Reflecting on MLK Day: A Journey of Continuous Learning and Unlearning

Today, we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, I reflect on the power of education, empathy, and action in the pursuit of racial justice and equality.?

World events weigh heavily. Our country enters an election year when, once again, there is so much at stake. Higher education continues to find itself in the crosshairs. Add to this the use of algorithms and generative artificial intelligence that are being used to distort, misinform, and influence beliefs and behaviors.

As a white woman in Vermont, who is also an educator, I recognize my privilege and the responsibility to practice every day, even in small ways, being an anti-racist.

The journey I am on is life-long and is centered on unlearning because the older I get, the more I realize just how much I do not know — or more accurately, how the American educational system failed me in the 1970s and 80s, and how so much of what I was taught was white-washed history. Even more troubling is the attacks our educators face today as they work to make changes to curriculum that tell our history — the good, the bad and the ugly.

Continuous Unlearning

In this spirit, I invite my network to join me in continuous unlearning -- to embrace that things we learned years ago are at best inaccurate, and at worst downright lies and untruths created to spin a narrative that is harmful to all of us.?

There are many amazing individuals who are providing opportunities to do just that, and here are just a few who I have been learning from over the past year or so:

• Sharon Hurley Hall: An advocate for racial equality, her writings provide insightful perspectives on intersectionality and racism. She models what it means to take action, recently migrating her newsletter to BeeHive in response to the stance of Substack leadership allowing hate groups to thrive on the platform. I highly recommend subscribing to (and paying for) Sharon’s Anti-racism Newsletter.
• Jermaine Fowler (@thehumanityarchive on Instagram): Offers a wealth of stories highlighting the experiences and contributions of Black individuals and communities, often overlooked in mainstream narratives. His book “The Humanity Archive: Recovering the Soul of Black History from a Whitewashed American Myth” is powerful!?
• Tony Nabors (@racialequityinsights on Instagram): I just recently discovered Tony on Instagram and his content has been thought-provoking and challenging. His focus on taking education to the next level and digging deeper into areas like socialization, implicit bias, and one that really hit me hard on “harmful racial lessons white folks learn” has been incredibly impactful. He has a course on The Anti-Racist Jumpstarter Guide that is on my to-do list for 2024.

Beyond educating ourselves, supporting organizations working tirelessly for racial equity is crucial. I encourage donations to local BIPOC organizations, which make a significant impact in our communities. For those in Vermont, consider supporting the Vermont Professionals of Color, an organization doing vital work in our state.

MLK Day is more than a commemoration; it's a call to deepen our understanding and actively contribute to a more equitable society. It's a day to embrace diverse perspectives, confront our biases, and commit to tangible actions towards dismantling racial inequities, and commit to an anti-racist journey.

This MLK Day, let's honor Dr. King's legacy by not only reflecting but also taking active steps in educating ourselves, supporting BIPOC communities, and committing to the ongoing work of unlearning and dismantling systemic racism.

#MLKDay #SocialJustice #RacialEquity #ContinuousLearning #unlearning