Divided we fall; together we thrive

Rochester Business Journal by Abigail McHugh-Grifa

January 4, 2024

How would our region be different one year from now, if for this New Year, we all resolved to advance each other’s collective liberation? This is not a rhetorical question. It is my personal resolution for 2024, and I am hoping that you, Dear Reader, will adopt it too, because I doubt I’ll make much progress on my own.

What is collective liberation, you might ask? Well I’m still figuring that out, but according to People & Planet (a student network in the UK that focuses on social and environmental justice), “collective liberation is not just a value, but an action,” which recognizes that “all of our struggles are intimately connected, and we must work together to create the kind of world we know is possible.” They further assert that “every person is worthy of dignity and respect, and that within systems of oppression everyone suffers.” That definition sounds about right to me.

My interest in this idea has been bubbling up ever since I read Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of Us, in which she clearly lays out how racism hurts white people and how racial groups have been intentionally pitted against each other in this country for hundreds of years to prevent coalition building that would have led to political and economic gains for the vast majority of people. As I’ve continued learning about the topic, I’ve come to recognize that mutually harmful divisions don’t apply only to racial groups. For example, my husband and I (with the help of an excellent marriage counselor) have been unpacking how rigid and antiquated ideas about gender differences show up in our relationship and how we both suffer as a result. Divisions based on religion, political affiliation, and social class are also clear causes of strife in our world these days.

McGhee identifies how “zero-sum thinking” leads us to believe that progress for some must come at the expense of others. So part of my goal for this year is to help our community move beyond the zero-sum paradigm and understand how we can successfully reap the "solidarity dividend" that is only possible when diverse groups of people work together to achieve shared goals. 

In the work I’ve been doing over the past decade to address the climate crisis, I have repeatedly seen how people’s assumptions about each other and perceptions of difference and division lead to really nasty behavior and impede meaningful progress. I’ve also come to understand how climate change and other social and environmental crises are inextricably linked to harmful, oppressive systems, such as structural racism, the patriarchy, and the extractive economy. Considering that we all need clean air, clean water, healthy food, etc., all of which are threatened by climate change, I think it’s time for us to recognize our interdependence and collaboratively dismantle the systems that cause such harm.    

So for myself, I’m trying to understand what these systems mean for my day-to-day life and how I can effectively and strategically push back on them. One thing I know for sure is that being a 44-year-old, middle-class, white, professional mother and wife is not a fun identity (despite its many privileges). It leads me to overexpress some aspects of my personality (e.g., responsible, straight-laced, analytical), and deemphasize other aspects of who I am (e.g., playful, boisterous, expressive). Though no one is forcing me to repress these qualities, I don’t think it’s unrealistic or paranoid to assume that I would be harshly judged for being fully myself in most social settings, so I keep myself in check. Nevertheless, I’m eager to break free from the artificial and arbitrary boundaries of my identity that limit my enjoyment of life.

For example, if I could unselfconsciously sing and dance in random public places, that would feel like liberation to me. So this year, I intend to (occasionally) do exactly that. This obviously won’t make much difference in terms of dismantling oppressive systems, but it will create a bit of space for other people to express themselves with freedom and joy, which seems like a win to me. 

I’m also planning to seek out more human connection, since collective liberation undoubtedly requires collective action. Because I’m an introvert, social interaction has always been a bit challenging for me, and being isolated during the pandemic definitely didn’t help. In addition, our socialization teaches us to position other people as opponents or enemies, which then leads us to make assumptions and treat each other poorly. There are real historical reasons for this, as I mentioned above, and human nature surely plays a role as well, but it’s time for a new narrative and understanding of how to be in relationship with each other. So this year, I’ll simply spend more time in community with others to proactively cultivate connection and shared understanding, especially with those whose backgrounds and perspectives are very different from my own. 

Since a lot of our human interactions happen via the economy or in “the marketplace,” I believe we need high ethical standards for people’s actions there. I will therefore advocate for robust laws and regulations that prevent unscrupulous corporations from harming human health and wellbeing, while also continuing to divest my personal resources (e.g., time, energy, money, attention) from the extractive economy and other harmful systems.  

Though I try to align my daily activities with my values, I still cause harm on a regular basis, simply by living a “normal” American life. This is terribly frustrating and discouraging (why is it so hard to avoid creating plastic garbage?!?!), but I don’t believe it’s inevitable. In many ways, I believe the key to dismantling oppressive systems is simply to opt out of them, so my goal for this year is to not engage, not give them my resources, and find better systems to support instead.   

Causing harm is a traumatic experience for everyone involved, and I firmly believe that hurt people hurt people, so interrupting these cycles of harm and achieving collective liberation will probably require quite a bit of healing. In many cases, we have good reason to be angry with each other, which should be acknowledged and accounted for. If the way we pursue comfort, pleasure, and security harms someone else, that is just fundamentally uncool, and ultimately, it makes us all less happy and safe. So from my perspective, shifting toward a less resource-intensive, more community-oriented way of life sounds fantastically appealing. 

Imagine how we could transform our region, for the better, if we generously invested in the people who live here and the ecosystems that support our collective wellbeing. What if there just weren’t oppressed or exploited people or natural resources? What if none of us lived at the expense of someone else? I can hardly imagine what that would look like, because it’s so different from what I’ve always known, but I believe it is the appropriate goal to aim for.

This world is kind of a mess right now and no one seems to be thriving (including people with lots of money and power), but together, we can turn things around. So please start this New Year with a firm resolution to join me in working toward our collective liberation. I want to be happy, healthy, free, and safe, and I want that for you too!