Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Calling: in our out?

For many years I've noticed that the most effective activists have been those who refrain from the most negative aspects of woke culture, i.e., calling people out. That is relationally destructive and alienating. Calling them in is far more effective and can enhance the elements you describe. I raised two mixed-race boys as a single Dad. I learned that if I wanted them to have a better life, I needed to call in anyone who used racially offensive language instead of calling them out. For example, if someone used the n-word, I would tell them something like, "You're a better man than that." Calling them in like that opens their mind to a different reality in which they question their own racism rather than being defensive about it. Using conflict management techniques that elicit the best emotional qualities is part of how transformation happens. 

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