August 2022 Newsletter
In Jordan Peele’s new movie Nope, a pair of siblings take on the challenge of saving their family’s stunt horse business. It sounds easy enough, but absurd barriers block every step of their way. From OJ’s (Daniel Kaluuya) stoic reticence to the bug-eyed little men who are clearly not of planet earth, the duo’s task becomes herculean nearly overnight.
We understand their pain.
In our shared commitment to ensure that the Bay Area economy gives back more than it takes from workers and their families, we’ve jumped stomach-turning hurdles. This work is hard. It is long, and it is challenging. So much needs to be done that it’s tempting to drift into hopelessness. The problems we wrestle with can appear so large and all-encompassing that the sheer overwhelm of it all can cloud the vision. It’s scary to demand change, and it’s even scarier to point out what’s wrong in our picture of the world. It’s risky to witness all the hurt and pain in our community and then decide to do something about it.
In a recent interview, when asked how he had the courage to create his breakthrough film Get Out, which explores racism through the lens of a horror movie, Peele responded:“Embrace the risk that only you can take.”
When you have something so special that it could change the world, when you have more positional power and privilege or access to resources than others, you must be willing to take that first step into the chaos. With every step you move forward, you’ll find resources and allies who will bolster you in the fight. Keep going, and you’ll see milestones of progress. Don’t be afraid to feel your way through the murkiness and find like-minded people who are ready to join you in realizing the change we desperately need. It’s the momentum of those first small steps that will propel you into ReWorking the Bay!