My October story for Buncombe County for the Urban News looks at cultural identity as expressed by the WRES Sweet 16 Banquet Honoring Elder Hayes and the 2017 RAICES Summer Camp. I am posting the WRES text this week, and … Continue reading Celebrating WRES and Elder Hayes
Positive Possibility. I know I used that phrase last week (and many times before), and I repeat it again today as it is a mantra for me. This week I experienced Positive Possibility watching the Asheville City Council primary results … Continue reading Positive Possibility
The heaviness of things cannot be denied. A natural response is to close up and hide. And certainly making time for quiet introspection is healthy and necessary. At the same time, moving towards the light of love requires being open. … Continue reading Staying Open in October
Young black men, some not even 20 years old, are involved with shootings and kilings in Asheville at an alarming rate. The heartbreak ripples out from each incident. This is a crisis, and I continually wonder why more people in our … Continue reading When our babies use bullets
Friends, how do I deign to trouble you with my words in a world full of trouble? Trust me when I say I am sincerely here for service. I’ll trust those of you who have told me that these posts … Continue reading Breathing. Believing.
My ROOTS Week experience included daily “Undoing Oppressions” workshops. You can find me in the picture below at one of those workshops during an exercise about intersectionality. The complexities are overwhelming, and essential to face. I’m still processing the insights … Continue reading A Medley of Stories
“We are so lucky to be a alive at this moment in history!” my friend D exclaimed today. I was surprised by his statement. As a gay, multi-ethnic son of first generation immigrants, D certainly has reason to feel threatened … Continue reading Made for These Times
MYTH: Most people in jail have been found guilty of a crime. FACT: An average of 60% of people held in local jails have not been convicted of the crime they are accused of and are there because they are … Continue reading End Money Bail
Because my network is diverse, white people often reach out to me asking me to connect them with people of color, because they want to diversify their organization, program, event, etc. While I am heartened by their desire for inclusivity, … Continue reading Want Diversity?
“In these challenging times we need black and brown female voices more than ever, so that our nation’s song of freedom is truly in tune with our moral consciousness, and that keystone voices keep us in rhythm with justice and … Continue reading Keystone Voices
Ami Worthen 