends say it’s not. And a hoard of other people say, it’s not. We will
call on the words of our ancestors, and we will feel the best parts of
them—their endurance and fire and drive—echoing down through the ages, fanning
the flames in our hearts.
We enter what I am sure will be the most trying four years
the United States has faced in our lifetime. And the easiest thing to do is
call upon our rage to spit hatred right back in the faces of hegemonic rule.
But I urge us to pause and breathe. Then speak and listen.
The reality is that many of us have spent so much time
shutting down the other side that we’ve lost our ability to converse.
Bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle is not solely the job of Congress.
It’s on us.
This country was founded on the principle of government by
and for the people. So we the people need to set the tone and lead by example.
With the interconnectedness provided by social media, it
seems like we’re the generation with the best tools for successful organizing,
change-making, and activism. But clicking “Like” and “Share” is not activism. I
am entirely guilty of lethargically participating in the world around me, and I
recognize it is due to my position of privilege as a white, straight, cis
female. And I’m sorry. I am so sorry to all my friends with identities that lie
outside those boxes, because I have let you down. But I would like to do better.
I am ready to stand/march/ride/call/write/act with you. I will actively seek
out opportunities to do this, but if you have a cause to which I can lend my
voice, please tell me.
Within you is a great well where strength resides. I promise
if you drop a pebble down and listen carefully, you’ll hear a splash, not a
clang. We are not empty. And we will rise.
All the love,
Jenna
All the love,
Jenna
