March 2025

Written By Paul Fleming

“Build Communities” by Josh MacPhee

Dear friends, 

Lately, it seems that each time I open LinkedIn, I learn about someone else who has lost their job. When I open up the news, I learn about another policy that will harm people I care about. When I talk to colleagues, I learn about funding cuts to crucial work helping communities survive and thrive. We are in the middle of a painful period of loss and destruction. 

One of the architects of this destruction recently said that all these funding cuts and firings were “a revolution” for our government. Kwame Ture, the famed civil rights leader and pan-Africanist revolutionary, once said in a speech: “When you see people call themselves revolutionary always talking about destroying, destroying, destroying but never talking about building or creating, they’re not revolutionary. They do not understand the first thing about revolution. It’s creating.” In Ture’s speech, he went on to give a clue about where those of us who truly want to create a better world should focus our energy: “A revolutionary must present a viable alternative to the masses.”

Building a better world is a revolutionary project. Imagining, advocating for, and creating equitable relationships, systems, institutions, and laws that create a more just world is the revolution we need. Many of us are mourning what is lost in this moment, and we should take time to grieve the very real harm that is occuring. And, we can also look for opportunities to build a better world amidst the crisis and loss. 

If I step back from the current moment, many of us have critiqued our existing institutions as needing fundamental changes to be more equitable and better meet peoples’ needs. For example, in my specific context, I have written about and done work to consider how we transform our universities to better prioritize community impact. The restrictions being placed on universities right now is not the change we need and is causing even more harm. But maybe we can be inspired by Ture and build a “viable alternative” with different types of institutions—ones that effectively foster thriving communities.   

Dutch author Susan Smit eloquently spoke to the chaos of this moment and said: “Let what wants to die, die. Be a midwife for what wants to be born. And let the circus be what it is.” For those that are ready and able, can we shift our focus and energy to being the midwife for the world we want to create? Can we envision those viable alternatives—ones that enable our communities to flourish—and lay the groundwork to turn that vision into reality?

Take care and create the better world we need,

Paul

p.s. I know many readers have been directly impacted by recent policies and budget cuts. I’m sending solidarity your way, please reach out to me if I can be helpful: makingabetterworldpossible@gmail.com.

Today’s Key Point: Making a better world possible requires us to focus our energy on an alternative vision for the world and taking steps to create it.

Today’s Reflection Questions:

  • What grief and mourning are you experiencing? What support do you need to get through it? 

  • What is your “viable alternative” vision for the world you want to create? 

  • How can you be “a midwife for what wants to be born”? 

  • What does it look like for you to create a better world in this moment? What are the small actions you can take?

Quote of the Month:

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."  

                            —Arundhati Roy

Inspired reading/listening/viewing:

Paul Fleming
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February 2025