Sep 10, 2020Good White People Will be the Swing VoteRosa Parks never condemned the violence of riots and rebellions. We remember Parks as the mother of the movement known for “turning the other cheek.” But we may not know she refused to denounce the people who broke glass and set buildings on fire in Detroit in 1967, though white…5 min read
Published in GEN·Sep 30, 2019Viral ‘Beer Guy’ Carson King Isn’t a Martyr for Cancel CultureThe issue isn’t whether this local mini-celebrity should be canceled. It’s that white Iowans refuse to treat racism as an actual problem. — When I was in eighth grade, a friend of mine dared me to walk into a Walgreens and steal something. My friend said she did it all the time. Now it was my turn. After strolling the aisles, I slipped a container of honey-roasted peanuts under my sweatshirt and walked…Racism6 min read
Aug 14, 2019I’m a White Anti-Racist. And, Yes, I Recruit.Once again our nation grieves mass shootings perpetrated by young white men. In our horror we desperately try to understand. Yes, it’s because of too many guns. Yes, it’s because of the violence the president emboldens with his racist rhetoric. Yes, it’s because of a culture of toxic masculinity. But…Racism5 min read
Jan 25, 2019Hey, that’s my kid! (He’s yours too.)It’s so easy to point fingers. And in this case, despite what many media outlets are trying to tell us a week out from that Lincoln Memorial encounter, we should be pointing. It’s right to publicly repudiate that smirking, sneering white face peeking out from under a red cap, planted…Racism6 min read
Dec 21, 2018On Magic, Lies and Santa ClausOn the way out the door to school, the day before yesterday, my almost 8-year-old asked me the question. “Mama, is Christmas Light real?” Christmas Light is our family’s elf. Now before you start judging, let me nuance this a little bit. …Christmas6 min read
Nov 5, 2018I’m still here. Why the mid-terms don’t matter.In December of 2015, my beloved dog — a 75-pound rescue husky mix, Huck — died unexpectedly and tragically. He wasn’t even three years old. It was the week before Christmas. To appreciate how shattering this was you need to know we’re a dog family. Our dogs are the center…Death10 min read
Oct 10, 2018For White Women Learning Calculus in a School Building on FireIt’s not going to be easy, but we don’t have a choice — Amidst the many perils of this political moment, it’s the racial divide between women of color and white women that keeps me up at night. A math analogy comes to mind. Let’s imagine women of color are experts in calculus. They do calculus every single day. They’re brilliant at it…Women11 min read
Oct 1, 2018That’s No “White Savior”My young nephew, who is Black**, was playing with a group of children a couple years ago when one of the white kids in the group pointed at him and said, “Your skin’s the same color as poop!” Another kid stepped in. “Hey! That’s racist!” this second white kid responded…Racism7 min read
Jul 16, 2018So Is it Okay to be White? Or Not?White nationalism is on the loose. Those us who are white have to do more than merely watch in horror if we want history to remember us among those who stood up, showed up, and spoke and acted out. But so much about our political crisis has exposed how little…Racism6 min read