You Must Act
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Brittany Keegan
September 7, 2019
I have a toddler, and most nights she and I will take a walk around our neighborhood. It’s usually pretty relaxing—at least until the fifth time she throws her stuffed dog out of the stroller. On one of our recent walks, however, I saw what looked like a Ziploc bag of trash near the end of our driveway. Making a mental note to pick it up when we got back home, we kept walking. But then I saw another one a few houses down. And another. And another.
When I stopped to pick one up and checked to see what was inside, I found that the KKK had thrown bags of rocks with notes into driveways around our neighborhood. I collected the ones I’d previously passed, then walked around the rest of the neighborhood to pick up all the others that I could find. A few other neighborhoods in our area experienced this as well; you can find a news article here, and while I’m not going to repeat the message on these notes it’s not hard to figure out. I was mad and I wanted to do something.
As angry as I was, though, I also know that I have a certain level of privilege and that there are others who are much more impacted by this than I am. I’m white. I’m middle class. I’m bisexual but I’m married to a man and have a child so everyone thinks I’m straight. The notes weren’t distributed to threaten people like me, and that’s exactly why I, and others who share the privileges I do, need to stand up against hate groups; it’s safer for us to do so.
I have a sign in my office that says “It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.” and I think that’s applicable for the times we’re living in. Yes it’s important to have compassion and empathy, but we also need to be actively working against the hate and fear that some groups are trying to spread. Translate anger into action.
How can we do that? I think we can look at that question from two angles: ways in which anyone can take action, and ways in which policymakers and public administrations can take action.
To address the question of, “How can people in general take action?” there are, fortunately, lots of options. Get to know your neighbors, take the lead on fixing problems instead of waiting for someone else to do it, work together, listen to each other, make a genuine effort to understand other points of view, celebrate differences and commonalities, write or call your representatives, write a letter to the editor of your local paper, volunteer, support minority-owned businesses and vote.
I’ll add one caveat: The ability to take action is also a privilege, and when we make recommendations for community involvement we need to remember that not all will have the same abilities. In some cases there may be health-related barriers to involvement, while in others the barriers may be socioeconomic. We should ask if people are taking action in the best way that they can, rather than asking how the actions they take compare to the actions of others.
To address the question of, “How can policymakers and public administrators take action?” we can look to a few of my favorite PA books. In Making a difference: Progressive values in public administration, Dr. Richard Box discusses the benefits of, “Progressive values.” These, he says, are values that promote inclusion and that move us—all of us—forward. If we truly want to promote this inclusion, however, it’s likely that we’ll need to confront some deeply engrained issues and cultural norms. It may be an uncomfortable process, but that’s okay.
In her book Race and social equity: A nervous area of government, Dr. Susan Gooden suggests that one way to confront issues is to first normalize conversations that relate to social equity (e.g. conversations about race) as a way to ease into change-making. It’s hard to bring about change if people can’t first discuss problems, just as it’s hard to bring about change if we don’t identify and understand the problem’s root causes. Gooden also describes the importance of ensuring that action in initiating conversations and addressing social equity issues is taken at the organizational level rather than only at the individual level, and of considering the impact that the organization’s actions have on social equity on a larger scale (i.e. external impacts) rather than only looking inward.
We all have the power to take action and to bring about change. Whether we’re a policymaker, a public administrator, or someone who holds a different role in society, we can find ways to support inclusivity, initiate (oftentimes difficult) conversations, challenge beliefs and assumptions and ask ourselves how the actions we take can support social equity at a societal level.
Please have compassion, but please also make sure that you’re using that compassion as motivation. To create a more inclusive society, and to show that hate will not win, we all must act.
Author: Brittany Keegan received her Ph.D. in December 2018, with her dissertation examining the roles of nonprofit organizations in promoting the socioeconomic integration of refugees. She now works at the VCU Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy as the research coordinator and director of the Land Use Education Program. Research interests include nonprofit organizations, gender-based violence, and refugee policy.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @BritKeegan
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading...
You Must Act
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Brittany Keegan
September 7, 2019
I have a toddler, and most nights she and I will take a walk around our neighborhood. It’s usually pretty relaxing—at least until the fifth time she throws her stuffed dog out of the stroller. On one of our recent walks, however, I saw what looked like a Ziploc bag of trash near the end of our driveway. Making a mental note to pick it up when we got back home, we kept walking. But then I saw another one a few houses down. And another. And another.
When I stopped to pick one up and checked to see what was inside, I found that the KKK had thrown bags of rocks with notes into driveways around our neighborhood. I collected the ones I’d previously passed, then walked around the rest of the neighborhood to pick up all the others that I could find. A few other neighborhoods in our area experienced this as well; you can find a news article here, and while I’m not going to repeat the message on these notes it’s not hard to figure out. I was mad and I wanted to do something.
As angry as I was, though, I also know that I have a certain level of privilege and that there are others who are much more impacted by this than I am. I’m white. I’m middle class. I’m bisexual but I’m married to a man and have a child so everyone thinks I’m straight. The notes weren’t distributed to threaten people like me, and that’s exactly why I, and others who share the privileges I do, need to stand up against hate groups; it’s safer for us to do so.
I have a sign in my office that says “It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.” and I think that’s applicable for the times we’re living in. Yes it’s important to have compassion and empathy, but we also need to be actively working against the hate and fear that some groups are trying to spread. Translate anger into action.
How can we do that? I think we can look at that question from two angles: ways in which anyone can take action, and ways in which policymakers and public administrations can take action.
To address the question of, “How can people in general take action?” there are, fortunately, lots of options. Get to know your neighbors, take the lead on fixing problems instead of waiting for someone else to do it, work together, listen to each other, make a genuine effort to understand other points of view, celebrate differences and commonalities, write or call your representatives, write a letter to the editor of your local paper, volunteer, support minority-owned businesses and vote.
I’ll add one caveat: The ability to take action is also a privilege, and when we make recommendations for community involvement we need to remember that not all will have the same abilities. In some cases there may be health-related barriers to involvement, while in others the barriers may be socioeconomic. We should ask if people are taking action in the best way that they can, rather than asking how the actions they take compare to the actions of others.
To address the question of, “How can policymakers and public administrators take action?” we can look to a few of my favorite PA books. In Making a difference: Progressive values in public administration, Dr. Richard Box discusses the benefits of, “Progressive values.” These, he says, are values that promote inclusion and that move us—all of us—forward. If we truly want to promote this inclusion, however, it’s likely that we’ll need to confront some deeply engrained issues and cultural norms. It may be an uncomfortable process, but that’s okay.
In her book Race and social equity: A nervous area of government, Dr. Susan Gooden suggests that one way to confront issues is to first normalize conversations that relate to social equity (e.g. conversations about race) as a way to ease into change-making. It’s hard to bring about change if people can’t first discuss problems, just as it’s hard to bring about change if we don’t identify and understand the problem’s root causes. Gooden also describes the importance of ensuring that action in initiating conversations and addressing social equity issues is taken at the organizational level rather than only at the individual level, and of considering the impact that the organization’s actions have on social equity on a larger scale (i.e. external impacts) rather than only looking inward.
We all have the power to take action and to bring about change. Whether we’re a policymaker, a public administrator, or someone who holds a different role in society, we can find ways to support inclusivity, initiate (oftentimes difficult) conversations, challenge beliefs and assumptions and ask ourselves how the actions we take can support social equity at a societal level.
Please have compassion, but please also make sure that you’re using that compassion as motivation. To create a more inclusive society, and to show that hate will not win, we all must act.
Author: Brittany Keegan received her Ph.D. in December 2018, with her dissertation examining the roles of nonprofit organizations in promoting the socioeconomic integration of refugees. She now works at the VCU Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy as the research coordinator and director of the Land Use Education Program. Research interests include nonprofit organizations, gender-based violence, and refugee policy.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @BritKeegan
Follow Us!