I’m at a gathering called Beloved Communities on the Haley Farm (the farm of Alex Haley, author of ROOTS and the Autobiography of Malcolm X. After he passed, Marian Wright Edelman {champion of children’s rights} purchased the space for retreats and use by the Children’s Legal Defense Fund), which very historic and beautiful and just deep.

I was invited by Detroit Summer founder and mentor Grace Boggs, and Shea Howell, an Oakland University professor who does tons of work around race and culture. I think they felt it was important to have me and Ruckus here based on previous conversations I’d had with them, to learn and to share. I trusted them as I am learning to do, Grace being sort of my first elder in this work over 90.

Being here has been remarkable. Everyone is amazed that Ruckus exists, and as I explain what we have gone through as an organization, the history of moving from the radical beginnings to the radical present, all the challenges and hard times and violent interpersonal moments, hopelessness, race issues, distrust, shifts in direction, leadership, structure, etc…it becomes clear to me that we have been in the process of rediscovering the community of Ruckus. Our organizational development is a process of transformation, imperfect, really painful at times, but with moments of great alignment and joy. The dedication to reach out to all the people we can find from the beginning of Ruckus till now, while growing relationships intentional with new communities, takes a deep commitment.

In speaking to these mostly older folks, many of whom are engaged in intergenerational, indigenous-led work, it occurs to me how deeply I believe what we’ve doing is key to where we are going as an organization committed not just to tactics but to movement building, how necessary the deep authentic communication, accountability, sustainability and hardworkingness are for what we want to invite: our success (as people, org, programs, movement, species, globe).

It also becomes clear to me how many isolated groups are doing work in tune with ours, whether we know it or not. People living sustainbility and self-determination, successes to point at. The Tewa of New Mexico, the FeFes and Sarah Triano doing revolutionary and humanizing work around people living with disabilities, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Greensboro, NC (www.belovedcommunitycenter.org), the Cookman United Methodist Church which holds a restorative justice process to keep youth out of prison and almost entire congregation is youth…there’s so many tangible examples of people DOING it.

I’m thinking a lot here about how resistance action is so important to me, but such a huge part of that resistance can be worn down by hopelessness – “what if we stop this bad politician/corporation/policy…then what?” Our problems seem so large and the examples so small. But then to be in a room of people who clearly have the power to heal with their communities, who have concrete steps people can take, who have a radical understanding of the level of truth necessary for reconciliation to be possible AND the types of reconciliation that make the risk of telling your truth worth it – needless to say I am inspired. And honored to know that Ruckus is on the path of getting fully aligned in our work, in living the vision within the staff and with each person we train or support in action.