Hello Reader, Year of the Fire Horse is around the corner, and true to form, the country and the world seem at the edge of multiple chaotic, treacherous transitions – or ruptures, as some are saying. Amid the tragedy and dehumanization playing out in Minneapolis and elsewhere, it helps me to recognize how many regular folks are stepping up to help their neighbors and to demand that ICE has no place in our schools or communities. Especially now, coming together in community to take collective...
29 days ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, In the Pacific Northwest, the rain and gray overcast skies have settled in for good, and by 4 pm many days, I’m astonished to realize it’s already dark outside. So I look forward to the solstice with a little bit of quiet desperation (as Thoreau would say), recalling the time when the sun goddess, Amaterasu, hid herself away in a cave and refused to come out (spoiler alert: she eventually returned, lured by dance, music, joy, and the beauty of her own light reflected back to her)....
3 months ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, As you may know, I’ve been on the move this fall! Physically moving through nature and ancestral lands and across the globe has catalyzed deep learning, connection, and insight for me. Learning is also integral to social movements for justice. How did the forces of colonization and empire bring us to this particular moment – and how did social movements in other countries catalyze change amid authoritarianism? And what non-European knowledge and cultural understandings might enrich...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change, my new book with Decoteau Irby & crew, is out in the world! We have events already unfolding in different cities across the U.S. (with more to come!), but if you aren’t able to make one of those, we are excited to be hosting our first VIRTUAL book event, hosted by our publisher, Teachers College Press. We will talk about what the work of equity leadership has looked like across morning, midday and evening, where it...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, September greetings, friends & family! If your household is anything like mine, "back to school" brings lots of feelings – groans from my kids mixed with excitement about being with friends and starting new classes. As an educator, I love the feeling of possibility that comes with this time. This fall I'm grappling with the joyful anticipation of a new book coming out soon and lots of travel related to it – mixed with heaviness about the state of the country and world. I’m alarmed...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Thanks for joining my newsletter! The world is a whole lot these days on multiple fronts, so I hope you are finding moments of rest and joy amid the struggle. As you know if you’ve heard me speak recently, I’m finding hope and solace in situating this moment in a longer arc of resistance and justice-making across generations, geographies and communities. In that vein, I’m excited to share a few updates and resources with you. Resources "Leadership is a kind of partnership work." I...
7 months ago • 3 min read