This week, Union students, faculty, and staff were honored to have a Leadership Conference with Lisa Abbott, a community organizer in the heart of Eastern Kentucky, who acts as a beacon of hope for racial, environmental and economic justice. Her efforts throughout her journey show that even the smallest acts of compassion can make a significant difference in the fight against injustice. With over three decades of leadership experience with the grassroots community organization Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Abbott is currently a Senior Fellow at the JPB Foundation where she aims to strengthen multi-racial democracy in the United States.
Guided by three central ideas, Abbott’s first key point was that “what you do matters.” Drawing inspiration from the motto of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, she highlighted how the power of all individual actions effect meaningful change. Challenging the notion that systemic injustices are too vast to overcome, she urged that we should all adopt an “as if” mindset - to act as if all of our actions truly matter. By collectively embracing this perspective, we can act more effectively as a united force for justice.
