A World Reimagined: Race, Privilege, and Our Path Toward True Justice

“When we truly see one another, we can begin the journey to real change.”

Personal Note from Tito:
This is my first time experiencing Jane Elliott, and I was blown away just as much as the audience was. Wait for it—in terms of her defining racism. Video is embedded below.

Introduction and Background

In a world where greed, arrogance, and ignorance often create serious divisions among us, it is vital to come together and learn from those who have dedicated their lives to exposing unfairness and pushing for real change. Angela Davis and Jane Elliott are two such luminaries, each committed to revealing the hidden and not-so-hidden ways racial prejudice has crept into our societies. Through their conversation, they highlight the importance of addressing these wrongs with honesty, empathy, and resilience.

Their dialogue was part of a student-led event called the Social Justice Solutions series, which aims to bring together activists, scholars, students, and community members to explore action-oriented strategies. Davis and Elliott have spent decades fighting racism, and their conversation brings forth essential lessons about how we can learn from history, educate ourselves, and actively join the struggle for racial justice.

We can also think about how Adaptive Resiliency—the ability to face challenges and bounce back stronger—applies to large-scale concerns like Climate and Ecological (Green) issues. When communities are more resilient against social injustices, they are also more capable of confronting other major emergencies. As we listen to these two icons, let’s keep in mind how unity and empathy can reinforce Adaptive Resiliency in all areas of life, from racial equality to our Climate and Ecological (Green) challenges.

Part 1: Exploring Race and Privilege—A Conversation with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott

Have you ever wondered how we can make our world fairer for everyone? Two amazing women, Angela Davis and Jane Elliott, recently got together to talk about just that. Let’s explore their conversation and learn about race, privilege, and how each of us can help create meaningful changes in our communities.

Who Are Angela Davis and Jane Elliott?

Before we jump into their discussion, let’s get to know these two remarkable women more closely:

Angela Davis is a renowned activist and scholar who has spent over five decades championing civil rights and social justice. She has authored many influential books, lectured at universities, and inspired countless people to question the status quo and work toward a better society. Davis has continuously emphasized the idea that all struggles—whether related to race, gender, or class—are deeply interconnected.
Jane Elliott is an educator best known for creating the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise in 1968, an impactful classroom lesson that aimed to help children understand how discrimination feels based on something as simple as eye color. Since then, Elliott has led workshops and lectures around the world, teaching people of all ages about racism and the power of empathy. She boldly challenges individuals to face their own biases and recognize how privilege influences daily life.

The Social Justice Solutions Series

The conversation between Davis and Elliott took place during a Social Justice Solutions event, a yearly series that encourages attendees to address important topics such as racism, sexism, poverty, and more. The goal is to unite activists, academics, and ordinary people in the pursuit of realistic steps for social change. During these gatherings, students and community members can engage with leading figures who offer wisdom on how to confront society’s biggest problems—from institutional racism to environmental concerns like Climate and Ecological (Green) crises.

Key Points from Their Conversation

During their exchange, both Davis and Elliott offered insights that can deeply impact how we think about inequality and injustice. Here are some highlights:

Understanding privilege: They emphasized that some people benefit from advantages—like skin color or nationality—that are often invisible to those who have them. Recognizing these advantages is the first step toward addressing unfairness in society.
The importance of education: Both women see education as vital for exposing the roots of racism. They believe that teaching honest history, discussing real experiences, and confronting uncomfortable truths can help break down barriers.
Taking action: They urged listeners to stand up when they see injustices in their schools, workplaces, or neighborhoods. Real change starts with noticing, speaking out, and working with others who share the vision of equality.
Connecting different issues: Davis has spent much of her career highlighting the fact that racism, sexism, classism, and other discrimination forms are all bound together. Elliott agreed, suggesting that true progress requires us to fight all types of prejudice at once.
The power of empathy: Both pointed out that trying to understand another person’s experiences—especially when those experiences involve discrimination—is essential for building compassion and unity.

Why This Conversation Matters

Hearing Angela Davis and Jane Elliott speak about race and privilege underscores the urgent necessity of understanding one another and addressing inequalities that harm us all. By becoming more aware of how privilege shapes our lives, we can:

Show greater kindness and consideration toward people who look or live differently.
Be more likely to notice unfair treatment and call it out when we see it.
Work together to improve schools, neighborhoods, and communities so they become places where everyone can thrive.
Learn from history to avoid repeating the same mistakes that caused widespread suffering in the past.

What Can We Do?

If you’ve read this far and feel stirred to make a difference, you might be wondering what concrete steps you can take. Here are some suggestions:

Learn more: Seek out books, documentaries, and seminars about race, privilege, and social justice. Challenge yourself to explore uncomfortable topics.
Listen to others: Embrace the stories of people who have different backgrounds than you. Their experiences can teach you about hidden forms of discrimination and remind you that every voice matters.
Speak up: If you witness cruelty or favoritism, say something—assuming it’s safe to do so. Even a small act of calling out unfairness can shift the culture in a classroom or community.
Be a friend: Offer support and understanding to those who might feel excluded or targeted. This not only strengthens social bonds but also models positive behavior for others.
Talk to your family and friends: Engaging loved ones in honest conversations about prejudice and privilege can open their eyes, too, creating ripple effects of awareness and activism.
Get involved: Many groups and organizations focus on pushing for equality in schools, workplaces, and local governments. Joining such a movement puts your beliefs into action.

The Bigger Picture: Linking Social Justice to Adaptive Resiliency

Many people do not immediately connect racial justice to Climate and Ecological (Green) concerns, but these issues intersect in surprising ways. The communities most vulnerable to environmental disasters and health crises are often those that also suffer from racial discrimination and economic hardship. When we strengthen communities by fighting racism, we also increase our collective Adaptive Resiliency—our ability to manage and recover from large-scale challenges.

Think about an area affected by severe storms or flooding. If that area has longstanding racial inequalities or lacks resources, people living there will likely suffer more during a natural disaster. By uniting to address both social inequalities and environmental threats, we become more capable of adapting when hardships strike.

“When one part of our community is in danger, we are all affected,” says a fictional community organizer named Marian Green, who symbolizes the spirit of resilience. “Building unity across our differences helps us stand strong against the storms we know—and the storms yet to come.”

Conclusion of Part 1

The discussion between Angela Davis and Jane Elliott is a stirring call to action. They remind us that learning about race and privilege is not a once-and-done task but an ongoing journey that requires patience, courage, and humility. As we examine our own biases and look for ways to correct injustices around us, we become more capable of forging a fairer and more caring world.

You can watch the full conversation between Davis and Elliott here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/S0jf8D5WHoo?si=c7IPxZawclVoaKsV

Part 2: Key Takeaways from Angela Davis—A Legacy of Intersectional Advocacy

Angela Davis, a renowned activist and scholar, has made significant contributions to discussions about race, gender, and social justice. The following sections highlight major themes in her speeches and writings:

Intersectionality of Oppression

Davis stresses that different types of oppression, such as racism, sexism, and classism, are interconnected. For example, one cannot fully understand racial bias without also considering how gender bias might shape the experiences of women of color. This approach helps us see how large systems—like the criminal justice system or economic policies—often affect different groups in overlapping ways. In this sense, Davis asks us to broaden our perspective:

Gender, race, and class: These categories cannot be separated. She argues that many social problems remain hidden when we look at them only from one angle.
Feminism beyond gender equality: Davis insists that feminism must tackle capitalism, racism, and colonialism to truly serve all women, not just a privileged few.

Critique of Traditional Feminism

Davis has often pointed out how early feminist movements, led mainly by white women, sometimes leaned on arguments that disregarded Black experiences. In her view, an all-inclusive feminism must acknowledge that women’s struggles differ based on race and economic status. By remembering that not all women face the same obstacles, activists can more effectively build campaigns that help everyone, including those who have historically been left out of mainstream feminist efforts.

The Systemic Nature of Racism

One of the central messages in Angela Davis’s work is that racism is deeply embedded in various societal institutions—such as schools, workplaces, and law enforcement. She encourages people to move beyond seeing racism as simply mean thoughts or harmful words. Instead, she points to policy-level discrimination that influences entire communities:

Embedded injustice: Racism doesn’t just show up when individuals act on bias. It’s also present in laws and procedures that appear neutral but produce unequal outcomes for different racial groups.
Paradigm shift: By viewing racism as structural, Davis believes society can focus on reforming systems like the criminal justice system, rather than only punishing individuals who display racist behavior.

Prison Abolition and Criminal Justice Reform

Davis has dedicated much of her life to critiquing the prison-industrial complex, arguing that jails often worsen social problems instead of solving them. She draws connections between slavery’s legacy and today’s mass incarceration patterns, pointing out that:

Prisons and disappearing people: Locking people up on a large scale “disappears” many societal issues, such as mental health care deficiencies or a lack of quality education, instead of addressing their root causes.
A call for alternatives: Davis invites us to imagine new ways of handling wrongdoing—approaches that focus on healing, reconciliation, and Adaptive Resiliency within communities.

Importance of Collective Action

Change, according to Davis, is often driven by groups and communities rather than just heroic individuals. She reminds us that pivotal social shifts, like the Civil Rights Movement, succeeded due to the tireless efforts of many people working together over long periods:

Building community: Individuals can do a lot, but collective movements are more powerful. Creating alliances across varied social justice causes amplifies impact.
Standing in solidarity: Davis frequently states that we must see our struggles as linked. When we recognize how each movement, from racial equality to Ecological (Green) preservation, is connected, our combined efforts become unstoppable.

A Global View

Angela Davis also draws parallels between the oppression of communities in the United States and those around the globe. She suggests that localized battles against racism and sexism are part of a bigger fight for universal human rights. Whether discussing labor conditions in factories abroad or the rights of indigenous groups to protect their lands from Climate destruction, Davis urges us to think internationally, reinforcing the idea that injustice anywhere ultimately threatens justice everywhere.

Education and Social Change

At the core of Davis’s message is the belief that education can be a powerful driver of change. She strongly opposes attempts to remove discussions about race, racism, or systemic injustices from schools, stressing that ignorance of history often leads to its repetition. By engaging in open dialogue about our shared and often painful past, communities can stand on stronger ground when shaping their futures.

Final Reflections on the Urgent Need for Adaptive Resiliency

Combining the insights from both Angela Davis and Jane Elliott with the concept of Adaptive Resiliency paints a clear picture: as we confront social injustices like racism, we also prepare ourselves to handle other large-scale problems, including Climate emergencies and Ecological (Green) breakdowns. A united, informed, and empathetic society is far more capable of withstanding obstacles—whether they stem from natural disasters or social upheaval—than one divided by prejudice and ignorance.

When communities elevate the voices of the marginalized and share resources equitably, they become stronger and more adaptable. Adaptive Resiliency thrives when individuals focus not only on their own survival but also on ensuring that their neighbors and fellow citizens do not suffer unjust harm. If we learn anything from Angela Davis and Jane Elliott, it is that we can all play a role in writing a more equitable future. We just have to be willing to listen, learn, and stand together.