Unapologetic Leadership

Video Transcript

Karen Proctor explains what it means to lead as an ally in social justice efforts. She challenges us to reflect on our position and purpose in the movement as well as our knowledge of it. You cannot be a part of the solution to a problem that you do not understand.

Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Karen Proctor, and I'm going to give a very brief talk that I've titled "Unapologetic Leadership." Many of us are asking ourselves what could or should we be doing during this time of social unrest when our country is experiencing the devastating impacts of systemic racism? Well, in this very brief talk, I'm going to give you one main thought regarding that, and I'm going to provide some definitional context to substantiate that thought. Everything that I'm sharing with you is framed around the social change model of leadership, and let me briefly explain to you what that is. I'm quoting from the book Leadership for a Better World. The social change model of leadership approaches leadership as a purposeful, collaborative, values-based process, that results in positive social change. So if you want to work in solidarity with black people during this moment or with any people group that is experiencing oppression of any form, you are purposeful in that work, meaning that you understand your values and your beliefs and why you are doing this work. You're doing it with and on purpose.

You're also committed to it. You're collaborative, which means that you're working with, not in positional authority or being an authority, but rather you're centered on the larger need for change. And that need for change is determined by the people who are harmed by the status quo. So, that leads to my main point, when you're leading in any kind of social change or social justice work, knowledge matters. You have to know something. We often like to jump into work, particularly at times of unrest or disasters, but effective leading and social justice is not about jumping in. It requires deep learning and understanding about the very root causes that have brought about the issues that people want to change. We're currently experiencing social unrest and this social unrest has been around in this country since the country began. It is not new and it is deeply rooted in the country's history of systemic racism.

So pause for a moment. What do you know about that? What do you know about systemic racism? According to sociologist Dr. Joe Feagan, and I'm quoting from one of his books, "Systemic racism involves both the deep structures and social structures of racial oppression. It includes the complex array of anti-black practices created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power." He goes on to write that "Systemic racism encompasses racist attitudes, ideologies, emotions, images, actions, and institutions of American society. Like a hologram," he says, "Each major part of U.S. society-the economy, politics, education, religion, and the family-reflects the fundamental realities of systemic racism." So pause for a moment, think about why it matters to know something like that. From someone who wrote the book titled Systemic Racism: A Theory of Oppression. The bottom line is you can't change something that you don't fundamentally understand.

Social change happens in a social context. That context has deep, deep history. It's embedded in culture. Researcher, author, and scholar Abraham Kennedy writes, and I'm quoting him, "The only way to undo racism is to constantly identify it, describe it, and then dismantle it." You cannot do that if you know nothing about it. Leading in this space starts with gaining knowledge. Learning is actually a part of social justice work.

And finally, a couple of additional points that I've called from a number of resources. Consider why you care about this issue in the first place. Really interrogate your own values and your beliefs. Understand how systemic racism affects people, not just by asking them; really do your homework. Know how you may benefit from or how you may be participating in racist systems and structures. And then finally, commit to the work over the long haul. Unapologetic leadership is not about heroics. It's not about sheroics. It's not about being there in the moment. It's really about deeply understanding what the issues are, why you care about them, how they're aligned to your values and what you're committed to do to address them. It means engaging with others, boldly, courageously, and without regret. Take the next step on your leading and learning journey. I've put together a PowerPoint with some notes, and it has the book references that I use for this talk. So take care.