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4. THE ROOM THAT RUTH BUILT | CHRISTIE I. IDIONG M.S.

Writer's picture: ChristieChristie

Originally when I planned to sit down and record this solo episode, I was planning on breaking down the concept of community based on a quote I reposted a couple weeks ago, but I decided to shift gears a little. Coming off the heels of the first presidential debate between Former VP Joe Biden and President Trump, and the passing of the Notorious RBG, I wanted to share my thoughts on what it means to be an Ally and an Accomplice. If these conversations are resonating with you let me know! Leave a rating, a comment, and keep checking out the full show notes here. I put a full fact check and links to books that the guest have discussed and mentioned here. Share these convos with someone who you think could benefit and hopefully start having your own and hit subscribe so you never miss another miss another episode….ENJOY


Interruptions, lack of facilitations, the inability for both sides to really land what it is they plan to do. You name it. It happened. The first presidential debate was very hard to bare witness to. I think we expected a trainwreck, I don’t know if we expected the train to also be on fire.


Now, if you’ve been following the Cornerstone Instagram then you are familiar with the fact I’ve been posting quotes every week for the last couple years. Originally when I sat down to unpack my thoughts I wanted to break down a quote that I reposted a couple of weeks ago


“You need friends who would mention your name in a room full of opportunities.” and that was originally posted by the female hustlers. (Give them a follow. They are a phenomenal page.)


Sitting with that quote now versus a couple weeks ago, it’s definitely holding a different amount of weight meaning. At the time I was binging one of my favorite shows Big Brother.


Having taught a few more lectures in between that time and the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I feel as though I would be remiss to not speak on the legacy of activism that the Notorious RBG has left behind.


Ruth Bader Ginsburg...was a trailblazer. There is a litany of rights that cisgender woman now benefit from including but not limited to:

  1. State-funded schools having to admit women

  2. Women couldn't sign a mortgage or have a bank account without a male co-signer

  3. Ginsburg helped women make strides toward equal pay

  4. Her presence on the court preserving a woman's right to choose

  5. She pushed to protect pregnant women in the workplace

  6. Allowing women to serve on juries

  7. Serving as a key vote in granting same-sex marriages


For women to have control, have control or their body without the say of a man. For members of the LGBTQ+ to be seen. To be heard. Equitably. And equally. In every way that their heterosexual cisgender counterparts get to experience life. With all that being said, NOW there is a potential for her seat to be replaced with someone who not only could stall the progress of the strides made, but would not have been able to enter those doors had it not been for RBG. It is a real fear of many.


Rather than invalidating and insulting these concerns...we have to listen, we have to hear them, hold space for them...and fight with them. She has left behind a legacy of allyship. Allyship/ Being an accomplice is walking the walking after you’ve talked the talk. Even when nobody is watching Women deserve to be in rooms where decisions are being made….but let’s go when step further


Women, transgender folks, BIPOC, Black people, individuals with disabilities….Any and every member of targeted oppressed groups deserve and NEED to be in rooms where decisions are being made.



And if they are not able to get to the room, they deserve friends, family, co-workers, peers who are going to mention their name in a room full of opportunities.


Period.


So if you are not being that, today’s the day start.


It’s okay to be uncomfortable. The discomfort is similar to that soreness you get after a workout. Were looking to avoid straight up pain.


There are various methods of showing your activism.


Today is a great day to have a great day. Get. After. It.



*FACT CHECK*

  • “You need friends who would mention your name in a room full of opportunities.”

  • Big Brother is a reality television series that “follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of high-definition cameras and microphones recording their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week, the Houseguests will vote someone out of the house. At the end, the last remaining Houseguest will receive the grand prize of $500,000”

  • “Presence on the court”. The correct terminology is “on the bench”

  • On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all fifty states, and required states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses in the case Obergefell v. Hodges.

  • Microtears of muscle. “Sore muscles after physical activity, known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can occur when you start a new exercise programme, change your exercise routine, or increase the duration or intensity of your regular workout. When muscles are required to work harder than they're used to or in a different way, it's believed to cause microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, resulting in muscle soreness or stiffness. DOMS is often mistakenly believed to be caused by a build up of lactic acid, but lactic acid isn't involved in this process.”

  • Social Justice Love Languages originated by @goddesscecilia, graphics originating from by @hedonish of @geneticlemon

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