ACTIVISM WEAPONS OF CHOICE (Part 2) "All You Need Is Love" Reimagined: Introducing the L.A.C.E. Framework

THE RISING AWARENESS JOURNEY: Healing The Human Race from racism and related social constructs one person and conversation at a time.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his [or her] skin, or his [or her] background, or his [or her] religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela

“All You Need Is Love,” a song written by John Lennon, was chosen in 1967 as Britain’s contribution to Our World, the first live, multi-satellite-enabled international television broadcast. The song, performed by the Beatles at EMI Studios (now known as Abbey Road Studios) in London, aired via satellite on 25 June 1967 and was viewed by a global audience of over 400 million across 25 countries.

We, The Rising Awareness Journey, define love not simply as an emotion, but as a behavior; a conscious choice. We align this with the ancient Greek definition and concept of Agápē (pronounced /ah-GAH-pay/ or /ah-GAH-peh/): a love, choice, and behavior that seeks the highest good for another without condition, expectation, or anything in return.

As The Rising Awareness Journey train travels through the symbolic Activism Turnpike, shaped like a heart (see our previous article Activism: Weapons of Choice Part 1), we travel from the left side (Above The Line Path) to the right, where we introduce another “weapon of choice” for social transformation: the L.A.C.E. Path and framework.

L.A.C.E. stands for Love, Authenticity, Courage, and Empathy, a transformative model conceptualized by Dr. Yvette Alex-Assensoh, JD, PhD, of the University of Oregon. Her model offers a clear, human-centered path for creating connection and systemic change amid racial injustice, cronyism, and other related and entrenched challenges.

An Overview of the L.A.C.E. Framework

LOVE (Agápē)

Have you ever felt frozen with fear or anxiety? Faced with the unfamiliar or uncomfortable, your body enters survival mode. Agápē, or Love, offers a way out. It activates oxytocin, the “love hormone,” expanding our ability to learn, relate, and heal.

It’s no surprise, then, that love is the first weapon of choice. It nurtures our growth and development. Love calls for those in positions of power and authority to model such behavior, especially to those who have been marginalized or oppressed. As David Wilkerson once said, “Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.”

In this context:

• Self-Awareness - The first step toward any change is awareness. Starting with yourself, is self-awareness. Questions to ask yourself:

  • How am I managing my choices and actions?

  • How do I show up, and how will I evolve?

• Relationship Building - As you become more self-aware, take time to learn about others. Expand your mind, challenge information. Start building connections and relationships with others. Start building teams, communities, and partnerships to drive growth and success. Questions to ask yourself:

  • Am I genuinely curious about others’ stories and perspectives?

  • How am I expanding my circle of empathy?

• Systemic Transformation - As you learn about yourself and others, start observing and questioning the systems in place. Ask yourself:

  • How are the systems in which I participate just and inclusive?

  • What role do I play in shaping them?

AUTHENTICITY

The second part of the L.A.C.E. framework requires vulnerability, transparency, and alignment with core values. It begins with brave self-inquiry:

• Who am I, really?

• What do I stand for, and how do those values shape my impact?

• Where have I conformed to comfort instead of truth?

Before you can transform your relationships or institutions, you must first stand honestly in THE truth.

COURAGE

If you have the willingness to acknowledge your fear and hesitancy, yet continue to act, you have courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to act in spite of it. To move forward through your fear, consciously choosing to act and leverage whatever power you have, bringing out a change in yourself, others, and systems. You know you have limitations. You know you will face challenges. And you move forward…regardless. Reflective questions you may ask yourself:

• How will I manage conflict or confrontation?

• What behaviors or beliefs must I acknowledge or release?

• Who or what must I forgive to move forward?

EMPATHY

Empathy is a cultivated posture, one that allows us to see the world through our fellow humans’ eyes, listen with another’s ears, and feel with another’s heart. Genuine empathy also encompasses self-empathy, which involves listening inward with compassion and care.

In a world full of suffering and injustice, empathy enables us to stay in the work without burning out. Listen to your own internal needs, which might require some attention. Allow for your mind and body to de-stress and relax while staying actively engaged with others, their issues, and the systems they are intertwined with.

The Invitation

So, as you’re becoming acquainted with the L.A.C.E. Path and framework, this companion weapon of choice, what actions or “one step” will you take and when?

• How will you contribute to healing and repair in your workplace, community, or place of worship?

• How will you model the change we so urgently need?

• Who can be your “accomplice” in this transformative work of “co-creating relationships to connect first, human to human above all else?”

As former U.S. President Barack Obama once said:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

The path to meaningful change is rarely a comfortable one. It demands ongoing self-awareness, courageous relationships, and honest reckoning with the systems we uphold. But when we choose to embody Love, Authenticity, Courage, and Empathy…we move forward. Together.

“Where do we go from here; chaos or community? I say to you, I have also decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems. And I’m going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn’t popular to talk about it in some circles today. And I’m not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I’m talking about a strong, demanding love.

For I have seen too much hate…and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear.
I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)

This article continues our ongoing series encouraging each of us to pause and intentionally co-create relationships by connecting first—Human to Human—before anything else. We invite you to join The Rising Awareness Journey, engage in critical thinking, and participate in courageous, meaningful conversations. Through this journey, you'll connect with an international, multi-ethnic, multicultural community of like-minded and like-spirited individuals—people who care deeply about creating a better world for ourselves, our children, and generations to come.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are intended solely for informational, educational, and thought-provoking purposes.

“Co-creating relationships to connect first, Human to Human, before anything else.”

About the Author:

Perry Rhue – The Rising Awareness Journey Founder, Executive Coach-sultant & Professional Thought Partner