Celebrating the Undying Agents of Change
Despite my fortunate upbringing in a mild-mannered, midwestern town, I frequently lack patience in the face of injustice.
While polite discourse and temperance are values I’ve shared with countless friends, neighbors, and colleagues, we’ve collectively seen our patience wane in our individual pursuit of progress and impact. As the past two years further revealed our urgent need for systematic change and equitable solutions across all sectors of society and commerce, I notice my own persistence at my best, and impatience at my worst.
Yet, there is no better time to allow the 100-year anniversary of our mission to remind us that large-scale change is a relay between generations. The fact that today’s input and unrelenting effort don’t immediately translate to industry-wide or systematic change should never deter us from providing that input or making that effort.
If the stories from our archives and past community members have taught me anything this summer, it’s the realization that we stand on decades of progress made by people who only lived to see a sliver of the impact they made. While we can imagine the pride our women archers may feel for today’s Girls on the Run coaches or the kinship the founders of Solo Parents Club share with our Women’s Programming facilitators, we can also find solidarity in these stories, and solace in our striving to build better.
From where I stand today, there is no endeavor more worthy of our collaboration than resolving the childcare crisis. Each child deserves to begin their educational path with high-quality care, each family deserves access to affordable care, and each teacher deserves the respect and compensation earned by our most noble professionals.
While every step we take to align these three prongs and create meaningful solutions for all can feel small, I’m reminded of the patience and persistence modeled by the stealthy agents of change who came before us.
And there’s much more of that coming to us during our celebration of a century. If you’re looking for the kind of inspiration that will immediately invigorate you or to find solace in stories that are coming full circle, join us at the Washington Pavilion on September 28th.
By attending EmBe’s Night of Courage, you’ll not only catch the momentum and power such an occasion carries; you’ll become a vital part of cultivating the next century of courage in our community.