November 2015
Greetings!
autumn-path-sm.jpg
The days are getting shorter, and I'm bracing myself for 
New England's long, cold winter. I'm not the praying type, but I find myself appealing to higher powers for less snow and cold than last year's record breakers. And attempting to stockpile my outdoor running and long walks to build up my immunities to the impending shortage of sunlight.

Despite the seasonal trepidation, I remain, as my dad liked to call himself, a "possibilitist." We have to see the positive possibilities to carry on the pursuit of racial equity in these challenging times.
The Sky Didn't Fall In: How I Learned to Call Out Racism
Inspired? Contact me to do a talk or workshop!
I'm very excited to see my first TEDx talk go live this week! I encourage you to watch it for a taste of possibility.

It's my own story of learning to take on racism, and coming to understand the value of this journey to my own well being.


The Power of Possibility

I am honored to be part of a number of other efforts to awaken new possibilities for racial justice in this country. I am excited to have been invited to help shape NeighborWorks America's new Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. I am hopeful that Community Change Inc. here in Boston has recently brought together under its' banner several dynamic racial justice organizing efforts that engage white people, including an anti-racism meetup and local chapter of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) .

I have hope when my graduate students, teachers-in-training, share with me feedback like this:

"I look forward to Mondays because of your class! At the beginning of the semester I was a bit nervous because talking about race has always been uncomfortable for me. As the semester has gone on I feel myself talking about issues in social settings that I never would have had any knowledge about prior to this class."

And my Implicit Bias workshops take it to another hopeful level, knowing that people can learn and change and are excited to do so:

"[Your implicit bias] session was both informative and soul searching..."
"...This is a great introduction to an issue that needs to be continually addressed and revisited until it is weaved into the [institutional] culture..."
"Thrilled these conversations are happening."

We need examples like this to keep us going. What's your story of hope and possibility?

   
On Being a Culturally Responsive Organization
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Naimark.org | 617-522-5366 | [email protected] | http://naimark.org/
Susan Naimark
Boston, MA 02130

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