Brass Tacks: On Organizational Trauma
“Not ‘What’s wrong with you?’ but ‘What happened to you?’ is the key question. Trauma theory provides us a perspective to understand that. In that vulnerability is where we can learn.”
Brass Tacks: Telling The Truth About Equity
Question: What do we say when we're asked "What does equity have to do with my mission?" Put differently, how do we respond to the following comment? "Well, I don't think equity is a part of our organizational mission."
Brass Tacks: Into the Wild with Aram Mitchell
Letting myself get messy–allowing space for the wild in my work for racial justice, that’s what surfaced for me this month in my conversation with Aram Mitchell.
Brass Tacks: On Putting Racial Equity at the Center of Strategy
During times of tragedy and crisis - grief, pain and anger in this moment can feel almost unending. As we know from the courage, perseverance and triumphs of those that have come before us - we shall move forward.
Brass Tacks: On Running For Office with Safiya Khalid, City Councilor Ward 1 Lewiston, Maine
Last year we saw an incredible victory for our community here in Lewiston, Maine: Safiya Khalid became the first Somali-American and youngest person elected to our city council. . I had the honor of watching her campaign, her courage, and her hope spread through our city.
Brass Tacks: On Narrative Shift with Erik Peterson
Narrative shift happens when we stop basing decisions, strategies, and policies on the current dominant narrative (think, “Pull yourself up by the bootstraps!” or “America first”) and start to purposefully ground our work in our personal values and principles. Narrative shift is our path to a better way of life. Erik Peterson of Bending the Arc Strategies shares his take on developing healthy narrative shifts.
Brass Tacks: On Feminism and Misogyny
The project of white supremacy is deeply intertwined and at times is no different than the project of patriarchy. It is our responsibility to pull back the misogynistic interpretation of feminism that would have us ignore it, make fun of it, or push it aside as "not for me". What is feminism? What is misogyny? And what is the value to each of us of reclaiming a useful sense of these terms?
Brass Tacks: Changing Identities
There are moments of change that completely redefine who we are - to the world, and to ourselves. How do we walk through these moments with grace and courage? How do we explore connections to race and gender that influence these changes?
Brass Tacks: Laughing at Ourselves; Improv and Life
Summer is a time that calls me to step back and ask myself about what lies underneath: Where do I need to relax more? Where could I bring myself joy? Comedy improv has always been a tool that helps me in those reflections. I wanted to spend some warm summer time with my lovely sister-in-law talking more about our experiences as women of color in comedy and what it brings us in life.
Brass Tacks: When I Scare Myself
Brass Tacks: When I Scare Myself With Cathy Kidman Brass [...]