ThisinformativeguidehelpsallieswhowanttogobeyondrigidDiversityandInclusionbestpractices,withrealtoolstogofromgoodintentionstomakingmeaningfulchangeinanysituationorvenue.2022NAUTILUSBOOKAWARDSGOLDWINNER2022NATIONALANTIRACISTBOOKFESTIVALSELECTION2021PORCHLIGHTPERSONALDEVELOPMENT&HUMANBEHAVIORBOOKOFTHEYEARAswebecomemoreawareofvarioussocialinjusticesintheworld,manyofuswanttobepartofthemovementtowardpositivechange.Butsometimesourbestintentionscauseunintendedharm,andwefumble.Wemightfeelafraidtosaythewrongthingandfeelguiltfornotdoingorknowingenough.Sometimeswemightengageinperformativeallyshipratherthanthoughtfulsolidarity,leavingthosealreadymarginalizedfurtherburdenedandexhausted.Thefeelingsoffear,insecurity,inadequacyarealltoocommonamongawidespectrumofchangemakers,andtheyputmanyatacrossroadsbetweenfeelingstuckandgivingup,orstayinggroundedtokeepgoing.Sohowcanwegobeyondperformativeallyshiptocreatingrealchangeinourselvesandintheworld,together?InTheWakeUp,MichelleMiJungKimsharesfoundationalprinciplesoftenmissingintoday’smainstreamconversationsaround“diversityandinclusion,“invitingreaderstodeepdiveintothechallengingandnuancedworkofpursuingequityandjustice,whileexploringvariouscomplexities,contradictions,andconflictsinherentinourimperfectworld.Withamixofin-the-trenchesnarrativeandaccessibleunpackingofhotbuttonissues--frominclusivelanguagetorepresentationto“cancelculture“--Michelleofferssustainableframeworksthatguideushowtothink,approach,andbeinthejourneyasthoughtfullyandpowerfullyaspossible.TheWakeUpisdividedintofourkeyparts:Grounding:beginbymovingbeyondgoodintentionstointerrogatingourdeeper“why“forcommittingtosocialjusticeanduncoveringour“hiddenstories.“Orienting:establishasharedunderstandingaroundourhistoricalandcurrentcontextandissueswearetryingtosolve,startingwithdismantlingwhitesupremacy.ShowingUp:learncriticalprinciplestoapproachanysituationwithclarityandbuildourcapacitytoworkthroughcomplexity,nuance,conflict,andimperfections.MovingTogether:rememberthecoreofthisworkisabouthumanlives,andcommittoprioritizinghumanity,healing,andcommunity.TheWakeUpisanurgentcallforustomovetogetherwhileseeingeachother’sfullandexpansivehumanitythatisatthecoreofourmovementtowardjustice,healing,andfreedom.
