Finally, echoes must ring true. Performative gestures can mimic courage without bearing its cost; better to move quietly with integrity, invite feedback, and center those most affected. Rest, too, is part of brave work: as Audre Lorde writes in A Burst of Light (1988), caring for oneself can be an act of political warfare, ensuring the song endures. Measure success not only by volume of applause but by the care extended, the harms reduced, and the next person emboldened. In this way, the dawn grows louder without losing its light. [...]
