✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: MOVIE RECOMMENDATION 🎬 Based on a true story, the movie "Just Mercy" tells the story of civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan) and his battle for justice for a wrongly convicted death row prisoner, Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx). The film follows Stevenson's journey as he fights against racial prejudice and systemic inequality to prove McMillian's innocence, despite opposition from the legal system. The movie also stars Brie Larson and highlights important issues such as mass incarceration and the death penalty. "Just Mercy" is an inspiring and emotional tale of one man's quest for justice, and a powerful call to action for equal treatment under the law. As a transplant to the South, I can personally bear witness to the deep, structural racism that is still alive and well in our communities. @JustMercyFilm is such a great movie, and you can watch it free on Amazon Prime. I'll put a link in my bio.

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: ARTIST RECOMMENDATION 🎨 I first became aware of Nikkolas Smith after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. Sadly, I have a routine when this happens: I scour Instagram for an artist of color who has memorialized the victim, and then I share their work on my platform. This allows me to both honor the life that was stolen and spotlight a the life of a talented artist who has a big heart. Nikkolas' painting of George Floyd touched me deeply as it captured his gentle spirit and authentic humanity in a way I had to share. I started following him on Instagram right then and there. @Nikkolas_Smith is a native of Houston, Texas. As an artistof color, Nikkolas creates captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice in today's world and inspire meaningful change. He's illustrated a number of children's books including the #1 NYT Bestseller "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" which he illustrated in collaboration with Pulitzer Price-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones (@NikoleHannahJones) and Renée Watson (@harlemportland). I reviewed "Born on the Water" on my blog in 2022 (link in bio). Despite its being written for children, the book is a must-read for white adults who were educated in the public school system. Nikkolas Smith is an incredibly talented artist who is using his gift to spread joy and spark conversation about Black lives. His Instagram account is beautiful and inspirational, and I am sure you will enjoy seeing his work in your feed. ♥️

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: CALENDAR RECOMMENDATION 📅 One of the ways I've been educating myself about the impact of racism in America is the "History of Racial Injustice Calendar." The calendar is published by the Equal Justice Initiative @eji_org. The full-color calendar includes 12 large photos matched with short essays highlighting historical events and issues in our nation's racial history. Every single day, there's a brief entry that highlights overlooked and marginalized people and events in American history. The information is incredibly eye-opening, especially for those of us who received a public education which made it seem like racism and bigotry was a thing of the distant past. The calendar is only $6.00, and it's incredibly instructional. I definitely recommend getting one every year, and placing it somewhere you'll see it. You'll be amazed at how much of the information is new. I'll put a link in my bio. "The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society."

✊🏾 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: PODCAST RECOMMENDATION 🎧 The @FreedomRoad.Us podcast came on my radar a few years ago after I heard @LisaSHarper interviewed by @JenHatmaker. The Freedom Road podcast is hosted by Lisa Sharon Harper, the founder and CEO of Freedom Road Consulting Group. On the podcast, Ms. Harper brings together national faith leaders, advocates, and front-lines activists for candid conversations about the pressing issues of our times. The podcast started in early 2018 and features interviews with well-known authors, activists, pastors, and other social justice thought leaders including @KamalBell_, @Kristin_Dumez, @Brian_McLaren, and the Rev. Dr. William Barber, II (@revdrbarber). The purpose of each episode is to bridge the divide across racial and cultural lines by engaging leaders to share their personal experiences and build common understanding, common commitment, and common action. Ms. Harper's interviews might challenge your assumptions, introduce unfamiliar yet relevant information, and generate a godly empathy for those whose lived experiences are different than your own. I recommend starting with this episode: Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. Although the episode is a couple years old, the conversation is super-helpful for anyone trying to understand what the big deal is about CRT. I'll put a link in my bio so you can listen to it. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

✊🏾BLACK HISTORY MONTH: CONCERT RECOMMENDATION 🎵 Way back in the Spring of 1990, two powerhouse operatic divas joined forces on the stage at Carnegie Hall to perform an incredible selection of African-American spirituals. I didn't see the concert back then, but I ordered the CD not long after as part of my personal "music appreciation" journey. Although I had taken a required "music appreciation" course in college, I kinda hated it. A few years later, when I was in seminary, I determined to "appreciate" different genres of music on my own. I subscribed to a few different music clubs (this was before the internet), and they'd send me new music every month. I also got to pick a few CDs to get the membership started. Did you ever join a CD club? I think it was BMG or something like that. One of the CDs I ordered was "Spirituals in Concert," and I've never been the same. The music from this concert touched me in so many ways, and it especially deepened my empathy for the African American experience in this country. I recognized a few of the songs from growing up in church, but most of them I'd never heard...and NONE of them had ever sounded this way. These women put the spirit in spiritual. So, you might be wondering what makes a song a "spiritual." According to @BalladofAmerica, "Spirituals are African American religious songs that evolved in the context of slavery primarily in the Southern United States. They were a mechanism for survival – a potent example of how humans can endure the worst of conditions. Spirituals combine elements of European American religious music with African musical characteristics. Their influence can be felt in virtually all subsequent forms of American music, including jazz, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, country, rock and roll, and hip-hop." I'll put a link to the Youtube video of the concert in my bio. AND if you'd like more, guess what?! @PBS will be presenting “The Magic of Spirituals” starting on Feb. 24, 2023, as part of Black History Month. They're using this concert to showcase spirituals, and they'll be interviewing a number of notable artists including: soprano Angel Blue, ...continued in comments

✊🏾BLACK HISTORY MONTH: BOOK RECOMMENDATION 📚 When I first started waking up to white culture and the history I was never taught, I asked my friends of color which book I should read first. The near-unanimous recommendation was "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race" by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD. In this book, Dr. Tatum explains the importance of acknowledging a system of advantage for white-presenting people. When we pretend it doesn't exist or say we are "colorblind," we are participating in the oppression of people of color. The book itself was originally published in 1997, but the edition I read was the 20th Anniversary Revised Edition published in 2017. It was updated based on more recent events and also new research. I found "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” to be extremely educational and unsettling...which is exactly what I needed. If you haven't read this book yet, allow me to recommend it to you. There's also a free discussion guide you can download from Dr. Tatum's website. I'll put a link to the resource page in my bio.

✊🏾BLACK HISTORY MONTH: MOVIE RECOMMENDATION 📽️ I recently watched the film "Emancipation" with Will Smith on Apple TV+. The movie was inspired by the life of Gordon (more well-known as "Whipped Peter"), an enslaved family man whose strong faith in God and incredible survival skills brought him to freedom. Gordon endured horrific experiences at the hands of racist white people, especially after he was forcibly separated from his family to help the Confederate army during the Civil War. During his enslavement, he was treated like an animal. And when he escaped, he was hunted like an animal. It's a difficult movie to watch, but also one that every White adult should watch once. It shows how racism was (and is still) passed on from one generation to the next. Gordon's photo (in this post) was published far and wide to shine a light on the evil brutality many enslaved people endured on a regular basis. This was less than 200 years ago. You can still stream the movie on Apple TV+. Link in bio. Original photo by Mathew Benjamin Brady - File: "Scourged back by McPherson & Oliver", 1863.jpg, Public Domain,

Image reads: Instead of: Just stay positive Say: That must be really hard Instead of: Everything happens for a reason Say: I’m sorry going through this Instead of: Everything will work out / Look on the bright side Say: This just really sucks right now. Is there anything I can do to support you? Repost @avamariedoodles #emotionalwellbeing #emotionalhealing #selfhealing #raiseyourvibe #innerjourney #selfcompassionjourney #healingtools #healingprocess #healingwork #selfcompassion #higherselfhealing #starseedawakening #selflovejourney #soulawakening #healersofinstagram #selfloveheals #empaths #empathhealing #empathsupport #empathproblems #healyourlife #innerhealing #empathsbelike #selfvalidation #followyourheart #empathcoach #doingthework #empathlife #livinginalignment #highlysensitiveperson

Posted @withregram • @seerutkchawla This applies to both ‘sides’ who each have their own versions of bullying, harassment and inability to hear any other perspectives. We can do better than this. #inthetrencheswithyou

📚 In her book "Leading for Justice: Supervision, HR, and Culture" @RitaSever encourages readers to take a hard look at their own biases and blind spots and to actively work towards becoming a more equitable and just leader. ⁣ ⁣ This book is perfect for anyone who is wanting to "up" their game with regards to their workplace culture. It's filled with practical tips and reflective exercises so that by the time you finish the book, you've grown. ⁣ ⁣ 🔗Link in bio.