What If?
September 23, 2018
These days seem to be a roller coaster of emotions. I’m saddened by what I see and read in the news on a weekly (if not daily) basis. At the same time, I can usually find something that inspires me and restores my hope for future generations.
Last week, I was saddened by the attempts to discredit a woman who reported an attempted rape by Brett Kavanaugh, a nominee to the Supreme Court. The attempted assault occurred more than 30 years ago. As with other reports of sexual assault against high-profile men (e.g., Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Les Moonves, etc.), there was a rush of people insisting that the claim couldn’t possibly be true, making excuses for the bad behavior, and passing judgment on the woman for not reporting it when it happened. I even saw Facebook posts from female “friends” of a meme created after a Republican South Carolina congressman made a comment about Ruth Bader Ginsburg being groped by Abraham Lincoln. When I saw the insensitive Facebook post, I was hurt. I can only imagine how women who have been sexually assaulted feel about hearing the comment or seeing the meme on social media.
I haven’t been sexually assaulted, but I have been sexually harassed – by a friend of my husband’s. It happened 38 years ago. I didn’t tell anyone about it – not my husband, family or friends until six months ago. There are many reasons why. I felt ashamed (even though I know it wasn’t my fault) because the culture is to blame the victim. Mostly, I felt like it would be discounted because the culture in many parts of the country is still “boys will be boys.”
While this is one of many injustices that still exists and saddens me, there are also actions of people that encourage me. Last week’s inspiration came from the Dallas Hub of the 2018 United Nation’s Global People’s Summit. The Global People’s Summit is organized by the Humanity Lab Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Partnerships. This year’s theme for the Dallas Hub was “Reimagine Dallas,” and the event featured conversations with Dallas thought leaders on reimagining education, philanthropy, community engagement, healthcare delivery, and empathy, among other topics. At the Summit, I heard uplifting words about the millennial generation of wealthy families not being satisfied with putting their names on buildings, but wanting to use their money to find solutions to social problems. I heard people talk about systems change (a concept that I’ve been engaged in for the past 18 months). I heard people talk about the need to spend more time educating children HOW to think critically, rather than teaching them what we think they should know. I heard about how my institution, Parkland Health & Hospital System, is reimagining not only how to care for the most vulnerable populations in Dallas, but also how to keep them safe and healthy in the first place.
The conversations at the Global People’s Summit got me to thinking. What could we accomplish if we stopped trying to solve 21st century problems with 20th or even 19th century solutions? Technology and innovation have changed the world in ways that our grandparents couldn’t imagine. My daughter is in a career field that didn’t exist on the day she was born. While some people believe the changes have caused us to be more detached from others, the reality is that technology and innovation have led to life-saving advancements in medicine and revolutionized communication, transportation, and education.
We are constantly reimagining innovation. Shouldn’t we also reimagine our views to create a just and humane society? What if we reimagined our views on gender equality, race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation? What if we replaced fear and judgment of change and difference with positivity and opportunity?
Naomi Wadler, who gained national attention at the March for Our Lives rally, is 11 years old and is trying to tackle the domestic violence epidemic. She recently became a member of the Kids Board of Directors of the New York fashion company KIDBOX, whose initiative is to clothe one million children in need. The young board members discuss strategies, launch anti-bullying campaigns, and learn how to spearhead social justice efforts.
If these young minds are nurtured, regardless of their gender, race, or sexual orientation, what problems will they solve? Will they discover the cure for pancreatic cancer or glioblastoma or Alzheimer’s or any other deadly disease?
Where would we be without Katherine Johnson, the woman who hand-calculated the trajectory for America's first trip to space, or the other African American women of “Hidden Figures”? Better yet, where we would be IF they had been given the same opportunities as their white, male counterparts?
What if we stopped fearing change and instead harnessed the possibilities? Seriously? What if?
