Learn Up. Show Up. Act Up. Repeat.

My 10-year old self clearly remembers a school history project that brought forth mixed emotions. I felt pride for creating a beautiful replica of events. I felt engaged with the topic because of my tedious and passionate research. And I felt sad for the people involved. My history project was a replica of Cherokee homes used on the Trail of Tears. I remember wondering why this event happened, but President Andrew Jackson (a fellow Tennessean) was heralded as a hero in my state. I also felt deep connection to the Cherokee people, as my grandfather was part Cherokee. It was a confusing experience.

I look back on that event now and see how a narrative of white dominance and colonialism shaded my learning. My intuition was correct to mourn and ask why Native peoples were being removed from their land. It is just one experience that I can recall and see clearly how white supremacy drove my education. Now I am expanding my education about the lived experiences of many people, not just the white Euro-centric perspective.

My hunch is that many of you are experiencing the same thing right now. We are living through a racial awakening that is happening in our businesses, communities, families, and friendships. We are quickly learning that we have a knowledge gap about lived non-white experiences. In my work, I find that organizations are struggling to implement plans for equity and inclusion beyond building knowledge and awareness with employees. Yet equity and inclusion work at a systemic change level is more than awareness. However, knowledge is not enough. This constant and non-linear work includes individual change, team conversations, and organization design.

A framework that I have been using with colleagues is Learn Up, Show Up, and Act Up. First, we must Learn Up or build knowledge and awareness about our blind spots. The resources for this part of the work are endless. You can access books, podcasts, documentaries, television shows, videos and so much more. Accessing your family history can open your eyes to new perspectives of your own ancestry. Learning is a continuous process. We learn something, practice, fail, and come back for more learning.

Knowledge leads us to Show Up differently in spaces. If we are listening, the knowledge and awareness of lived experiences will enter us and change us. That’s the power of finding resonance with humanity. We notice different dynamics in our relationships and teams, such as power structures, positions of privilege, and dominant decision-making processes. Offering a land acknowledgement before every meeting sends a message of connection and respect to Native peoples. Reflective listening practices become especially important. Following the lead of non-dominant groups changes how we gather and work together.

Integrated knowledge and changed relationships build a collective of humanity to Act Up. The systems of injustice reach far and wide. Systems within organizations include marketing, internal communication, facilities, vendor management, human resources, technology, archives, financial practices, and customer relationship management. Those are just the big buckets of work at the surface. Deeper levels of system change happen in our leadership definitions, use of autonomy & flexibility, compensation philosophies, decision-making processes, and communication practices. Each of us individually can act up at the system level. Teams, organizations, communities, and social groups can act up together to change the systems of injustice that surround us.

Each of us will also Trip Up in this work. Not many people enjoy making mistakes, much less making them over and over again. However, we need to get comfortable with eating humble pie in this work. My favorite poet Nikki Giovanni once said, “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.” We aim to reduce the amount of harm caused by our actions. Knowing that we will not do this work perfectly and blazing into a situation with no preparation are different things. Planning and reflection are two key tools in preparing for any work. Plus, listening is crucial in this racial awakening. We need to slow down and listen. A lot.

I fear that the world will go back to sleep once the media coverage decreases about inequality. My bigger fear is that I will follow the world. That’s why I present this Learn Up, Show Up, Act Up model as an infinity loop. Our learning, our relationships, and our actions continuously evolve as we deepen into this work with every round of learning up, showing up, and acting up. I’m committed to staying on the infinity loop. Are you?