A few years ago, I was sitting in front of a camera, all dolled up as I answered familiar questions about my illustration and activism work. I had been prepping for this for a few days, and by this point, had told my story so many times that it felt like second-nature. 

Things were going exactly as planned, until the producer threw a curveball with a question that was not on the pre-screened interview list: 

“What is justice?”

Y’all… I FROZE. 

I looked at the camera, then the producer, then my assistant, then back at the producer, and stumbled through the next few words:

“Um, could I have a second?” 

Then, I grabbed my assistant’s hand and hurried out of the room. 

Not me being unable to define JUSTICE? In an interview about my justice work? For a documentary about JUSTICE?!? I knew and had a general understanding of the word, but I realized in the heat of the moment that I couldn’t clearly define it.

After a few moments, I re-entered the room, declined to answer the question, and finished out the remainder of the interview. When I got home, I told myself that I would never let that happen again. I quickly learned a definition of justice that I could commit to memory, developed a way to communicate it in my own words, and even created an illustration to help cement it into my brain:

That day, I learned one of the most important lessons in my journey: you must always know, and be able to explain, what you stand for. Here are three quick reasons why this matters (besides wanting to avoid on-camera embarrassment):

1. Every day, people are reinventing what your values mean. From justice to anti-racism (and plenty of others in between–lookin’ at you, “woke”), new and twisted definitions are being created and weaponized against you. You cannot properly defend what you don’t clearly understand.
2. You’re a better advocate for your causes when you can articulate why they matter. Think about when someone tries to get you to get/sign-up for/do something. The more knowledgeable they are, the more equipped they are, and the more convincing they become. Rep your values well.
3. Your daily decisions will be more clearly guided by your beliefs. When you know your values inside out, you’re more aware of how they show up in life (and what threatens them). This preps you to be able to better identify daily opportunities to live in a way that reflects them.

Basically–stay ready so you don’t gotta get ready. Don’t miss a moment to speak and live in your truth because you didn’t do your homework.