This is the letter I am sending out today to the College Formerly Known as Mills Community:
With world governments turning more authoritarian, the erasure of language and laws of equality, and the war on women eclipsed by new wars on other nations, those in the Mills Diaspora can empathize with those around the world who are states of shock and loss. We have grieved a seismic change for 5 years, and are still feeling keenly, sometimes angrily, that Mills WAS the antidote.
As the author of the classic Inside the Mills Revolution, Perfectly Revolting: My Glamorous Cartooning Career, The Reason She Left and Other Stories, Mad About Mills: The Memes that Made No Difference….plus lots of other stuff about treating other humans respectfully, I can’t help but want to respond to the feelings, the stories, and the yearning for agency among our tribe. There was some controversy (isn’t there always?) about how many alums fondly call ourselves “Millsies,” but there is little debate as to whether we are anyone’s minions. I have a better word for us. We are Millions. Between us are millions of ideas how to do things right—for ourselves, for our communities, for our country and the world. Between us are millions of dollars that we could raise to focus our care.
But what is our vision? Mills’ official motto was “Viae diversae, un destinatio.” Many paths, one destination. Beyond graduation, what is that destination? Our unofficial motto was, “Remember who you are and what you represent.” That last part has changed and changed and changed since the charter was signed. Here’s a new take: Who are you, and what do you choose to represent?
I’m crowdsourcing my next book, Un Destinatio.
I invite you to show me your vision for how we can keep Mills alive, how we can bridge our deep divides, how we, as Millions, can be the change we want to see.
Please send me ONE 8.5x11 sheet of paper—literal or digital—that shows your road map, infographic, cartoon or painting, song, future history, love letter or game plan, collage or construction plan for where we go from here. Be creative, be analytical, be passionate. Use the voice Mills gave you. Think big picture, or choose one small problem to solve. This is a blue sky zone—what could we accomplish together if money, time, and resources were no object? Let’s dream up a renaissance together, set goals for 5, 10, 100, 1000 years. Show me on your page what a world gone right looks like, or how we get there from here! I will assemble these pages into a catalog of our imagination. A seed catalog, if you will, of ideas to cultivate and help flourish for the future we want.
Along with your page, also please send a few sentences. Include your name and class if you wish. The deadline for this 6 month kickstarter for inspiration is August 31; I will try to publish it in time for this year’s reunion.
In conjunction with this creative salvo, I would also like to invite you to donate $25 to my new “Millions Unlimited” fund. (NOTE: this part is for ALL friends of Mills, not just alums!) My goal is to get 100 pages and 100 donations by August 31st. This “seed money” project will allow me to jump-start some of our shared visions! Thank you for joining in the energy.
Please share this 1:1 with your Mills connections! And watch for updates at millionsunlimited.org.
—Kristen Baumgardner Caven ‘88
$upporting $ubscribers, you already have access to some of these in the Library!