Race & Culture
Bowing: An Energetic Transaction
On my first morning in South Korea in August of 2008, I entered a local “deli” to buy something quick to eat before my first day at work. I arrived from the USA and arrived at my room around 1:00 a.m. I did not get to sleep till nearly 3:30, with a wake-up time of 8:30 a.m. The “deli” is not what I would typically call a deli, as someone who grew up outside of New York City but does not know the correct name for it. The woman prepares several kinds of kimchi, pickled vegetables, and stews, which are hot and ready to go. I did not know what I was thinking when I walked in the door of her small business. She bowed and said a formal greeting I know now as “Annyeong-haseyo” = "Hello". Her bow is what stopped me in my tracks....
Four Free Women – Courage In Action
I rarely post an entire article written by somebody else on my blog. It is equally rare to see such an amazing image of four free women like the photographs below. We know that they were old, but we do not know their true ages since, at that point, African Americans still did not have birth certificates. I hope you enjoy your experience of viewing the images of four free women and reading this article as much as I did!...
Conversation about Having Racial Conversation Together
It's about time we have some conversation about having a racial conversation together. It is beginning to feel like it is getting harder and harder for us to share honestly about sensitive issues like race, culture, and religion, just to name a few. How did we get here? In the spirit of making everybody feel safe, have we made everyone feel unsafe?
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Portraits of Reconciliation – Forgiveness in Action
As a generally sensitive and caring person, I feel something when I read about human suffering or accomplishments. Our species and experiences rivet me. I am rarely moved to the extent that Portraits of Reconciliation from The New York Times has moved me through acts of forgiveness in action. The images and descriptions are profound, providing vivid insight into the experiences of genocide from the lens of perpetrator and survivor in a way we Americans cannot fathom. We were all shaken to different degrees by 9/11, but this is completely different, another plane of existence.
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