I have always believed in the emancipatory power of knowledge and critical thinking, understanding that teaching and learning must be compassionate AND revolutionary acts—or as bell hooks has written, acts of “transgression”—against the forces that attempt to keep us ignorant and silent. (See: Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Oxfordshire, England: Routledge Press, 1994.) In the words of poet, mother, Black woman warrior, activist, Audre Lorde, we must actively and consciously engage in: “the transformation of silence into language and action (which) is an act of self-revelation…because in this way alone we can survive, by taking part in the process of life that is creative and continuing, that is growth.” (In: Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing Press, 1984.)
The principles I have outlined below, have guided the content of my teaching and pedagogy, my scholarship and my life. I learned these principles from Brazilian philosopher and educator, Paulo Freire; writer, teacher, scholar and revolutionary, Angela Davis; scholar and teacher, Kimberlé Crenshaw; poets and essayists, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Gloria Anzaldúa; scholar, teacher and critic, bell hooks; revolutionary and psychiatrist, Franz Fanon; revolutionaries in Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador; novelists Amy Tan, José Maria Arguedas, Octavia Butler, Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich and a hundred more. Further, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the members of my own family of Black, Brown and White, of African-American, Latin X, South Asian, Caribbean, Native American, European and Ukranian ancestry, who have all had a profound impact on my understanding of culture, diversity, love and acceptance, power (and powerlessness), privilege (and exclusion), and my own sense of self- and community-identity. These principles have served as guideposts and beacons, illuminating a path for living:
*understanding that “difference” is power—that in diversity there is strength, creativity, and the possibility for progressive social change; that merely tolerating difference is unacceptable and potentially dangerous; that we must acknowledge differences, embrace pluralism, learn from our differences and celebrate them. (Note: The idea, “survival of the fittest,” is often misinterpreted, focusing on an individual and aggression, instead of on species and diversity. That is, Darwin actually wrote that the “fittest“ species were not the most aggressive, but rather, the most diverse—for in diversity there is the possibility to adapt and survive in ever-changing circumstances.)
*understanding that “the personal is political”—the mantra of second wave of feminist activism represents the fact that our personal experiences are part of a web of experiences; that though there is no “universal reality,” and we each experience our daily existence in our own ways, there are forces and structures (laws, policies, institutions, ideologies) that shape our experiences in ways that depend on who we are and where we are positioned in the social hierarchy (or as Isabel Wilkerson would say, what caste we belong to or are relegated to). In order to bring about social justice, we must be able to discuss our lives and experiences with others, make ourselves vulnerable by opening our hearts and our minds, and have empathy and compassion for all other beings, human and otherwise.
*recognizing (the often disregarded fact) that not only “the personal is political” but also its inverse, “the political is personal” is essential to acknowledge—in other words, understanding that court proceedings and decisions, the ways policies and laws are constructed as well as their content, how districts are drawn for schools and voting, for example, the annual budget—all of these are frequently viewed as being in the realm of politics (out there), and not personal (in here). But all of these and more are deeply personal—that is, they have significant personal consequences that we must be aware of, take stock of, and act on, in order to be an informed citizenry in a “participatory democracy,” not merely a representative one.
*cultivating and possessing self-regard, self-expression and self-actualization—not allowing others to define us or succumbing to other peoples’ stereotypes, but to be able to define ourselves, on our own terms by being honest with ourselves, and having integrity, to realize our dreams, to be willing to work very hard and persevere, to demand excellence of ourselves not mediocrity, to empower ourselves by continuously assessing the quality of all aspects of our lives, always striving to be the best we can be in everything that we do and in all of our interactions.
*actively working for liberation and peace—teaching and learning for liberation, creating the conditions so that everyone—all persons, all life—can thrive and live with dignity, respect, beauty and love.
*recognizing that “beingness” is the multi-faceted interaction of mind, body, spirit and emotion.
*eliminating polarized, binary thinking and false dichotomies like male/female, black/white, gay/straight, etc., acting upon our curiosity, questioning and challenging institutions of power that are designed to colonize our minds, being fully conscious and inquisitive so that we do not succumb to false consciousness.
*revaluing positions traditionally occupied by women and qualities traditionally associated with women and femininity and men and masculinity (an idea that challenges hierarchical assignations constructed by patriarchy).
*recognizing the value of collective action to bring about constructive and progressive social change for social justice—to rebalance power and access to resources (which include material goods, social benefits, opportunities, rights, privileges and protections), as well as guarantees of respect/dignity/self-worth.
