Just days before MLK day and Donald Trump’s inauguration, I cross-post this episode from the podcast Ten Percent Happier, which was recorded just after the January 6th insurrection in 2021. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to recognize the difference between fighting evil and fighting people. He challenged us to leave room for our human enemies to seek redemption and reconciliation toward building beloved community (for more on this, see MLK’s principles of nonviolence HERE). In this podcast episode, Loretta Ross shares some wonderful stories and invites us to resist “calling out” in exchange for “calling in” (source).
On this Martin Luther King day, it’s tempting to fear that America, and the world, may never have been further away from the kind of inclusive society that Dr. King called for so eloquently. So today, we are, I hope, going to give you a little hope — and perhaps also some ideas for how you can be an engaged citizen without losing your mind. My guest is Loretta Ross, who describes herself as a radical Black feminist, activist, and public intellectual. She’s a Visiting Associate Professor at Smith College, and she also teaches an online course that caught our eye. It’s called, “Calling in the Calling Out Culture.” She believes that “calling out,” which is quite common on social media these days, is adding way too much toxicity to the discourse and alienating people who might otherwise be allies. Instead, she believes in “calling in,” which steadfastly insists on a large measure of grace, and rejects the impulse to dehumanize. As you will hear, she is a longtime leftist, but no matter where you stand politically, she is modeling a compelling mode of engaging that is insistently open-minded and large-hearted. And, as you will hear, it is one she has personally put the test, as a Black woman who has worked with white supremacists, and a rape survivor who has worked with incarcerated rapists.
Where to find Loretta Ross online:
Website: https://lorettajross.com
Social Media:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LorettaJRoss
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorettaross
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2FxbqwV3BEhDpnAihWKqQ
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Online Courses: https://lorettajross.com/online-courses
- New York Times Op-Ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/opinion/sunday/cancel-culture-call-out.html
- David Roediger: http://www.davidroediger.org/
- Viola Liuzzo: https://www.biography.com/activist/viola-gregg-liuzzo
- Harper’s Magazine, A Letter on Justice and Open Debate: https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/
- Lois McMaster Bujold: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16094.Lois_McMaster_Bujold
- Bryan Stevenson: https://eji.org/bryan-stevenson/
Many thanks for this fantastic episode to Loretta Ross, Dan Harris, and the gang over at Ten Percent Happier.
Seeds Will Grow 
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