Moral Courage

Did you catch Michelle Obama's speech this week? If not, stop what you're doing and watch it. (Well, after reading this post. 😁) Her speech is a master class in the communication skills that we champion at Moral Courage. Here’s what MO did: 1️⃣ She exposed the absurdity of reducing people to racial labels, as if those labels assign us to certain kinds of work. Her mic-drop moment: When she asked, "Who's gonna tell [Donald Trump] that the job he's chasing might be one of those 'Black jobs'?" 2️⃣ She framed privilege in a way that the un-woke and maybe even the anti-woke can hear. Speaking about the family business inherited by DJT, MO pointed out that most of us "will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth." She added, we "will never be afforded the grace of failing forward..." Instead of the loaded word “privilege,” she used the faith-inflected term “grace.” That’s how you get the folks at home to listen: meet them where they’re at. 3️⃣ She proactively built common ground. More than once, MO spoke of the values taught by our mothers. When describing the Veep as "dignified," she called it "a tribute to her mother, and to my mother, and to your mother, too." Whether you’re a fan of Michelle Obama or not, this isn’t about stanning. It’s about recognizing that as you stand your ground, you can communicate in ways that cultivate shared ground at the same time. That's Moral Courage. Check out the full, fierce, speech: https://lnkd.in/eta6pkRy Irshad Manji Allison Gerrard Genesis Be Neil Gonsalves

We're told that certain issues are divisive. Actually, it's not the issues themselves that divide; it's how *we* approach conversations about them. Many of us shame others. We blame others. We intimidate others. Too often, this is what happens when you try to converse with someone -- say, a straight white guy -- who has a point of view that you and your friends don't like. If you want to hear where he's coming from, you risk having your friends label you "respectable." That's not a compliment. It's saying, "You just want to be respected by someone who's on the wrong side of history. So you're making him comfortable. Instead, you should be challenging him hard!" Thing is, challenging someone hard right off the bat only makes them instantly defensive. (You'd react the same way, btw.) Bottom line: You're making a statement. But you're not making a difference. At Moral Courage College, we teach our students to disagree in ways that are respectful -- which is different from being respectable. How? Check out this short video from our founder, Irshad Manji. As we all approach the U.S. presidential election, the first anniversary of Oct. 7, and who knows what else, here's to disagreeing bigly. And productively. #BeMoralCourage Allison Gerrard Genesis Be Neil Gonsalves

This week, Kamala Harris introduced America to her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz. The story she told highlighted his many-sidedness. For example, at the high school where he taught, Walz was BOTH a star football coach AND the faculty advisor to LGBTQ students. Today, he’s BOTH a responsible gun owner AND a passionate defender of reproductive choice. Being human is being both-and. After all, each of us has a left brain and a right brain that need each other for the sake of our own wellness. To demand purity is, quite literally, to dehumanize. We all get this when it comes to people who want racial purity. But do we get this when it comes to people who insist on political purity — those who become bullies when you dare to disagree with their partisan beliefs? Just as you can be a winning football coach and an active ally to queer kids, so you can be a person of color and a conservative. You can be gay and Muslim. You can be Jewish and pro-Palestine. Pro-Palestine without being anti-Israel. Pro-Israel without being anti-Palestine. The either/or mindset proclaims, “Which side are you on? Be clear!” The both-and paradigm announces, “Feel free to explore your multiple sides. Be whole.” Gov. Walz says that he’s learned to compromise on issues without compromising on values. That’s the both-and paradigm talking. It’s the mark of a maturing America. Now if only he’d point out that you can be "weird" in a good way... 😉 #BeMoralCourage Moral Courage Allison Gerrard Neil Gonsalves Genesis Be

Ever feel like society's bent on fitting you into an identity box? 🙄 We get it. Religion, race, sexuality, gender – it’s like people can’t see past the tags to the evolving and unique individual you are. Of course, humans are social creatures and not just individuals. So we’ll always tribe out. The big question is: Can we tribe out in ways that respect each other’s differences while also building unity? At Moral Courage, we say YES. This short video reveals how we teach unity...without uniformity. Let’s talk: How do *you* honor what makes you unique while still seeing the value in folks with different perspectives? Allison Gerrard

Supporters of #KamalaHarris routinely describe her as "the first Black and South Asian woman" to be a serious U.S. presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton is only the latest to use these racial, ethnic, and gender labels. How counter-productive. Framing Vice-President Harris as the first "this" or "that" will remind many Americans about all the excesses that have given diversity such a bad name, especially the obsession with cosmetic differences. There's no easier way to motivate Harris-haters to get out and vote. And there's no faster way to frustrate two super-important kinds of voters: the independents and the undecideds. If you want to promote your candidate to people who don't already agree with you, then steer clear of the trap that labels set. Check out this 50-second video based on Irshad Manji’s book, Don't Label Me. PS: the video is not an argument for making "straight white men" comfortable. (More labels. Ugh.) It's the case for outwitting America's culture wars. #BeMoralCourage #Election2024

Our founder, Irshad Manji, is a #Muslim who also respects the #Bible. Recently, Irshad taught Moral Courage to #Christian students and quoted Romans 12:2 -- 'Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' She cited this verse to speak the hard truth about all humans. Then Irshad invited the students to disagree with her, saying that her hard "truth" wasn't true at all. What's the hard truth that Irshad spoke? Check out this 60-second video. 👇🏽 BTW, most of the students applauded Irshad's perspective, while a few brave souls dissented. How about you? Do you agree or disagree with Irshad? We love learning from our audience, so comment away! #BeMoralCourage

The day before a shooter tried to kill Donald Trump, my friend Ceci told me a heart-warming story of bridging political divides in her own family. Her dad is an ardent Republican. She's decidedly not. For the longest time, they "dealt" with their differences by avoiding any talk of politics. But Ceci believed that she could learn from her father, as he could from her. So she swallowed hard and attempted to create common ground. "Dad," she said, "I know we're not going to agree about who should be our next president. l also know that we're both independent thinkers. If we can remember that about one another, we can discuss anything, including politics, right?" Her dad was game. In prefacing their conversation this way, Ceci used a core skill of Moral Courage: Don't merely "seek" common ground; create it — proactively. Although Ceci isn't politically frustrated, we realize that many (ahem, MANY) Americans are. If you're friends with someone like that, please send them the message below.👇🏽 And if you or they disagree with the message, I’m game to discuss our differences.

Want a fair hearing for your beef with politicians? Then here's the dirty little secret about resorting to violence: It doesn't work. Violence incites reactions, not responses. Which means the intended message of such violence will be drowned out in the noise of panic, condemnation, or retaliation. To get a fair hearing from any leader, first give a fair hearing to their supporters. Listening makes you credible -- as long as you're listening to *learn* rather than to win. In the aftermath of this weekend, let's remember: Disagreeing with each other's ideas does not have to mean denying each other's humanity. #BeMoralCourage Allison Gerrard Genesis Be

Our founder, Irshad Manji, tells a fun little story about her approach to work. Irshad’s mama, Mumtaz, gave her some advice years ago, and Irshad didn't "get" it -- until now. Check out this video.👇🏽 At Moral Courage, we make space for joy, respite, and questions (aka nosiness 😉). So we have to ask: How are you taking downtime this summer? Let us know in the comments. And include photos if you can! Allison Gerrard Annabelle Mortensen Lyndsay Promane Virgil Adams, III Maria Leonor Cadena

We at Moral Courage are huge fans of Genesis Be.   Her philosophy of "People, Not Things" mirrors Irshad Manji's words in her book Don't Label Me: "People Are Not Things."    In fact, we’ve partnered with Genesis on an upcoming documentary that shows how to apply these ideas in the real and messy world. More about the doc soon. Meanwhile, watch this profound video👇🏽and consider following Genesis. John Snoad Allan Carey Russ Latino