Melissa Spear
Common Ground
New Haven, CT

"As a white, cisgender, middle class woman who has been encultured in a racist, homophobic, classist society it has been a challenging, but exhilarating journey to practice self-awareness and acknowledgement of the ways my privilege benefits me and to understand who is oppressed because of my privilege.

I start by seeing and recognizing the inequity, then looking INSIDE for how I contribute to the perpetuation of inequity and racism before looking for others to blame. Once I recognize and call myself out and begin the life long journey of learning to be a true ally, then I can begin to ask the same of others. It takes courage and vulnerability to accept the ways my privilege has benefited me. It has been a real challenge to figure out how to step out of that safe place of privilege in an authentic, honest, way.

But/and while I am proud of the work, I have done both as an individual and as part of my organization it is so clear that there is still a lifetime of work to do. Finally, I will say that LOVE is the foundation of all people. Courage is the willingness to be vulnerable and embrace what comes. We must acknowledge and accept the pain and go through it before we can let it go.

 Peace, Melissa Spear"

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