VENT DIAGRAMS
Inspired by the Instagram account @vent_diagrams.
2018 was a whirlwind. I decided to walk away from two non-profit organizations that had been central to my politicization, my identity development, and my journey as an activist and facilitator. Vent Diagrams were there the whole time. Creating Vents helped me to process the nuances and dualities I was seeing in my struggle to be the perfect manager, the perfect white person, the perfect steward of a mission and vision... all while working within a system that encouraged the opposite. Vents allowed me to hold both deep commitment to the work and deep compassion for myself, both of which I found hard to hang on to through a tough year.
BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF HERE // SUBTLE INSIDIOUS NORMS OF WHITE PROFESSIONALISM
MY POLITICS WERE RADICALIZED WITHIN NON-PROFIT STRUCTURES // NON-PROFITS AREN’T PARTICULARLY RADICAL, ARE THEY…?
I RESIGNED AND IT FELT LIKE A BREAKUP // I WAS FIRED AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS DUMPED
GOVERNMENT FUNDING REQUIREMENTS CAN ASK US TO COMPROMISE OUR VALUES // GOVERNMENT FUNDING “LEGITIMIZES’ OUR WORK AS A PUBLIC GOOD
OUR WORK IS CRUCIAL // IT HAS LITTLE LONG TERM IMPACT
WHITE PEOPLE MUST USE THEIR POWER TO DISMANTLE RACISM // WHITE PEOPLE MUST RELINQUISH THEIR POWER TO DISMANTLE RACISM
OUR VISION IS FAR-SIGHTED FOR A NEW FUTURE // OUR FUNDING IS NEAR-SIGHTED. THE GRANT RUNS OUT IN JULY.
TO CHANGE SYSTEMS, ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS MUST DO MORE // TO CHANGE SYSTEMS, WE MUST ACT COLLECTIVELY.
MY WORK DOES NOT DEFINE ME // MY IDENTITIES SHAPE MY WORK AND MY WORK SHAPE MY IDENTITIES