JUSTICE
as a liberatory practice
An act of radical responsibility that creates space for something new.
Justice is how we breathe.
Many people fight for justice, but fewer give justice to those they have harmed. Our privileged identities must practice justice so our marginalized identities can receive it. It is hypocrisy to focus on demanding the justice we deserve while refusing to give the justice we owe.
If every privileged identity gave the justice they owed, no marginalized identity would have to fight for justice. Others can choose to take accountability or not; what will you choose?
To practice justice we make amends by saying “I am sorry” and paying the cost of what we’ve broken.
Our amends is both an acknowledgment that harm was caused, and an action to balance the scales. Thoroughly given justice feels like a breath of fresh air. The pain and horror of the past are soothed by the loving breath of justice. When we give the justice we owe, we free ourselves and others from carrying the past into the future. When we give justice we balance the scales and this balance creates space for something new. When we do not give justice, there is an elephant in the room, taking up the space and the air. Accepting Justice does not mean we forget the past, or that we are no longer impacted by it, it simply means we no longer have to carry the burden of imbalance in addition to our loss.
Unfortunately, in some cases, we cannot pay what we owe because what was lost was irreplaceable. In this case, our amends is an entirely symbolic gesture. Even though nothing we give can equal what was lost, we own that it is our responsibility to offer amends and to fail to balance the scales. By failing we give our dignity and balance the scales symbolically. We consent to be humbled by our failing. For this reason, bringing justice to a situation requires solid self-esteem.
Whether others receive our amends or not, through the practice of justice we place ourselves in solidarity and right-relationship with ourselves, life, and those we have harmed.
We do not hide behind our privilege. We get on our knees and fail.
Because our liberation is bound up with each other’s, our Aliveness will be nourished by the practice of Justice, even when we are the ones giving it.
I am grateful for the opportunity to practice Justice.
I live on the unceded territory of the Lisjan people where I pay my Shuumi Land Tax.
Explore This Guide to Voluntary Land Taxes - Native Governance Center
Photo Credit Tomoko Uji on Unsplash