Last week I asked my Facebook community about how they define culture and I got a response I wasn’t quite expecting…
It came from my brilliant friend Dr. Miriam Sekandi.
Her response was rather blunt… And I loved it.
Here’s how Dr. Miriam Sekandi defines culture…
“the way we do things around here.”
So simple, and on point.
Dr. Sekandi’s description allows us to clearly see the culture that exists within our own communities, without pretty language distracting us.
This description of culture gets straight to the point…
And it reminds me of the power and responsibility we have to make sure the communities we are a part of are are building cultures that radically serve the people and the planet.
So how do we build radical culture?
I use “Radical Culture” in my work to describe a set of community values + practices that prioritize interdependence, diversity, and equity, with the goal of addressing the roots of global oppression.
(^^This is what I help my client’s build with their businesses, by the way.)
Building radical culture is a practice, not a one time project.
It requires us to show up everyday, willing to examine “the way we do things around here” with a critical lens.
This means being aware of the culture in our communities, in our homes, and in our businesses, and being willing to challenge that culture when it’s causing harm.
We have to ask ourselves…
Are we building cultures that are complicit with the status quo…
Or are we building cultures that are in solidarity with movements for justice?
As a visionary business owner, I am dreaming of (and committed to building) a world where injustice is unacceptable, and liberation is for everyone.
So when I show up in my business, I hold myself to that standard.
For me this looks like being explicit about what I stand for, and who I stand with.
It looks like being honest when I have made mistakes or caused harm.
It looks like continuing to deprogram from the Business as Usual Paradigm.
What are you doing to make sure that you are building radical culture in your community?
I invite you to reflect on this question, and then reply to this email and let me know what comes up for you.
Love + Liberation
Lauren Elizabeth