What do we want to flourish in our community? As my long-time readers know, my critiques of institutions are always balanced (or perhaps outweighed) by writing about the transformative work being done daily in our community. Below is some of … Continue reading WHAT WE WANT
Today I am going to share some inspiration and opportunities to invest in transformative work happening in our community, plus a call to action. Help CPC meet their goal by this Friday, November 15! As I shared in my last … Continue reading Inspiration and investment
Our Black, Brown and Latinx siblings are being attacked, imprisoned, deported, and worse. The few in power are using hate speech, violence, and distrust to divide and conquer. In these moments of separation and chaos, the Center for Participatory Change … Continue reading Ignite, Transform, and Heal
The Asheville Blade has published my first piece for them, which is a bold call to action: Abolish the TDA. Written with input from editor extraordinaire David Forbes and Blade writer Matilda Bliss, it makes a case for dismantling a … Continue reading Taking on the TDA
As systems continue to fail us, mutual aid is a compelling framework to explore. It asks us to move from the individualism of white supremacy to collective action based on interconnection. It offers a model of community care that is … Continue reading Mutual Aid
Like you, I am entangled in institutions that perpetuate oppression. While there may be a spectrum in terms of the amount of harm caused by different institutions, there is no less responsibility for reform. Since 2011 my writing has been … Continue reading Xpress, Redress
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound from the cannabis plant that is used to treat physical pain and other ailments. Looking at the history of cannabis since it was outlawed in the U.S., our hearts can understand why resources … Continue reading CBD (cannabis) for curing cash bail and other ills
Being one myself, I often wonder about white women* and how we operate in community. While we are each unique, many of us follow similar patterns of behavior. Patterns shaped by being socialized in a society built on patriarchy and … Continue reading White women and the schools
Our economy was built on the genocide of Indigenous people and the violent extraction of labor from enslaved Africans. This cruelty was justified by white people’s created illusion that those we killed, stole from, and enslaved were inferior and that … Continue reading Reckoning with cultural extraction
We have an education emergency in Asheville. Our dismal 2019 Youth Justice Project “Racial Equity Report Card” shows extreme academic and disciplinary disparities in our schools. It documents a clear lack of justice for Black students. These disparities are the … Continue reading Answers for Asheville’s Black children
