by Ashia R., Head Custodian of Raising Luminaries
Members of Raising Luminaries [RL] and our ancillary organizations Books For Littles [BFL], The Luminary Braintrust [LBT] and the Student Ignition Society [SIS], including our supporters, readers, contributors, and the founder of RL and author of this statement, Ashia R. (known as a group as ‘Incendiaries‘) are responsible for clarity in our communication and the resources we create and share.
Click here to go back to the Accountability Statement
Clarity
Clarity helps Incendiaries identify what motivations we have in creating and sharing resources, how to use these resources ethically, and makes our resources easier to use for folks with disabilities and resource scarcity. Clarity helps Incendiaries who are typically erased and targeted by similar organizations determine the potential harm or benefit of using our resources and participating in our spaces.
Clarity in Language
As the primary author of our resources, I try to be aware of my tendency to infodump. I am aware in the discrepancy between the way I most easily communicate and how the rest of the world finds this distasteful.
In the early years of RL, I thought it was my responsibility to be brief and cut my articles down to the bare minimum. I though it was my responsibility to adhere to allistic ways of communicating.
I’m not sure sure about that anymore. By assimilating and twisting to communicate for allistic comfort, we remain in stigmatizing autistic infodumps. I’m also becoming aware of the ways we need all types of communication. There a value an autistic ways of thinking and communicating our ideas.
But I also acknowledge that many readers do not have the time or inclination to read every post, top to bottom, with a 100% comprehension and retention.
So this is going to have to remain wiggly in how we define and execute clarity. For me – clarity means long, deep, analytical dives and all the tangents on a topic. It feels wrong and unclear to leave out the details.
I acknowledge that these details might be received as confusing, derailing, or even as an attack. If this is the case, please tell me which of my articles you’ve taken issue with in the Critical Feedback Form.
Clarity in Values & Motivations
If there is ambiguity in the values and motivations of RL, Incendiaries can’t be confident that we have these best interests in mind. In creating our Accountability Statement & Guidelines, I hope to have an easy-to-find resource that states plainly and clearly the vision we’re working toward, who benefits, who participates, and what our motivations are.
See the About page for a rundown on our stance on controversial & social issues. If any statements are unclear or missing, you may inquire about those values in the Critical Feedback Form.
Clarity in Calls To Action
The resources we create in RL should have a combination of the following elements:
- Knowledge: Providing information about a challenge that needs addressing (ex: Anti-Asian harassment during Covid 19 pandemic.)
- Urgency: Reasons why members must take action within a near or specific time frame (ex: The long-term mental health impacts on AAPI families with young children.)
- Capability: Accessible tools to navigate existing challenges or prevent further harm (ex: children’s books to foster resilience)
I’ve found over the years these things, mixed together, virtually vault kind and courageous members to take initial action. From there, we become habituated as helpers, and larger steps get easier. For more on how I use this method throughout my work, check out the Smashing Wealth Inequality Series, join the Getting Sh*t Done Guide workshop available for members of the Luminary Braintrust, or see the Tiktoks or podcasts I’ve published about this strategy.
This document was last edited in March 2024 to add the Luminary Braintrust and workshops by Ashia R.
