She was fighting against racial injustices for decades. She fought hard.
And then her approach softened because fighting hard wasn’t as potent as she had once thought.
In 2022, she was interviewed about the George Floyd Protests of 2020 that followed his killing.
She said her country, the US, had been founded on some very violent, extractive and cruel ideas. This beginning had affected its identity and had remained ingrained in its culture, or system, as a consequence. It had affected black people of course, but white people too.
“That cruelty seeks into the soul of everybody and affects social relations and market relations. It affects everything. There is suffering across the board. And I think what has emerged is, across the board, whether it is the rise of white nationalism or the response in justice movements, it is a calling out of the pain that wants to be addressed and wants to be remedied.
For me, I find this period as daunting and frightening as it can be, the polarization, the anger. I also find it very hopeful because it is– the crack is opening. And I think it’s the crack that lets the sunlight through. The only thing we have is to have more awareness so that we can act on it.”
Dayna is referring to the undeniability, or visibility, of the reality you’re facing.
When we can suddenly see what has been operating beneath the surface for some time. We may have known of it, but perhaps we denied it or suppressed it.
But once it surfaces, it is visible. When it’s visible, it can be more easily addressed.
How can you relate to this in your own team at work?
Or for yourself?
Performance = Potential – Interference.
When we’re aware of something that needs to be addressed, yet we allow it to persist, it creates needless interference.
I’ve my own very real example of this from the past week, I’m sure you do too.