Equity and Justice Work Needs no Permission
A watercolor-stylized image of California Redwoods mottled with sunlight.
Over the last 5 years, Common Spark, alongside partners and allies, have been heartened at seeing our federal leadership seek to marry the equity and justice values with climate and energy. And throughout this year, so many of us have continued to stand by each other as we experience the shock and trauma of seeing all that work dismantled policy by policy, program by program, and at a rate that makes it difficult to process.
I cannot count how many conversations I’ve had this year where folks have shown love and concern for Common Spark’s work, and asked, “How are things going? How is Common Spark impacted by all this? Doesn’t Common Spark do exactly the kind of work that’s being shut down?” Among the number of executive efforts this year that are impacting our ecosystem, it is certainly the attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, capacity, and policies and programs that hit closest to home.
I sense the message behind the DEI-related executive actions. They are an exacting form of terrorism intended to unleash profound systemic fears. They uproot the intention to repair the harms of the system that we have created and supported (intentionally or not) and they represent a significant withdrawal of societal accountability, a revocation of a human compact of respect and decency for all humanity.
“DEI initiatives and policies are invaluable tools to remind us of where we can go and how we can be held accountable.”
I have found myself caught up in grief and anger towards what one administration has destroyed. DEI efforts are clearly more than intentions, trainings and quotas; they are an important part of a deep movement to heal divisions and make whole our social, political and work communities. DEI initiatives and policies are invaluable tools to remind us of where we can go and how we can be held accountable. It is critical that we make public commitments and concrete actions about how we want our world to be and how we approach that change.
But this year has also reminded me that policies are only one tool. In a year when I expected our energy equity work to diminish, we have had more utilities, commissions, and agencies show up at our door asking for help. In a year when I thought our Energy (in)Equity trainings would have no demand, it has nearly doubled.
Despite Common Spark’s core belief that policy can be a key tool for positive change, I am reminded to not give policy (or the lack of policy) so much power. I hope that I am not dependent on federal, state, or local policy to continue my own work to understand the shape and impact of my privilege, to come to terms with my own identity and the forces that unjustly shape me because of it, and to grow my voice and my practice for greater respect, dignity, care, and equity in all my doings and relationships.
For those that have participated in our Energy (in)Equity conversations, you may recall that while equitable policy is certainly an important and laudable goal, perhaps more important are the hundreds of interactions we have with allies and opponents that offer us the opportunity and challenge to demonstrate mutual respect and honor one another’s humanity so that we may build a more just and equitable future, both in energy policy and beyond.
And still, we can’t raise our hand fast enough for projects that, on their face, advance opportunities for equity in the energy and policy space. This year, we’re supporting climate justice advocates in the Bay Area, facilitating important discussions on equitable rates in California, and working to expand the accessibility of decision making in a state utility commission. We keep going.
I hope that our equity work is also seen through our values-based approaches to facilitation and policy development, through our deep listening and desire to understand perspectives (especially of those historically left unheard in policy discussions), and through our unwavering commitment to demonstrate care and respect for those we work for, the work we do, and how we all show up for one another.
We will resist any attempt to make invisible, silent, or diminish the importance of hearing from and including underrepresented perspectives and voices in policymaking, whether there’s a DEI policy in place or not. Broader representation and inclusion makes better policy, and it’s our responsibility to elevate and listen to fellow community members and leaders who hold vital wisdom for a better future.
Equity and justice work needs no permission. If this year has taught me anything, in the absence of policy, other forms of power, intention, and hope take hold. For every DEI position taken down, a new cohort of organizers and experts emerge. For every removal of words from walls, signs, policies, and laws, a new language in action and camaraderie takes its place. For every agency torn apart, new initiatives come together to carry the wisdom and the work forward. Equity and justice work can be bold and public, but it can also be quietly present and resilient, like mycelium underground. It is my belief that this work can’t actually be stopped.
As Common Spark celebrates its 7th anniversary, we invite you to resist with us. Consider us by your side, building, growing, expanding, and deepening our equity and justice practice together. A just future doesn’t come about when someone puts up a sign that says so - we must keep making it happen before our eyes.
Michelle Vigen Ralston
Common Spark Consulting not only works externally with our clients and partners, but we also strive to work inwardly, recognizing that we must internalize the care, thoughtfulness, and intention we hope to represent as individuals and an organization. The Thought Library is where we share our ideas and thoughts, where we are at right now, on topics and issues that we hope will spark conversation for a brighter, more inclusive energy future.