Class and the Politics of Living Simply

The use of fashions in thought is to distract men from their real dangers. We direct the fashionable outcry of each generation against those vices of which it is in the least danger, and fix its approval on the virtue that is nearest the vice which we are trying to make endemic.  The game is … Continue reading Class and the Politics of Living Simply →

Coming to Class Consciousness

In chapter 2 of Class Matters the author discusses the issue of various desires. Whenever she would desire something she couldn’t have, her mother would never admit it was a lack of money. Instead it became something only someone stupid who didn’t care about themselves would want. She learned to squelch desires and fantasies to gain … Continue reading Coming to Class Consciousness →

Making the Personal Political: Class in the Family

The author of class matters starts her book out with an autobiographical chapter that could be a really entertaining story – if it didn’t turn into a sermon all the time. This chapter starts out with a description of the first house she remembers living in with her family – A rental block house with … Continue reading Making the Personal Political: Class in the Family →

Leadership for a Multicultural Age – Making the Commitment: Personal, Organzational, and Political

I expected the last section of the book to have another set of principles, but it is more like a manifesto of sorts, a preamble and summary. So rather than just quote and comment, I’ll let the conclusion speak for itself: WE ARE LIVING IN a fluid moment in history. Great cultural and generational shifts … Continue reading Leadership for a Multicultural Age – Making the Commitment: Personal, Organzational, and Political →

Gracias – Gratitude, Hope, and Forgiveness

Principle #9 For Black, Latino, and Indian leaders, gracias (gratitude), hope, and forgiveness are three attributes that transformed oppression and need into an enduring faith in life’s goodness… Faith and spirituality together have been the collective and unifying force sustaining communities of color during centuries of toil and discrimination and continue to provide the strength … Continue reading Gracias – Gratitude, Hope, and Forgiveness →

Souper Bowl of Caring

Today is another short photography post. As those who care about professional sports (which excludes me) know, today is the Super Bowl. For those of us at Avondale United Methodist Church, that means two more things. First, Super Bowl weekend is when we sponsor the annual Souper Bowl of Caring, where we raise/collect food for … Continue reading Souper Bowl of Caring →

All My Relatives – La Familia, the Village, the Tribe

Principle #8 Let us begin the exploration of the family aspect with the following series of (for this post) short quotes: To understand the principle of all my relatives, let us first look at how this manifests in communities of color and then consider the different ways these relationships expand to embrace a much wider … Continue reading All My Relatives – La Familia, the Village, the Tribe →

The Seven-Generation Rule – Intergenerational Leadership

Principle #7 IN 2000, I INVITED a group of established Latina leaders to talk about the need for additional reinforcements— particularly young women— to continue advancing our community. We realized that our hands-on, long-term experience had made us seasoned leaders. We had succeeded through mutual support, networking, working together, and being groomed by more established … Continue reading The Seven-Generation Rule – Intergenerational Leadership →

Creating the Circle of Leadership

The African village, the American Indian tribal council, and the town meeting are examples of cooperative circular structures in which the community considers important decisions. The African saying “One head does not a council make” underlies their old tradition of tapping into the collective wisdom. The Native American “talking stick,” passed around a circle, gives … Continue reading Creating the Circle of Leadership →