gentlemen’s disagreements
by Throughout his term, Barack Obama had a call for the activists agitating for change. He recalled what Franklin Roosevelt told his activists pushing for their own reforms. FDR said, “I …
Tag: predominately white institutions
three tales of courage
Last week, I said that our success in a system often means it’s tilted towards us. What I mean to say is that the systems that we live, work, and …
what does it mean to put community first?
Some articles get my goat and don’t let go. Last year I read an interview with a roundtable of CEOs at major food banks around the country. The headline quote …
what’s in a name?
What’s in a name? Somehow I’m the first writer to ask that question. Think about it: if we called a rose something else, would that name change how it smells? …
what is a room to a person uninvited?
I hate being othered! My brown skin is often the first thing a person notices about me. I was once in the office (when people worked in offices together) talking …
relocate the discomfort
I’ve participated in many structured conversations about race and equity. In these spaces, “the agreements” come up a lot. These are short statements that set ground rules for the conversations …
the oppressor loves civility
“Being civil” is a hard concept to square up against. It’s like professionalism: who could argue against that in a workplace? But while both concepts may appear benign at first, …
no more caretakers
The time is now. If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. I don’t know what we’re careening towards, but the future is heading our way. Racists and transphobes …
get out and rise
this is a collaborative post: concepts and words by Christina Chan and josh martinez. My friend Christina and I are no stranger to complicated workplaces. We worked together for a …
we are what’s next
Think back to a time about six years ago. Hillary Clinton was in Minnesota. While campaigning for president, she spoke with a voter in a Minneapolis coffeeshop. The voter, Stacey …