[Music]
weeds grow in my garden I look out at my
plot of land and I just want to give up
and let the dandelions take over once
you see the crabgrass and the aphids the
problems just become overwhelming and
apparent kind of like life
I see weeds where I work where I live
and where I play I can envision some
solutions to the problems but I want to
hide from the realities of making real
change like I’d like to lose 20 pounds
but god I love potato chips changing
patterns and systems is hard work kind
of like tending a healthy and vibrant
garden the urge to spread pesticides is
alluring but it poisons the ground
progress unfolds like the petals of a
flower slowly and with surprise the
reality of making lasting change
requires a long-term commitment as the
Director of Student Life and leadership
I’ve watched students give up on their
projects and dreams when faced with the
creeping shifts I’ve also seen that they
want to give up because of the unsexy
work that they have to do some people
might call it Loreen and they also get a
little aggravated with each other and
might annoy one another
I’ve also observed as somebody who
teaches in the humanities Department
that new problems often germinate out of
newfound solutions but probably one of
the most disheartening elements of
change for the student activists is
realizing that you may not be there to
enjoy the fruits of your labor the truth
is some of us sow seeds and others
harvest grassroots activism often begins
with a rally cry that resonates with a
larger group of people and brings them
together
tests are exciting and inspirational dr.
King said the riot is the language of
the unheard God knows I love a good
March complete with signs songs and
slogans a few words can ignite a crowd
hell no we will do
escucha estamos in la lucha we are in
this fight together a battle cry that
lets the powerful know that people are
uniting protesters use music and songs
to evoke the spirit and vote the spirit
of the activists civil rights marchers
gave voice to Charles tinleigh’s gospel
music we shall overcome join me we shall
overcome we shall overcome we shall
overcome someday
a human beings have been making music
for thousands of years and some bright
person realized that they’d be a great
tool and a demonstration protest songs
and chants help sow the seeds of change
but words alone won’t produce that great
fruit long term solutions required
diligence and this sort of work grinds
you know I remember when I was an
undergrad I took class in New Testament
literature and we were studying Gospel
of Matthew and in Jesus is quoted as
saying the poor will always be with you
but you won’t always have me I remember
thinking God Jesus you’re so selfish how
could the Son of God not think that
human beings could wipe out poverty my
20 year old self wanted results now I
understand this verse profoundly
different in my older age I realized
that this isn’t an excuse for the
well-to-do to give up on poverty justice
rather it’s an ongoing obligation for
people to raise others up justice and
charity our values embedded in many
traditions the third pillar of Islam
asks Muslims to give to charity
remembering that generations of people
have been doing this work for poverty
justice gives me a sense of connection
and hope for the future just as
Frederick Douglass said and he wisely
observed to that without struggle there
can be no progress so what does this
look like on a college campus six years
ago our queer Resource Center began
demanding that there be all gendered
restrooms on campus the initial response
from the broader PCC community wasn’t so
positive so slowly a committee
group of people began educating faculty
staff and administrative groups about
the pain and suffering trans people face
trying to access their basic right to
pee slowly the ship began to turn and we
now have 46 all gendered restrooms on
our college campus in our buildings
despite this progress there’s still more
work to be done for trans justice the
initial rejection from the broader PCC
community hurt many people under the
queer trans umbrella unfortunately the
human condition is imperfect and shifts
and culture make people uncomfortable
radical alterations to systems to
promote equity inherently create tension
and create rocky relationships so where
have I seen this well in one of my
favorite pastimes watching the movies I
watched film a couple years ago called
pride and it’s a narrative that
describes a real-life situation where
minors who lived in the rural hills of
Wales were striking they were supported
by a group of inner-city queer and trans
activists that lived in London this
Alliance ruffled feathers and destroyed
some long-term relationships but in the
end progress was made alliances are a
delicate balance that resemble a fragile
ecosystem and rely on some of the most
unusual partnerships Rachel Carson the
author of Silent Spring said in nature
nothing exists alone the same can be
said for Humanity Alliance building
requires a trust and faith in other
people and this is not an easy task for
those of us with power and privilege it
means to form an alliance we might have
to step back and let other voices take
over feminist
are slowly learning the extent to which
people of color felt left out by the
mainstream movement white people often
ask alter abled people our queer friends
and people of color to come and support
our agendas and save precious little
energy to help out with theirs
intersectionality became the buzzword of
the women’s March countless egos had to
take a step back in order for other
people to take a starring role this hurt
some people but it created a healthier
community that produce better fruit so
accepting the possibility that the seed
you plant won’t germinate until you’re
gone is real so instead of focusing on
the harvests think about what kind of
seeds you’re sowing do you sow seeds of
Hope of compassion of inclusion of
respect or are you establishing roots of
fear anger or isolation susan b anthony
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton spent their
lives fighting for women to get a right
to vote and died before they ever cast a
ballot AIDS activists urged the US
government to invest in a cure for AIDS
and many of those individuals died
without ever seeing something occur
happen if the people I just mentioned
had given up future generations would
suffer the struggles people face are
part of the human condition new
struggles germinate out of those new
found solutions and the actions we take
have real consequences change is
daunting progress move slowly and the
journey can be painful and yield
unwelcome results but giving up is not
the answer we let those weeds take over
Martin Luther a 16th century reformer
called sin or he explained sin as in
Convergys and say meaning turning into
yourself and dissing
aging from the world I urge people to
open their arms to the world invite
people in let go of your own agenda and
give service to others
Luther gave us hope when he said if the
world was to fall to pieces tomorrow I’d
still plant an apple tree today so I’d
like to end with this question what tree
are you planting thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
weeds grow in my garden I look out at my
plot of land and I just want to give up
and let the dandelions take over once
you see the crabgrass and the aphids the
problems just become overwhelming and
apparent kind of like life
I see weeds where I work where I live
and where I play I can envision some
solutions to the problems but I want to
hide from the realities of making real
change like I’d like to lose 20 pounds
but god I love potato chips changing
patterns and systems is hard work kind
of like tending a healthy and vibrant
garden the urge to spread pesticides is
alluring but it poisons the ground
progress unfolds like the petals of a
flower slowly and with surprise the
reality of making lasting change
requires a long-term commitment as the
Director of Student Life and leadership
I’ve watched students give up on their
projects and dreams when faced with the
creeping shifts I’ve also seen that they
want to give up because of the unsexy
work that they have to do some people
might call it Loreen and they also get a
little aggravated with each other and
might annoy one another
I’ve also observed as somebody who
teaches in the humanities Department
that new problems often germinate out of
newfound solutions but probably one of
the most disheartening elements of
change for the student activists is
realizing that you may not be there to
enjoy the fruits of your labor the truth
is some of us sow seeds and others
harvest grassroots activism often begins
with a rally cry that resonates with a
larger group of people and brings them
together
tests are exciting and inspirational dr.
King said the riot is the language of
the unheard God knows I love a good
March complete with signs songs and
slogans a few words can ignite a crowd
hell no we will do
escucha estamos in la lucha we are in
this fight together a battle cry that
lets the powerful know that people are
uniting protesters use music and songs
to evoke the spirit and vote the spirit
of the activists civil rights marchers
gave voice to Charles tinleigh’s gospel
music we shall overcome join me we shall
overcome we shall overcome we shall
overcome someday
a human beings have been making music
for thousands of years and some bright
person realized that they’d be a great
tool and a demonstration protest songs
and chants help sow the seeds of change
but words alone won’t produce that great
fruit long term solutions required
diligence and this sort of work grinds
you know I remember when I was an
undergrad I took class in New Testament
literature and we were studying Gospel
of Matthew and in Jesus is quoted as
saying the poor will always be with you
but you won’t always have me I remember
thinking God Jesus you’re so selfish how
could the Son of God not think that
human beings could wipe out poverty my
20 year old self wanted results now I
understand this verse profoundly
different in my older age I realized
that this isn’t an excuse for the
well-to-do to give up on poverty justice
rather it’s an ongoing obligation for
people to raise others up justice and
charity our values embedded in many
traditions the third pillar of Islam
asks Muslims to give to charity
remembering that generations of people
have been doing this work for poverty
justice gives me a sense of connection
and hope for the future just as
Frederick Douglass said and he wisely
observed to that without struggle there
can be no progress so what does this
look like on a college campus six years
ago our queer Resource Center began
demanding that there be all gendered
restrooms on campus the initial response
from the broader PCC community wasn’t so
positive so slowly a committee
group of people began educating faculty
staff and administrative groups about
the pain and suffering trans people face
trying to access their basic right to
pee slowly the ship began to turn and we
now have 46 all gendered restrooms on
our college campus in our buildings
despite this progress there’s still more
work to be done for trans justice the
initial rejection from the broader PCC
community hurt many people under the
queer trans umbrella unfortunately the
human condition is imperfect and shifts
and culture make people uncomfortable
radical alterations to systems to
promote equity inherently create tension
and create rocky relationships so where
have I seen this well in one of my
favorite pastimes watching the movies I
watched film a couple years ago called
pride and it’s a narrative that
describes a real-life situation where
minors who lived in the rural hills of
Wales were striking they were supported
by a group of inner-city queer and trans
activists that lived in London this
Alliance ruffled feathers and destroyed
some long-term relationships but in the
end progress was made alliances are a
delicate balance that resemble a fragile
ecosystem and rely on some of the most
unusual partnerships Rachel Carson the
author of Silent Spring said in nature
nothing exists alone the same can be
said for Humanity Alliance building
requires a trust and faith in other
people and this is not an easy task for
those of us with power and privilege it
means to form an alliance we might have
to step back and let other voices take
over feminist
are slowly learning the extent to which
people of color felt left out by the
mainstream movement white people often
ask alter abled people our queer friends
and people of color to come and support
our agendas and save precious little
energy to help out with theirs
intersectionality became the buzzword of
the women’s March countless egos had to
take a step back in order for other
people to take a starring role this hurt
some people but it created a healthier
community that produce better fruit so
accepting the possibility that the seed
you plant won’t germinate until you’re
gone is real so instead of focusing on
the harvests think about what kind of
seeds you’re sowing do you sow seeds of
Hope of compassion of inclusion of
respect or are you establishing roots of
fear anger or isolation susan b anthony
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton spent their
lives fighting for women to get a right
to vote and died before they ever cast a
ballot AIDS activists urged the US
government to invest in a cure for AIDS
and many of those individuals died
without ever seeing something occur
happen if the people I just mentioned
had given up future generations would
suffer the struggles people face are
part of the human condition new
struggles germinate out of those new
found solutions and the actions we take
have real consequences change is
daunting progress move slowly and the
journey can be painful and yield
unwelcome results but giving up is not
the answer we let those weeds take over
Martin Luther a 16th century reformer
called sin or he explained sin as in
Convergys and say meaning turning into
yourself and dissing
aging from the world I urge people to
open their arms to the world invite
people in let go of your own agenda and
give service to others
Luther gave us hope when he said if the
world was to fall to pieces tomorrow I’d
still plant an apple tree today so I’d
like to end with this question what tree
are you planting thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
Please follow and like us: