Collective Liberation
Collective (a) - done by people acting as a group.
Liberation (n) - 1) the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release. 2) freedom from limits on thought or behavior.
In my own words, Collective Liberation is the freedom of an entire group of people (e.g., an organization, a community, or a nation) from limiting and oppressive thoughts, behaviors, and belief systems based on scarcity and separation. In other words, Collective Liberation is freedom from racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and other belief systems that inhibit our ability to effectively pursue and attain freedom for ALL.
So … how do we get to Collective Liberation? More people than ever before (at least in my lifetime) are finally asking this question. I imagine that it weighed heavy on the hearts and minds of Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi during the summer of 2013, and the years since as they’ve shaped and led the Black Lives Matter Movement. I know it’s a question that my heroes, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, bell hooks, and so many other activists of color, contemplate(d) incessantly.
Most importantly though, it’s a question that each of us must answer for ourselves. If we truly desire an equal and just society, we all have to put in the work needed to change the horrific reality of inequity that the pandemic has so clearly highlighted.
For some of us this will mean organizing politically, for others it may mean conscious parenting, and yet for others, it will mean driving change in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in our workplaces. Trust and know that wherever you may find yourself, there is work to do. There is always a role for you in the movement.
I am so grateful to have a clear understanding of how I help us move towards Collective Liberation. See, I believe that in order to effectively contribute to Collective Liberation at the societal and organizational level, you must first be personally liberated. How do you get liberated? For me, and many of my clients, it’s come down to four crucial (ongoing and iterative) steps:
Intricately examine your history - the good, the bad, and the ugly
Prioritize healing from your pain and trauma + releasing what no longer serves you
Identify your purpose and intentionally execute it
Experience deep, true, lasting joy
The steps don’t always happen in a linear fashion, and each step must be repeated as many times as needed in order to maintain personal liberation.
Somehow, we must find ways to perform these steps collectively as well. As a society, we’re honestly struggling to do the first step, which is why we still need to have basic conversations about what equality for all means in 2021.
Nevertheless, I believe that the more we individually prioritize our own journeys to liberation, the more innovative and effective ideas we’ll create to lead us towards Collective Liberation. This is not a movement where we’re waiting on a few remarkable leaders to guide us. We are the leaders, and we’ve been called to do this work every single day.
As a Holistic Life & Leadership Coach for members of the BIPOC Community, I support my clients as they’re engaged in the process of defining what liberation looks and feels like for them. I provide accountability and encouragement as they intentionally pursue careers and lifestyles that center conscious living and the creation of liberated families, communities, businesses, organizations, and institutions.
This is my role in the movement towards Collective Liberation. What’s yours?
