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"How to talk about Palestine in the workplace: A step-by-step guide to starting"

Shades of Anger, November 7, 2024

Author

Kay Coughlin
November 07, 2024

November 7, 2024

Good morning. Remember that every day is a good day to encourage a Palestinian liberation mindset.

LEARN. Read this essay, “How to talk about Palestine in the workplace: A step-by-step guide to starting,” by Hanna Stubblefield-Tave on the Community-Centric Fundraising website.

Growing up in a suburb of Boston with a large Jewish population, and with a Jewish grandfather, I passively accepted that Israel was an idyllic Jewish homeland. The ‘Birthright’ narrative was so strong that I never questioned how the state was formed or what that meant for Palestine. I didn’t know about the Nakba of 1948, in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to become refugees so that Jews fleeing persecution of their own could find refuge.

Journalists like Wael Al Dahdouh, Motaz Azaiza, and Bisan have shown me what life is like on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank. And now, I find myself inspired to stand up, speak out, and march in the streets for the first time in my life.

- Hanna Stubblefield-Tave

NOTICE. What do you feel when you read the list of 10 actions steps Ms. Stubblefield-Tave offers in the essay? Do you feel motivated, inspired, intimidated, exhausted, driven to help, or something else?

ACT. Decide how you can use this essay to help you speak up at work or in your philanthropic giving decisions. Who can you talk to at work? Also, what year-end or regular charitable giving do you typically engage in? Who can you contact to inquire about whether those organizations have spoken out about the genocide in Gaza?

SHARE. Forward this email to at least three friends and colleagues who need to hear that it’s OK to be a beginner at speaking out about Gaza and find out how we can all make a difference for Palestine.

ASK. What resources do you need to talk about Palestine with friends and colleagues? Please reply to this email (or, if you are reading this online, leave a comment below) to let us know.* We’ll help you find the resources you need.

In solidarity for Palestinian liberation,

Kay Coughlin, on behalf of the Shades of Anger collective

Click here to read online or listen to the audio version of this post:

*You can also continue the conversation with us in the Speaking Up Network, a private social media platform co-created by Animah Kosai, one of the leaders of Shades of Anger.

Shades of Anger was created by a global collective of women to raise awareness and inspire action to free Palestine. We chose the name of our collective to honor the poem, “Shades of Anger,” by Palestinian-Canadian poet Rafeef Ziadah. We also believe in liberation for Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and all places where systems of oppression are causing immense suffering and crushing the life out humans. We are led by women of the Global Majority/BIPOC. Shades of Anger is for everyone who wants to act for liberation and you can learn more about it here.

Alt text: On the top half is a grey background with black text that reads "Shades of Anger 'Palestinians do not know the word impossible' - Fatima Bernawi, So why should we?" On the bottom half are three photos. The first is a photo of an adult with short greyy hair holding the hand of a young child, who is holding up a Palestinian flag high in their other hand, while standing on a hill overlooking a field of people and cars. The second is a black and white photo of a person with a long ponytail, holding a kuffiyeh and chanting at a protest. The last is a person wearing a kuffiyeh around their head, and a black and red dress, looking at the camera while holding up a Palestinian flag and a peace sign.

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