I speak of feeing safe and unsafe often. I struggle myself with feeling safe when I
know I am in a hostile environment.
Hostile environments are filled with emotional violence, assumptions,
bias. Most of the time there Is an
unawareness of any of these perspectives being present. The fear displayed drives some people to
dominant the conversation, others to push their individual agendas and for some
to take a small, narrow worldview.
How do we push through when all of this is happening? Day to
day we are always assessing how safe each minute, each interaction, each
setting is for us. As a person of color,
I have to decide whether I am going to fully commit to getting involved or
completely engage when I feel there is not a space for me at the table. Overall, I do my best to contribute in the
most productive way I can in the moment.
Individually we all must commit to ensuring that everyone is
welcomed and feels safe. When you feel
safe, there is a confidence and security.
You are assured and are in a great mindset to even advocate for the good
of all. The most important part is to
check in and check ourselves. We must all practice self-awareness and self-reflect
in order to make room for everyone at the table. I know for sure I don’t enjoy these
experiences so I want to reduce the chance that it happens to others. It all starts with us as individuals and how
we contribute to the space.
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