Afrika Afeni Mills • January 26, 2023 A few years ago, I facilitated a discussion group about the America to Me docu-series, and in preparation for our first meeting, the group’s homework was to read Langston Hughes’ Let America Be America Again and answer the following question: What is America (actually, the United States to honor that there are several countries
Laura Marti – January 24, 2023 Feature image: freepik Happy Lunar New Year 2023‼️ Growing up in Akron, Ohio in the 70s, I knew next to nothing about Asian culture. My first exposure was going to a Chinese restaurant with my grandmother as a child. She took me to one particular restaurant because she worked in a doctor’s office for a
Dan Berry – January 19, 2022 Growing up in Iowa and living in a small, rural white community, race had never entered my mind. I guess when you are born into whiteness, race is something that belongs to everyone else but you. The irony of my story is that for most of my life, I didn’t realize that my mom
What IS Racial Healing? Lucretia Berry • January 17, 2023 “THIS is what healing looks like,” Spirit whispered. Instead of fighting sickness, healing is intentional love and support lavished upon the burdened parts of my body that have become weak, bruised, and depleted. The daily hours, the focused care, and months of commitment taught me that healing asks for a significant investment –
Tracey McKee – January 12, 2023 As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday this month, we are reminded of his urgent desire to see a great racial healing in our country. He bravely spoke of a day when we would move past the racial divide and embrace one another as brothers and sisters regardless of skin color. For
Dr. Gerardo Marti – January 10, 2023 The Housing Needs Assessment tool is a valuable resource for those working in the housing and community development fields. Created in partnership with PolicyMap, this tool provides detailed reports for every US Census jurisdiction in the country, and so allows users to analyze and assess the housing needs of their communities, providing important
Afrika Afeni Mills • December 22, 2022 I’ve never seen South Pacific, but I’ve heard of the song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught. The lyrics have been on my mind as I think about what learning experiences I want to support educators to create for ourselves and students in the midst of political polarization and social distress. You’ve got
Seeing Jesus and Each Other Dan Berry – December 20, 2022 In this season of Advent I reflect about how I came to a place in my life decades ago where I saw Jesus for who He was. I tell people how it was like a light came on and I went from simply ‘believing’ in someone to actually opening
Laura Marti – December 15, 2022 Brownicity’s theme for the month of December, “Darkness Welcomes Light,” gave me something new to think about and explore. The beginnings of this have been with me for a while. I love learning, and what is most fun about it is the discovery that comes from digging into a topic and seeing where things lead.
Tracey McKee – October 13, 2022 Can you believe we are approaching the end of 2022? This time of year, like most of us, I find myself reflecting on the past year and considering what next year might hold. I think a lot about the possibilities that lie ahead, and I look for inspiration to help me flesh out my
A Special ‘Hues of You’ Holiday Offer Lucretia Berry • December 6, 2022 Curated by Brownicity moms, educators, and artists to support natural curiosity, spark exploration, and inspire engagement, the bKids Toolbox is a great holiday gift for the whole family. Its content supports hours of engaging learning through read alongs, books, coloring pages, activities, and life-giving conversations. The bKids
Dan Berry – November 22, 2022 By the time I was in grade school I had become fully indoctrinated into the narrative that Thanksgiving somehow had its roots in fostering feelings of generosity and gratefulness. In third grade, I remember writing a story, ironically, on a Big Chief writing tablet. The story was about how there was this beautiful, harmonious
November 17, 2022 It takes courage to stave off discouragement. It takes faith to reach beyond pain. And it takes love to wrestle with disappointment instead of surrendering to it. Brave women wail; and we all are better because of it. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson and an ensemble of Women of Color invite you to engage their reality in a collection
Laura Marti – November 15, 2022 Feature Image: From left: My great grandmother Eva, my great uncle Ray, my great grandfather Joseph Hillrich (changed his last name from Illitch), and my maternal grandmother Helen (Hillrich) Triffun. When my grandmother was in her 20s, her mother passed away due to complications from a back injury. I have been through the Brownicity course
Tracey McKee – November 10, 2022 As a nation, we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month right now. And, if you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that for me, this means a dive into history. For the past several weeks, I have been delving into lots of different sources to learn more about our Native American neighbors’
Dan Berry – October 27, 2022 Dr. Lucretia Carter Berry and Dr. Tehia Starker Glass have published a new book called, Teaching for Justice and Belonging. As we all know, learning to talk about race and have conversations that are productive and healing can sometimes elude us. This leads to shutting down and not having the important conversations. Their book
Mekdes Haddis – October 20, 2022 Connect with Mekdes on: Instagram: @mekdeshaddis Facebook: Just Missions LinkedIn: Mekdes Haddis Website: www.mekdeshaddis.com
Tracey McKee – October 13, 2022 We are in the midst of National Hispanic Heritage Month – a month dedicated to celebrating the culture, accomplishments, contributions, and histories of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. These Americans represent nearly 20% of our total population, and their countless contributions range from
Laura Marti – October 4, 2022 Feature image: Composers (clockwise from upper left): Antonio Sanchez, Germaine Franco, Camilo Lara, Lalo Schifrin, María Grever, Gustavo Santaolalla and Lin-Manuel Miranda. 📸: Mike Gallegos for NPR Did you know that Latino musicians and composers are responsible for some of the most iconic music in the film industry? As part of a “Latinos in Hollywood”
Lucretia Berry • September 29, 2022 Susan’s story is an excerpt from Teaching for Justice & Belonging, a Journey for Educators & Parents (August, 2022). Included in chapter 7, Weed: Uproot Growth Inhibitors, Dr. Tehia Starker Glass and I list common beliefs and practices that work against cultivating justice and belonging. We then offer guided reflection and suggested practices to
Lucretia Berry • September 27, 2022 For me, fostering racial healing, building our capacity for antiracism, and manifesting justice resonates JOY! I feel honored to engage in this movement with committed co-laborers. The synergy is life-giving. However, sometimes I get frustrated by imposed challenges. There are times I sit discouraged in isolation as I contemplate a way forward. I ruminate,
by Xochitl Dixon • September 22, 2022 My parents immigrated from Mexico as children, grew up in California, and applied for American citizenship as adults. Longing to give me a chance for a better life, they changed my Spanish middle name to English and dropped my first name when they registered me for kindergarten. Though I’d been speaking Spanish since
Dan Berry – September 20, 2022 Ten years into our pastoral ministry, we felt called to pioneer our second church. Swallowed up in a predominantly White state (Iowa), the vision for an ethnically or culturally diverse ministry came out of nowhere. We quickly adopted a mission statement that read: Helping all people find and live their lives in Christ, bridging
Tracey McKee – September 15, 2022 Several years ago, I participated in Brownicity’s What Lies Between Us course. It started me on a journey to understand the racial division that plagues our country and hopefully, to participate in its mending. I learned about the implicit biases I have, the holes in the history I was taught, and I learned about the American
Laura Marti – September 13, 2022 Hispanic American Heritage Month starts this week and runs from September 15 – October 15. Beginning on September 15 signifies the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries which include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (all on September 15th), Mexico (on September 16th), and Chile (September 18). I get excited about
Rebekah Gienapp • September 6, 2022 I’m Rebekah Gienapp and I love taking adventures with my kids to help them learn about the world around them. Sometimes the adventures are hiking or exploring a museum, and sometimes the adventures are having thoughtful conversations about race. Many parents of White kids want to talk to their children about race, but aren’t
Zinobia Bennefield PhD ✏️ August 25, 2022 Zinobia Bennefield PhD is a professor, researcher, and youth mental health consultant. She combines tools from multiple disciplines in order to help professionals understand and better meet the psychological needs of children and adolescents in culturally competent ways. Her original research has been published in Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Child
Lucretia Berry • August 19, 2022 Thank you for helping Teaching for Justice & Belonging reach #1 New Release in Inclusive Education Methods and #1 New Release in Parent Participation in Education. Amazon Here is why this is great news! Educators, caregivers, and leaders are tasked with shifting a society with deep roots in racial injustice to a culture brimming
Rachel Hatteberg Walt • August 16, 2022 Feature image: Rachel introducing Hues of You to the Craftingood Community and Customers When Lucretia let me know that her new activity book, Hues of You would be published and would be produced in time for Craftingood’s Self-Kindness Subscription Box to go out in March, I was ecstatic! It felt very kismet. Years
Tracey McKee – August 11, 2022 The death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, was a wake-up call for many across our nation, especially those of us who are white. Video footage shared on Facebook by Darnella Frazier allowed us to watch how Derek Chauvin unnecessarily pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for over 8 excruciating minutes resulting in
Dan Berry – July 26, 2022 Those of us who have taken the course, What Lies Between Us, have learned a lot about the narrative of racial difference. What is a narrative? In my journey, I learned that it is a story that is told over and over whether real, exaggerated, or fictional that is used to convey or reinforce
Tracey McKee – June 14, 2022 Does talking about racism make you uncomfortable? If it does, you are not alone. As a middle-aged White woman, I find it hard to talk about racism, especially with people of color POC. For me, I worry so much about saying the wrong thing. I worry about what people will think of me if
Feature Image: Stephen Satterfield | Photo Source: Black Film and TV Laura Marti – July 13 2022 Some friends recently recommended the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (Netflix 2021), which traces the rich history of Black Heritage cooking and how it has influenced American cuisine. It piqued my interest and I wanted to learn
Lucretia Berry • July 7, 2022 “What do I do?” “What do I do next?” We hear these questions a lot. The sentiment is genuine, but we believe the better question is “Where should I begin?” (Teaching for Justice and Belonging, chapter 3) Ironically, emboldened White supremacy on display has motivated masses of educators, parents, and leaders to arouse the
Lucretia Berry • June 28, 2022 I have observed that the number one reason parents and educators find it challenging to talk with kids about race/ism is because in an effort to be comprehensive and impactful, we try to cover too much complexity and content in too little time. Also, many adults often wait to teach/learn about race/ism when something
Laura Marti – June 21 2022 In December 2021 an illustration of a Black fetus in the womb went viral on social media. People commented that it was the first time they had seen a depiction of a dark-skinned fetus or pregnant woman. Have you ever seen a medical illustration featuring a Black body? I can’t say that I remember
Tracey McKee * June 10, 2022 A cotton sack, three handfuls of pecans, a tattered dress, and a piece of braided hair. I have spent the past few weeks reading about these items that, at first glance, seem an oddly paired grouping. The key to understanding this group of things is to understand the context in which they were gathered
Lucretia Berry • June 2, 2022 I’m delighted to say I’m a featured speaker for the 2022 Speech, Language andCommunication Early Years Summit. The Summit is FREE to watch until June 5th. You also have the chance to buy the recordings if you want (but it’s completely optional). Click the button for details and signup. The summit features an international
When this post goes live, less than three weeks will have passed since the horrific, racially- motivated shooting near Buffalo, NY. As I thought about what I wanted to share in my post, I couldn’t not start with the tragedy that took place only 48 hours ago. I watched coverage on the news last night, learning more about the victims,
Anthony Bittner • May 19, 2022 “Hi. How are you? Is your mother’s name Roxann? Are you originally from Saginaw? I’m writing because I am looking for an Anthony Todd Bittner.” That’s the message I got from an unfamiliar sender on a Tuesday morning in July of 2013. And that was the day I’d begin a journey that would