Taking A Stand
What can you no longer accept? I think about this question a lot. What am I no longer willing to sit by and watch happen? What is totally unacceptable for me at this point in my life? We are born into a specific set of social identities and that they predispose us to...
Are you ready to step up how you show up?
Diversity is where we start not where we finish. Diversity helps us understand ways that we are similar to and different from one another, but it does not necessitate us to do anything with that information. It is a basic level of understanding that does not require...
Who’s Got The Power
Power Racism is not a problem to be fixed by an individual. It won't be fixed by the awakening or enlightenment. It can only be fixed by understanding power- who has it, and how it gets used. Power-The ability to decide who will have access to resources; the...
Consequences of Oppression
Oppression has consequences Consequences for everyone. The oppressed and the oppressor. We all pay a terrible price for maintaining systems of inequality. When some of our children are educated and others are not we all pay a price When some of our neighbors are safe...
Culture of Silence
Culture of Silence I spent my Sunday morning drinking coffee and studying the "Five Faces of Oppression" by Iris Young. In case you are wondering it is perfect brunch reading. I am not sure that many folks understand the multitude of ways that we are oppressed by...
Liberation is Love
Liberation I spent time this weekend studying The Cycle of Liberation by Bobbie Harro. It's a beautifully written framework that basically says: "I know this social change work is overwhelming, all these really big complex issues, but here is a blueprint to...
United In Anger
Fighting For Our Lives It's been a hard week for me and lots of my clients. I work with organizers, activist, and leaders that are struggling to understand what the future holds for them and their communities. One young woman said she felt like she was entering the "...
Tone, Context And Timing
Destroying Dignity I led a training a few weeks back on micro behaviors. I started off with the official definition: Micro-behaviors are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that...
What Hope Looks Like
Photo Credit: Unknown The last Day of Kwanzaa Principle #7 Imani (faith) tells us to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory our struggle. Faith calls us to believe in the good we seek to...