Scattering Sunshine to Close Our Diversity Gap | Jessica Smith | TEDxMHK

I was in second grade the first time I

I was in second grade the first time I felt compelled to stand up for somebody

felt compelled to stand up for somebody

felt compelled to stand up for somebody that was different than me

that was different than me

that was different than me I remember hearing that a kid had made

I remember hearing that a kid had made

I remember hearing that a kid had made fun of one of my best friends who was

fun of one of my best friends who was

fun of one of my best friends who was Taiwanese and I remember so vividly

Taiwanese and I remember so vividly

Taiwanese and I remember so vividly racing across the blacktop weaving in

racing across the blacktop weaving in

racing across the blacktop weaving in and out of kids that were playing

and out of kids that were playing

and out of kids that were playing Foursquare and jumping rope just to get

Foursquare and jumping rope just to get

Foursquare and jumping rope just to get up to this kid and to tell him to stop I

up to this kid and to tell him to stop I

up to this kid and to tell him to stop I felt really good I felt proud to stand

felt really good I felt proud to stand

felt really good I felt proud to stand up for her I couldn’t believe that

up for her I couldn’t believe that

up for her I couldn’t believe that someone would make fun of somebody else

someone would make fun of somebody else

someone would make fun of somebody else for their nationality or their race it

for their nationality or their race it

for their nationality or their race it was just my first glimpse into the world

was just my first glimpse into the world

was just my first glimpse into the world that we live in

that we live in

that we live in I’ve always felt different I think

I’ve always felt different I think

I’ve always felt different I think that’s why since I was a kid I’ve

that’s why since I was a kid I’ve

that’s why since I was a kid I’ve literally felt like my chest is bursting

literally felt like my chest is bursting

literally felt like my chest is bursting with compassion for other people my mom

with compassion for other people my mom

with compassion for other people my mom and dad always taught me to treat people

and dad always taught me to treat people

and dad always taught me to treat people the way that I wish to be treated and

the way that I wish to be treated and

the way that I wish to be treated and that’s how I live my life it’s Who I am

that’s how I live my life it’s Who I am

that’s how I live my life it’s Who I am and I always wish from when I was a

and I always wish from when I was a

and I always wish from when I was a young girl that when people found out

young girl that when people found out

young girl that when people found out that I was different that they would

that I was different that they would

that I was different that they would still be nice to me you can’t see my

still be nice to me you can’t see my

still be nice to me you can’t see my difference when you look at me you can’t

difference when you look at me you can’t

difference when you look at me you can’t see when you look at me that I’m married

see when you look at me that I’m married

see when you look at me that I’m married to a woman that I spent much of my

to a woman that I spent much of my

to a woman that I spent much of my adolescence talking myself into

adolescence talking myself into

adolescence talking myself into believing that I was worth it enough to

believing that I was worth it enough to

believing that I was worth it enough to live even though I was gay scattering

live even though I was gay scattering

live even though I was gay scattering sunshine is my life’s passion and I do

sunshine is my life’s passion and I do

sunshine is my life’s passion and I do it every day and I feel so fortunate to

it every day and I feel so fortunate to

it every day and I feel so fortunate to be able to influence young people and

be able to influence young people and

be able to influence young people and help them feel more positively about

help them feel more positively about

help them feel more positively about themselves I do it on a daily basis

themselves I do it on a daily basis

themselves I do it on a daily basis whether it’s just saying hello to

whether it’s just saying hello to

whether it’s just saying hello to somebody remembering what somebody said

somebody remembering what somebody said

somebody remembering what somebody said or just being a friend a listening ear I

or just being a friend a listening ear I

or just being a friend a listening ear I watched my son eat ice cream for the

watched my son eat ice cream for the

watched my son eat ice cream for the first time on a strangely warm November

first time on a strangely warm November

first time on a strangely warm November day it happened to be the day after the

day it happened to be the day after the

day it happened to be the day after the election and I remember sitting there

election and I remember sitting there

election and I remember sitting there with him and I felt really discouraged I

with him and I felt really discouraged I

with him and I felt really discouraged I was discouraged about how divided our

was discouraged about how divided our

was discouraged about how divided our country was at that time and as I

country was at that time and as I

country was at that time and as I watched him I thought about everything

watched him I thought about everything

watched him I thought about everything that was going on in the world in my

that was going on in the world in my

that was going on in the world in my life I’ve never seen racial tensions so

life I’ve never seen racial tensions so

life I’ve never seen racial tensions so strong religious groups targeted LGBT

strong religious groups targeted LGBT

strong religious groups targeted LGBT people facing inequality daily and

people facing inequality daily and

people facing inequality daily and political groups so divided so I sat

political groups so divided so I sat

political groups so divided so I sat there watching my son with chocolate all

there watching my son with chocolate all

there watching my son with chocolate all over his face

over his face

over his face it was the epitome of childhood

it was the epitome of childhood

it was the epitome of childhood innocence and I was taken back by the

innocence and I was taken back by the

innocence and I was taken back by the Sun as it was hitting my face and it was

Sun as it was hitting my face and it was

Sun as it was hitting my face and it was this very literal reminder that it was

this very literal reminder that it was

this very literal reminder that it was time to refocus that there was no time

time to refocus that there was no time

time to refocus that there was no time to sulk or wonder what kind of world our

to sulk or wonder what kind of world our

to sulk or wonder what kind of world our son would grow up in it was time to get

son would grow up in it was time to get

son would grow up in it was time to get to work scattering sunshine we live in a

to work scattering sunshine we live in a

to work scattering sunshine we live in a time right now where being politically

time right now where being politically

time right now where being politically correct is often looked down upon or

correct is often looked down upon or

correct is often looked down upon or even laughed at somewhere along the line

even laughed at somewhere along the line

even laughed at somewhere along the line our opinion has become one of the only

our opinion has become one of the only

our opinion has become one of the only things that we can hear and we fight

things that we can hear and we fight

things that we can hear and we fight against the opposition not knowing or

against the opposition not knowing or

against the opposition not knowing or thinking about the damages that we may

thinking about the damages that we may

thinking about the damages that we may be creating we hear from a mother that

be creating we hear from a mother that

be creating we hear from a mother that has just lost her son and she tells us

has just lost her son and she tells us

has just lost her son and she tells us that black lives matter and instead of

that black lives matter and instead of

that black lives matter and instead of embracing her we fight against her what

embracing her we fight against her what

embracing her we fight against her what if we reframe our judgments towards each

if we reframe our judgments towards each

if we reframe our judgments towards each other and change those into genuine acts

other and change those into genuine acts

other and change those into genuine acts of understanding or trying to understand

of understanding or trying to understand

of understanding or trying to understand someone else’s view being politically

someone else’s view being politically

someone else’s view being politically correct is not about being right or

correct is not about being right or

correct is not about being right or agreeing with somebody or having the

agreeing with somebody or having the

agreeing with somebody or having the loudest voice it’s about being able to

loudest voice it’s about being able to

loudest voice it’s about being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and

put yourself in someone else’s shoes and

put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their experiences you may

understand their experiences you may

understand their experiences you may still disagree but you’re able to do so

still disagree but you’re able to do so

still disagree but you’re able to do so with compassion and respect I think a

with compassion and respect I think a

with compassion and respect I think a better way to put it instead of

better way to put it instead of

better way to put it instead of politically correct is compassionately

politically correct is compassionately

politically correct is compassionately correct I think right now more than ever

correct I think right now more than ever

correct I think right now more than ever we have a human obligation to be

we have a human obligation to be

we have a human obligation to be compassionately correct to each other to

compassionately correct to each other to

compassionately correct to each other to our brothers and sisters we have a human

our brothers and sisters we have a human

our brothers and sisters we have a human obligation to scatter sunshine to simply

obligation to scatter sunshine to simply

obligation to scatter sunshine to simply be nice to other people to smile at them

be nice to other people to smile at them

be nice to other people to smile at them to say hello we can do this together and

to say hello we can do this together and

to say hello we can do this together and in fact we can only do this together I

in fact we can only do this together I

in fact we can only do this together I used to want to be the change that I

used to want to be the change that I

used to want to be the change that I wish to see in the world but I realized

wish to see in the world but I realized

wish to see in the world but I realized that I’m just one woman in one place so

that I’m just one woman in one place so

that I’m just one woman in one place so I try to do small acts with great love

I try to do small acts with great love

I try to do small acts with great love and I do so on a daily basis at a

and I do so on a daily basis at a

and I do so on a daily basis at a grassroots roots level and I do this by

grassroots roots level and I do this by

grassroots roots level and I do this by scattering sunshine

scattering sunshine

scattering sunshine and trying to get other people to join

and trying to get other people to join

and trying to get other people to join me so when you’re walking across the

me so when you’re walking across the

me so when you’re walking across the sidewalk wherever you’re at put your

sidewalk wherever you’re at put your

sidewalk wherever you’re at put your phone down look at the person that’s

phone down look at the person that’s

phone down look at the person that’s passing you look that person in the eye

passing you look that person in the eye

passing you look that person in the eye and say hello what if you did this and

and say hello what if you did this and

and say hello what if you did this and they really knew that you meant it what

they really knew that you meant it what

they really knew that you meant it what if would you’re having a conversation

if would you’re having a conversation

if would you’re having a conversation with somebody you remember what they

with somebody you remember what they

with somebody you remember what they said remembering matters what if when

said remembering matters what if when

said remembering matters what if when someone’s crying you extend your arm to

someone’s crying you extend your arm to

someone’s crying you extend your arm to them and you put it around them so that

them and you put it around them so that

them and you put it around them so that you know that you’re there for them they

you know that you’re there for them they

you know that you’re there for them they know that they’re not alone

know that they’re not alone

know that they’re not alone scattering sunshine isn’t always pretty

scattering sunshine isn’t always pretty

scattering sunshine isn’t always pretty or happy I believe right now we’re at a

or happy I believe right now we’re at a

or happy I believe right now we’re at a crossroads right now in this moment and

crossroads right now in this moment and

crossroads right now in this moment and we have to band together to reach across

we have to band together to reach across

we have to band together to reach across to people that don’t look like us they

to people that don’t look like us they

to people that don’t look like us they don’t believe in the same things as we

don’t believe in the same things as we

don’t believe in the same things as we do and maybe don’t act the same way we

do and maybe don’t act the same way we

do and maybe don’t act the same way we have a responsibility to reach out to

have a responsibility to reach out to

have a responsibility to reach out to other people I’m going to always be the

other people I’m going to always be the

other people I’m going to always be the person that races across the blacktop to

person that races across the blacktop to

person that races across the blacktop to stand up for somebody that’s different

stand up for somebody that’s different

stand up for somebody that’s different than me and I hope that you will join me

than me and I hope that you will join me

than me and I hope that you will join me in scattering sunshine as well just

in scattering sunshine as well just

in scattering sunshine as well just imagine just imagine what we could do

imagine just imagine what we could do

imagine just imagine what we could do and how far we could reach with our

and how far we could reach with our

and how far we could reach with our sunshine rays thank you

sunshine rays thank you

sunshine rays thank you [Applause]