Listening, telling, and empathy to build a more equitable world

This was originally published in my newsletter on 5 June 2020.

Without a doubt, we are living in challenging times. How we respond to it is part of the story we will tell ourselves for years to come, and it's worth some thought.

I've been getting newsletter after newsletter from companies and artists declaring their commitment to equity and human rights, which is as it should be. I've been debating whether I should send out such a statement myself, so let me clear: Black lives matter. Social inequity is an affront to all. Racism, sexism, and more, all of which are systemically entrenched in the United States, are wrong and we all must work to overcome hundreds of years of evil. Yes, evil. It will not be comfortable but it's worth it. I hope that if you know me, or have been following my work, you know my values are in favor of empathy, equity, human and environmental rights. You also know I make mistakes and strive to learn from them.

I've been thinking about how I, a single storyteller, can have a positive impact for a better world, and what I keep coming back to is that I need to shut up and get out of the way, or use my privilege to elevate the voices we most need to hear. When we listen to others we are much more likely to build empathy and understanding. Stories are one of the best possible tools to help us understand another's point of view and maybe learn a bit about ourselves in the process. To that end, I'm going to step aside and urge you to watch this powerful story by Sheila Arnold about how she responded when her son told her he had been pulled over by the police. I cannot watch it without sobbing. CW: Police violence against a man of color.

Sheila's story is a stark reminder of what it's like to be African American in the United States today. Listening to it evokes empathy and powerful emotions. If I could, I would make it required viewing in every police academy, for every store owner, for every white person.

That's part of what we can do as storytellers. We can listen more deeply, empathize more honestly, and share stories that will help others realize why this is important and overdue. That's part of what I'm doing. I'll find ways to do more, including continuing to talk about these issues in my classes, my programs, and most importantly, listening as much as I can.

Thank you for knowing how important story is to building a better world. Thank you for walking alongside me as we continue our march forward.

P.S. It feels rather unimportant in light of everything else, but I am honored and humbled to tell you that I am being inducted into the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence. You can learn more here. I am so grateful to Brother Blue, Ruth Hill, Kevin Brooks, my parents, Charley Shaffner, Loren Niemi, Jamie Mayo, and everyone else who has believed in me over these years. Thank you.

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(c)2020 Laura S. Packer