Dreaming Beyond Fear: Engaging Emergent Strategy as a Practice of Liberation

• In Event: Communal Possibilities: Critical Reflections in Three Breaths

Abstract

The COVID-19 global health pandemic left an indelible mark on the world. Stay at home orders, quarantine mandates, and social distancing impacted the way we live, love, and learn. Loss of life, violence, and social unrest added a layer of uncertainty and despair leaving us with fear and anxiety about the future of humanity. During a semester long experiential learning opportunity in Fall 2021, we read Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown and engaged in honest dialogue about the long-lasting impact of COVID-19 on K-12 students, first year college students, and prospective students entering the academy years to come. Engaging Emergent Strategy gave students and faculty an opportunity to critically reflect on the impact COVID-19 had on our lives, our education, and our careers while recognizing our capacity to endure extreme hardship and experience personal and collective resilience.
Engaging Emergent Strategy became a sanctuary, a time away from the all chaos, a refuge where relief was possible. This embodied healing-centered activity was an opportunity for us to pause, sit with discomfort, and authentically engage in a community of care. Some questions that emerged for me include: How can we be in right relationship with each other and the living environment? What healing practices can we engage in to experience wellness, comfort, and joy? How can we move beyond fear toward the possibility of liberation? Through simple interactions we were able to hold space for deep dialogue about the ecological, social, and systemic changes we hoped for. Using practical strategies from the book, we were able to think critically and creatively about what students need given the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic. The discussions informed our plans to meet the incoming class with radical hospitality when they arrive and support them as they acquire the skills they need to be successful in college and beyond.
The panel will be an opportunity for presenters to share our findings. It will also offer participants a space to reflect on their own teaching and learning practices during the global health pandemic. Participants will leave with transformative pedagogical practices and strategies to consider implementing at their respective institutions.

Author

• Virginia Diaz-Mendoza, John Jay College - CUNY