Creating Our Future with Organizations by Design

I like to live in my bubble. It’s comfortable and familiar, surrounded by people who think and feel just like I do. It feels great to be on the same wavelength with everyone, right? But sometimes, like this week, I have to admit, living in that bubble isn’t healthy. When we’re all nestled together in our little comfort zones, we can get blindsided by what’s happening outside our circle. It’s almost like wearing blinders—we become so focused on our own views that we start to miss out on different perspectives. The result? We could find ourselves caught off guard by changes or events that others saw coming. Plus, if we only engage with like-minded folks, we might not recognize the signs of bigger issues brewing beyond our bubble. Social changes, cultural shifts, and political movements can evolve without us even realizing it. Before we know it, we’re stunned when these things rip into our reality. So, while I love the coziness of my bubble, I know it’s important to peek outside every now...

  I had the amazing opportunity to join with the Ramapough Lenape Nation in a sacred ritual in a sweat lodge this weekend. The structure is the lodge, and the ceremony performed within the structure may be called by some cultures a purification ceremony or simply a sweat. The sweat is a spiritual ceremony – it is for prayer and healing, and it is only to be led by Indigenous Elders who know the language, songs, traditions, and safety protocols of their culture's inherited tradition. Without going in the reason I was in the sweat lodge, I do want to share some thoughts that came to me as a result of the experience - some answers to questions percolating around in my mind, specifically about change. I've long known that the fear of change is a complex and multifaceted human emotion that can affect people from various backgrounds and privilege levels. What became so clear to me, however, is that it's true that change can be perceived differently by those who are privileged a...

Organizations by Design is committed to create the change we want to see in the world. Join us.  T his resource compiled by Launch. Educate yourself Learn about the history, contributions, and past and present experiences of Asian American communities. Watch: The PBS series  Asian Americans  about the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans The Smithsonian’s video series  We are not a stereotype: Breaking down Asian Pacific American bias  which explores what it means to be Asian Pacific American and the impacts of Asian Pacific American stereotypes Asian Americans and Seattle’s Civil Rights History Read: America’s long history of scapegoating its Asian citizens Books about Asian Pacific American history and experiences What is the Model Minority Myth? Anti-Asian Racism Exposes the Model Minority Myth Listen: Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast Self-Evident: Asian America’s Stories Asian Enough Speak up Silence is consent...

  This blog post probably won't add anything new to the dialogue about justice in light of the extreme proliferation of hate acts in our country - but if this blog's purpose is to muse about growth, this isn't a topic I will avoid. I will state, up front, that I have centered white colleagues in this post. These are conversations that white folx need to have and lead amongst themselves.  I also don't anticipate that this writing even exposes the 'tip of the iceberg' on the important topics I broach in this post. I, in no way, mean for this post to be any where near definitive; but rather a beginning.  We have to start, and start again. Like many others, I am horrified by the violence perpetrated in Atlanta against the Asian community this past week. I am equally horrified by the Cherokee County Sheriff Department Captain's statement that the shooter was "having a really bad day." That statement, along with the heinous act itself, was anchored in w...

Organizations by Design is committed to create the change we want to see in the world. Join us. TAKE ACTION REGISTER TO VOTE! Visit  I Am a Voter  to register to vote, check your registration status, and get local election reminders Sign petitions Reach out  to your local government officials Donate Support Black owned businesses: several listed  here ,  here ,  here , &  here BOOKS So You Want to Talk About Rac e - Ijeoma Oluo Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor  - Layla F. Saad The New Jim Crow  - Michelle Alexander White Fragility  - Robin DiAngelo Algorithms of Oppression  - Safiya Noble How to Be an Antiracist  - Ibram X. Kendi Just Mercy  - Bryan Stevenson Do the work: an anti-racist reading list  - Layla F. Saad Check out the  African American Literature Book Club , an online bookstore dedicated to books written by, or about, people of African descent in...