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Dear John,
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The beginning of January is supposed to be my time to catch up, clear my desk, and reflect, as I gear up for the year ahead.
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I often do this by reading good books to lift my spirit and my perspective.
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I’m delighted to report that I have sacrificed the desk clearing for yet another year, and spent my time instead poring over an impressive list of “100 Notable Books from 2019,” chosen by the editors of the New York Times.
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I was struck by the number of titles that go to the heart of what we work on, and what we care about, at FUTURES. These include “Know My Name,” Chanel Miller’s brilliant memoir about her journey after surviving sexual assault; “How
to Be An AntiRacist” by Ibram X. Kendi; and “Grace Will Lead us Home,” an account of the Charleston Church Massacre by Jennifer Berry Hawes.
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These stories may be rooted in pain and loss, yet I found them uplifting in different ways. Each of these talented authors shows how courage, resilience and humanity can elevate even the deepest suffering into deep and lasting cultural
change.
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This is our approach at FUTURES, and one reason we create programs and campaigns that change people’s lives. This week, for example, JAMA Pediatrics featured new evidence about our “Coaching Boys Into Men” program, showing that if we want to stop predatory sexual behavior, the effort can start as early as middle school. A clinical study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found when Coaching Boys Into Men was offered to boys ages 11-14, the program was effective in reducing abusive behavior toward their female peers, and made boys over
50 percent more likely to show positive bystander behaviors when they saw degrading language and actions by others. |
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We also released “The EveryDay Activists Guide,” our how-to manual for creating workplaces free from sexual harassment or abuse, and that provide safety and dignity to all.
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Each month during this coming year, I’d like to share a dose of optimism and a plan for action. Here are two things you can do in January:
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- In this #MeToo, moment let’s teach boys to be part of the solution, and prevent relationship abuse before it happens! Ask your local school leaders to share Coaching Boys Into Men with teachers, coaches and students. Learning about respect, consent, and positive bystander behaviors helps boys build healthy relationship skills that can last a lifetime.
- Take the impact of #MeToo beyond the Harvey Weinstein trial and other high-profile cases, by sharing The EveryDay Activist Guide in your workplace and your community.
You will find our ten-step roadmap for activists and workers everywhere to join the movement to end workplace sexual harassment and violence.
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As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his birthday next week, I take inspiration from his words about social change, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
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In that spirit, may 2020 be our year of courage, optimism -- and action.
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