In this special blog, Joyce and I share our perspective and feelings about the killing of ten Black people by a white supremacist.  Our hearts hold the families who lost loved ones in this horrendous and shocking way.  As Joyce says, we are steadfast in our commitment to justice and beloved community. We want to know what you think.  Please reply to [email protected]

My daughter Ms. Makeda, co-host of our Get Your Chocolate On podcast, said something to me last summer that has been simmering all these months!

We were on a writing retreat in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and she shared her free-write:

"Forgiveness is a signpost... not the destination."

I've been testing, pressing, wondering about this truth these many months!

Here's what is opening up:

When I make forgiveness my destination, there's an element of "should' or "force" in it.

Even when I...

Join our workshop on How to Avoid Racial Justice Burnout... click here to learn more.

Ms. Joyce Washington comes to this work through growing up in a small rural community in northwestern Tennessee, where she witnessed subtle and insidious forms of racism, seldom in-your-face and mostly right under the skin. She moved away for more than three decades, living in Germany, St. Louis, and Northern California. She eventually returned to her hometown years later, hoping that things would have...

Meet Facilitator and Mentor Kristen Mun

Kristen's Story:

My name is Kristen Mun and I am Filipina, Chinese, born and raised on the island of Oahu.  I moved to the mainland in 2005 to go to school in Oregon.  When I first started undergrad, I knew I was different. I knew I would have to explain to classmates that I did not live in a grass shack, or that yes; Hawaii has paved roads.  But I wasn't ready for the implicit cues that told me I had to leave my race and my culture...

You can check your implicit racial bias if you are willing to do the work.

A lot of folks have written or are talking about implicit bias.  I recommend Jerry Kang’s excellent Ted Talk "Immaculate Perception" and this NPR story on the Yale study of Racial Bias Amongst Pre-School Teachers.  

The data on implicit bias in health, criminal justice, education, employment is so consistent that it can be daunting.  There’s very little readily available information on how...

Recent events have gotten most of us riled up. Many of us feel unsafe, anxious, and upset.

And, it's not going to stop. There's millions of people and multiple interests invested in ongoing instability.

The most important things we can do now is to:

• Limit your social media and news scrolling and reacting.
• Process your feelings.
• Take positive action.
• Exercise Unity Consciousness.
• Rinse and repeat.

In our last episode of Get your Chocolate On, Makeda and I show you how to process your...

If you'd like to try praying, I have two recommendations:

First, I use a forgiveness prayer when I feel hooked or tied up by blame and shame.  I've used it especially when I am ping ponging between blaming the other party and blaming myself.  I've used it at home and in the world.  I recommend you watch how Dr. Hew Len teaches the practice Ho'oponopono. 

You can also download my recitation of this prayer here.  It is short and sweet and good to say on a...

I've been feeling grief, anger and fear since hearing about Ahmaud Arbery. It was so emotionally overwhelming I didn't want to share with you. As you know, I have a son who is Black. I have nephews. I have a brother. It was all too close.

Now that I've had a moment to breathe, I'm writing to ask you to join me to create more justice and peace and love right now.

One, sign our partner petition with JustGeorgia, a coalition of progressive and social justice organizations including the...

You know the key ingredient to doing good racial justice work and cultivating powerful partnerships across the color line?

BOUNDARIES.

Can you distinguish what is your responsibility, what is someone else's and when to let go and trust the process?

Find out more about this on The OPT-IN, a podcast hosted by a Black and White woman Team, Aurora and Kelly.

I had a great time sitting down with Aurora + Kelly of The Opt-In podcast to talk about Racial Justice...