Where We Are: Overcoming An Impasse

2020 has been a tough year and the election showed how much work we have ahead of us to create a more inclusive, equitable, just and hopeful society. So now the question is: Where do we go from here?

Rich Harwood is going live on Facebook at 4 p.m. ET for a new 4-part series: Special Election 2020 Series: How We Move Forward from Here. During the first episode, Rich discusses how the nation is at an impasse and how we can move forward from here. This is Part 1 of 4, coming to you each Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Transcript:

0:03
Hi, I'm Rich Harwood. Welcome to our Special Election 2020 Series: How We Move Forward From Here.

0:13
So much to talk about today so much to talk about. This is the first of a four part series about the current election. Today is, as I mentioned, part one, where are we overcoming an impasse? Again, for those who are just joining us on retry would welcome to our special election 2020 series, four part series today's Part One overcoming an impasse, shoot me a message and let me know that you're on board today and where you're coming in from and that you can hear me, I'm so glad that you could join me.

0:53
You know, it has been a wild ride since November 3, hasn't it? The last two weeks, quite a roller coaster up. Joe Biden hasn't even been officially designated the president elect or the next president. That will happen in December. And in the meantime, our current president, President Trump hasn't acknowledged what is a clear victory on the on the part of former Vice President Biden and his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, from California.

1:28
But as I said, a crazy election in an exhausted nation. I know. When I came off that election, when I was watching the results, I was just exhausted. For days. It's still unfolding as we as we speak here today.

1:45
I know that that many of us have been frustrated about what's happening, angry in rage about what's happening in our country. I know that that many of us are scared about about the challenges we face as a nation and the challenges that we face as a people and the challenges that we face in our local communities. I know that for some of you, you are relieved.

2:12
Not only that the election is over that this crazy. campaign season this acrimonious and divisive campaign season is over. But I know that for many of you, you are relieved at the results as well. But here's the thing. No matter who you voted for no matter who you supported, no matter who you might support moving forward, when we lift our heads up now, after November third, some two weeks later.

2:43
The thing is we face real challenges, and real pressing challenges in our nation. In other words, our work is just beginning. As a country and as people, the challenges we face the fault lines we face as you know, I don't need to remind you are real, they are serious. They are significant, we continue to face COVID-19 we're in what some people consider yet another surge or a continuation maybe of just of just the first surge 150, or nearly 150,000 new cases a day, 1 million people infected in just the last week, over 11 million Americans infected this pandemic we see no end in sight, not with saying the fact that we're all hoping that one of these vaccines comes through. But as you know, it will take weeks if not months, well into the spring. For that to have any real effect in our nation. We continue to face the the scourge of systemic racism and social injustice, which was crystallized by the murder of George Floyd and as you know, has been with the nation since before the founding of these United States. We face a continued economic economic upheaval all across our country. And now there are there are noises and threats that we may have to undergo yet another shutdown. Our schools are open and they're closed and they're open again and they're closed again. And so many of you with young children are facing the dilemma of how to ensure that they get educated and so many kids who don't have adequate access to remote learning to to learning pods in their neighborhoods or communities, to internet access. So many of our children are continuing to fall behind in so many of the inequities around education only continue to grow.

4:53
The crises continue our political crisis is now that this election is over. Our political crisis is not. We must, we must face it. You know, some of you have heard me say before that, that one of my favorite authors is a gentleman, a scholar named Walter Brueggemann. He's a religious scholar. One of my favorite books that he wrote is called hopeful imagination. And in that book, he's writing about the prophetic tradition. In many religions, and he writes in it, you know, the title of the book is hopeful imagination. So so much of the book is about our ability to imagine a different future. But one of the things that he points out early in the book, and often and repeatedly in the book, is that in order for us to exercise our imagination, we first must know our reality. In other words, in order to know where we want to go, or to think about where we want to go or to imagine where we want to go, we first must know where we are, or in more pedestrian terms, if you were at a mall, and you wanted to know how to get to a store on another floor, or all the way across the mall, you would go to one of those maps and you would look for the sign the arrow that says you are here, and only by knowing where you are here, could you know how to get to where you want to go. So where are we today? Where are we today? It seems to me that we are at an impasse nationally, we are at an impasse nationally. We have deep divisions all across our nation. Let's face it. While there is a winner in this election who received more votes than any presidential candidate in American history. There is someone who lost this election who also won more votes than any one defeated in a presidential election in American history. Over 70 million people voted for the losing candidate. That's amazing. Over 70 million people voted for the losing candidate.

And some people who voted for the winning candidate may believe that those who lost are vanquished and they will somehow disappear, that they will go away. But let's be real about this, the polarization that we face, the marches in the street, some of which just happened here in Washington, DC, where I live, just this weekend, the demonization of one another in our country, these things are not going to magically go away simply because we held an election on November 3. Indeed, whether or not moving forward nationally, the republicans will work with the democrats is not clear how the former president will react when he leaves Washington when he eventually does and goes to Mar a Lago or someplace else. It's not clear what he's going to do next, how the news media will seek to further divide us how cable television will seek to further divide us is not clear. Heck, whether or not within the Democratic Party itself.

8:16
People from different wings of the party will work together or whether or not they will work together is still not clear. But this much I know for sure. This much. I know for sure. The vast majority of people in our country that hundred and 40 million plus Americans who voted their children and those who didn't vote. They have real concerns, we have real concerns. And we need to find out whether or not there is a way to move forward, simply declaring that one side or the other is evil simply declaring that one side or the other is vanquished. simply saying that one side or the other will somehow magically disappear. That will get us nowhere.

9:07
That will get us nowhere. So where are we? We're in one of these stages. We're in impasse, one of one of the five stages of community rhythms at the Harwood Institute, typically works with with communities but we know also applies to states. We know it applies to regions. And in this case, we know it applies to the nation as a whole. And so I just want to talk for a few minutes about what happens when a nation when the United States right now is at an impasse. Here's what we know, we experienced and as I talk about this, think about this and think about what you've been witnessing yourself in these recent times in these recent years and not even just in these recent years just since the election has been over. You can hear people saying enough is enough, you know, I was away a couple of weeks ago, and my wife and I got away for a few days. And we were driving down the highway. And there was a billboard, all in black with white lettering that simply said, Enough is enough energy to take a picture of it. So I could show it to you today because I knew we were going to be doing this special series. But but the billboard said it all Enough is enough. And I'm sure when you're watching the news, when you're talking to your friends, when you're talking to your family, when you're talking to colleagues, you can hear people saying Enough is enough. When will this ever be over? There is a sense of urgency at an impasse that we need to take action. And I think that sense of urgency is with us today, whether it is COVID, or systemic racism and social injustice, with economic upheaval that we're experiencing, or schools opening and closing and, and trying to reopen again.

11:04
There is a sense of urgency that something needs to happen. But here's what also happens at an impasse. While people want change, and there may even be agreement that there is a need for change, which right now, I'm not even sure there is that agreement. But oftentimes at an impasse, there is an agreement that there is a need for change. There is no agreement about what to do. In fact, at an impasse, we often mistake the agreement that there is a need for change. For agreement about what we're going to do. It is one of the biggest mistakes, we make it an impasse. Because here's the truth. Here's the truth. There is little agreement at an impasse about what to do much like in our country today, there is little agreement about the policies we need about the programs we need about the initiatives we need. Sure, there might be agreement among those you talk to. And there might be the agreement among those in your close circle. But as you start to extend farther and farther away from those you know, from your friends, from your relatives, from people who vote like you who think like you, who maybe go to the same church or synagogue, or mosque, or mosque like you, the farther and farther out we go from those we know, the more and more we recognize there's less and less agreement about what we need to do in impasse at an impasse. Think about this. Think about this, if this tracks with your experience in America today. There is a lack of norms, productive ways to engage leaders, we trust organizations we trust places for us to come together and work together there is a lack of norms that keep us stuck in an undesirable status quo. We are mired in turf wars, we are mired in people jockeying for position, we are mired in people trying to get one over on one another.

13:08
We are mired in simply being stuck. That's the whole definition of an impasse. We are at loggerheads. And there is a lack of capacity to act. So that's what we often experience it is at an impasse. Sound familiar? Sound familiar? I know it sounds familiar to me. And here's what we usually try to do to break the impasse. Think about this.

13:32
Think about this.

13:35
We inflate expectations by announcing grand plans. We think if we just have a new grand plan, and we call a press conference, and we get enough people behind us and enough money behind it, we can announce it. And somehow that will bring everyone together. Get everyone to agree on a common path forward with common cause and a sense of common purpose marshaling our common resources. We believe that we can convince ourselves, that there are strong enough networks and strong enough organizations to generate change. Except as you know, the networks and organizations that exist in our country today. They're organizing as armies against one another, to fight to continue to fight a battle against one another. To seek to win at all costs to wheat to seek to win at any cost. No matter how much damage is done no matter who is trampled over along the way.

14:47
When we're at an impasse, we tend to shut out large swaths of citizens believing that if we just gather those who agree with us, we can get through.

15:00
Well, we know that right now at least nationally, the country is divided. And so we can organize all we want, and we might be able to squeak through change, but the chances that it there will be real public will behind it that it will it will be enacted and if it is enacted, that it will be sustainable, well, that's really doubtful. That's really doubtful.

15:28
So how do we move forward if the country is at an impasse? If, as Brueggemann warns us, if we want to imagine a better path forward, we must first know where we are and what our reality is and what we're dealing with?

15:43
What can we do to simply do the types of things that I was talking about that we often do to ram through change, organize more, to raise our voices to inflate expectations by announcing grand schemes? That will that is a recipe only for more impasse for more of a log jam.

16:05
For more of us staying stalemated, but there is an alternate path we can take, you know, that I would never get here, I would never get on another episode. And say that we're doomed, that there is no path forward that we have to simply accept what is that there's no way to break through that I would never get on to say that. I wouldn't waste my time. And I certainly wouldn't waste your time. Because I do believe I believe deeply. I believe fervently I believe with all my heart, that there is room for a breakthrough in our country. That in fact, we must seize this opportunity for a breakthrough. And it exists at the local level, in our communities, in your local community, in the communities in which the Harwood Institute is working all across the country.

17:05
Clearly, just to repeat, clearly, our national divisions have seeped into our communities in a way that I haven't seen in the 30 or 35 years worth of work that I've been doing this work. In the 3035 years that I've been doing this work, I used to often say, Our nation is polarized, but our communities are inoculated from that.

17:28
But so many of our debates have been nationalized now, and so much of the polarization and acrimony that exists nationally has seeped into our local communities. But so many of the issues that we need to solve so many of the ways in which we actually can make a breakthrough, so many of the ways in which we can make progress.

17:52
Well, those issues exists in our local communities. And they often require us to act locally, not simply nationally. Think about it. Trust and police, it's got to happen locally, there may be a good cause for national legislation or state legislation. But the changes, we all know the changes, we need the trust, we need to build the change in mindset and behaviors, both in our local police and in our local communities. Well, that's going to have to happen in our local communities, systemic racism and social injustice. Yes, we might need national and state legislation. But as you know, from the civil rights legislation, or housing legislation for voting rights, so much of what needs to happen is in our local communities, it's Heck, it's within you, and it's within me. And it's within the people we work with and live within our local communities. Where we've got to change our mindsets about who we see in here. We've got to change our behaviors about how we engage with one another. We have to change whether or not we actually afford dignity to each and every person in our communities and in our country. And that has to start in our local communities in our daily lives. So much of our response to COVID-19. Yes, we need vaccines. And yes, we need various emergency efforts. But as you know, so much of what we need also needs to happen locally whether or not a kid down the street has access to a learning pot or access to internet, or has a loving adult in their life. Well, that's got to happen in our neighborhoods and in our local communities. Whether or not a senior citizen who is shut in, gets a phone call every day or knock on their door while we're social distance with not to have access to food or their prescriptions. Well, that has to happen locally in our communities.

19:52
So much of whether or not people have access to mental health services, whether or not we have trauma informed approaches to how we deal with mental health, with families under stress. Well, that has to happen locally.

20:09
So much of what we need to do has to happen locally. In fact, just in the last three weeks, I want to tell you about three phone calls I got from people in different communities all across the country from leaders once said this, they said, Rich, we have to find a way to talk to people on the other side, meaning people who didn't vote, who voted differently, people who might be of a different race or ethnicity or culture or heritage. People who see the world differently, they said, Rich, we have to find a way to talk to people on the other side, it's not enough to just keep talking to those we agree with.

20:48
A second leader said to me, he said Rich, all of our historical issues in our community, in the county where they live, they said all the historical issues, divisions of race, divisions of geography, divisions of economics and economic disparities, divisions of family history of people who have lived here, but since before the revolution, people came here because of slavery, people who came here just in the last few years, all these divisions are coming to the forefront now. And our community, our county is like a tinderbox. And we've got to figure out here locally, how we're going to put our community back together, not like it was before, but how we can put it together in a way that is better than before moving forward.

21:41
And then a third leader said to me, you know, Rich, we haven't in the years that I've been living in this community, which, in fact, they were a native of this community. Now they're, they're over 50 years old. They said, In all the years that I've been living in this community, particularly as an adult, when I can remember, we haven't been able to make education a priority in this community. And yet, it impacts every facet of our lives. And yet, it impacts every aspect of equity and whether or not we will have a fair and just an inclusive and equitable community. Moving forward.

Each of these issues that I've mentioned, talking to people from the other side, dealing with divisions, race, geography, economics, family history, whether or not education will be a priority and whatnot, we'll deal with inequities in education. All of these issues are begging to us to be acted upon all of these issues. Each of these issues need to be acted upon in our local communities. And that means you and me and the people we know, we've got to come together with a sense of common purpose and common cause and move in a common direction and begin to marshal our common resources to act on these challenges.

Now, I think you know, I hold many ideals. Some people think I'm an idealist. But I'm not simply, I don't simply hold ideals because at heart, I am a pragmatist. At heart, I am clear eyed.

23:25
And I believe that if we need to reimagine that the fundamental opportunity before us is to reimagine and recreate our lives, our communities and our nation. There is no going back to normal normal wasn't all that good for many bright black and brown people. Normal wasn't all that good for people who didn't have access to health care. Normal wasn't good for people who didn't have access to mental health services. Normal wasn't good to people lived on the other side of town who didn't have access to jobs and transportation and childcare.

24:00
But in being clear eyed in being a pragmatist, who also has ideals, we've got to figure out where we can begin to take action to reimagine and recreate our society in a more just equitable, fair, inclusive and hopeful way. And to me, that means it's in our local communities. I've seen it happen. I've seen it happen in places as hard hit as Flint, Michigan, lost 10s of thousands of jobs in short number of years, and could Marshal the resources and the ability to begin to move forward. I'm seeing it happening Winchester in Clark County, Kentucky right now. Where it was a community that was held back and held down and they're better years were behind them. And now in the last two and a half years, they have created more change than almost any other community I've worked with in such a short period of time. I'm working now with folks in Jackson, Mississippi. And that community which some people say is an in past age, or maybe the early catalytic stage, they're making progress moving forward on some of these issues. It's possible, we can do it.

25:12
But let's not hold our breath for action to take place at the national level as much as we may need it. And let us not hold our breath for action at the state level as much as we may need that as well. Instead, rather than waiting, why don't you and I and others lead the way? Why don't we demonstrate that all change in America has always begun at the local level and bubbled up and national leaders have always caught up to us? Let us demonstrate that there is a public will for change that there is a desire. And let us demonstrate that not withstanding the divisions not withstanding the polarization, not withstanding the acrimony, that on some issues, those that are amenable to change those that are actionable, those where change is doable, that we can get together and create a more hopeful trajectory moving forward.

26:09
The opportunity exists for us in our local communities. Let's take it, let's take it. And so in the coming weeks, for three consecutive weeks after today, I'm going to be talking about how we can create this change moving forward. Next Tuesday at 4pm. Eastern time, I'm going to talk about how you can shift your focus, and how your community can shift its focus to get moving now, not tomorrow, not a year from now. But now, immediately, the week after that, Tuesday after that at 4pm. Eastern time, I'm going to talk about four key marches to taking action, and how if you use these mantras, you can you can get others to come with you, and create the action that we need in the progress that so many Americans are yearning for and hoping for today. And lastly, and the fourth Tuesday, three Tuesdays from today, at 4pm. Eastern time, I'm going to talk about civic faith, and about how we can make civic faith a North Star for all our efforts. So that we can create together a better a more just more equitable, a more inclusive and more hopeful society moving forward, not just for today.

27:33
But moving forward. So let me just close today with this. Here's my hope for you today. My hope for you today is that you will step forward, that you will step forward and you will turn outward toward others to help us break us through this impasse in our nation. So that we can reimagine and recreate our lives, our communities and this country so that we can produce as I've said before, a more just a more equitable, a more inclusive, a fair, more hopeful society.

28:11
You can do it. We can do it. But we can only do it if each of us steps forward.

28:18
So thanks for joining me. There's more resources and information on our website at the Harwood institute.org. If you haven't had a chance to read my latest book, stepping forward, grab a copy from Amazon or off our website, the Harwood institute.org. And in the meantime, I hope you stay healthy that your family stays healthy, your loved ones stay healthy, and that you stay in good spirits. Be well thanks so much for joining me. I'll see you next Tuesday for another special episode of our election 2020 series, how we can move forward from here 4pm Eastern time. Thanks so much. Be well.