Welcome to Engage & Activate!
Writing about education at this moment can feel useless. Currently, COVID has led to the deaths of over 150,000 U.S. citizens and over 500,000 deaths worldwide. Police engage is brutal tactics of suppression against peaceful demonstrators who, ironically, are protesting police brutality against Black people. While millions of U.S. citizens are out of work, mega-corporations post record profits and siphon billions of dollars in taxpayer monies. In the face of these catastrophes, and many more, writing sometimes feels hopeless, like trying to dam a river with a box of saltine crackers.
But, it’s important to remember the power of writing, and the promise of education. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense ignited the embers of the U.S. revolution. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle changed attitudes about food sanitation, health, and immigration. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart forced the world to understand the impact of colonialism and racism in Nigeria. And, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me revitalized conversations about race and racism in the U.S. Sometimes writing can be a space where we try, desperately, to connect to others, to feel affirmed in our fears, and to grow together to change the world.
I hope this blog space can be that place for you. I want you to write—and read, laugh, cry, and love—with others in this space. Only through our collective efforts will we navigate the months, years, and decades to come—even if we overcome our obstacles one day at a time.
So, here are a few things to keep in mind as you go forward with your day.
Changing the World is not an Individual Responsibility: Your actions—in and out of the classroom—are your own and you have to make sure that they align with a vision of a world without hunger, poverty, or despair. But, you are not individually responsible for the state of the world. Thinking you can control the problems that face us will make you feel tired, depressed, and anxious.
Learn to Lean on Others: On a related note, you will need to learn that your best resource in times of crisis are those around you. And, when they are in crisis, to be there for them. Only when we become comfortable with reaching out to those around us will we have the moral depth to understand the path forward.
Retreat is not an Option: Often, when we feel like we’re under siege or depressed, we retreat into spaces that are comfortable for us—into things like binge watching television. Other times, we may even fall into dangerous spaces, like abusing alcohol. Although certainly there is nothing wrong with zoning out a bit or having a drink, we cannot let these things numb us to our connections to each other. We have to fight, fearlessly and together, for ourselves and our students.
Every day is both a challenge and a promise. You have the opportunity to work with others—in your community, university, department, and classroom—to make the world a better place. Remember, even when you feel like everything is stacked against you and the news couldn’t be any worse, that this community here is one built on love and the hope of a better tomorrow. And, we’re always here for you.
C. Kyle Rudick