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ellie krug
writer, lawyer, human
Human Inspiration Works, LLC
The Ripple
Vol 5 No. 8 September 2020
Inspired by the words and actions of Robert F. Kennedy
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November 3rd is Incredibly Personal |
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Dear Friends:
As most of you know, I do my best to keep this newsletter apolitical; I always strive to be a unifier, not a divider. However, with the election looming—and given that voting by mail is already occurring in several states—I now need to say a few things that will be very political.
First, I’m extremely worried about the explicit racism of the current Administration. There are plenty of examples, but things became even more pronounced on September 4 when the President announced his ban against anti-racist training for all federal employees. Two days later, he announced his intent to punish public schools that use Project 1619 teachings about America’s history of enslaving/oppressing black and brown people. (You can read more about this here.)
This training is what I do, and on a selfish level, the President’s actions threaten my livelihood. However, on the way more important national and human levels, this is a preview of what a second Trump term will look like—denial of America’s racist past, a refusal to work for positive change to eliminate disparities and structural racism, and governmental efforts to preserve white predominance. That is not the America I or millions of other people want.
Second, the Administration continues to directly oppress transgender people. It began with the ban against trans-identifying service members and included inserting vocal anti-transgender people in high government posts. That was followed by eliminating protections for trans kids in our schools. After that, the Dept. of Health and Human Services told medical and therapeutic providers they could openly discriminate against transgender (and gay/lesbian and bi) patients. Most recently, HUD issued regulations making it legal to deny transgender people space in federally-funded shelters.
Clearly, if this Administration gets another four years, it will fully erase me and others in my community. That’s not an exaggeration.
All of this brings me to some bluntness: those voting for another four years of this President are literally voting to eliminate me and my community. Frankly, if someone likes Ellie Krug and regularly reads this newsletter rationalizing that it makes them fair and equitable, while at the same time they believe that what’s happened in our country over the past four years has been positive, they’re woefully kidding themselves. If someone really cares about me—and the millions of other transgender and nonbinary people in our country—on November 3rd, they will cast their ballot for change.
I know that the above will anger some and cause them to delist from receiving The Ripple. Still, this election has become incredibly personal; we’re literally fighting for the soul of America, which only can be protected by voting for change. Otherwise, I’m convinced that the America we all love and believe in will cease to exist. It is that serious.
Regardless of whether your color is Blue, Red or Bernie, I care about you. I truly mean that. All that I ask is that you do the same for me and my community and for those who’ve been oppressed because of skin color or heritage for centuries. Thank you!
ellie
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Empathetic Human Hearts Show Up Again |
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Last week, Detroit MI resident Marcus Lotts stopped at the Royal Fresh Market where he encountered a seventeen-year-old stranger standing outside the store asking for food and not money. Marcus was so moved by the teen’s request that he bought the teen ten bags of groceries to take home. The next day, Marcus bought even more food for the teen’s family and delivered it to their home, only to find that a mother and her nine children (two of whom live with disabilities) lived in a broken-down house with gaping holes in the ceiling, a leaking roof, and black mold everywhere.
Quickly, Marcus decided to do something more, which included putting a video of the family’s poor housing conditions on Facebook. That resulted in a local television station doing a news story about the family and a church and nonprofit becoming involved. Things took off from there and Marcus set up a GoFundMe page to raise $50,000 to help the family find new permanent housing.
As of when I composed this story, $47,610 had been given by more than 1100 people. Recall that this is occurring in the middle of a pandemic with millions out of work and struggling. You can access the GoFundMe page for the family here.
As Marcus related to Detroit's FOX 2, “When I first put this video out, I didn’t expect it to have the impact it had. To me, I was doing something normal and something that was normal turned into something enormous like this.”
Connesha Harris, whose family was benefitted by Marcus and others, said, “You all don’t know how much love I’ve felt. Even though I’ve felt embarrassment I felt the love.”
The experience has caused Marcus to want to do more. He now plans to start his own nonprofit called the “Florence Foundation” after his grandmother. The goal is to help other single-parent families.
I regularly teach that 98 percent of all humans have good empathetic hearts—the problem is that we’re either afraid to use our heart or just not paying attention to see those in need of help. This story about Marcus listening to a seventeen-year-old and then taking action to help in a myriad of ways perfectly demonstrates my point about empathy and compassion. On top of that, a whole lot of other “98 percenters” showed up to help too. Hooray for humans!
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Using Imagination and Bold Action to Dismantle Structural Racism
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For decades, efforts to dismantle the structural racism that affects black, brown and other humans have followed a familiar pattern: study the problem, issue a report, develop consensus around a solution, and then fund (throw money at) the solution. And yet, nothing changes.
I call this “same old, same old.” Clearly, what we’ve tried in the past hasn’t worked.
If we’re really going to dismantle structural racism and the other barriers that hold down marginalized people, we need to be both imaginative and bold. The following exemplify what I’m talking about.
First, Hormel Foods, headquartered in Austin, MN, recently announced that it will pay the tuition of a two-year college for every dependent of its 20,000 team members. As reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Hormel CEO Jim Snee said, “When you look at our front-line workers, the people in the plant, that workforce is incredibly, incredibly diverse. So many of them are new to this country.” He added, “And it’s not only helping them in the dollars needed to accomplish the degree, but (in) helping them fill out the applications and helping them understand what it takes to get into college. ... This is a hand up to make sure there is the opportunity for their family, and it will be a ripple effect for generations to come.”
Crucially, Hormel’s college funding plan isn’t dependent on a student’s grade point average; rather, all that a student needs is to graduate from high school and complete the paperwork to attend college. Wow—this initiative will have a profound impact in helping many to attend two and four-year colleges who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford college. Since education is the great leveler, Hormel literally will help lift upward thousands of people.
The second instance of imagination and boldness came with Red Wing Shoes using its 525 stores as workforce/job application centers over the Labor Day holiday. To do this, it collaborated with 50 other major companies where anyone could visit a Red Wing Shoe store and complete a job application for Red Wing or any of the other collaborating companies. Obviously, doing this makes it far easier for someone to network and connect for a job.
My own work is the last example of imagination and boldness. I believe that real, lasting change won’t occur unless everyone throughout Minnesota (and other rural states) understands how a historical preference for white-color skin has shaped just about everything in our society. I’ve thus designed an initiative, “The Inclusivity Project,” aimed at teaching core inclusivity principles to all Minnesotans. Everyone—those living in both urban and rural areas—needs to understand how we group and label other humans and how to use tools for getting past that.
The Inclusivity Project requires sponsors who can assist with locating participants and getting the word out. If you know of someone/an entity that might be interested in collaborating with me on this, please let me know.
The bottom line on all of this: as your organization or community works for change, don’t settle for “same old.” Boldly think outside the box and then execute on it. It’s the only way we’ll create lasting positive change.
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Inclusivity Tip of the Month
Talking to Family and Friends about
Racism and White Privilege
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People frequently ask for tips on how to talk to family and friends about racism and the privileges that white-color people enjoy simply by virtue of having that skin color. This is such a touchy subject that many avoid it altogether; yet, if we’re going to get to a better place for everyone living in America, we must talk about this with the people we’re close to and care about. It's only through dinner table or coffee shop talks that we'll be able to move the needle on prejudice and fear of "Other."
To begin, “white privilege” doesn’t mean that a white-color person hasn’t struggled in life; most of us, regardless of skin color, face a myriad of challenges as we make our way through the world. Some of those challenges are incredibly daunting and people who overcome them should feel good about themselves, for sure.
Rather, “white privilege” simply means that for a white-color person, their skin color wasn’t a reason why they struggled. In this regard, one’s white skin color has insulated them from many of the things that black, brown and other people of color/Indigenous people regularly endure because of their skin color or heritage—like being stopped by the police, being monitored in stores, getting passed over for employment or promotions, or paying higher interest rates for credit. Because white-color people often don’t experience this discrimination, they frequently conclude they’re not any more privileged than anyone else.
When it comes to talking about racism and white privilege, remember that little bites are usually better than a whole meal. Find your openings and start with a question, “Is it okay if I share something with you that I learned about racism today?” Share the point and gauge the other person’s reaction; if positive, go forward with other bites. If you encounter pushback, shift the conversation to something safe and return to the topic some other day. (But make sure you come back to it—persistence is the key.)
Secondly, understand that the conversation will be uncomfortable for all involved . At the same time, try to relate that pushing to eliminate racism/making things better for marginalized people is particularly important to younger humans, in part because they’ve been taught about this stuff in school and college. One way to handle this: “I know this is kind of bumpy for you and me right now, but it’s important that we talk about this. Sally [granddaughter or niece] gets this stuff way easier than you and me, but since it’s important to her, I think it should be important to us.”
Thirdly, find a story or video about racism that you can share with the other person. For example, this video shows how police officers react differently to a white-color person compared to a black person. (Trigger alert: the video includes a police officer pulling a gun on a black man.)
Fourth, practice good manners. Don’t interrupt the other person and don’t shame them. Moreover, these conversations are best one-on-one or two-on-two. Raising the subject in large groups is infinitely more difficult and runs the risk of veering sideways.
Lastly, if you’ve had an awakening around racism/white privilege, share the story of how that happened. (Or share the story of someone else who’s been awakened.) This avoids the risk of being seen to lecture or coming off as “holier than thou.”
Having these conversations is incredibly important because family members or friends are influencers. We need to create new norms, and this is one of the most effective ways of doing just that.
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Odds & Ends
This month, I bring you two videos of the human spirit in action—both involve humans meeting their physical challenges head-on. Of course, there’s more than that down below, so let’s get to it…
Second Darn Wonderful: This man who uses a wheelchair will inspire you. I’m simply in awe!
One Last Wonderful: Yes, winter’s coming but still take in 30 seconds of serenity traveling through the results of an early September snowfall in the Grand Tetons. You might want to watch this over and over; serenity is in such short supply these days…
The White Cliffs of Dover as a Movie Screen: See this video about hopes and dreams for those not born in the UK.
Michael Fosberg and his Autobiographical One-Person Play on Identity: I recently sat in on a Zoom session with Michael Fosberg, a white-appearing author and actor who spoke about his one-person play which chronicles learning that his long-lost father was black. Michael’s incredibly engaging (I later had him on my radio show) and he’s created a toolset on how to have conversations around identity and our commonalities. Check out his website at www.incognitotheplay.com . He’s also the author of INCOGNITO: An American Odyssey of Race and Self Discovery and more recently, Nobody Wants to Talk About It: Race, Identity, and the Difficulties in Forging Meaningful Conversations. (Contact Michael directly if you want to purchase or know more about either book.)
Check Out the Midwest Gender Identity Summit on Sept. 19th: Many know that I worked with The Transformation Project SD in Sioux Falls earlier this year. Here’s a link to their online Gender Identity Summit this coming Saturday—it looks like a great event!
Iowa Man Feeds Derecho Victims: Here’s a story about Willie Farley, a restaurant owner, who showed up in Cedar Rapids neighborhoods with his smoker/grill to feed storm survivors. Because most of us have empathetic hearts…
Efforts to Curb Twin Cities Gun Violence: This kind of work needs to be joined in by everyone. See the story here.
A Tweet about Racist Home Appraisals: See this and consider the thousands of ways racism shows up in our country.
Likely the First Black, Gay Man in Congress: 33-year-old Mondaire Jones won the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th District. With this being a heavily Democratic district, he’s likely to be elected to Congress in November.
J. Lo’s Support for Her Transgender “Nibling”: How wonderful--see here. (Am I the only person who had to look up what “nibling” means?)
More on J.K. Rowling’s Intolerance for Trans Humans: Last month, I wrote about the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization and its Ripple of Hope Award. Apparently, it conferred the award to J.K. Rowling in 2019, but then rescinded the award given her many statements reflecting intolerance for transgender people. See the story here.
Good Things for Trans Humans: Thankfully, in a case brought by the Human Rights Campaign, a federal court has issued an injunction blocking the Trump administration from rolling back non-discrimination protections for transgender people in receiving healthcare.
Not Good for Trans Humans: Here’s a story about the Philippines government pardoning a U.S. service member who had murdered a transgender woman; the service member’s sentence was cut short and he was allowed to leave the country.
A South Carolina High School Student and his GSA Change SC Law: Parents/friends of LGBTQi-identifying kids, share this story about Eli Bundy and his high school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance group succeeding in having a court declare a SC sex education law invalid for discriminating against LGBTQi people.
Kate’s Pick: My 30-year-old daughter Kate, a writer like me, is a freelancer for Book Riot where she reviews books. Check out her website, It’s All Booked. Kate’s book recommendation for this month is Severance by Ling Ma. Kate’s take: “Severance is quirky but still captures a dystopian feeling and sense of dread. Candace is in a period of transition and spends her days just going through the motions, so when a plague called the Shen Fever spreads (which essentially turns humans into purely creatures of routine and habit), it's barely noticeable to her. But the world suddenly comes to a stop when Candace finds herself one of the only ‘unfevered’ left in New York City. Help comes in the form of a rogue group of survivors, led by ‘the Bob,’ who promises safety in a mysterious place only known as ‘the Facility.’ I know, it sounds weird, but trust me, it's brilliant.”
“Ellie 2.0 Radio” Podcasts/Shows: My podcast/show, “Ellie 2.0 Radio,” airs on Twin Cities-based AM950 on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. with re-airings on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m. The show can be live-streamed by clicking here. Ellie 2.0 Radio highlights various historical and contemporary idealists and my work as a “practical idealist” trying to change the world for the better. As I relate above, my August 31st show where I interview Michael Fosberg will inspire you. Similarly, I’ve had two shows (August 24th with Jillian Chmiel and September 14th with Rachel Schromen) where young idealists give us their take on the world. Click here to access those shows and other podcasts.
Book Clubs Take Note: How about ordering and reading my book, Getting to Ellen? It’s available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and Apple iBook: if you’d like an inscribed copy, email me. Note: if your book club reads my memoir, I’m willing to meet virtually with the club to talk about the book.
Status Report on my Second Book, Being Ellen: I’m thrilled to report that I’ve finished the first rough draft of the second installment of my memoir-trilogy, Being Ellen: A Newly Minted Woman Engages with the World. Now comes the exceedingly hard work of rewriting/editing and adding what I call my “special sauce”—spin and humor that makes things so much more enjoyable. (Or so I think.) It would be great to have the book out this time next year; we will see!
Online Following: Please follow me on LinkedIn, where you can find me at Ellen (Ellie) Krug; my Twitter handle is @elliekrug; and on Instagram, you can follow me @elliejkrug.
Past and Upcoming Talks/Trainings and General Stuff: Next week, I’ll present to several groups in Wisconsin. The next day, I present to Ameriprise Financial, and the day after that, to the Association of Minnesota Counties. Everything is online of course. If you’re inclined to see my Upcoming Online Engagements, click here.
Want to Support My Work toward Fostering Greater Compassion and Human Inclusivity? Some of you have recently given to Human Ripple Works, Inc., a nonprofit that I and others have set up to train nonprofits and other organizations on human inclusivity. Thank you for that!! If you’d like to support this work, please click here on the HRW website. Thanks for considering this!
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Finally....
The Ripple is a work in progress, so please, I welcome your suggestions and comments! Please share this newsletter with others, too!
Thank you for helping to make the world a better place! I'm at your side, cheering you on, I promise! Please have compassion for yourself and for others.
ellie
Encouraging Open Hearts and Thriving Human Spirits
Human Inspiration Works, LLC: We make "inclusion" an action word
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Ellen (Ellie) Krug
319-360-1692
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