Why I had to unlearn my own education
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear Reader, When I was a young twenty-something, freshly graduated from UCLA, I thought I had life figured out (lol). With a degree in hand and a head full of theory, I was confident that I had the tools to teach at a small alternative high school tucked in the Rocky Mountains. That teaching fellowship quickly became one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Paulo Freire didn’t prepare me for what to do or say when students were triggered or…
Thriving without care is exploitation
In this culture, thriving is so often framed as the goal. But rarely do we pause to ask: how? And at what cost? Too often, “thriving” gets framed as something shiny, impressive, and aspirational. It’s measured by productivity, status, or output. But what if that thriving is built on exhaustion? On invisibilized labor? On someone else’s suffering? This is especially true in: In nonprofits and social justice orgs, where burnout is normalized in the name of “impact.” In education, where “high…
Why I don’t talk about White Supremacy Anymore
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear Reader, How often do you find yourself measuring your worth against someone else? Noticing who has more power, status, or approval? It’s subtle, like a passing thought or a quiet judgment as we glance around the room. We all do it, but have you ever wondered where that instinct comes from, and who it really serves? I used to think supremacy was about race. But the more I examined it, the more I saw it show up everywhere—in body size, appearance,…
When the Thread to Our Ancestors Feels Frayed
What happens when ancestral connection feels out of reach? I reflect on the grief, wonder, and sacred practice of reconnecting with ancestors
Practicing Repair after Rupture
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear Reader, Human relationships are messy. We will disappoint one another. Miscommunications, missed signals, overwhelm, silence, and hurt—they are all part of being in relationship. Conflict isn’t a sign that something is broken. It’s a sign that we are human, that we are in connection, that we care. What determines the strength and sustainability of a relationship isn’t whether rupture happens—it’s whether we are willing to move toward repair. And…
Remembering Earth & Our Non-Human Kin
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE], Capitalism teaches us that land is a commodity. Colonialism insists that it must be owned. Supremacy justifies the destruction of the Earth and her creatures for the gain of a few. But Indigenous wisdom reminds us of something much older: the Earth is alive. She is not a backdrop to our lives, but a web of relationships—of kinship—that includes animals, plants, rivers, mountains, winds, and stars. We are not above…
Reconnecting with Community
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE], Our communities have been shaped by centuries of disconnection. Capitalism thrives when we believe we must go it alone. Supremacy culture tells us some people are more valuable than others. Colonialism teaches us to distrust difference and to abandon the rituals and relationships that tether us to each other. In this world, we are taught to see relationships as transactional, to avoid conflict, to isolate when we…
Coming Home to Ourselves
The Liberatory Reconnection Collective Dear [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE], We live in a world that often rewards us for abandoning ourselves. We’re praised for pushing through exhaustion. For numbing our emotions. For staying busy. For producing at all costs. These messages aren’t just cultural—they are systemic. Capitalism needs us to keep producing. Supremacy needs us to disconnect from our inherent worth. Colonization needs us to forget who we are. Over time, we learn to survive by…
How systems keep us disconnected
I join Cher Hale on the Doing It for the Attention podcast to explore how systems of oppression disconnect us—and how practices of reconnect
Let’s Reconnect (And Reimagine What’s Possible)
Disconnection is no accident-it’s by design. I’m returning to share how we begin the work of reconnection, personally and collectively.
Just a friendly reminder to us all that oppression thrives on disconnection
When we disconnect from ourselves, then we get stuck in our heads and we can’t heal the trauma that’s stored in our bodies. We become more susceptible to gaslighting and even start gaslighting ourselves (a big hint that this gaslighting is present: when you hear the word “should”). When we disconnect from each other, toxic […]
Honoring Juneteenth as Not-Black People
Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom. However, the legacy of Black enslavement is still alive and kicking in many ways *cough*prisonindustrialcomplex*cough*. However today, I’d like to focus on anti-Blackness, and I’m specifically talking to those of us who don’t identify as Black. I want to invite not-Black folks into conversation, to reflect and take […]