If you could speak out in support of people who are being oppressed, discriminated against and legislated into oblivion, and you had a platform where you could reach tens or hundreds or thousands of people all at once, would you use it?

In case you hadn't noticed, there's a lot of 💩 going on in the world. Like politicians trying to erase trans and Black people from the face of the earth.

You COULD be an ally. You have a voice. You have perspective. You have life experience. You have the power to amplify other voices that need to be heard. And what you have to say might matter to somebody, might influence or persuade somebody to take a different view or take action.

And yet, I see you going about your day, acting like business as usual. And maybe for you it is, because you're not threatened with annihilation.

You are ABSOLUTELY free to use your platform however you want. Hey, I'm here to grow my business, too.

But knowing that you could you be using your platform to change lives, why are you not? Why are you avoiding #SpeakingUpForChange?

You're probably worried about:

❌ damaging your reputation at work
❌ turning off potential clients and customers
❌ offending someone by saying the wrong thing
❌ being perceived as virtue signaling or making it about you
❌ being attacked or harassed for challenging someone's world view
❌ or just generally rocking the boat🛶

Burying your head in the sand won't make it all go away. Pretending it's not happening and not saying anything about it won't make it all go away.

Speaking up for change is a GIFT. You can:

✔️ inspire people to take action
✔️ be a role model
✔️ uplift someone
✔️ give hope to someone
✔️ educate from your own lived experience
✔️ offer allyship to those who need it

None of these things is actually about YOU. They're about taking responsibility as a member of the dominant culture to say and do something about injustice.

How are you #SpeakingUpForChange?

AUTHOR: Lisa Braithwaite, MALisa Braithwaite, MA• 2nd• 2ndPresentations Coach | Speaker | Author | LinkedIn Learning Instructor | Madecraft Course Creator | Build visibility, credibility, and awareness for your work through engaging presentations | Speak to Engage®Presentations Coach | Speaker | Author | LinkedIn Learning Instructor | Madecraft Course Creator | Build visibility, credibility, and awareness for your work through engaging presentations | Speak to Engage®