A new reading list. ​​​​​​​My daughter is on the front lines of racial equality. She works at Vista del Mar—once a Jewish orphanage, it now serves at-risk children of all ethnicities. (You can support their work here.) As a clinical social worker she provides counseling to mostly children of color who are some of the most traumatized by their birth circumstances and usually victims of drug abuse, sex-trafficking, and violence. These kids have fallen through the cracks. Her level of awareness far exceeds mine. So, when she says to read something, I do it. Some time ago, she recommended Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book Between the World and Me. Each turn of the page brought me face to face with what it means to be Black in America today. It’s a poignant letter to his son, that is, quite frankly, required reading for all of us trying to understand our present circumstances. He asserts [...]

What I tell my son. Shortly after my son learned to drive, he was pulled over by a cop after completing what was described as a “reckless turn” on his ticket. I was glad! It put him in his place and provided a learning opportunity. We took public transportation to the juvenile traffic court office in South LA. It took hours! I wanted him to experience the obvious result of losing one’s license. Mom and dad would not be his taxi service (this was long before Uber). I’ve never had “the talk” with my son, I never felt I had to. But millions of Black parents believe they must have “the talk.” It’s not about sex, it’s about what they must do when pulled over by the police. Put your hands on the wheel, do nothing suspicious, ask before you do anything, never reach quickly for your wallet, phone, or [...]

“An articulate Black woman.” LA Voice is the affiliate of the PICO National Network. Founded by Catholic theologian John Baumann as the Pacific Institute for Community Organization (now called People In Communities Organizing) in Oakland in 1972, the organization has a heavy Black and Catholic presence. My involvement with PICO has put me in touch with some incredible activists and thought leaders around areas of poverty and race. To say that my eyes have been opened is an understatement—I feel like I was once truly blind. I am grateful for the gentle (and sometimes necessarily disturbing) lessons taught to me by its leadership. At a gathering in Los Angeles, we were challenged to explore our own racial biases. “Me, racially biased!?” I thought. No way! I’m totally aware! Just then a Black woman rose to speak about her experiences with racial bias. I thought, “she’s so articulate.” And then she [...]