Yesterday saw the ‘not guilty’ verdict for the four individuals accused of criminal damage, after they toppled the statue of Edward Colston, a slaver, in Bristol, UK, during Black Lives Matter protests in 2021. They had argued that their actions were proportionate, as the statue in the heart of their community celebrated the life of a man who had trafficked some 84,000 black men, women, and children, and yet was celebrated as ‘a most virtuous and wise man’. The jury, evidently, agreed.
Outside the court, one of the accused, Rhian Graham, described how she had found her agency to act: this is no surprise to me, as Rhian is one of my Crew Mates at Sea Salt Learning, and has long demonstrated a fierce sense of social justice and care for others.
‘Agency’ is our space to operate: it can be granted or claimed. We can help others find it, either within a system, within a parallel system, or in opposition to a system. But wherever it is found, it is likely, as Rhian described it, more a feeling than a thing. You are unlikely to have a contract for your agency.
Use your sixty seconds today to consider what agency you hold: within which systems are you powerful, and which powerless? How was your agency found, how would you describe it, and what could take it away from you?
You can read more about the Colston Four here.
You can read more about statues and narratives of power here.
Next week will see issue 100 of Social Leadership Daily, so i will be using the week to reflect on this journey so far, and to share a direction of travel for Season 2, taking us up to 200. If you are enjoying this work, please consider sharing it, as this community sustains the energy of creation.