THE SECRET To Getting Comfortable With BEING UNCOMFORTABLE | Luvvie Ajayi Jones & Lewis Howes

Power Exchange

Luvvie Ajayi Jones discusses the concept of power exchange, emphasizing the importance of using privilege to elevate underrepresented voices. She highlights a campaign where prominent white women shared their platforms with black women, showcasing a true exchange of power. This initiative was not about popularity but about centering black women and ensuring their voices were heard first in press and media 1. Luvvie explains the logistics of the campaign, where white women handed over their social media accounts to black women for a day, allowing them to share their stories and work 2.

We used all that intention, and people always misconstrue things, but we were like, we just have to do it as pure as we know how.

--- Luvvie Ajayi Jones

This action resulted in 17 billion impressions, demonstrating the power of collaboration and trust.

   

Truth to Power

Luvvie Ajayi Jones emphasizes the responsibility of speaking truth to power, urging individuals to use their voices to challenge systemic oppression. She explains that privilege is not about blame but about recognizing unearned advantages and using them to support anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and anti-transphobic actions 3. Luvvie shares her "truth telling guide," which helps individuals articulate difficult truths by asking themselves if they mean it, can defend it, and are saying it thoughtfully 4.

It's not your job to solve everything, find the thing that you want to do, do that thing really well.

--- Luvvie Ajayi Jones

She acknowledges that truth-telling can be uncomfortable but stresses its necessity for creating change.