The-ones-about-race

Explaining white privilege to a broke white person by Gina Crossly-Corcoran.  “So when that feminist told me I had ‘white privilege,’ I told her that my skin didn’t do shit to prevent me from experiencing poverty.  Then, like any good, educated feminist, she directed me to Peggy McIntosh’s 1988 now-famous piece, “White privilege: unpacking the invisible knapsack.”

The ugly, fascinating history of the word racism by Gene Denby.  “Racism remains a force of enormous consequence in American life, yet no one can be accused of perpetrating it without a kicking up a grand fight. No one ever says, “Yeah, I was a little bit racist. I’m sorry.” That’s in part because racists, in our cultural conversations, have become inhuman. They’re fairy-tale villains, and thus can’t be real.”

The-ones-about-family

Ten reasons parents should read multicultural books to kids by Meera Sriram.  “Yet none of the books on display mirrored this heterogeneity around me. I stood there and wished books for children were much more eclectic and flavorful. I wished more books had stories in which I saw someone like the woman at the train table. Most of all, I wished these books were mainstream—powerful, influential and easily accessible.”

An open letter to my nieces by a laugh of recognition.  “There are so many things I want to tell you now, but you’re only 2 and almost 4, and we all know that the only things you want to hear from me right now are:  1) Yes, you can eat macaroni and cheese for every meal, chased with chocolate milk and ice cream for dessert. 2) Of course you can have as many puppies as you want. And they can sleep in bed with you.”

Growing up between worlds: Who am I? by Christie Wilkin.  “When my husband and I made the decision to move our family of six from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Melbourne four years ago, it never occurred to us that our biggest dilemma would ultimately prove to be moving them all back home again.”

The things teenagers leave behind by Rachel Pieh Jones.  “My teenagers don’t live at home anymore and every time they go back to boarding school, every time they check-in under the Kenya Airways sign at the airport, I think, “How can something that is so good for them hurt me so deeply I can’t breathe?””

The-truth-telling-ones

Outlawed grief, a curse disguised by Jonathan Trotter.  “Living abroad is an amazing adventure, but it comes with some baggage. And sometimes, the baggage fees are hidden, catching you by surprise, costing more than you planned. You thought you had it all weighed out, you could handle this, squeeze right under the limit. But then it got heavy.”

The Fortress by Rachel Held Evans. “Sometimes I think we are less afraid of a powerful God than a vulnerable one.”

Evangelical drama needs mainline experience by Erik Parker.  “All Christians in North America, if they are paying attention, are forced to watch the Evangelical tribe as it rumbles and quakes about whatever is the issue of the day is. And I cannot help but see it all as some grandiose high school drama.”

Do it afraid by Tara Livesay.  “Fear. The real F word. Keeps us from trusting. Keeps us from risking. Keeps us from healing. Keeps us trapped. Keeps us from doing. It tells us lies: You are not good enough. It will be too hard for you. You will fail. It will be too painful. You cannot do it. You are alone.”

The-faith-filled-ones

How I rediscovered faith by Malcolm Gladwell.  “Their daughter was murdered. And the first thing the Derksens did was to stand up at the press conference and talk about the path to forgiveness. “We would like to know who the person or persons are so we could share, hopefully, a love that seems to be missing in these people’s lives.”

How to get through the dark places by Anne Voskamp.  “The accepted way professional runners approached the race was to run 18 hours, sleep 6, for 7 days straight. But Cliff Young didn’t know that. He didn’t know the accepted way. He only knew what he did regularly back home, the way he had always done it: You run through the dark.”

The-laugh-out-loud-ones

Airplane travel gives me gas by Rachel Pieh Jones.  “This is a post about air travel and gas, like stomach gas. And about air travel and crusty boogers. Air travel and stinky socks. Air travel and morning breath all day long. Air travel and a face so greasy-shiny my forehead is practically a mirror.”

It’s enough to make you cancel your reservations: Actual complaints from Thomas Cook clients.  “8. “No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared.”

The-beautiful-ones

The names they gave me by Tasbeeh Herwees.  “When I say my name, it feels like redemption. I have never said it this way before. Tasbeeh. He repeats it back to me several times until he’s got it. It is difficult for his American tongue. His has none of the strength, none of the force of my mother’s. But he gets it, eventually, and it sounds beautiful. I have never heard it sound so beautiful. I have never felt so deserving of a name. My name feels like a crown.”

These 14 response to hatred show that humans sometimes do get it right.  “Whether based on religion, race, nationality or sexuality, overcoming the made-up rivalries society thrusts upon us takes people with strong will, especially in the face of peer and societal pressures. And yet, humans are always capable of surprising us. In these cases, they rose above the prejudice and the hate and decided that some things are just wrong.”

Popular-on-BW

4 reasons white people need to talk about race.  “This cannot be a discussion of tit-for-tat, of accusations and defensives, and as members of the dominant majority, we need to lead the conversation first with humility and compassion.  We can not let go until we know what it is that we’re holding onto.”

4 reasons white people don’t talk about race.  “We can’t simply will ignorance away. If we want to increase our understanding, we have to do something about it.”

9 ways to help children develop global awareness.  “Since my husband spent half of his childhood in a developing country at war and the majority of his family still lives there, we were especially keen to help our children growing up amidst privilege understand these realities more deeply. We’ve made attempts at this in a variety of ways, hoping that a few of them will stick.”