I Want to Be an “Angelic Troublemaker” When I Grow Up.
One of my modern-day heroes is Bayard Rustin, the African-American activist who was pivotal in a variety of mid-20th-century social movements for civil rights, economic empowerment, nonviolence, and gay rights. I'll never forget seeing the documentary of his life, "Brother Outsider," (https://bit.ly/3Np1xhC) at the Sundance Film Festival two dozen years ago. I don't know if I've ever been so inspired by one man's story. He used the term "angelic troublemaker" to describe the people he admires; of course, it's an apt description for himself.
Rustin was the man behind the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. It wouldn't have happened without him, and it almost didn't because Rustin was a very "out" gay man at a time when that was unheard of. Many of you may be tempted to watch the new Netflix film "Rustin" (with my buddy Colman Domingo in the lead role and the Obama's as the Executive Producers), but, alas, it is only a shadow of the quality of the documentary, which tells Rustin's story with a high level of poetic detail (not just heroic ferocity which comes across in the Netflix drama).
As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere (for some of us), and we find ourselves with more time for movies, I highly recommend adding “Brother Outsider” to your watch list.
-Chip
P.S. I’m a huge fan of Tracee Stanley whose upcoming workshop The Power of Deep Rest explores the restorative power of rest during life's difficult times. This workshop will encourage you to shift your mindset from constant productivity to healing and renewal with tools and practices to do so. Tracee is the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings. She’s received robust endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington.
