RECONCILE, RECIPROCITY, RENEW.

Sometimes when the tears

fall from my eyes

I'm overwhelmed by

what my heart has been

asked to soak in

Here

Here where people

are clearly clueless

and sometimes clearly clear about the comfort

of their cluelessness

So when they say

"don't know how"

"don't understand how ethnicity impacts their work"

"don't get why this is so important"

the translation

to the marginalized is

"don't expect me to give up my place of power and privilege"

Funny to me

Professors and Instructors

Got so much game in the front of the classroom

So much leadership and bravado

So much telling

students

listeners

audience

"take risk

"ask questions

"step outside your comfort zone

"here to think differently

"expand your knowledge

In that space

in the front of your students, listeners, audience

you

assume

power

and

live in privilege

Use your power and privilege to

Reconcile

you do not earn trust

because of where you stand

Your actions have been

Speaking louder

than your words

PAY ATTENTION

Reciprocity includes

doing

becoming

providing

the outward manifestation of

your professorial speech

or encouragement to

students, listeners, audience

that you

"take risk

"ask questions

"step outside your comfort zone

"here to think differently

"expand your knowledge

GIVE ATTENTION

to the place of

My pain

My existence

My walk

on this university, in this community, country and in the world

Your values and ethics

are on display

in ways you fail to embrace

BE ATTENTIVE

Renew

Your mind

Understand your privilege and power

How they intertwine

Teach you

yourself

Because we are all

running on

borrowed time