Category: Racial and social justice

Elvis Presley's black and white Army enlistment photo, with the contrasts and shadows amped up so details are lost and Elvis is very, very white.

December 14, 2024February 9, 2025Racial and social justice

Why can’t you see

I saw Elvis a couple of weeks ago. It did not go well. Everything started off fine. M and I had gotten tickets to take my mom and stepdad to a tribute band at a winery in nearby New Hampshire. Just a fun little holiday outing, especially for my mother who can still recite Elvis’s […]

December 13, 2024Racial and social justice

Who’s at risk when we play it safe?

Right after the election, I got to speak on The Redress Movement‘s panel about Building Racial Redress Into Housing Justice. They invited me on behalf of my client organization’s homeownership initiative that provides down-payment assistance specifically for first-time buyers who identify as Black and/or Latino… which begs the question, why bother listening to me if […]

A screenshot from the website of seedthevote.org. White text on a black background says "SEED THE VOTE" with red text underneath saying "WIN ELECTIONS. BUILD OUR MOVEMENTS". Under that, in smaller white text, it says, "We are committed to supporting the work of grassroots groups who are leading the way on key federal election fights and growing our movements for the long-term. We recruit, train and support volunteers to knock doors and make calls with these organizations."

July 14, 2024October 21, 2024Nonprofit and philanthropy, Personal philosophy, Racial and social justice

Not holding out for a hero

“We’re spending so much energy talking about how bad things are, it can start to feel like THAT’s our activism. Instead of just talking with our friends and family about what’s bad, let’s talk about what we can DO about this election.” That’s what the awesome friend-of-a-friend seasoned organizer said on this morning’s powerful small-group […]

A beautiful beach landscape with white sand, green seagrass, and a blue channel of water under a partly sunny sky.

June 29, 2024October 21, 2024Racial and social justice

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Hi, white friends! Can I invite myself to your dinner table for a minute? You know, the one where you’re having the same conversation that my family’s been having since the debate last Thursday, at our little dinner table in the tiny cottage here on the Beach of My Heart. It’s the endless circling conversation […]

Photo of piles of US coins, with wrapped rolls of coins in the background

March 22, 2024October 21, 2024Racial and social justice

Small change: redux

Oh my friends, my heart is so full. It’s been a year since this post, about pushing my investment advisors to “humor me” by centering my portfolio on my values rather than pure profit. I had my first annual investment performance check-in today, and I learned two crucial things: I have no idea how much […]

Photo of a computer screen showing a powerpoint slide. It's a cover slide showing the name of the law firm (Foley Hoag) and the presenters on the topic of "SFFA v. Harvard College and UNC: The Decision, the Aftermath, and Strategies for DEI Leaders."

February 21, 2024October 21, 2024Management philosophy, Nonprofit and philanthropy, Racial and social justice

SCOTUS and DEI and you and me

I’m not a lawyer, and this isn’t legal advice, BUT: daaaang y’all, this morning’s YW Boston webinar on “Navigating DEI Challenges: Legal Insights for Moving Forward in the Face of Resistance” was fricking FIIIIIIRE. Sharing my quick takeaways here because I’m involved with at least 3 organizations that need this info and I bet you […]

Photo of a huge bronze statue titled "The Embrace" honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, located on Boston Common on a sunny blue-sky day.

January 15, 2024October 21, 2024Racial and social justice

These are the times that try men’s souls

My lovely friends. Most of you look pretty much like me and share my lived experience as a white-identified woman. Dude friends, you’ve got one less intersection with me, but most of us still have the bond of shared whiteness, and that’s some powerful stuff nevertheless. Plus, we’ve mostly all got so much else in […]

Stick-figure doodle of my alter ego Curly Girl. She is holding a megaphone and standing on a wooden box labeled SOAP.

January 12, 2024October 21, 2024Racial and social justice

Do not blame DEI for the backlash

Listen up. I just hit my limit. One too many articles and conversations about funders and companies who are turning away from their “commitments” to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because it’s too controversial, or because it’s “not working.” It’s soapbox time. Just for a minute. Here goes: Yes, it’s appropriate to recognize the backlash. It’s […]

In my pink raincoat, speaking at a recent Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust riverwalk about how much I ❤️ this organization

November 24, 2023October 21, 2024Nonprofit and philanthropy, Racial and social justice

Make new friends and keep the old

A couple of weeks back, something beautiful happened to me on Facebook. A long-ago “friend” who was really only an acquaintance through my very-ex-husband reached out privately. “I’ve been reading what you write over the last two years and your writing has been meaningful to me,” she messaged. “I’d like some help on how to […]

Sunrise over a leaf-strewn path through the forest

November 23, 2023October 21, 2024Personal philosophy, Racial and social justice

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for all the time I get to spend in the beauty of nature. And. My coffeewalk isn’t exactly “natural,” is it? I mean, sure, the trees are real. The chirping birds are real. The blue sky is real. The way the rising sun makes patterns through the branches and turns […]

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