Last month, the SURJ NYC Calling In team had the honor of hosting Loretta Ross herself at the second session of our book club focused on her new book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change With Those You’d Rather Cancel.
During the extended Q&A session, Loretta reminded us that we don’t need to agree with other people to listen to them, and that when we’re clear on our moral compass “you’re not threatened by other people’s ideas - you’re enriched by them.” Rather than requiring a bottomless reserve of courage to approach a hard conversation, it’s more about “not letting my fear determine how I show up or what I do.” She also encouraged us to take heart that “time, truth, evidence, and history” are all on the side of those in human rights movements.
When sharing takeaways from the conversation, one participant reflected, “Building a calling in culture is learning to handle our passion with compassion,” or in Loretta’s words, “not turning our passion for social justice on each other.” If this feels like a muscle you’d like to build, please join us on Monday, June 16th, 7:30-9:30pm for our Calling In Workshop, during which we’ll explore the fundamentals of a Calling In approach and practice concrete strategies and tactics you can use to navigate difficult conversations with skill and care.
As Loretta reminded us, these skills not only help us tend to and strengthen our interpersonal relationships, they are also vital for building resilient, inclusive, and powerful movements for justice and human rights. Please join us as we strengthen our skills to cultivate our community and grow our movement, in SURJ NYC and beyond.
With gratitude and solidarity,
The SURJ NYC Calling In Team
P.S. Calling In skills are also great for canvassing! Join our chapter meeting on Thursday, June 5th from 6:30-8:30pm to get familiar with exactly what happens during a canvass and practice in a comfortable setting.