Use the Words (including LOVE)!

A fantastic opinion piece penned by Stacey Abrams and Julián Castro in The Chronicle of Philanthropy last week used the start of the new Supreme Court session to remind us that many long-fought victories are still in the cross-hairs of a conservative court and those seeking to undo progress and abridge vital rights.

• Although I try to stay away from gun and battle terminology, decided to use "cross-hairs" because gun safety will specifically be under review in this session. The article's two-part headline also uses a gun-related metaphor, declaring it's "Open Season on Civil Rights." In both cases, the imagery and urgency seem unfortunately apt.

In their bold piece, Abrams and Castro innumerate recent attacks on the civil society framework so many of us rely on (and build on) every day (Roe, Affirmative Action, Voting Rights, etc.), pointing out that those who seek to curb civil rights are unfazed by the fact or appearance of bias when using charitable donations to support their work and influence the court.

And in their blaze and bluster, they send a chilling effect throughout the sector.

Indeed, when organizations and changemakers observe these trends, it may feel safest to retreat and make timid plans from a place of scarcity, fear, and defensiveness. It may seem smart to narrow our focus to the most palatable words, themes, and agendas. But, as the authors point out, leadership at the Fearless Fund (targets of one such attack) rejects this approach and is boldly role-modeling how to fight back. It serves as an example and inspiration for us all.

I’d add to Abrams and Castro’s praise, and their additional call that philanthropy lean in, be explicit about the work they do and the groups they support, and be prepared to fund legal battles when they crop up, that we don’t forget that we have the ultimate tool in our toolbox.

And that is love.

I was reminded of this recently when getting to know Isaiais Hernandez (aka QueerBrownVegan) who is a powerful voice in the climate justice movement. Not only does he use the words to describe himself and make crystal clear what he is all about (in fact, he secured the trademark just this week!), but he absolutely refuses to fight, gaslight, or spew hate. He reminds us that love, art, and beauty are always at our disposal and can be inexhaustibly deployed against the biggest problems of our day.

And this in turn reminded me of the great “Just Transition” work being done by Movement Generation … here’s a quote from their website that seems the perfect antidote to anyone declaring “open season” on the fight for human rights, anti-racism, and a the equitable future we seek.

Under the title: What We Feed Grows they declare:

“If all we do is fight against what we don’t want, we learn to love the fight and have nothing left for our vision but longing. But longing isn’t good enough. We must live into the vision by creating it and defending it. We must “Build the New” as a way to “Stop the Bad” —we must be both visionary and oppositional. This doesn’t mean we don’t resist, but we have to organize ourselves into applying our labor to meet our needs rooted in our cultures and visions.”

Let me know below how you're using the words and deploying LOVE to do, describe, and defend your work.