Field-Building, Friendship & Future Work
Lucretia Carter Berry, PhD • June 24, 2025
I didn’t know how much I needed this experience.
Last month, I had the honor of serving as the MC for the 2025 National Convening on Children’s Racial Learning, hosted by EmbraceRace. Over the course of three extraordinary days, I found myself immersed in a space where bold vision, deep strategy, and unwavering commitment met joy, honesty, and connection. I’ve been a part of many conversations about race and education over the years—but this was different.
This was a gathering of hearts and minds who understand what’s at stake and are willing to work together to reimagine the future of racial learning for our children.
Professionals, practitioners, caregivers, and creatives came from across sectors—media, philanthropy, education, technology, healthcare, and more—to build something larger than any one field or initiative. We were building a movement. And in that room, I felt it—a growing sense of alignment, clarity, and collective hope.
As I helped guide us through sessions and conversations, I was deeply moved by the 70+ table discussions, plenaries, and side conversations that sparked new friendships, collaborations, and aha moments. We weren’t just sharing ideas—we were beginning to weave a new fabric.
We explored shared language, debated strategies, imagined policy shifts, and—maybe most beautifully—held space for each other to dream bigger, grieve honestly, and rest in the belief that change is possible when we act in community.
And the love? The love was palpable.
Many of us work in spaces where our passion for children and justice can feel isolating or heavy. But here, I was surrounded by people whose daily work is fueled by a vision of a more equitable, inclusive, and liberated world for our children. I didn’t realize how much my spirit needed that—to be poured into by others who are also creating, advocating, researching, funding, disrupting, and healing.
As the founder of Brownicity, my work has always centered on helping children and the grown-ups who care for them understand the beauty and complexity of our skin tones, our histories, and our shared humanity. And in this gathering, I saw what happens when that mission becomes shared across sectors, institutions, and communities.
One of my gifts—my superpower—is creativity. I design tools, lessons, and learning experiences that build capacity for understanding, connection, and caring conversation. This convening reinforced what I’ve consistently advocated: collaboration isn’t optional—it’s essential. The field of children’s racial learning becomes more effective, more resilient, and more far-reaching when we move together.
So now I’m wondering:
What would it look like for you to join this work?
How might your gifts, your corner of influence, or your organization become part of the connective tissue holding this field together?
What bold next step are you willing to take for the sake of our children’s racial learning?
The road ahead is long and winding—but as Andrew Grant Thomas reminded us during the convening, if we’re going to do the work, let’s make sure the vision is big enough to be worth the effort.
We’re going for it. I hope you are too.
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