March 8: Building Beloved Community

I didn't even KNOW my friend Lisa 2 years ago. She has become my sister-friend, my journeyer, my partner in work & in celebration. So here's a poem in her honor about being PTO leaders together (yep... PTO leaders) and our commitment to building beloved community in OUR community.

Lisa. And Lisa.

White. Black.

Black. White.

But the same four letters make up our name. And sharing that name connected us.

“Let’s plan this meeting!”

A document opens, ideas start flying. We catch one, and tease it out. “If we do less of this and more of that, I think we’ve got a plan.”

We remind ourselves that meetings need connecting, need comfort with discomfort, if we want to do important work. And why meet, if you’re not doing important work, right?

Ten new possibilities sit on our post-its, ready for next month.

Agendas are printed, snacks are ready, and folks continue to join us, month in, month out.

“Let’s organize this activity!”

We start HUGE. Then scale way back. Then find the just-right balance of changing the whole big world and just changing our bit of it. “Building beloved community” we say, feeling humbled by Martin’s words and embracing the idea that we should and we must and we can do this work.

Sleeves roll. Committees form.

“What were we thinking?” we take turns saying. And “We’ve got this, we’ve got this,,” we take turns replying.

Plans made, revised, finalized. And beloved community fills our school, making

a day off

a day on

for love.

“Let’s do more.”
I think she is

CRAY

zeeeee.

But it’s the chance to show others that

two Lisas

one black

one white

can be partners.

“If not us, who?” we whisper over tea. And then our whispers become

CRAYzeeeee

yelps of “yes, yes, YES!” and before we know it,

beloved community grows.