Helping Healing

July 7 Zoom chat for Justified Anger Alumni with Dr. Gee, which was hacked by people who spewed hate-filled images, music, and text. Last winter I took part in an African American History course put on by Nehemiah and Justified Anger. Every week we would learn from different UW professors about aspects of American history that I was never taught in school. After the course ended (cut a little short by COVID), Dr. Gee, who leads up Nehemiah, has been engaging course alumni in regular zoom calls. There's also a very active email group that's working to provide strong allyship through the protests and efforts to change policing. During today's…

I think I've been avoiding writing because I don't know what words to use. Then I remind myself that my intent in starting this blog is just to practice. I'm not intending to teach or to be an expert or to have my thoughts so clear that they speak unassailable truths. I'm just wanting to further the conversation in my own brain. Things I feel bad about: I haven't gone to any protests this month. There's so much action going on, and I've been starting apart.I sent emails to a couple people I know who are Black and who I imagine must really be hurting. These aren't folks I'm close…

I'm writing in my office on a quiet spring morning, and I'm feeling unprepared to write about race. Frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm talking about; and I wonder if I have the authority, perspective, or right to be talking about race at all. But one thing I've learned from my last years of learning about racism its that silence doesn't help. We need each other to practice the work of creating a more equitable, just world; and to do that we need to push through the uncomfortable, sticky, feelings and try to communicate. I am a racist person. I live in a society where racism is…

July 7 Zoom chat for Justified Anger Alumni with Dr. Gee, which was hacked by people who spewed hate-filled images, music, and text. Last winter I took part in an African American History course put on by Nehemiah and Justified Anger. Every week we would learn from different UW professors about aspects of American history that I was never taught in school. After the course ended (cut a little short by COVID), Dr. Gee, who leads up Nehemiah, has been engaging course alumni in regular zoom calls. There's also a very active email group that's working to provide strong allyship through the protests and efforts to change policing. During today's…

I think I've been avoiding writing because I don't know what words to use. Then I remind myself that my intent in starting this blog is just to practice. I'm not intending to teach or to be an expert or to have my thoughts so clear that they speak unassailable truths. I'm just wanting to further the conversation in my own brain. Things I feel bad about: I haven't gone to any protests this month. There's so much action going on, and I've been starting apart.I sent emails to a couple people I know who are Black and who I imagine must really be hurting. These aren't folks I'm close…

I'm writing in my office on a quiet spring morning, and I'm feeling unprepared to write about race. Frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm talking about; and I wonder if I have the authority, perspective, or right to be talking about race at all. But one thing I've learned from my last years of learning about racism its that silence doesn't help. We need each other to practice the work of creating a more equitable, just world; and to do that we need to push through the uncomfortable, sticky, feelings and try to communicate. I am a racist person. I live in a society where racism is…

July 7 Zoom chat for Justified Anger Alumni with Dr. Gee, which was hacked by people who spewed hate-filled images, music, and text. Last winter I took part in an African American History course put on by Nehemiah and Justified Anger. Every week we would learn from different UW professors about aspects of American history that I was never taught in school. After the course ended (cut a little short by COVID), Dr. Gee, who leads up Nehemiah, has been engaging course alumni in regular zoom calls. There's also a very active email group that's working to provide strong allyship through the protests and efforts to change policing. During today's…

I think I've been avoiding writing because I don't know what words to use. Then I remind myself that my intent in starting this blog is just to practice. I'm not intending to teach or to be an expert or to have my thoughts so clear that they speak unassailable truths. I'm just wanting to further the conversation in my own brain. Things I feel bad about: I haven't gone to any protests this month. There's so much action going on, and I've been starting apart.I sent emails to a couple people I know who are Black and who I imagine must really be hurting. These aren't folks I'm close…

I'm writing in my office on a quiet spring morning, and I'm feeling unprepared to write about race. Frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm talking about; and I wonder if I have the authority, perspective, or right to be talking about race at all. But one thing I've learned from my last years of learning about racism its that silence doesn't help. We need each other to practice the work of creating a more equitable, just world; and to do that we need to push through the uncomfortable, sticky, feelings and try to communicate. I am a racist person. I live in a society where racism is…

July 7 Zoom chat for Justified Anger Alumni with Dr. Gee, which was hacked by people who spewed hate-filled images, music, and text. Last winter I took part in an African American History course put on by Nehemiah and Justified Anger. Every week we would learn from different UW professors about aspects of American history that I was never taught in school. After the course ended (cut a little short by COVID), Dr. Gee, who leads up Nehemiah, has been engaging course alumni in regular zoom calls. There's also a very active email group that's working to provide strong allyship through the protests and efforts to change policing. During today's…

I think I've been avoiding writing because I don't know what words to use. Then I remind myself that my intent in starting this blog is just to practice. I'm not intending to teach or to be an expert or to have my thoughts so clear that they speak unassailable truths. I'm just wanting to further the conversation in my own brain. Things I feel bad about: I haven't gone to any protests this month. There's so much action going on, and I've been starting apart.I sent emails to a couple people I know who are Black and who I imagine must really be hurting. These aren't folks I'm close…

I'm writing in my office on a quiet spring morning, and I'm feeling unprepared to write about race. Frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm talking about; and I wonder if I have the authority, perspective, or right to be talking about race at all. But one thing I've learned from my last years of learning about racism its that silence doesn't help. We need each other to practice the work of creating a more equitable, just world; and to do that we need to push through the uncomfortable, sticky, feelings and try to communicate. I am a racist person. I live in a society where racism is…

July 7 Zoom chat for Justified Anger Alumni with Dr. Gee, which was hacked by people who spewed hate-filled images, music, and text. Last winter I took part in an African American History course put on by Nehemiah and Justified Anger. Every week we would learn from different UW professors about aspects of American history that I was never taught in school. After the course ended (cut a little short by COVID), Dr. Gee, who leads up Nehemiah, has been engaging course alumni in regular zoom calls. There's also a very active email group that's working to provide strong allyship through the protests and efforts to change policing. During today's…

I think I've been avoiding writing because I don't know what words to use. Then I remind myself that my intent in starting this blog is just to practice. I'm not intending to teach or to be an expert or to have my thoughts so clear that they speak unassailable truths. I'm just wanting to further the conversation in my own brain. Things I feel bad about: I haven't gone to any protests this month. There's so much action going on, and I've been starting apart.I sent emails to a couple people I know who are Black and who I imagine must really be hurting. These aren't folks I'm close…

I'm writing in my office on a quiet spring morning, and I'm feeling unprepared to write about race. Frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm talking about; and I wonder if I have the authority, perspective, or right to be talking about race at all. But one thing I've learned from my last years of learning about racism its that silence doesn't help. We need each other to practice the work of creating a more equitable, just world; and to do that we need to push through the uncomfortable, sticky, feelings and try to communicate. I am a racist person. I live in a society where racism is…