ESSA RISING — Vanessa Faloye Consulting

ESSA Rising | Part 2: Her Project (Equity)

Equity is either confused with the financial terms describing liquid assets, or it is often misunderstood as favouring people who come from minoritised backgrounds without any historical or social interrogation as to why this might be the case. Synonymous with affirmative action and/or positive discrimination, equity as part of a social justice strategy is important to understand if we are going to systemically build an alternative reality that serves the unique and complex needs of everyone. Read this blog article to understand the difference between equity and equality and why equality as a 21st century development practice is nothing more than a fallacy.

Vanessa FaloyeMarch 3, 2019equity, intersectionality, socialjustice, socialchange, marginalisation, marginalization, oppression, systemschange, systemsthinking, alternativereality

ESSA Rising | Part 1: Her Persona-fication

ESSA is a superhuman persona that was created out of a deep want and need to reclaim all the parts of myself that I've lost to systemic oppression. As well as my truth to power, she is also a call to action… a call for systems change that starts with the self. As my alter-ego, she reminds me that the system that I am fighting to transform out there is the systems that I am also reinforcing within me. The faults, failures, and fallacies of the wider system can all be found within my own attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs - however small or invisible they may be. To truly create an alternative reality that eclipses our current one, I needed to first create an alternative version of myself that reflects the values of this alternative reality that I am fighting to reframe, redefine, and reimagine. And then I need to show up as her and live up to her. That is who ESSA is to me... a persona-fied example of who I can be and what kind of systemic solution I can be part of.

Vanessa FaloyeJanuary 30, 2019essarising, persona, blackgirlmagic, truthtopower