“When those who have power to name and to socially construct reality choose not to see you or hear you whether you are dark-skinned old disabled female or speak with a different accent or dialect than theirs when someone with the authority of a teacher describes the world and you are not in it there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium”
Being erased from the narrative is a profound form of injustice
There is a profound and heavy ache that occurs when the world around us decides, through silence or omission, that we simply do not exist. Adrienne Rich captures this beautifully and painfully, describing a moment of psychic disequilibrium. It is that dizzying, unsettling feeling when you look at a textbook, a news report, or even a classroom discussion and realize that your identity, your history, and your very essence have been erased from the narrative. It is not just about being ignored; it is about the destabilizing shock of realizing that those in positions of authority are actively constructing a reality that has no room for you.
We see this in the smallest, most quiet moments of everyday life. It might be a student sitting in a history class, listening to a lecture about great civilizations, only to realize that the people who look like them, speak like them, or share their struggles are never mentioned. It is the feeling of walking into a room of professionals and realizing the 'standard' being discussed only accounts for a very specific type of person. This erasure creates a fracture in our sense of belonging, making us feel like guests in a world that was supposedly built for us, yet refuses to acknowledge our presence.
I remember a time when I felt this very weight. I was helping a friend navigate a new community, and she sat through a community planning meeting where every decision being made seemed to ignore the needs of the elderly or the accessibility requirements for those with disabilities. As she sat there, watching the leaders speak with such certainty about a future that didn't include her needs, I could see her spirit waver. She wasn't just frustrated; she was experiencing that exact disequilibrium Rich speaks of. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had become unstable because the people in charge were building a world that didn't recognize her reality.
But even in that moment of imbalance, there is a seed of profound truth. Recognizing this erasure is the first step toward reclaiming your place in the narrative. When we feel that psychic shift, it is a signal that our souls are demanding to be seen and heard. It is an invitation to seek out new stories, to build our own tables, and to amplify the voices that are being silenced. We do not have to accept a reality that excludes us; we can participate in the beautiful, difficult work of rewriting it.
Today, I want to encourage you to look closely at the stories you are consuming and the spaces you are inhabiting. If you feel unseen, please know that your existence is valid and your voice is necessary. Take a moment to reflect on where you might find or create spaces that celebrate the full spectrum of human experience. You belong in the story, and your presence is a vital part of the truth.