acknowledging injustice
And responding to it without losing our way
This page is still under construction, and the philosophy is still being developed.
For now, we would like to simply say that we hold a firm and loving spirit of solidarity with the family, friends and community who knew and loved George Floyd, who was murdered by police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. We also stand in solidarity with the emotional pain, anger and confusion of both peaceful protestors and the protesters who have chosen to engage in rioting out of frustration from the long history of oppression against people of color in the United States and beyond.
For some quick history of silent protests, click HERE.
HISTORIC Silent protests
transformational change has a history
In this section, we introduce transformational historic moments throughout the world in which both standing and sitting silent protest provided meaningful and lasting change:
This iconic image ran in the November 1, 1968 issue of LIFE magazine in an article about winners in the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City. The headline and caption read: “A stubborn protest jars the Games—Amid Gold Medals, Raised Black Fists—Black gloves and bowed heads of Tommie Smith and John Carlos ignited controversy.” (John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)
Below is an image of Rosa Parks, August 23, 1963 during the March on Washington for Justice and Freedom, August 23, 1963
Rosa Parks became an icon in the 1950’s when she refused to give up her seat during the Jim Crow era in which black people were forced sit in the back of the bus in U.S. Southern states.
Perhaps more than all others, the Silent Protest of Rosa Parks sings out throughout the ages
how you can participate
the 3 DIGNIFIED principles of silent protest
Below are the THREE DIGNIFIED PRINCIPLES OF SILENT PROTEST
- KIND EYES- We practice a gentle gaze that maintains both inward focus (to maintain awareness of our body and emotions, so that we can maintain self-discipline and regulate our emotional reactivity) and outward focus (to “take our seat” in witnessing the suffering and injustice that we are protesting)
- SOFT THOUGHT- We practice viewing perpetrators of injustice as still human and as simply in the middle of an incomplete process of awareness and knowledge. We maintain an openness to all possible circumstances that might have led perpetrators to contribute to suffering, injustice and the creation of unjust systems.
- FIRM STANCE– We practice strong -but not rigid- posture, while maintaining our kind eyes and soft thought to maintain solid conviction, message discipline, and self-respect
