Why “Make the table”?

The venerable Shirley Chisholm once said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Having this sentiment front and center is important when one is trying to work within the confines of an institution, which many of us have had to do to make a living and to help make change.

But, sometimes, let’s face it, often times, institutions don’t create diverse tables that lead to meaningful change for the people they purport to serve. More often than not, communities need to make their own tables and make folding chairs available to others as they work to expand the table to adequately locate the sources of pain and challenge and take the needed time to discover and test potential remedies.

Make the table is a call to action to step out of our silos, embrace our differences and co-create new futures that honor the human experience and lead to our collective liberation.