Centering Black Youth Wellbeing
This virtual community of practice explores ways to center the wellbeing of Black young people and... View more
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Metaphor – a way to make the language of ABR more widely accessible
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Metaphor – a way to make the language of ABR more widely accessible
Hi All. Really enjoyed this discussion on the use of language and terms. I think all the terms and concepts are very important but also feel that perhaps moving beyond them at times can be helpful for reaching a wider audience. I studied English literature in university and I am also a storyteller and a sometimes writer. I realize that powerful metaphors are one way to help others understand and have powerful ideas stick and gain traction. I want to share this powerful piece of writing by Charles Blow from the New York Times on the horrifying murder of the young black father Tyre Nichols by the Memphis police officers. This is a powerful piece of writing made more vivid and accessible by the use of powerful metaphors. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/opinion/tyre-nichols-video.html
The closing paragraph is an example of his use of metaphor: Tyre Nichols’s death isn’t only an individual tragedy; he is now a marquee victim of a predacious system that America has lost its willingness to confront. The untreated wound, still festering, bled through the gauze.
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I love it! It also honors space to welcome the varying ways of communication beyond ‘terms’ and even ‘words’ but also art, images, sound, and ‘actual feelings.’ What a beautiful future when we deconstruct the sidewalk that brought us to this destination, replace it with access-friendly trails and ponds, and plant a tree with a leafy canopy to sit and listen to its stories.
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This is beautifully written Gary. I could not agree more that we need to communicate beyond words. That using different modes of expression (pictures, songs, stories etc.) can make complex information much more accessible. It also challenges what is seen as “acceptable” communication as so often art is devalued in comparison to written work. Art can teach so much and communicate ideas that cannot be put into words.
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Hi All: Was discussing this topic with my wife this morning and I shared about the article written by Charles Blow and his powerful and vivid use of metaphors. She shared with me she in the past has been off-put by friends or family bringing up academic terms in conversations she was not familiar with. She shared she just listened to a Brene Brown podcast which included Simon Sinek and Adam Grant on the subject of the current emerging generation and their relationship to work. The whole subject of simple versus academic language came up and Simon Sinek specifically says that when he is communicating his ideas he strives to express them in such a way that a truck driver would understand. Adam Grant challenged him on this saying it was making things too simple but Sinek felt this was important to getting the ideas and concepts out into the world. I have not yet listened to this podcast but I intend to. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/whats-happening-at-work-part-1-of-2/ Final thought. There is language that is appropriate and makes it easier and simpler to convey ideas in the “Academic” sphere. But I believe those who want to reach a wider audience would benefit from striving to finding ways that go beyond academic terms.
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