‘What power do I have?’: A self check-in
5 questions to help us evaluate our power + take action
Image: Digital illustration by Sonny Kennedy of a person in profile, eyes closed, with a calm expression against a soft blue background with a yellow arcing glow. Created by Sonny Kennedy.
A couple months ago, one of our public library friends (we’ll call her Remy) booked a call with me to figure out how to get unstuck. Now, Remy has taken all of our Freedom Lifted courses. She’s read books and engaged in self-study about antiracism, disability justice, and language accessibility. Remy is deeply aware that things in the world right now are messed up.
But Remy felt stuck in figuring out exactly what SHE can do in her position right now. What power does she hold? Where can she take action?
On our call together, I told Remy about my experience in the summer of 2020: I felt lost on what to do in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, when marching and signing petitions just didn’t feel like enough. Then we walked through the questions I often ask myself (and others) when I want to be more useful but don’t know how.
Image ID: Blue-and-white photo of Alice Walker beside a quote in bold text: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Created by Sonny Kennedy.
These question prompts are designed to help us identify one action we might take to support a community or individual who is vulnerable right now:
WHO I CAN SUPPORT? Which communities am I connected with that are in need of support at this time? (This can be a group of people linked by identity, geography, or work/professional field.)
WHAT ARE MY RESOURCES? What resources do I have that can support this community (or an individual in this community) at this time? What money can I give or raise? What information can I share? What space or time can I offer?
WHAT ARE MY CONNECTIONS? Who can I work with to support this person/community? What organizations can I join that align with my values? Which friends would join me in taking action?
WHAT IS MY PLATFORM? Who listens to me? Who pays attention to what I have to say? Will those people act with me? Where do my words have an impact? How can I best speak to these audiences and use these platforms to amplify voices that need to be heard?
WHO CAN I SUPPORT? Which communities in my network need support right now?
WHAT IS MY RISK TOLERANCE RIGHT NOW? What can I do safely that might be dangerous for others? What am I willing to risk? (It’s okay if my risk tolerance right now is low.)
I believe that when we have power, we have resources, voice, visibility, choices, and/or safety. I find it vital to ask questions that help us take inventory of these things.
The questions above are at the heart of the framework I used in the summer of 2020 to figure out (and confirm for myself) that there were impactful things I could do for and with journalists, teachers, public library staff, young people, and people who had been on tours with me. These were the people I was closely connected with at the time, and they were folks with whom I was able to reflect, grieve, ideate, plan, and create tools and actions that made a difference.
This is the framework I used to help Remy determine her next steps (including where she needs support). It helped us both remember that we do have power, even in this incredibly hard historical and political moment.
If you’re feeling stuck, I invite you to take some time with these reflective prompts – and share them with anyone who’s asking ‘What can I do? What’s my power?’
(You might also begin a conversation with others asking similar questions right now.)
In uncertain times, let us remain brave and get specific about what power is ours and how we can use our power to show up for each other.
In solidarity,
PS - This call with Remy was also the nudge I needed to keep working on the ‘What Is My Power?’ Checklist (a more expansive offering with these questions). You can look forward to this free tool we’re building to help you return to these questions again and again, within the next few months.
Thank you for this powerful list about shared power, Mia! It comes at an important time. As I reflected on the guidance, one note that rose for me as a white woman was in relation to -- IDENTIFY: WHO I CAN SUPPORT? Which communities am I connected with that are in need of support at this time? (This can be a group of people linked by identity, geography, or work/professional field.)
The key words that I reflected on were "connected with" and "in need," which I took to mean that I first needed to ensure I had an authentic connection built with a community, and because of that, I could assess (by asking for clarity, knowing through participation and coming alongside, through direct requests for support by the org/indiv) if need was present and how support was desired. That thought process helps me personally to not overstep or ASSUME I know how to help and what that support looks like.