Oct 31, 2020ANNOUNCING THE RACIAL HEALING PROJECTFor the past seven years, I’ve been on a path of internal development and learning to step into the work of collective liberation as a wealthy white man. My guiding questions: “Why am I here? What is…Racism3 min readRacism3 min read
Sep 19, 2017Learning to Speak Alt-RightWhite liberals who were appalled by the alt-right rally in Charlottesville need to lean into the kinds of stories white nationalists use, not recoil from them. — On August 12th, 2017 the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA ended with the murder of a counter-protester and injuries to many others. Since then, I’ve been watching the shocked reactions of white liberals and shaking my head.Racism7 min readRacism7 min read
Mar 2, 2017The Line of Dismissal: Part 1What is at stake when we risk dismissal from our own privileged community? — I breathed deeply, feeling my heart pounding and my feet under me on the creaky wooden stairs leading to the conference room. This time, I thought, I will fight for justice. I once served on the board of a non-profit that provided services to mostly low-income people of color. The…BlackLivesMatter9 min readBlackLivesMatter9 min read
Feb 27, 2017GRIEF AND THE WHITE VOIDLearn more at risksomething.org “I stood to my feet in the midst of the cosmos. I discovered that all were intoxicated and none were thirsty. At the moment you are inebriated, but free from the effects of wine, you too may turn and stand.” …Racism11 min readRacism11 min read
Dec 7, 2016When it became clear that it was too late for us to save ourselves, the hidden rocketships appeared.When it became clear that it was too late for us to save ourselves, the hidden rocketships appeared. The alien loudspeakers echoed across the land: they were here to save humanity. They would give us safe passage to a glorious new, bigger, verdant earth-plus planet, until now untouched by “intelligent”…Science Fiction1 min readScience Fiction1 min read
Dec 1, 20162017 AND THE PRIVILEGE OF LOOKING UPThis morning, I walked around my neighborhood while looking up. Normally, I look down, just trying to get to my destination. But this morning, I deliberately pushed myself to focus on what was elevated. Rooftops, skylines, treetops. The sky was a clear blue after two days of nonstop rain. By…Donald Trump3 min readDonald Trump3 min read
Nov 11, 2016Diary of an Imperial Stormtrooper in the Age of TrumpIn my Star Wars allegory, I am a stormtrooper assigned to midlevel management on the Death Star (a gigantic moon-like construction that has the power to destroy entire planets). I never chose this role…I was born into servitude and in return I get to lead a pretty comfortable life, even…Donald Trump2 min readDonald Trump2 min read
Oct 21, 2016At-risk: Who will save our rich white boys?The stakes are enormous. — Can good teaching save America? Considering the number of education-focused government agencies, non-profits, and businesses in America today, there are plenty of folks who believe that this is true. I’m one of them. Liberal white folks like me usually focus on low-income children of color when we think about saving…White Privilege8 min readWhite Privilege8 min read
Sep 5, 2016The Gift of White BurnoutI once thought we could get to justice if we could just help poor kids of color get more comfortable with their poverty. — Burnout saved my life. I didn’t think so at the time. In fact, while it was happening, my burnout as a public middle school English teacher felt like watching a close friend dying a little bit each day while I helplessly looked on. For ten years, I was a dedicated…BlackLivesMatter10 min readBlackLivesMatter10 min read
Jul 29, 2016A Freedom Beyond WhitenessWhite people, we are not free. We are not free. This may sound strange, to those of us who are no longer in denial about the ways that systemic racism benefits us at the expense of People of Color in every single American institution — education, housing, healthcare, law enforcement…White Privilege3 min readWhite Privilege3 min read
