None of us are free if one of us is chained, none of us are free. -Brenda Russell, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
I have always loved this Ray Charles' song. It tells us "you better listen" and recognize the truth of our interconnectedness in the context of the harm of racism. The lyrics go on to tell us there are ancestral voices crying out to us and calling us into compassion and action.
The wisdom within these lyrics is a reminder that we are not separate from each other. It reflects an "ubuntu", communal orientation to life, that what happens to any one of us touches our collective lives. With each act that oppresses and denies someone their liberation, our souls are wounded, individually and collectively. Even if we don't recognize it, our individual freedom is linked to our collective freedom.
I invite you to spend a day intentionally viewing all that you see through the lens of that awareness. What begins to look and feel a bit different?
With Peace, Love, and Soulfulness,
Dr. Shelly Harrel
