I’m watching the emergence of Kamala Harris and the dust it’s kicking up around race and racism with keen interest. I notice how (like with Barack Obama) we are taking her identity apart, instead of talking about where she stands on issues. And the intriguing thing is that it seems to work. We …
[Continue reading] Kamala Harris and The Politics of Identity
By "stepping up", I’m thinking about leadership in its many forms. Not just the type with the official title – but also the kind of leadership (little l) that inspires us to volunteer, get involved, share a perspective, take on a project, be “out front”. I’ve been thinking about it because of …
[Continue reading] Stepping Up – Who is, who isn’t, and why…
On this final day of Black History Month (in Canada and the USA at least), I bring you this image from a historically significant burial ground in the Niagara region of Ontario. This is part of The Urban Guide's BHX game series for Black History Month. You can read more about the burial …
Wow! It's been about a year since I have written here.... But I'm back - and of course it's my favourite month to gripe about. Black History Month. If you've followed me for a while you know that there are so many reasons I dislike "special months". Yes, they can raise awareness and that's …
The Context: We recently got a dog. It's not my first dog, and it took me a while to agree to get one when my daughter asked. If you have (or have had) a dog - you know many of the reasons why. One of the many reasons I didn't want another dog is the fur. It's everywhere! But because I …
If you live in North America, June is Pride Month in many places. If you live in Toronto, this week is Pride Week – culminating in three parades on the weekend: the trans march, the dyke march and the Pride parade. Depending on your social location, this could mean a great deal to you, nothing …
Perspective is everything. We bump into this reality time and time again in communication with others: at work, at home, at school, in the community… As soon as we have more than one person in any situation, perspective is going to be a necessary component to consider. If we want to communicate …
This week I'm reflecting on aspects of US President Biden's message last week after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvale on May 24, 2022, Texas where 19 school children and 2 teachers were killed. Makenna Lee Elrod Layla Salazar Maranda Mathis Nevaeh Bravo Jose …
Last week, because of the mass shooting in Buffalo, we offered Listening/Sharing sessions for the employees of our US clients. These are meant as safer spaces for people to share and process the impact of such a traumatic event together. Because it was a racially motivated hate crime, we created …
“Mom, why do people treat us like that?” My daughter asked me. She was in the room when I learned about the mass shooting and wanted to know what I was reacting to. I told her, and she sat there in a daze, devastated. I put my arm around here and said, “People are taught to …