When I first began working on creating this website, I wasn’t sure that the ‘Rainbow Fist’ on the Home Page would portray the message I wanted to send. So, I sent out a ‘trial website’ to a number of friends and colleagues, requesting their comments. In particular, I asked them their opinion of the fist. It was interesting: three quarters responded that they really liked, even loved, the fist; while about one quarter said that they disliked it—and disliked it intensely. For those that liked or loved it, they said it portrayed a coming together of people to transform the wrongs and injustice of society. For those that disliked it, they felt it portrayed violence and the division of society into warring factions; some from this group suggested using hands joined peacefully together.

Obviously, the division was stark, and I wasn’t sure of what to do. But I like rainbows: formed when raindrops, acting as prisms, split the electromagnetic spectrum into seven bands of color—by doing so creating intense light and beauty. And I like fists too. To me, they can be a symbol of bringing together COLLECTIVE POWER to contest injustice. But the friends who disliked the Rainbow Fist made a definite point that joined hands would be more peaceful, and therefore more supportive of social power and deep participation.

I have decided to keep the Rainbow Fist. But it is only with substantial reflection as to why. The reason to keep it is strongly rooted in the awareness that we are now living in an era of high instability. This is because our long-term governing societal consensus, illustrated by the four ancient wrongs featuring freedom but denying equality through consistent political compromise, was finally fractured and split. This fracturing split began with the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Before that date our unequal societal stability could not even be “budged”. But it is now in shreds and ready to be knocked over with just a slight “nudge”—either towards equality and solidarity, or full-fledged authoritarianism and violence.

It is for this reason that I choose the Rainbow Fist. The powers-that-be who are working for authoritarianism and its corollary of violence, will be quite happy if we continue to offer a peaceful hand of negotiation and compromise with no apparent agreement on truth, true equality, and justice; and that is what even some of our more moderate political friends continue to suggest. But from my perspective, the Rainbow Fist portrays agreement to insist on both freedom and equality, with no compromise of either element. The sunlight and raindrops crystalizing the seven rainbow colors winding around the Fist represents the necessary transformation of negative thought-worlds, the institutions which support injustice, and the four ancient wrongs. They crystallize in support for freedom and equality—no violence or blaming, but no backing down from these essential principles.

OK, enough about symbols. We need to get to work. The time to make meaningful change is running out fast, so I hope you will read Fearless Change to assist you and your group in this work. I will also be writing a weekly column on SubStack, starting in April 2025. SubStack is a lively gathering of writers that creates the positive social energy we all need right now to move forward. I will be exploring the ramifications of social power, trust, solidarity, and equality needed to create fearless change and social action in difficult times.

Until next time, Paula Donnelly Roark, January 20, 2025