Every Racial Justice advocate, organizer and educator needs to regularly nourish themselves. Recently, I was talking with a friend and explained why self-compassion has made such a huge difference for me as a change maker and as a partner in an interracial marriage. The following is part of this conversation:

Self compassion and mindfulness gave me a way to stand for racial justice with less wear and tear on my being... When you stand for racial justice, you're in the midst of, you're...

Can You Put Mindfulness and Racial Justice in the Same Lane? Yes you can!

On my latest interview with Doers Podcast Host Jason Mundok, I discussed the difference between mentoring and coaching, pivoting between an artist identity and racial justice expert, and what it takes to keep dancing even while we work to make the world a better place. You can listen here.

I know some people prefer to read interviews rather than listen, so please check out the edited transcript right here.

If you...

I screwed up! I made some mistakes while facilitating a group and caused harm.

As I told my son, it was a crash and burn moment.

I've had three such moments in my professional life, and they HURT!

In the past those experiences have caused me to put up my defenses externally and to engage in endless self-harm internally.

Twenty years ago I felt so embarrassed at the holes found out in my knowledge that I literally cut off contact with an elder professor who wanted to mentor me.

This time,...

Yesterday I had a conversation with someone I respect in our community where ultimately we agreed AND disagreed.

We share some common values and yet have a different approach to community building.

What I noticed was that I felt nervous and jumpy before our conversation. My body was ready for fight and flight. After some mutual pleasantries, we got to the point--but what was the point?

As it turned out, I misinterpreted something she said on social media.

Ok, relief that we did not let...

Do you want to stand for justice AND want to come from a place of compassion?

I'm sharing with you a short audio excerpt "How to Stop Judging People." It's a real and searching conversation by folks who stand for racial justice from the heart.

My own experience shows me that the pain of the hurt gets extended by judging. But that doesn't mean we can't set boundaries or say no to harm.

This is short and so good. Give a listen here.

If you'd like to talk through your...

Michael is watching Rambo as I write this . I'm trying to ignore it because I'm not a Sly fan, but it's hard to avoid the story. A green beret, suffering from PTSD, gets jumped on by a small town police force and fights back. It's frustrating because this entire town's police resources go into apprehending a man who they triggered into trauma, resulting in lots of killing for no good reason.

Imagine what would be possible if the police force was staffed by people who know how to de-escalate....

_{IMAGE CREDIT TO STELLA BLUE: BYSTELLABLU.COM}

Since I returned from our Strong Voice Compassionate Heart Retreat, two people, two beautiful change makers have told me this.

They are not alone.

One of the most important things I got out of a self compassion class is that our minds are not here to make us happy.

The mind is conditioned to keep us safe.

Safety means staying vigilant about harm.

We’re constantly thinking about what’s wrong; what’s a threat; and how we are not...

_{DR. AMANDA KEMP AND HUSBAND MICHAEL WEARING THEIR FREDERICK DOUGLASS T-SHIRTS.}

Hey there!

I’m sitting at a roof top listening to Michael and Francis talk about how musicians make time, generating past and present and future. We move on to Sun Ra. Then Francis shares how our mental strength correlates to how much awe we experience in our daily lives. Music and art including Mother Earth’s creativity can make us feel AWE!

This is what happens when composer Francis Wong is in town...