Good Trouble PR: Necessary Trouble
To challenge the status quo, sometimes you need to cause good trouble. MinnSPRA kicked off its series, Good Trouble PR, virtually on December 9, 2020 and focused on the topic of systemic injustice and racial inequity. Built on the model of Good Trouble Principals, participants committed to use their positions of power to advance equity and create real, meaningful change for their districts. In times of injustice and inequity, Good Trouble communicators disrupt the normalcy in need of change.
This session was more than a professional development workshop. It gave school communicators the opportunity to broaden their views and work to improve communication for their students and district.
Good Trouble PR is inspiring like-minded communicators to seek ongoing professional development on equity, anti-racism and abolitionism to reshape their worldviews and ensure they are attuned to the impacts of their work. At this workshop, influential speakers including Myla Pope and Kandace Logan discussed real-life scenarios and encouraged participants to share stories and perspectives through their own lens.
A few key takeaways:
Notice where binaries are showing up for you.
Understand. A binary is something made up of two parts, such as: black/white, male/female, good/bad and more. Whether we know it or not, binaries are present. Understanding the binaries is the first step to spotting them in your life and challenge your thinking to be more inclusive.
Identify in all areas. This work does not cease when we leave the office. Binaries may show up differently in areas of life, but they are present in all. If you are authentic, your communication around equity requires work in all areas of life.
Focus on the middle. The two ends of a binary should not be forgotten but not receive too much of your hyper-focus. Draw your efforts to what is happening between the binary; inclusivity means bringing attention to all of it.
“It is not ‘will I make mistakes’ but ‘when’ and what is the learning piece.” –Rachel Hicks
This is a movement.
Continuous learning is crucial. New discoveries happen every day. Having the mindset that this knowledge pool is finite defeats the mission. One person will never know every perspective, story and experience of another. This work is not a skill to perfect and put in your back pocket. By committing to the anti-racism movement, you are actively changing how you show up every day. It is not just a work behavior; it is a life behavior.
It will not be perfect. Rachel Hicks shared her mindset on this work by saying “It is not ‘will I make mistakes’ but ‘when’ and what is the learning piece.” As you continue to seek out resources and develop your communications, improve your actions accordingly. Act with the information that is available.
Support. Diversity and inclusion work is hard. It takes conscious effort and an open mind to improve our communication. Seek support from others that share your vision and passion. Use resources like Good Trouble PR, MinnSPRA and other school communicators in this movement. We all have each others’ backs in this journey
Improving school communication to support equity, anti-racism and abolitionism is a movement that is growing every day. Thanks to organizations like MinnSPRA, like-minded school communicators can gather to share their perspectives and expand their views. As Congressman John Lewis said, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” When you see something that is unjust, use your position of power and say something to advance equity.
“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble” – John Lewis
Published on: December 17, 2020