Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. I'm super excited to be writing this because it means I’m pretty close to being ready to publish the website, jaydensthoughts.com. What started off as just an idea for a blog has blossomed into a full blown website with multiple content streams, and so far, I’m pretty happy with it. What I want to do with my first blog post is to explain what my site has to offer and what I hope it will promote.
Knowledge. Inspiration. Community.
Knowledge.
Knowledge is power, right? While I’ve found this to be both true and false at times, knowledge is definitely worth something. I believe, like most people, that in a world as large and complex as ours, knowledge must form the base of our operations. Is it too much to ask of people to inform themselves before they assert their opinion’s dominance? I don’t have an answer for you, but I will tell you that informing oneself is the hallmark of this project. I do my best to inform myself, so I can do my best in informing you, so you can do your best in informing yourself, and eventually do your best to inform others. So, if you find any factual inaccuracies, please do not hesitate to let me know, for this project is counterproductive if pushing misinformation. Note that I said factual inaccuracies; do not try to delegitimize my, or anyone else’s, experiences, interpretations, or ideas on this blog. Healthy conversation is always promoted, but there is a clear line between constructive & informed dialogue vs. antagonistic rhetoric, and the latter will not be tolerated on this website.
This is especially important because what comes after knowledge is almost always just as crucial, and that is critical thinking. Critical thinking is defined as “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” So what I mean is, it’s not enough to just know facts if you can not interpret and/or properly frame those facts within your life. It is wonderful to learn the life story of Shirley Chisholm, but what’s the point if you do not understand how her life story is a prime example of the intersectional struggle Black women are subject to daily in our White Supremacist society? Learning about the discrimination she faced as a Black woman in the 1970’s allows you to recognize the patterns of oppression that existed then, and disrupt them if you see them today, as most patterns still exist today (such as White, male politicians denouncing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez so easily, mainly because she is a young Woman of Color). We have to recognize that knowledge is not enough, as real change always relies on what we as a People do with that knowledge. Anti-literacy laws were not put in place because White people thought Black people would roam the streets reciting facts and winning spelling bees, but because they were afraid that Black people would congregate and strategize how to use their newly found knowledge to fight their inhumane treatment. It’s always about knowledge-informed ACTION put in motion by a community of individuals, not knowledge gained by said community.
Inspiration.
Because who is anything without it? I get inspired daily, by people, by nature, by history, and all sorts of other stuff. I can’t tell you what exactly inspired me to create my website, but I’d guess it to be a plethora of things, and moments, that left me with a desire to contribute to the world in ways I hadn’t thought of before. A website seemed appropriate, mainly because I wanted a medium through which I could concentrate my thoughts without compromising the users desire to think critically. Social media is great for a lot of things, but encouraging critical thinking? Twitter ain’t the place.
In creating the site, I was inspired by how others inspired me, if that makes sense. I found/find it astonishing how powerful words can be, and how brilliant the people speaking those words are in real life. With all of this inspiration flowing into me from multiple different angles, it seemed negligent to not incorporate my inspiration into the website. This is how, what started just as a blog turned into numerous content streams, all, at least in part, with an aim to inspire. To inspire one to be proud of who they are, and even more proud of who they are to become. To inspire one to take action against injustices that, although clear to many, are hidden in plain sight to some. Whether it be by reading one of the dozens of resources collected and organized in the Systemic Racism tab, reading a short biography on a prominent figure of Black Excellence in American history, or seeing yourself in the stories of one of our up and coming Visionaries, this website is designed to empower young leaders globally to continue evolving, and inspire all to continue to frame themselves within the fight against systemic racism & other forms of systemic oppression.
Community.
When I think of the word community, I think of a group of people linked together by a common thread. One study sat down with dozens of individuals from different social groups to examine whether or not diverse communities view the concept of community in the same manner. A common definition that emerged from these interviews was, “a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical locations or settings.” Not only do I love this definition because of the methodology behind it, I think it aligns well with the type of community best fit for this type of project. While I focus my work through the perspective of the Black Experience, it should be clearly stated that this website invites individuals of all races, classes, gender identities, sexual identities, educational & situational backgrounds, to the table.
Solidarity amongst oppressed social groups is only within our best interest, because it is all one fight. Systemic racism is one of many forms of Institutional Oppression, and as long as one form exists, they all exist. While it broadens the necessary work to overcome a unified struggle, this viewpoint recruits any and all hands on deck to combat the injustices within and because of America & shift the narrative of the Black & Brown people who built this country. I love that definition of community because it describes the community that I believe is necessary to effectively dismantle systemic racism & all other forms of institutional oppression, as well as delegitimize the outdated attitudes that lead those practices. It describes the type of community I aim to cultivate through the content on this site: a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds & bodies of thought who are willing to frame themselves within the prolonged struggle, by reading, learning, & sharing ideas with the intent to act upon them within their own spaces & abilities.
This is not asking everyone to become an activist. That’s not to say I even consider myself one, because I do not. This is simply a call to acknowledge that we all have a role in this fight. And if we are not educating ourselves, raising our awareness and listening to others, our role will more than likely be upholding systems of oppression, rather than uprooting them. In the end, whether it is knowledge, inspiration, or a sense of community, I want you to leave this website with more than you came with, every time. Together, one day at a time, we can, we will, be the change we want to see in the world.
Sources: What Is Community? An Evidence-Based Definition for Participatory Public Health
Kathleen M. MacQueen, PhD, MPH, Eleanor McLellan, MA, David S. Metzger, PhD, Susan Kegeles, PhD, Ronald P. Strauss, PhD, Roseanne Scotti, MA, Lynn Blanchard, PhD, and Robert T. Trotter, II, PhD, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1446907/.
