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Stigma Pressure

Can stereotypes be detrimental even if you don’t believe them? In Whistling Vivaldi, Dr. Claude Steele addresses the idea of stigma pressure. Some common stereotypes in America are: These and many other erroneous assumptions have wreaked havoc on our culture and continue to damage relationships. Further, the beliefs and assumptions of the general culture can…
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Escaping the Matrix

The Matrix is a popular movie from 1999 about humanity being unknowingly trapped inside a digital reality. Once he achieves freedom, Keanu Reeves’ character Neo leads an effort to defeat the machines and free others. The pandemic jettisoned most people to depend on virtual meeting platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. And this…
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Healing and Restoration

Message from Sunday June 16, 2024 from Ephesians 4:11-16. The way to successful cross-cultural relationships is through empathy and engagement.
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3 Ways to Disagree Well

Do you feel like this when approaching conflict? Most people deal with conflict through avoidance or hostility. They either: There is a better way to deal with disagreements. Focusing on these three things will shift most of your conflict from hurtful to helpful conversations. 1. Focus on the main goal Conflict happens when coworkers or…
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Unoffendable

As someone that regularly speaks on race and religion (somehow politics seems to sneak its way in too), I often find myself facilitating very polarized arguments. Our society is increasingly embracing the opposite of James 1:19 and instead embracing stubbornness in listening to others, and quickness in getting angry. In the middle of these discussions,…
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This is a Man’s World?

In his 1966 classic James Brown sings: This is a man’s world, but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl Brown gets half of this line right. In this song he endeavors to list the achievements that men have developed over the course of history while noting the vital maternal roles that…
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Why Women’s History Month Matters!
In March of 1978 a local group in Sonoma County, CA celebrated Women’s History Week to align with International Women’s Day and the event sparked similar ones across America. In 1980 March was declared Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. Yet, even today we see great disparities toward women including the pay gap and the…
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What is God’s View of Women?

Sadly, many competent and godly women have been hurt and their gifts have been undervalued due to ignorance or chauvinism. Yet, God created women to reflect His image just as much as men. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27…
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3 Ways to Celebrate Black History All Year Long!

In Why Black History Month? I affirmed that: Black History Month is a good thing AND Black history should not be contained to February. Below are three ways to celebrate Black history from March through January: Did you know that Kathairo Solutions (a Black-owned business) leads discussions on topics like the ones highlighted in this…
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Recommendation: The 1619 Project

When I speak and teach on racial reconciliation, one resource that I regularly recommend is The 1619 Project. Named for the year when the first ship containing enslaved Africans docked in United States, The 1619 Project provides a deeper historical perspective of the United States by delving into the atrocities of chattel slavery and the…