5 minute read
PLANTING SEEDS FOR CHANGE: TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE WORK
BY: HEATHER A. HATHAWAY MIRANDA, M.A.
During my kindergarten Thanksgiving art activity, I experienced a profound emotional, intellectual identity challenge through pilgrim hats vs. Indian headdresses; since then, I've been keen to question relationships.
What do race, ethnicity, skin color, and difference mean to me? How do I see others as equal? Do they accept me as equal? Why aren't all spaces welcoming to everyone? After years of being an educator & researcher, I now do consulting work through Hathaway Miranda LLC; some fundamental threads persist, such as the need for acceptance.
After participating in a Hispanic leadership program, I realized extreme differences exist within my diverse community. Still, we can ask, "Where is our common ground?" and "How can we connect authentically?"
My life's journey has afforded me many human interactions on many continents, cities, and spaces. Generally, I am a social person and appreciate helping others; I feel deep satisfaction and growth. The pain and prejudice experienced through marginalization, oppression, and discrimination as a person of color pushes me to be curious and ask why people think and act as they do.
I learned early to use my bicultural identity, and now bilingual tongue, to bridge humans with one another. As a consultant, motivational speaker, and racial healing practitioner, I am informed by profound, non-visible aspects of my identity--being a survivor of domestic violence, a former caregiver of an elderly parent with cancer, a mother through pregnancy loss, a military spouse, a child of an alcoholic parent, a family member of four generations of military service, and a first-generation college-degree recipient.
Rejecting microaggressions, xenophobic energies, and actions, and reclaiming the colonizer's language of Spanish and sharing about them in my consulting work through storytelling is empowering for my clients and myself. When I claim space and voice and encourage other survivors of oppression and marginalization to do the same, we all grow in strength and determination. No matter how my business or personal day may unfold, I always have the following goals:
To help improve humanity by doing healing work (from racism and other traumas) 1.Build deeper levels of collective compassion and empathy 2.Do my diligent part to eliminate ' -isms' 3.Plant seeds for positive change
Storytelling and speaking my truth, sharing my testimonios and my narrative about ways that I've been marginalized and have grown in strength and wisdom helps multiply my capabilities. It opens me up to holding growth space as I try to radiate positivity and healing to those around me through my work. Author Bell Hooks believed we should not ask students to do things we are not prepared to do ourselves.
Through Hathaway Miranda LLC--as a DEI and educational consultant, a racial healing practitioner, motivational speaker, and a facilitator of difficult dialogues--I live this and I ask my clients what I am trying to do myself---actively pursue healing from systemic oppressions. If I don't do the hard work to heal and be vulnerable to talk about that healing, I cannot expect and honestly advise others to do the same. Build deeper levels of collective compassion and empathy
As a society, we came to see the disease of racism when we, as a nation, witnessed what happened in the streets and on social media during this pandemic. Historical truths were revealed through video/audio recordings, such as the tragic death (homicide) of George Floyd. The pain and trauma of the racial climate have brought the need for conversation, connection, healing, and change to the forefront for businesses, communities, and individuals.
Writing a diversity statement is not enough for an entity or individual; one must embody collective compassion beyond their comfort spaces. My commitment to compassion and empathy means an ongoing commitment to myself and fellow human beings to ask open-ended questions, listen fully and empathetically, and assume I always have more to learn.
It can be tiring and draining at times, and I know my commitment to the work is also a commitment to mindfulness, laughter, connecting with nature, and collective care. The social justice work related to inclusion, equity, and the diverse ways we differ has roots in my ancestors. I am honored to do the healing work through my business with my clients as we look back and learn from the past while walking forward.
To be an effective leader and consultant, I constantly need to confront my own biases and prejudices and take action against embedded attitudes and systems rather than being neutral. I must look within and review my thoughts, behaviors, choices, and spaces where I go. I must remind myself that I do not know everything. I have made mistakes and definitely will continue to make more.
There are so many aspects of identity to which we can attach -ism, and it's another realm of oppression. The obvious interacting and overlapping systems of racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and so forth and their interconnectedness is at the forefront of my work as a consultant.
Planting a seed is not the only step to gardening, but without a seed, nothing grows. Many components matter--location, soil quality, required sunlight, water source & frequency, and surrounding environment.
In thinking about the adversity faced when doing my DEI consulting and public speaking work, I'm reminded of a line from the rapper Tupac and a book that was a collection of his poetry. He described himself as the 'rose that grew from concrete. Planting seeds makes me think of all kinds of different things that can grow, but certainly, some of the most beautiful things can grow in the most challenging and unexpected locations.
I know that real learning, transformation, and healing come from a willingness to be vulnerable, admit missteps, be courageous in action and word, and offer support and forgiveness to others. No one is born hating. Fear and hate are learned behaviors.
By introducing resources, having conversations, sharing my stories, and posing critical questions, I aim to plant seeds for positive change that leads to healing and transformation. I hope to be a positive influence yet only control my actions, efforts, and energy I bring to my personal and workspaces. I know you cannot change anyone but yourself. Having heart and soul conversations in my DEI consulting work is an important step, as is being critically self-reflective and recommitting to making change by building relationships with others to work in and live in more equitable and compassionate communities.
HEATHER ANA HATHAWAY MIRANDA SCHOLAR•ACTIVIST•SPEAKER https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherhathawaymiranda/
