This post is from the ALF Insights blog, which features content from the faculty, clients, and associates of ALF’s premier facilitation service. Learn more at ALFInsights.org.
Book Title: See No Stranger – A Memoir & Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur
Genre: Non-fiction
How does the book connect to our current societal discourse ?
When Kaur’s book came out in 2020, I devoured it during shelter-in-place. It inspired me during that challenging time of the early months of COVID, racial reckoning, and the election. Her insights have continued to guide and motivate me – and many others – as we work to build bridges of understanding and healing in the face of growing inequities and divisions.
Through moving stories from her childhood in the Central Valley and years as a student, civil rights attorney, filmmaker, and Sikh activist, Valarie shows us the power of choosing to “see no stranger” through “revolutionary love” practiced in community.
In recent months, Kaur has been writing and speaking, listening and coaching people in communities and colleges across the country as they witness the heartbreaking violence in Israel and Palestine and seek to build understanding across differences among impacted people in the U.S. Kaur said, “Our most powerful response to the horror in Israel and Palestine is to refuse to surrender our humanity” – to not look away, to choose inclusive love over hate and violence, and to contribute to healing and justice.
What are some of the limitations or drawbacks of the book?
Some might question Valarie Kaur’s focus on “Revolutionary Love,” but many recognize that this kind of love – courageously committed to the community with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives – is what we need today, locally and globally! “Kaur reclaims love as an active, public, revolutionary force that creates new possibilities for ourselves, our communities, and our world.”
Overall, what is your final assessment or review of the book?
If you haven’t yet, I hope you will read “See No Stranger”. If you’ve read it already, I encourage you to return to it often, as I do, and to accept Valarie Kaur’s call to action to “imagine new ways of being with each other – and with ourselves – so that together we can build the world we want to see.”
Kaur is a powerful storyteller and visionary. She reminds us of the transformative power of story-sharing and listening. “Deep listening is an act of surrender. We risk being changed by what we hear. When I really want to hear another person’s story, I try to leave my preconceptions at the door and draw close to their telling… The most critical part of listening is asking what is at stake for the other person. I try to understand what matters to them, not what I think matters… When the story is over, we must return to our skin and worldview and notice how our visit has changed us. So I ask myself, What is this story demanding of me? ” What will I do now that I know this?”
Learn more about See No Stranger: A Memoir & Manifesto of Revolutionary Love and author Valarie Kaur: valariekaur.com
Akemi Flynn has over 25 years of experience working for multicultural community building and equity in Silicon Valley. Currently, she is the Chief Impact Officer for ALF Silicon Valley and an ALF Insights faculty member. Akemi is an ALF Senior Fellows with Class XXVII.
