All Means All
“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”
Audre Lorde
If you work to achieve equitable outcomes, you’ve likely heard this phrase before: “You can’t dismantle the master’s house using his tools.” This quote usually elicits a visceral reaction: a chorus of “mmm hmms” followed by an exchange of knowing looks. The statement taps into a truth that people of color have known for generations — we live in a country that was built by us, but not for us. The intentional exclusion woven into our country’s founding has resulted in a society still plagued by oppression and inequities. And for so many of us who have to navigate these daily injustices, there is a belief that the only way to build an inclusive society is to eradicate what we have and start over.
Our country was founded on the aspiration of “liberty and justice for all.” And yet, we still struggle to live up to this ideal. The Audre Lorde quote memorializes a damning reality: if you are a person of color, all DOES NOT include you. This has been a truth for communities of color for so long that it is hard to imagine our country with systems that work for us. Ironically, much of the contention associated with this election season is driven by so many others across the country feeling excluded. Excluded from earning living wages. Excluded from expressing their identity. Excluded from providing health care for their loved ones. This pervasive feeling of exclusion across multiple dimensions of identity, whether it be race, gender, or class has resulted in an existential crisis for an overwhelming majority of Americans asking, “When we say ALL does that include me?”
For those of us who have been fighting for our communities to be heard and respected for decades, we are at a unique inflection point. During this moment, when so many of us are feeling the pain of exclusion, we have the opportunity to tap into our shared experience to work together to co-create a country and economy grounded in inclusion.
PolicyLink’s latest report through The Stanford Social Innovation Review, “A Revolution of the Soul” speaks to our collective moment in this nation’s history. It recognizes the precarious nature of our democracy and considers how we should choose to move forward to create an inclusive society and economy.
The authors contend that the only way to move forward is to do so through the lens of “all”:
“The decision before us is whether we stake a claim as rightful co-founders of the nation — the most powerful mantle the equity movement could take up — invoking not just the stewardship of government but also the co-creation of the entire social fabric. If the answer is yes, then our next revolution must be of the soul: developing both the collective and individual soul to love all. This expansive, radically inclusive love can renew the mind and spirit of this nation, strengthening the bonds of interdependence and mutuality and uniting us in the common cause of universal human flourishing.” [emphasis in original]
This bold statement is powerful in its simplicity, but it is revolutionary at its core. What the authors — Michael McAfee, the CEO, and Abbie Langston, their VP of Research — are saying is that to achieve equity, we need to lay claim to the entirety of our economy and consider how equity is a beneficial strategy for everyone, which by definition includes those most marginalized.
In some ways, this piece is calling out the game of the coordinated group of people who want to attack and disparage those of us working for equity. This small group of well-resourced actors are positioning discussions about race as a wedge issue. Their approach is a distraction from the fact that only a limited few benefit from our economy. In reclaiming the idea of “all,” we elevate the conversation beyond the master or his house. If those of us who have been historically and currently marginalized are truly included in the all, then we are building OUR house. And if we are wielding the tools, we have the right and responsibility to build a house that finally lives up to our shared ideals. While we must acknowledge some of our tools may have been used for oppression in the past we must also remember that the power resides in the people who hold the tools and the reasons why they wield them.
What does it look like when people who wield the tools are committed to achieve full benefits and representation for everyone? It looks like investors directing capital to places who need it to create more inclusive economic activity. It looks like corporations holding themselves to the standards of civil rights. It looks like CEOs being in front of issues of equity to build successful, and sustainable companies.
No matter who wins the election this year or for years to come, we must remain committed to a shared vision where all means all. Only then can we live in a country with an economy that works for everyone — no exceptions.
