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Linked Fate & Interdependence: Reconnecting Communities
& Reframing the Dialogue for a Transformative Agenda
john a. powell
Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Moritz College of Law
Executive Director, Kirwan Institute
September 24, 2007
&
Connectivity & Mutuality
“We are all caught
up in an inescapable
network of mutuality,
tied in a single
garment of destiny.
Whatever effects
one directly effects
all indirectly.”
-The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Linked Fates…
Transformative Change

Our fates are linked, yet our fates have been socially
constructed as disconnected, especially through the
categories of class, race, gender, nationality, religion…
Our Current Paradigm

Current paradigm: Hobbesian,
isolated, radically individualistic

Perceives individuals as autonomousindependent selves


Egoistic, possessive, separate, isolated,
rational
Role of state: protect
individualism and
individual property
Our Current
Paradigm

This has led to increasing
isolation and fear of the
other
This framework creates and
marginalizes the racialized
other
 Creates false separations –
negates shared humanity


As a result we are a nation
divided, and have failed to
achieve true democracy
Effects of Current Paradigm
on Social Justice Work

Within this framework, social justice work:
 Overlooks opportunities for coalition building
 Is more fragmented and isolated
 May be competitive and divisive
 Can lead to guilt or disempowerment
 Is not connected to an overarching set of
shared values
 Lacks a cohesive and
unified vision!
Are we too individualistic or can we
transcend this disconnectedness?
A New Paradigm

Individualism and
interconnectivity are not mutually excusive

When a linked correctly, interconnectivity
supports individuality

We believe this is possible through
collective imagination

A New Paradigm!
A New Paradigm

What is the alternative vision?
 A model of connectedness
 Individuals as part of something
bigger
 Inter-being, unified, not
egoistically separate
A New Paradigm

Shared Fate
 This
has been interpreted by some to be
synonymous with self-interest
 This
is too narrow -- as institutions shift, so
will individual or group interests
 Need an overarching collective vision of
shared fate not predicated
on personal or group-based
interests
Next Steps

Now that we have this framework of
connectedness and shared fate, where do
we go from here?

Need to separately consider:

internal analysis

communication strategy

programmatic approach
Next Steps

Must be explicit about both
internal AND external
communications strategythese are not always the
same

Need to explore ways not
only of “talking about race”
but also “doing around
race”
Next Steps: Analysis

Understand your audience & their
dominant frames


Different symbols animate different associates
with different groups
Need to first understand what that frame
means to different groups

Examplefreedom
Next Steps:
Communication Strategy

Don’t rely on highlighting disparities or
structures alone


May work best with some groups but not
others
Must connect the individual with the
structures- tell stories that use the
personal to lift up the structural

Grapes of Wrath
Next Steps:
Communication Strategy

This story must activate the correct frame
for your audience

Priming- how an individual process
information depends on the frame that is
activated

Can be explicit or implicit

Example: “illegal alien”
Next Steps:
Programmatic Approach

Develop and implement solutions that benefit
ALL members of society
 Linked
fate
 Targeted

Universalism
Action- Linked intervention
 Focus
on “Turning Points”
 Multiracial
 Shared
and multiethnic coalitions
communications strategy
Concluding Thoughts

The obstacles we face can seem insurmountable,
however…

Through a new paradigm and with coalition
building we can make great strides in addressing
the race and class disparities in our nation

Strategic transactional change, can ultimately
accomplish transformation

Eyes on the prize(s)
RememberWe Have, and Can Make Progress!
Save the date…
Visit Us Online
www.KirwanInstitute.org
www.KirwanInstitute.Blogspot.com
For Further Reading

Bill Bradley


Drew Westen


The New American Story. (2007).
The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the
Fate of the Nation. (2007).
George Lakoff:



Whose Freedom?: The Battle over America's Most
Important Idea (2007).
Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values
and Vision (2006).
Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and
Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for
Progressives (2004).
For Further Reading


Reports & Articles:

Thinking Change: Race, Framing, and the Public
Conversation on Diversity. What Social Science
Research Tells Advocates About Winning Support for
Racial Justice Policies. Available online through The
Diversity Advancement Project
http://www.diversityadvancementproject.org/

John Sterman. (1994). Learning in and about complex
systems. Systems Dynamics Review. Vol. 10, nos. 2-3:
291-330.
Online tools:

Harvard Implicit Association Tests.
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/