In Chapter 9 of Ruthless Equity, author Ken Williams wraps up the book by arguing that “we must de-cide…put all other options to death” and commit to ruthless equity while fighting complacency every step of the way. (p. 186-187)
Williams asks us to reflect, “Who saw more in you than you saw in yourself?” I think of the softball coach who made me a captain in my second year on the little league team, the program director who asked me to be a youth staff for a teen leadership program (see pic) I had attended, the senior in college who asked me as a freshman to be her assistant stage manager, the person who offered me the job as editor-in-chief of the local LGBTQ+ magazine, the woman who developed me to take over her position as she approached retirement. (I’m just realizing they were all women. Go figure.)
I have never been particularly ambitious, but I have always stayed open to opportunities, and while these people were offering me an opportunity, they were also asking me for help. I like to be helpful. Once I stepped into these roles, I was motivated to excellence, both out of fear of failure and disappointment, as well as enjoyment for the task at hand and a sense that it would lead to the next thing. I learned all kinds of leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills. I rose to “fill the crown,” (p. 140) and had some measures of success and fulfillment in these roles because someone asked me to fill them, not because I particularly aspired to. I can’t imagine where I would be without these women who believed in and motivated me. I learned valuable skills from each experience, which directed the trajectory of my career, and I’m grateful to those people, all of whom I admire.
At RIC, I’m pursuing a youth development MA. I am not an educator or a school nurse, but I have staffed a bunch of youth leadership camps, trained youth staff, mentored countless interns, and I’m a mom looking for any advice I can get to raise happy healthy children. The advice in this book is super helpful in affirming some instincts I’ve always had about youth work, especially being curious about the youth I’m working with, discovering their talents and strengths, and pushing them through achievable challenges. And Ruthless Equity comes at a critical moment in U.S. history, when we all have to decide what we’re willing to fight for. I have certainly succumbed to complacency at times, and I have written off some kids, for sure. This book has helped me to identify those moments of complacency and recognize that “essential learning outcomes” must be ruthlessly pursued, or I’m not doing anyone any favors.
As an action-oriented person who is often frustrated by “idea people,” I like the quote Williams chose to end the book. “The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.” - Paulo Coelho, Brazilian lyricist and novelist
As always, I enjoy reading your blogs. I was surprised to see you write that you don't think of yourself as an ambitious person. I see just the opposite in you. You couldn't have accomplished all that you have without being ambitious. Love that you finished the last blog with the last statement of Williams book. powerful!
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