I spent my afternoon leading a discussion of the documentary Purple, from @Resettingtable. We can't just tell people to bridge political & social divisions - we must equip people with skills to understand, listen to, & see the humanity in their neighbors.
In particular, we need to take time to teach people (1) how to demonstrate to people that we see them as they wish to be seen, and (2) how to name differences clearly and directly. These communication skills are essential but rarely taught.
I highly recommend taking time to teach these skills in a variety of contexts - e.g., churches and classrooms - but the application of these skills are so broad and can have an enormous impact on how we relate to family, friends, and neighbors.
If you're involved in a community organization that is committed to political and social change, I recommend showing this documentary and using the very useful discussion guide. assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2540/pu…
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I did my annual review today, & being ask to list my academic accomplishments for 2020 felt demoralizing. I listed almost nothing due to pandemic-related cancellations & delays of conferences, research trips, & publications. So here is my alternative list of accomplishments.
I kept a twelve-year-old kid alive and healthy and reasonably happy. On top of that, she’s still learning, even though she’s done school via Zoom since March 2020. I helped said kid learn to love playing the piano.
I offered encouragement and care to my husband, a healthcare worker, as he faced a challenging, and often scary, year. And he passed his boards, to boot. :-)