A powerful reason to tell your story. I created this poster this morning using Canva. Speaking of brave storytellers, I have so much respect and admiration for the storytelling and advocacy of the women in The Keepers. Last night, I watched this compelling video from the Johns Hopkins 2018 Moore Center Symposium on Preventing Child Sexual Abuse within Institutions and Organizations. The most infuriating part of this video was seeing how much individuals in organizations that are supposedly working to serve children will often go to any length to protect their own jobs and those of their colleagues or subordinates. I see this “cover up” of mistakes (those not of this caliber) in my own profession as a public school teacher, and it is incredibly stressful and disappointing. As a mandated reporter, I have had to make decisions that made colleagues uncomfortable, but I am of the philosophy that if you see something that harms a child or if a child comes to you with a story, then you must follow protocol to report this immediately to someone who can help that child or at least investigate. And no, knowing these stories is in no way enjoyable, but it is cathartic to share them. I sometimes live with a heavy heart and mind.

Note: I read Hurston’s quotation in Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir.