Social Change, Progress & Humanity
“It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Say Something That Matters.
Writers (and other artists) have a unique position in a global society. We possess the ability to connect our audiences to the nuances of the human condition. With this in mind, our talents can be used to foster social progress and the humane treatment of others.
I have lived on 3 continents, traveled to many places, and have experienced different cultures and people.
As I navigated my way through cultural differences, personal imperfections (and self-development), and varying political climates, I found that we humans are mostly the same.
Most people want Freedom, Security (physical, financial, and emotional), and Love.
Some believe that it is an individual endeavor to acquire these needs. I believe it is both an individual and collective responsibility.
When there is a stark disadvantage, especially one that has been caused or perpetuated by others, it is a collective obligation to correct the imbalance.
In recent years, the world has seen the consequences of inaction when it came to other people’s well-being.
We have also witnessed powerful people using their talents in public oration or communications to cause further discord and harm. Though there are different roadmaps to the common good, there should be no place for partisan politics (no matter the affiliation) or prejudice when it comes to how we treat people.
See below two recent moments I used my voice as a writer to Say Something That Matters.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, another global disease was coming to a full boil: Racism. Government-mandated lockdowns and restrictions kept us inside while authorities scrambled to contain the pandemic.
As a retail food business owner, my hands were tied. Like others, I stayed inside keeping myself busy and watching the computer screen. The world had front row seats to cataclysmic events in the U.S. that led to unjust deaths of Black Americans. Global protests ensued.
Far from my American home, I wrote and delivered a speech in front of thousands of people in Helsinki’s Senate Square. The name of my speech was “Do The Right Thing.” I spoke to the moral obligation of all people to end racism and the palpable pain it brings to people like my family.
Photo: Sharron Todd delivers a speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in Helsinki, Finland. Photo Credit: Shoot Hayley
No Justice, No Peace is a publicly-funded book by Nathi Sihlope that documented the Black Lives Matter protests across Finland in 2020. As both Editor and Contributing Writer, I also led marketing and distribution efforts. All proceeds were donated to two local BIPOC non-profit organizations: Ubuntu Film Club and Good Hair Day.
The book won the coveted Gold Prize from Grafia Ry and is now archived in the Finnish National Library and Museum Authority.