Social Change – Forging Kindness, Love, Curiosity and Understanding

A quick Google search will tell you a lot about the meaning of social change.

You’ll find scientific theories and multiple resources about stages of social change.

Honestly, you’ll find lots of words we haven’t seen since we opened our last textbook.

But what might be harder to find in this search are the human beings behind why social change is important. The people with loved ones, families, hearts and minds that matter.

The people whose rights are limited – and severely threatened. People who face obstacles due to the color of their skin and/or the people they love. People who face adversity for wanting to just be their own, true, authentic selves.

To make social change feel like this big hairy audacious idea surrounded by theories and stages is to do us all a disservice – because it’s easy to get lost in the ‘change’ and challenging part of such a movement without keeping the ‘why’ at the center.

Depersonalizing social change makes people feel like they have to really get outside of their comfort zone to call for such a monumental shift when in reality, the push for social change is simply a push for kindness, love, curiosity and understanding.

Doesn’t that sound better than how sociologists define social change? (If you haven’t already done the Google search: Change in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions[1]. Sounds lofty, right?)  

This month, we are facing “social change” head on and are committing to share information, provide resources and take action in ways that matter with a specific focus on showing our unwavering pride for the LGBTQIA+ community and for honoring the significance of a day that went unrecognized for far too long – Juneteenth.

We feel compelled to take a strong stance in this moment, right now. Because if we aren’t doing our part to push for progress, and for what is right, who will?

There are many who aren’t afraid of pushing an agenda that would take us all backwards and significantly threaten the rights of entire communities of people. And if we aren’t paying attention, and we aren’t making social change a priority, that’s exactly where we are headed.

So, please join us all month long and share with us how you’re showing up and spreading kindness, love, curiosity, and understanding for all.

This month, we are dedicating our work to our team and our friends, family, and loved ones who are our own personal “why” behind our push for social change.

Sources: [1] What is Social Change and Why Should We Care?, SNHU 2019

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