Y’all know I love a good running-to-social-justice-work metaphor, right? I think it’s because so many lessons from running apply to that work—like the importance of showing up with consistency. And taking rest days.
But while I was running today, I realized there’s something else: keeping your eyes on where you want to go.
It’s a common principle in endurance sports. Last month, while cross-country skiing, I was reminded that looking in the direction I’m moving will help me keep my balance. In skate skiing, that sometimes means looking to the side rather than straight ahead. The same is true in cycling—if you fixate on the rock in the road you’re trying to avoid, you’re almost guaranteed to hit it. But if you focus on where you want your wheel to go, you can roll right past the obstacle.
On my run this morning, I was pushing hard on steep uphills and technical downhills, and it struck me how this applies to running, too. When I run down a technical trail, I don’t stare at my feet. I scan ahead, taking note of the rocks and roots I need to avoid, but my focus stays on where I want my foot to land. I pick my path through the obstacles by keeping my eyes on where I want to go.
The same is true in social justice work. There are so many obstacles we need to be aware of and navigate, but our focus must remain on the path ahead—on the steps we need to take around and through the obstacles in order to keep moving forward.
Angela Davis captured this idea when she said:
“While we cannot create the conditions for the struggles in which we engage, we can bring our determination. We can bring our vision for a better future.”
-Angela Davis, Peace Ball, Washington, D.C., 2025
We don’t always get to choose the obstacles in our way. But we do choose where we direct our energy, how we move forward, and the paths we carve through the challenges.
Endurance sports teach us to maintain that focus. When we look where we want to go, our bodies—our feet, bikes, and skis—naturally follow.
What would it look like to bring that same practice into our work with nonprofits, our communities, and our struggle for social justice and liberation? I’ve written before about the importance of leading with our vision for a better future. A big part of that is refusing to get stuck on the obstacles in our way. Because if we shift our focus to the barriers, we risk getting caught in them—at the expense of the path forward.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t acknowledge and address obstacles. But our main job is to keep our eyes on the way through.
This is exactly why Miles Ahead Project is proud to sponsor the 2025 Queer Studies Conference at UNC-Asheville. The conversations at this event don’t just examine the barriers in our way—they illuminate the paths forward. By bringing together scholars, activists, community organizations, and those most impacted by injustice, the conference creates space for urgent, necessary dialogue and builds a site for resistance at a time when rights and freedoms are under attack. Theory, research, and activism shouldn’t exist in silos; they should shape and inform each other. And when we come together with a shared vision for justice, we strengthen our ability to navigate the challenges ahead and move toward liberation.
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