Lyric of the Day:
They Say, “Stay Down” and we stand up.
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up.
John Legend “Glory” from the movie Selma
Dressembers Day 22-31 🙂
January 11, 2015. National Human Trafficking Day. The day to bring awareness on this issue of slavery that our forefathers fought 200 years ago. That we are still fighting today. Today I reflected on the challenge I embarked on one month ago, that changed my life in many ways. Changed my perspective on activism and raising awareness. Changed my perspective on my role in advocating. But most of all, changed my perspective on how this issue of human trafficking has more to do with the underlying problems of injustice that plague all the issues we face in our world today.
With this in mind today, I was especially touched by several moments at the Golden Globes which brought to light the importance of restoring the dignity of people and especially the cause against unequal treatment and oppression toward women. Issues of Restoring Dignity. Of Equal Rights and Respect for Women. Of giving a voice to the oppressed. Of justice and civil rights and being a brother of courage in the face of evil.
Once we address these underlying issues happening in our workplaces, our homes, our relationships and our hearts we will find that the larger issues and injustices facing us in a global and sociological sense will heal themselves. Let us run to the mountaintop that Martin Luther King Jr. pointed to, laying aside all hindrances and fear. Stand up against the injustice in your world, and the injustice in another’s will feel your light. Your courage is contagious, like the courage of these actors, who chose to use their moment in the spotlight to shed light on the injustice in another’s:
1. On women who have experienced the horrific injustice of rape: Actor Joanne Froggat, who plays one of my favorite characters of all time Anna from Downton Abbey, won the season in which her character was raped and she played a rape survivor dealing with the trauma of the aftermath of this injustice which so many women struggle with. She recognized the thousands of letters she received from survivors of rape who just wanted to be heard and gave their voices the spotlight of the world. “One woman summed up the thoughts of many by saying she wasn’t sure why she’d written but she just felt in some way she wanted to be heard. I’d like to say, I heard you and I hope saying this so publicly in some way means you feel the world hears you.”
2. On the strength of women: Amy Adams recognizes her character’s “quiet voice and strong heart, and her ability to use her voice.” and thanked her own husband “who would never silence my voice”.
3. On the injustice of slavery: Common reminded us that “Selma is now” and “we stand in solitary for those fighting for justice right now.”
4. On the role of women in this industry: Maggie Gyllenhaal recognizes that the wealth of roles for actual (genuine) women in TV and in Film is revolutionary.
5. On the classiest human rights activist couple in the room: Amal Clooney being recognized for her incredible work in human’s rights while “her husband” gets a lifetime achievement award lol… and to take from his video montage:
“we have to continue to fight this fight and the best way to do it is shining a light on the atrocities. Making it harder for the bad guys to get away with it and harder for the good guys to ignore it.”
Let’s all be known as being the brother of courage and stand together against trafficking, genocide and all other injustice. No matter our position. I was humbled by this experience, thank you for your support and encourage you to never be silent about what matters and what is wrong in this world. Whether it takes wearing a dress, or using your voice: do something.
“I always thought, someone should do something about that, until I realized: I am someone”.
Thank you for all your support. You can still visit my fundraising page until the end of this month:Â https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=372170
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”- Martin Luther King Jr.
“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”- Abraham Lincoln.
