Change is a long game; pace yourself

person pausing in a maze of white walls and stairs

This month, I will be quietly celebrating my 10th anniversary as executive director of Community Change Inc. No small feat, as we are one of the oldest anti-racism organizations in the United States—founded in 1968, at a time when the United States was in racial turmoil. Our founding was the direct result of the Kerner …

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When our anti-racism work lacks authenticity

closeup of a peacock, mostly showing a massive display of his colorful tail feathers

I turned 50 in January, and the months leading up to my birthday were riddled with angst, as I envisioned myself dying several days after turning 50—just like my mother did. My fears may have seemed overblown unless you knew that my her father died at 54, and my mother had long feared that like …

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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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