This was my third year supporting YWCA Mankato’s mission with my work. It reflects the resources I have on hand and recognizes that through the diversity of our combined strengths we can achieve the goal of their mission.
I chose this quote not only because of the reverberating impacts of Wangari Maathai’s environmental work, but because it applies to any movement that any generation, before as well as after ours, will be part of. Statements like these help us maintain strength when our collective human rights work reaches the kind of crescendo we are in right now.
Why do I support the mission of the YWCA?
Oh friend.
Let me give you this
small reason among the many ....
An Unexpected Education
I spent a fair portion of my youth in the Shaw Heights neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, where ... probably because of my age and its accompanying blissful unawareness ... I relished the amazing differences between myself and my classmates. All of my friends ate totally different food and their families spoke other languages and had cool stuff in their homes. We shared and explained and appreciated all of our differences.
Even when my stepfather pointed out that I didn’t have any white friends, I failed to understand what he was trying to say. I experienced middle school in this exciting, diverse cocoon...like a United Colors of Benetton advertisement...where joy and excitement emanated from our collective diversity.
That was forever shattered when I spent part of my freshman year of high school in the Norristown suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In one fell swoop I saw, firsthand, the effects of not only historical segregation and what I now know as "red lining," but also the more devastating effects of self segregation.
LaKeisha, my assigned guide on my first day of school treated me like I had the plague and I couldn't figure it out.
You know that scene in the movies where the new student walks into the lunch room on their first day of school and has no idea where to sit? Well, the colors were definitely not united at Norristown High.
She ditched me when the lunch bell rang, and when I finally got to the cafeteria I immediately figured out why. No one sat with anyone that didn't look like themselves. I'm telling you even the redheads all sat together! No joke! Asians, over here, Puerto Ricans, over there, white and black kids? Opposite sides of the room.
This was 1988. The school district had just implemented new zoning with the intention of integrating and desegregating students.
You probably should read that last sentence again and think about it for a moment.
It wasn’t until years later that I stumbled upon presentations of other people’s historical research to fully comprehend the differences between the two schools of my youth and to begin to understand why old racist policies cause continual suffering across the nation to this day.
Thank you for helping provide the resources to allow Mankato YWCA’s growing team of passionate workers to continue being steadfast and bold in their mission.
There is work to be done. The time is now.
Designed on Inkscape
CNC plasma cut from 16 gauge cold rolled steel
Deburred, ground & polished
Hand sanded finish & spray spar urethane clear coat
Pine backing coated with hand mixed stain
This piece was won at 2018's "Women of Distinction" auction by Chelsea Mead, associate professor at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Anthropology at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
I moved to Mankato in 2012 with my husband David and our two kids Brynnae & Ethan.
We enjoy exploring the multitude of trails and culture Minnesota is blessed with! -jd
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