Building at the speed of trust

Five reddish-brown Scrabble tiles spelling out "trust" atop an ash-brown woodgrain surface

My former program director at Community Change Inc. (CCI) used to always say that “we build at the speed of trust.” It is a phrase that has stuck with me over the years and one that I have since brought into my own professional and personal life.  In many ways, it’s more than a phrase. …

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High normal blood pressure and racism

"don't walk" signal displayed, with red hand image looking slightly menacing against a stark city background

In my early 40s, not long after my now ex-husband and I split up—and a couple years into my tenure as executive director at Community Change Inc.—my blood pressure started to creep up to the very high end of normal. Hypertension runs in my family, and played a role in both of my parents’ early …

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When things become unpopular or, The anti-racism death spiral

image of a colorful but slightly menacing and jagged spiral on a black background

Fifteen years ago, when I started this blog, I secretly wanted to become one of the popular bloggers. The cool kids. The bloggers with name-brand recognition, book deals, and all the perks—including making consistent revenue. I started this space initially to talk about raising Black kids and living while Black in one of America’s whitest …

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