Denial protects us from truths we believe are too painful to bear. It also prevents us from taking wise and effective action. In order to address a predicament as effectively as we can, we must first admit that it exists. In order to let go of cherished, and false, narratives in favor of a far less comforting reality, we must grieve the loss of those easy, false stories.
As the U.S. confronts racism, with its deep wounds on our national identity and on the bodies and souls of those oppressed, our choices are denial or grief. Grief frees us to face the ugly chasm between our founding principles and the reality of systemic oppression, and releases our vision to bridge that chasm. Grief is the honorable choice.
