I have spent my academic and professional career on social change - researching domestic violence policy, trying to actually stop violence, encouraging people to talk about racism and managing organizations dedicated to eradicating discrimination. I have been a grant maker, supporting the nonprofits led by people of color. I have often sought to change the way that institutions address systemic oppression, discrimination and harassment, whether it happens to be what is happening internally to the institution or how the institution interacts or influences the world.Too often I have often been disappointed in these institutions and their leaders for their failures to root out sexism or racism or child abuse. I have also been sorely disappointed at the way institutions have punished people who speak up, myself included.
It must work for many institutions to sweep their problems under the rug or to treat a discrimination complaint as a risk mitigation issue. However, I look at organizations such as the Catholic Church, the Minneapolis Police Department or the Boy Scouts of America and think that those organizations would be in a better place today if they could have honestly looked at themselves in the mirror and said "we need to care of this" before the rest of society forced them to do so.
I am not ready to totally give up on institutions. I like the local library system. Public health departments are pretty important right now. And I am writing this blog on a computer on a blogging application, so I have some use for corporations too. I just want them to be more just.
In this series of blogs, I am going to explore how we can make institutions more just. Why do they make the decisions they do? How can institutions and those within them approach sexism, homophobia, ableism and racism differently?
I would be interested in hearing your stories, good and bad. Please drop me a line if you would be interested in sharing.
