5 Ways to Ring in Justice

1: Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.

Learn more here

2: Open Your Meal with Conscious Questions

Holiday table conversations can run the gamut, from family in-jokes, to gregarious catching up with relatives, to uncomfortable discussions of political differences. This year, in between “Can you pass the mashed potatoes, please?” and “OK, who is ready for dessert?” consider helping seed thoughtful conversations by asking some of these conscious questions:

• How do your beliefs about your culture and/or your faith influence what you value?
• What does safety look like for me? What does safety look like for my community?
• What’s one moment you’ve had this past year where you felt peace? How does that feeling motivate you to work to bring justice with our family and community?
• With whom would you like to grow in solidarity this year? How can you deepen those relationships?
• If you could be brave for your family, your friends, or your community this year what would that look like?

3: Include Symbols of Justice on Your Table

Holidays are full of foods, symbols, and objects that convey history, culture and/or religious traditions. From lighting candles and hanging holiday lights, to the foods we place on our tables, we use symbols to celebrate with friends and family, and to pass along stories and values from generation to generation. This year, consider adding some additional symbols of justice to your holiday table:

• An empty plate – to symbolize all who are experiencing hunger, loss, or loneliness.
• A lit candle - to raise awareness and to remember those separated from their families.
• A glass of water – to symbolize the need to protect access to clean water in all communities.
• A bell – to symbolize a way to pierce the silence in the face of all forms of oppression including racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia.
• An affirmation – Joy is joining together, as our true selves, in safety and love. We affirm that all are welcome here.

4: Commit to Action

As you ring in the holidays this year, ring in justice as well. Let each chime of a bell renew your commitment to social and education justice. Ring the bell after each sentence:

• We commit tonight to making sure that our schools and neighborhoods are places of safety, love and belonging. (Bell rings
• We will work to make our community, our country, our world more fair and more just, so across race and place we can all thrive. (Bell rings)
• We will commit to seek guidance from local organizations and communities on where our solidarity can be most impactful. (Bell rings)
• We will commit to together to win our freedoms, protect our families, and improve our futures. (Bell rings)
• We will act on our belief when we are BRAVE that change is possible. (Bell rings)