A few years ago, in a neighboring city near my home, a group of concerned families held a school rally in response to a racial incident at their mostly white, affluent high school. Several students of color had been targeted on Instagram by someone posting their photos in a highly derogatory and racially offensive manner.
Recently, I was watching We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, and in it, a young Muslim girl shares how she and her mother (both who were wearing hijabs) went to Pebble Beach, and a white woman yells out at her mother, “Watch out! She’s got a bomb!” The young girl
It would be naïve to believe that once Donald Trump leaves office that we can simply move on because we have removed the “problem.” The problem is not just Donald Trump, but what he represents: A segment of America that is desperately afraid to let go of control and power. A country that is fearful
Someone once wrote that “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Authoritarian regimes have many common characteristics. They often are led by a charismatic leader who preys on the fears of the majority, particularly in times of economic, religious, political and societal uncertainty. Secondly, to unite everyone, this leader must find
Over the years, some of my trainers would come back and complain about how unruly and confrontational some of the participants were in their workshops. I looked at them and simply said: “I know…they just don’t make participants like they used to.” They were shocked and confused, because they weren’t sure if I was mocking
How many times have you heard this response when a discriminatory incident occurs and there is a demand for change: We’ve got to do better. The problem with this response is that no one is held accountable and no one is ever asked what do they mean by ‘better’? Better than what? Or maybe we
Some time ago, I began to notice how fascinated individuals and groups had become with some of my experiences mindfully facilitating conversations on diversity issues around the country. So, I thought I might try something different today by sharing an experience that had happened years ago. Just before I was about to deliver a keynote
In light of the abusive and violent experience that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had with Rep. Yoho, I wanted to revisit one of my earlier articles, In Search of a Real Apology. In so many ways, it was once again an issue of what was not acknowledged and also putting the burden of ‘misunderstanding’ on the part of one who is victimized. And, once again,
Many years ago, I was informed that I was to get an award by the military for my work as a diversity consultant. The award was to be presented by the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defense. Of course, I was flattered and a bit dubious of displaying this award living in Berkeley, California!