Friend

Last week, I delved deeper into the inspiration of my poem, “If We Advocate.” This week, I’ll provide insight on what inspired the next poem: “If We Value.” Both pieces were inspired by reading Dorothy Law Nolte’s prophetic poem, “Children Learn What They Live.” If we value diversity, we acknowledge the importance and necessity of different perspectives and contributions. If we value equity, we understand the need for all to have impartial access to resources and support. I

Before we get to specifics, let’s start with a working definition of otherism. Going beyond the clinical, sanitized, ethereal versions, let’s agree that otherism entails seeing a person, group, or community as being different from ourselves and undeserving of the status, privilege, relevance, or recognition that our group has.