Smuggling Grace

Today, we will receive a lesson from broccoli and ferns.

This lesson comes from adrienne maree brown, who draws powerful analogies between the fractals in nature—like broccoli and ferns—and our own actions. She reminds us that even our smallest actions can have a big impact, building up over time to create meaningful change on a larger scale. You can read more about this in her book Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds.

She writes:

“A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.

“How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale. The patterns of the universe repeat at scale. There is a structural echo that suggests two things: one, that there are shapes and patterns fundamental to our universe, and two, that what we practice at a small scale can reverberate to the largest scale…

“And this may be the most important element to understand — that what we practice at the small scale sets the patterns for the whole system.”

She continues:

“Grace [Lee Boggs] articulated it in what might be the most-used quote of my life: ‘Transform yourself to transform the world.’ This doesn’t mean to get lost in the self, but rather to see our own lives and work and relationships as a front line, a first place where we can practice justice, liberation, and alignment with each other and the planet.”

—adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds, pages 51-53

There are times when we feel like our contributions to change are so small that they seem insignificant, barely making a dent in the barriers around us. This can be discouraging and disheartening. But I wonder if some of the larger injustices we face are, in part, a reflection of how these same injustices play out on a smaller, daily scale within our communities? We can participate in shifting this, even in small but vital way, by saying “No” to the everyday harms we encounter. By making small but consequential changes in our daily interactions, we can interrupt these patterns of harm on a larger scale.

If we want to build a new way forward, we need to practice it at every scale, including in our personal relationships and day-to-day actions. We won’t do this perfectly, but if we remain committed, we can return to this practice again and again, each time making a bit more space for change.

Be encouraged, friends. Your actions matter, no matter how small they feel. Who you are and what you do makes a difference in shaping the world.

— Renee Roederer

I also want to thank Rose Schrott Taylor, Digital Content Editor, at the Presbyterian Outlook magazine, who wrote last week about adrienne maree brown and fractals in a weekly email. I appreciated that piece, and it encouraged me to share about this here too.
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Additionally, February is Black History Month, and this is an excellent time to celebrate and learn from Black disability activists and advocates who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. This month, I will share here about some of them.

“Lois Curtis is an influential Black artist and disability activist with intellectual and developmental disabilities and schizophrenia. She spent a large part of her early adult life living in an institution despite her care team stating she could live in the community. She is best known as the famous plaintiff LC in the landmark Supreme Court case ‘Olmstead vs L.C.’ which ended unjustified segregation of people with disabilities and established the right for people with disabilities to live independently in their communities as opposed to in institutions. Her lifelong advocacy has impacted the lives of many Americans and got her invited to the White House under the Obama administration.”

You can learn more here:
https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/impactful_black_disability_advocates_and_advocates?fbclid=IwY2xjawIVzbZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQ_Q66g7eq3DcsG50ZWGu27MkjwH-mc3oS8eKtyHdhy1uBix1SGcZxiF3Q_aem_CIqJRYpNl0JMu7o4e7VY1w

— Photos by Renee Roederer

I mean, this baby is outrageously cute.

In my early 20s, I had the privilege of singing in an incredibly accomplished university choir. We traveled the world, participating in choral competitions in places like Germany and Japan. Those days were deeply formative, full of music and life-changing experiences.

During one of those trips, I was having dinner with a few friends from the choir, many of whom were also developing their skills in choral conducting. They were especially adept at hearing details about the ensemble as a whole. The conversation turned to the concept of “color voices,” voices that add a special timbre to the ensemble’s overall sound.

My whole life, I’ve sung as a soprano, except for the five years I sang in this choir. During those days, I sang as an alto and occasionally as a second soprano. Our section often carried the harmony rather than the melody. During this conversation, one of my friends turned to me and said, “Renee, your voice is a color voice,” to which others nodded in agreement. I had never considered my voice in this way, but it was a pleasant surprise. From that moment on, I started thinking more intentionally about the role my voice played in the choir, how this wasn’t just about carrying notes but also about adding a unique tone that enriched the overall sound.

Fast forward to today, and I find myself back in the soprano section, a place I’ve held for nearly two decades. As a soprano, I often sing the melody, but I appreciate what the other vocal parts are doing. They don’t only harmonize, but add color, lifting the melody and the sound as a whole.

This concept of “color voices” came to mind again recently. Over time, as my role in my work has shifted, I have moved away from some of the direct, hands-on care I once provided. Now, I focus more on overall vision, care networks, systems, grant-writing, and project management. While the work is still demanding, it’s different—less melody and more color.

This analogy may work in a variety of contexts. There are times when we are called to do the front-line, direct work, the “melody” that leads the charge. But there are also times when our role is to add color, by supporting, referring, encouraging, or providing financial assistance. All types of contributions are vital, and they each play a unique and important part.

— Renee Roederer

I commend this whole video from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but I especially want to encourage folks to watch the first four minutes.

“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone… The first order of business is to self-regulate. What authoritarian regimes often try to do is what is known as ‘flood the zone’ — to do so much at once, or try to do so much at once so that you become overwhelmed and paralyzed. And it’s important for you to understand that the paralysis and the shock that you feel right now is the point. They are trying to induce a state of passivity among the general public. So it is of personal importance for you, and it is also of political importance to take a breath. That does not mean tune out. It does not mean to get apathetic. It does not mean that you just have to forget or whatever. It just means, take a breath.” — AOC

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Additionally, February is Black History Month, and this is an excellent time to celebrate and learn from Black disability activists and advocates who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. This month, I will share here about some of them.

“Fannie Lou Hammer was a legendary civil rights, worker’s rights, women’s rights, and voting rights activist. Hammer was disabled, living with the long-term effects from having Polio as a child, being sterilized while getting surgery without her consent, and becoming physically disabled due to severe violence in a Mississippi jail for attempting to vote in 1963. Her efforts and activism greatly impacted the civil rights movement She gave one of the biggest speeches of all time at the Democratic National Convention of 1964 and spoke openly about her experiences and the racial issues in Mississippi.”

You can learn more here: https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/impactful_black_disability_advocates_and_advocates?fbclid=IwY2xjawIQr3tleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQODsg4f260VhmE8hT0u9-FVmot_FVQOY3faWH1x1fiNeQJG4nbNmTN-fw_aem_s2fCEKBlBXivu0hA4n5k5w

Here’s a piece that I first shared on December 7, 2016. I thought this might be helpful again today.

That tiny thing you’re great at. . . is a big deal. Really. When shared with others purposefully and resourcefully, it catalyzes change. So what is it?

– Do you have an ability that seems tiny only because it comes so naturally to you?

– Do you engage with it regularly to the point that it doesn’t seem like a real gift?

– Do you forget to marvel at it because it seems so routine or easy?

Well, that’s a gift you need to put into the world. Purposefully.

That’s a gift that seeks greater expression in your community, neighborhood, nation, and world.

These days, when we see the great needs and concerns around us, and when we ponder our fears about needs and concerns, we can become absolutely overwhelmed. Our meager work and purposeful sharing can seem. . . well, tiny. It may feel that way, but. . .

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When placed strategically with the gifts of others, it can become organized change. What resources can you bring uniquely — money, connections, abilities? Some of which come so naturally to you? Do all you can to make those things fit with the leadership and commitment of others. Look purposefully for where they can be placed alongside the great work that is already happening. Your tiny gift will easily multiply.

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When launched into the world with intention, that tiny thing may add a level of care that increases relational safety. Even if only for a moment, it matters. In this current climate, some are reasonably fearful and discouraged. Your tiny thing in a tiny moment may serve as a reminder of human worth and connection. It may provide a needed boost which encourages others to put their gifts into the world too.

So what is it? What is that tiny thing?

In actuality, it might not be so tiny.

–Renee Roederer

Additionally, February is Black History Month, and this is an excellent time to celebrate and learn from Black disability activists and advocates who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. This month, I will share here about some of them.

“Joyce Ardell Jackson was a disability activist that lived with arthritis throughout her life. She is one of the vital protesters who took part in the nearly month long sit-ins that demanded the enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Her efforts led her and other disability activists to meet with the Carter administration to successfully implement Section 504 – the historical civil rights legislation that prohibits federally funded agencies, programs, and activities from discriminating against people with disabilities.”

You can learn more here: https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/impactful_black_disability_advocates_and_advocates?fbclid=IwY2xjawIPbaJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbpo4EuxNGNbiv_1kmvyf03F2wBr2ElaD6eE8kXNgxHwioykojT8zHbGZQ_aem_ZZ5nLdBoV6ipPlyjEblOyQ

We often associate abundance with money, and that is certainly one type, but there are so many other kinds of abundance that can provide meaningful contributions to others. Maybe your abundance lies in time, in the space you’ve carved out for yourself, or in the relationships you’ve nurtured over the years. Perhaps it’s in your resilience, your ability to laugh even in the face of difficulty, or the joy you find in cooking a meal from scratch. It could be in the connections you have, in the wisdom you carry about telling the truth, or even in your patience for the challenges of life.

These forms of abundance can be powerful resources, not just for ourselves but for others. While one person might have an abundance in a certain area, they may also find themselves lacking in another. And this is where we can step in; recognizing where we have abundance, we can find ways to give and share that with others who may need it.

So, I ask us all: Where do you have abundance? And how can you give from these places? Whether it’s offering your time, your money, your kindness, or your expertise, your abundance is a gift to the world.

— Renee Roederer

Additionally, February is Black History Month, and this is an excellent time to celebrate and learn from Black disability activists and advocates who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. This month, I will share here about some of them.

Donald Galloway provided a vital presence at the 1977 504 Sit-Ins. Additionally, he “was an impactful activist working to center Black and POC people in the disability rights movement. Blinded at a young age due to a lack of medical care, he had been a disability advocate his entire life. A few of his notable positions included being the executive director for the Colorado Governor’s Council on Disability, Director of Jamaica’s Peace Corps and running the Center for Independent Living’s Washington, D.C. branch. He is also famously remembered for suing the federal government for denying him the ability to server on a jury. He won his case.”

You can learn more here: https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/impactful_black_disability_advocates_and_advocates

Recently, I was in a community setting singing a familiar piece of music, when suddenly, my mind was transported to another gathering from more than half my life ago, where we used to sing the same song.

I thought about someone I loved, someone from that previous setting who is no longer with us. If he were, he would be the first to tell you that he was imperfect and complicated, as are we all. But he was also steady. You knew, without question, that he would show up. If you needed something, he was there. If you needed someone to stand beside you, to fight for you, he was already in the ring. His presence was unwavering.

And that makes me think about all of us.

What makes you the most you version of yourself? The steadiest, most steadfast version? The youest you, if you will?

We live in a time that calls for action, yes. But it also calls for presence. Have you ever considered how simply being yourself—steadily, reliably—can help others feel more secure and supported? You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to have all the answers. But your presence, your you-ness, might be exactly what your loved ones need.

So what helps you stay grounded? What keeps you steady enough (because enough is the key word here) to show up as your whole, imperfect, complicated, steadfast self?

Because in this time, who among us isn’t imperfect and complicated? And yet, here we are. And we need each other. We need you.

— Renee Roederer

Additionally, February is Black History Month, and this is an excellent time to celebrate and learn from Black disability activists and advocates who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. This month, I will share here about some of them.

Harriet Tubman is widely regarded as one of the greatest Black liberators in history, known for her leadership in guiding hundreds of enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Over the course of thirteen trips, she orchestrated daring escapes and, later, led an armed expedition for the Union Army, freeing nearly 800 people in South Carolina. What many may not realize is that Tubman faced a personal challenge from a young age. After being struck in the head by a 2-pound weight as a teenager, she began experiencing what she called “sleeping spells.” These episodes are now believed by many Black historians to have been epileptic seizures resulting from a traumatic brain injury, adding an additional layer of strength and perseverance shared during her lifetime.

You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gd8FvfWU

This first photo is unedited and really looks like a painting.

— Photos by Renee Roederer