The first weeks of 2019 have been heavily fraught. With the longest government shutdown in our country’s history, factions creating upheaval in the Women’s March, and the most recent controversy over a group of Catholic high schoolers facing down a Native American elder, it’s hard to figure out what voices to listen to. Since this […]
Is my kid a…racist??
Last weekend I took my youngest to a new dance class. She’s been trying her ballet and tap shoes on for days. It’s adorable. I asked her afterwards if she enjoyed the class and if she liked the teacher. As she rolled around the rug in her little pink tutu, she looked up with her […]
Justice, Democracy, Love, and Hope
I spent this week with a group of people committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in their organizations. We chose to use the March on Washington in 1963 as a case study for building diverse networks to effect culture change. We got out of the classroom and explored the National Museum of African American History […]
Now is not the time for silence
Last Friday and Saturday in Charlottesville was unequivocally an act of terrorism and hate on the part of white supremacists and neo-Nazis. They were not there to demonstrate peacefully. They came not only to spew their hate but to engage in extreme violence. In an interview this week, Virginia’s governor Terry McAuliffe reported that authorities […]
Confessions of a Bourgie White Lady
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYRENWT8lz8] A couple of weeks ago, as I was heading from my ballet barre class to Le Pain Quotidian for my daily skim cappuccino, making plans with my friend to get gel manicures and then to bring our kids together so we could consume rosé and goat gouda, I was hit with a lightning […]
A Tale of Culture and Health Care (i.e. My Big Fat Scary ER Experience)
About a month ago, I went for a run and had chest pains. I assumed I’d pulled a muscle in my chest, something I had done once before. I took some ibuprofen, slathered Ben Gay on myself, and figured it would heal. The chest pains continued for several weeks to the point that I couldn’t […]
Listening to the Whisper
On Saturday, over 700,000 people will be marching in 386 countries around the world as part of the Women’s March on Washington. I will be one of the many in this ocean of people who are committed to valuing our humanity, to promoting peace and equality for all, regardless of gender, race, color, creed, or […]
So this is Christmas
Wigilia (Vig-eel-yah), which translates to “vigil” or “eve,” is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve celebration to commemorate the birth of Christ. Families have a large feast and then attend Midnight mass. It was also an excuse for all the grown ups to be able to get the madness of opening gifts over with on Christmas […]
Pushing the Boulder Uphill
Last week I had the honor of serving as a facilitator for the first ever White House Diversity & Inclusion in Government Summit, which brought together diversity and inclusion (D&I) leaders from the public and private sectors to share strategies for sustaining inclusion efforts in the federal government in the coming years. The event had […]
Social Change is not for the faint of heart
“Social change is not for the faint of heart.” These words, uttered by my coach during a recent session, have been ringing in my ears over the last few weeks. For advocates of social justice and equity, this work carries such great meaning, and also often feels like an endless tsunami crashing over our heads. […]