Stacey Abrams is the GOAT. 

My sister Fatima and I went to ‘Conversations with Stacey’ at the Mesa Arts Center earlier this week. It was dope.

These last few weeks I have started to become more intentional about my life. About my goals, my future self, and what actions and behaviors I need to take to become the person I want to become. Listening to a powerhouse like Ms. Abrams was transformational.

Biggest takeaways from that evening (long but worth it):

-Meet people where they are 
-Don’t get excited about the vote, become a voter. It’s not just about one action, it’s the mindset and consistency that comes with it
-The best organizations check on you before they need you. They continue to nurture that relationship before, during and after 
-Sometimes, containment only is the answer, not the cure
-Read voraciously and watch tv voraciously. Stories connect you with others
-Why feel guilty about watching TV? Don’t feel guilty about things you get pleasure from! Whether it’s a romance novel or the great British bake-off 
-Organizations need to be intentional about diversity. Bring others in that aren’t represented 
-Find alignment with others. You don’t have to have all of the same views on everything 
-Focus on progress, NOT perfection
-Evil doesn’t take a vacation, it recruits mean and comes back with a vengeance. Stay vigilant.
-Build strong teams. Be intentional and bring others up with you, remember.. there’s safety in numbers in success and when going through hardships
-Compromise your actions but don’t compromise your values
-Check out the Whistlestop podcast with John Dickerson
-Push back against disinformation. It’s a disease that wreaks havoc
-It’s not the vote it’s what it means that your voice matters 
-You should not have a higher level of democracy because of your race or status 
-Don’t enter conversations trying to change someone’s mind 
-Ideas are malleable ideologies are not 
-Remember the John Lewis quote “Get in good trouble”
-Be responsible for others. Always be learning, education is a passport. Volunteer your time no matter how little you have someone has it worse
-How to get your kids involved in civic duty? Take your child to vote with you every time
-And last but not least, have political discourse without being mean ❤️