love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
2/9/12 1:49 PM
Read online: http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/journal/201202.html Download PDF: http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/print/201202.pdf This month's transform.: http://transform.transformativechange.org/2012/02/
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welcome
The Metrics of Movement
There's a fairly old joke among Black folks that says we were given February to celebrate our heritage because it's the shortest month of the year. Meaning, of course, that's about as much as we could expect. I often consider the juxtaposition of Black History Month and St. Valentine's Day. When I think about the ill-mended and broken hearts of Black folks through slavery, sharecropping, Civil Rights, and now, I think February is oddly appropriate; there is St. Valentine's Day on the 14th, the day of love and relationship, and there's Black History Month. For me, February reflects the unspoken, complex relationship America tends to have with Black people, an imbalance of love and aversion which reflects America's own imbalanced relationship with itself. This month transform. is focusing on both relationship (especially our relationship with ourselves) and Black History Month. This month also celebrate: LGBT History Month (UK), Independence of Sri Lanka & Dominican Republic (Feb 4 & Feb 27), and in the Philippines, People Power Revolution (Feb 25).
Building, A Guide University of Southern California (USC) has a report out that addresses the value of organizing especially as a way to build movements further and in substantial, transformative ways. In tandem, they look at how funders have begun looking to movements as ways to broaden their capacity to support social change. Read more... Download Transactions, Transformations, and Translations
in SIGHT Dave Moore | Ageless Warrior
"heart stones" personal offering.
No video? Click: http://youtu.be/tzt5fI97guA
Dave Moore, born in 1912, marched, and was an organizer, for civil rights and working people. During the 1930s he helped organized the Ford Hunger strike against Ford Motor Company in Detroit, an event that
love letter to a president
changed his life. He was also part of a delegation that
this time we will
the 1950s. This video recounts the many triumphs
INcite with angel Kyodo williams
helped get Black pilots and Black stewardesses jobs in against oppression he participated in during his life. Watch Ageless Warrior Subscribe to CXC on YouTube
Valentine's Day is upon us, so it seems appropriate to reaffirm my love, most especially in those places in which I have http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/journal/201202.html
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love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
times.
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been least clear. Just over three years ago, I wrote a short essay called "finally american." It was a love letter of sorts in which I expressed my relief in being able to claim my nationality with dignity and pride instead of shame and disdain. I used "hope" in some form no less than three
Since then, like many others, I've watched that hope wane under the most relentless onslaught of political pounding of a President any of us has ever seen. Because I was so disappointed by the chasm between that hope and the reality, I stopped professing my love. I sit here now, realizing all is not lost. My feelings have been hurt and I have felt betrayed, but in the end, I still not only believe in, but hold love for, not Barack Obama, Savior, but my President, Barack Obama, the man. I know many of us may still believe he failed and owes us. Maybe we'll even be tempted to punish him by staying home pouting this election year. I suggest we leave the childish crush of 2008 behind and this year, invest in a grownup—and mutually supportive— love.
WEST COAST fearlessMeditation I | Practice of the Body Rockwood Leadership | Art of Leadership Black History Month Presentation | Michelle Alexander EAST COAST Voices of a Women's Health Movement Zionophobia | Debasing the Ideals of the Arab Spring | Dr. Judea Pearl & Steve Kroft NORTHWEST Finding the Genius in Your Life | Michael Meade SOUTHEAST HKONJ6 | March for Justice INTERNATIONAL Training for Change | Training for Social Action Trainers
Dear Mr. President, From the first time I laid eyes on you, I knew I was in love. I didn't want to be, so I hid it from myself by saying you couldn't win. Electrifying the DNC was one thing, but They wouldn't allow it, we said. You were too young. Too inexperienced. With too Muslim a name. And, yes, too Black. But you kept wowing us with your fantastic smile, unflinching confidence and unequivocal Yes, We Can. And so we did. You were Presidential. I believed you. And so did many others. So we got hitched and got behind you and win, you did. I remember it like it was yesterday. Hunkered down around the television, we clung to every word as you swept the nation off its feet in a resounding victory. In triumph, we poured into the streets, dancing into the night as if Liberation, herself, had finally come. We carried you across the threshold into the White House on a delirious wave of excitement, brimming with expectation and overwhelmed by the potential that lay before us in this great union: Hope. Progress. Change.
in the MONEY Let's Work Together | Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation supports a broad number of organizations, particularly those that support social change, and have trustees all over the world. As a foundation they believe all people should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, contribute to society, and have a voice in the decisions that affect them. Read more... Learn more about Twelve Grantees Learn more about Ford Foundation Learn more about Program Areas
in the CENTER
And then we left you there. No sooner than when you took your seat, they began to wrench the legs out from underneath you. We looked on with dismay as they took everything you had. We sat aside in horror as they made you fight for anything or anyone you wanted. We recoiled in disbelief as they turned the things that could have been your sweetest victories into bitter fruit. The ugliness of it all was too much to bear. So we turned away. Then there was that Tea Party, a terrible event that shocked us to our core. Not only were we not invited, but brazenly reminded that we never belonged. Our naïveté about the depth and nakedness of hate was laid bare. The coded language didn't even
http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/journal/201202.html
Kado | Way of the Flower Myself and three other community members signed up to take Norma Wong Roshi's class on kado, the way of the [image: Zochi]
flower, a 2000-year-old Chinese art form often
practiced by folks on a spiritual path... Read more... Learn more about kado
from the FIELD
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love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
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nakedness of hate was laid bare. The coded language didn't even seek to mask the righteous indignance of racial superiority. We were not real Americans and they wanted us to leave so they could Take Back America. We were so delighted with ourselves for having you, we forgot to show up for you. We set forth our demands and desires, but were not flexible enough to see where you needed our support. We brought our challenges and critiques, but did not express the unconditional love you deserve for your willingness to continue to show up every day they tried to beat you down. In short, we did not give you what you needed to be your best and blamed only you for coming up short. But we were the ones that walked away from you.
adrienne maree brown | without manipulation
For the rest of 2012, and hopefully beyond, we will be featuring a floating column with contributions from
[image: Shadia Fayne -Woods]
adrienne maree brown's
Luscious Satyagraha blog in various sections of the journal. I was journaling this morning about the kind of spaces I want to create in the world, and it occurred to me that I
The limitation of our childish love was suffered by us all, and our lessons hard won: We now realize that this marriage is not a sprint, it's a marathon. We see that compromise is necessary and we can't just turn our backs whenever things don't go our way. We recognize that this system of "checks and balances" can
want to create spaces people long to be... Read more... Read more blog posts on The Luscious Satyagraha
inner PRACTICE I Will Tell You if You're an A*shole
be used to hold a President hostage, and that by letting Fear
It's important to give attention
and Hate win, we tied your hands ourselves.
to the quality of people that we choose to spend our time with. I
So we ask for your forgiveness, Mr. President. I ask for it. I may have strayed, but my intention is clear. My resolve is firm. My love is true.
live in an intentional practice
[image: Karen Muktayani Villanueva]
community where we have
agreements to hold each other to our agreements. This
Give us one more chance. This time, we will.
kind of living is not for the faint of heart... Read more...
outer ACTION End of Occupy?
dedicated to the people in my life that i haven not sufficiently expressed my unconditional love for: may i be forgiven and may you know that you were, are and always will be for me both source and subject of great, abiding, unwavering love. angel Kyodo williams, the "change angel," is Founder Emeritus of Center for Transformative Change. She now serves as a Senior Fellow and Director of Vision. A social visionary and leading voice for transformative social change, she is the author of the critically-acclaimed Being Black: Zen and the Art of
Living With Fearlessness and Grace . Blog: new Dharma: live, love & lead from the heart Facebook: Like angel here
Occupy woke us up to the blatant truth about the relationship between the haves and the have nots. And although the tents are gone, as Scott
[image: Jen Grantham]
Neuman writes in this article,
the movement itself continues. What surfaced last fall will not be forgotten or dismissed. What we saw was the beginning of transformation. Read more...
social CHANGE How to Be a Racial Justice
Twitter: Follow angel for tweets of wisdom on Change
SuperHero
Web: http://angelkyodowilliams.com
Originally written around the MLK holiday, this piece is
angel Kyodo williams' next public talk:
priceless and timeless. It invites
Thursday, March 1 @ CXC [image:Julien Tromeur]
us to use everything we've got— body and soul, pocketbook,
newDharma Talk Wholeness Through Relationship In this dharma talk, we're asked to focus on
voice, etc.—to resist racial injustice because that's how the job will get done... Read more...
what's hiding in the closets we call compassion, relationship, friendliness and joy. Using http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/journal/201202.html
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love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
relationship, friendliness and joy. Using Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as a platform, this talk asks if we are truly connecting with others or hiding behind a façade of actions and words, and therefore living out of balance with ourselves and others. "If we don't do this [cultivate balance]—not in a cave, but out there with the rest of the world—we have not a single chance of having any real relationship, because when a relationship is out of balance it simply cannot be sustained. Any relationship that has imbalance will eventually fall apart. On the one hand, one person will be resentful and on the other hand, the other person will feel disrespected. "And all relationships can go out of balance, all of them, for some period of time, but they must find balance in order to be sustained. Imbalance in relationship cannot be sustained. Imbalance in yourself cannot be sustained. If you are out of relationship with yourself, you will be out of relationship with everything and everyone around you. If you are out of relationship with everyone and everything around you, well, you know, you just might as well go home." Read Wholeness Through Relationship
2/9/12 1:49 PM
in the MIND Prejudice in the Brain Most of us suspect or realize that our brains have more to do with our behaviors than we know. And even if we're clueless [image: Dani Simmonds]
about that, science is always offering us new evidence to
prove... Read more... Watch video on Prejudice in the Brain fearless Meditation is a 3-part signature series that teaches practical meditation within a social justice framework. It's offered for no charge for agents of social change.
"the best workshop i've ever taken. radically changed my work." fearless Meditation I: Feb 10, 2012 & every 1st Friday | 7pm
note: February fMI will be held on the 2nd Friday
in the BODY
Listen to Wholeness Through Relationship
The Beauty of Imperfection
Editor's Note: Written by Kim King, a new contributor to transform. [image: Ostill]
My arms were shaking. The back of my shirt was
activists, allies & agents of change Victor Lewis | The Mysteries of Radical Wisdom, Healing,
drenched in sweat. I was seriously regretting last night's 2 for 1 Happy Hour... Read more...
Justice & Resilience
Victor Lee Lewis, MA, is the Founder and Director of the Radical Resilience Institute, and Radical Resilience Coaching and Consulting. He is a Progressive Life Coach, trainer, speaker, and social justice educator. Victor provides individual and group life coaching, training, and keynote lectures. His work supports transformative change agents in improving and maximizing their emotional resilience...
fearlessYoga at CXC Sundays | 9:30 - 11:00am Every Body welcome. Free for agents of social change. Donations welcome.
wellness & being well Stop a Cold in Its Tracks 'Tis the season for colds and flu. In recognizing the signs and
Victor Lewis is one of those unassuming folks that you might run
symptoms of imbalance and
into at the bank or at a coffee shop and not think twice about it.
then following through with
He's got good, even energy and a kindliness about him, so much so you can almost imagine him placing a hand on your shoulder and offering heartfelt advice, which works out well because he's deep in the healing business. Read more... Learn more about Victor Lewis
good self-care, you are honoring your body's wisdom and communication. Read more...
february wallpaper
Learn more about Radical Resilience
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love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
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Learn more about Radical Resilience Learn more about EFT Video from the Color of Fear: Clip One
resources for change‌ This article, by yoga teacher Kino MacGregor, focuses on the challenges and practice of finding love, sharing love, and maintaining a healthy self-awareness while giving yourself freely. Kino MacGregor is one of a select group of people to receive certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by its founder Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Love's Self-Reflective Test
the return
Cymbidium, or boat orchids, are coveted the world over
This article is essentially Chapter 9 of the book Psychological Self
for their robust flowers that explode into a wide array
Help by Dr. Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd, which begins with several general descriptions of human personality and the stages of its development. There's a discussion on relationships including games, family relationships and long-term affects of childhood experiences. The last section revisits common interpersonal problems, the difficulties we have keeping relationships together, and the continuing conflicts between men and women. Chapter 10 covers love and sex. The entire book can be read online or downloaded for free. Understanding Ourselves & Our Relationships
of colors. Hearty and forgiving, they don't require much maintenance, but instead, unflaggingly express their resilience and willingness to show up. Best of all, they bloom in dead of winter, taking on the cold to return again and again, very much like love, itself, lifting our spirits to brighten the darkest months. photo copyright 2012. angel Kyodo williams
Download this image as wallpaper with or without calendar for your desktop. Download with calendar...
Manning Marable's biography of Malcolm X introduces new
Download without calendar...
information that could reshape widely held beliefs about the Civil
View Photo Gallery...
Rights leader. Taking two decades to research and write, Malcolm
X: A Life of Reinvention culminated in an act of scholarship for Marable, a writer and professor at Columbia University, who died April 1, 2011, just 3 days before the book was published. Marable's book broke news for mainstream readers by offering a theory on Malcom's 1965 assassination and naming the alleged conspirators. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
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"All paths lead nowhere, so it is important to choose a path that has heart."
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CXC is the first national center entirely dedicated to bridging the inner and outer lives of social change agents, activists and allies to support a more effective, more sustainable social justice movement. We name, frame and advance Transformative Social Change by http://transform.transformativechange.org/files/journal/201202.html
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love letter to a president | transform. | february 2012
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We name, frame and advance Transformative Social Change by both developing practices and programs for agents of social change and working in collaboration with leading organizations to help shape this emerging movement. Most importantly, CXC reflects the field and the movement back to itself by publishing the transform. blog and monthly journal, thus strengthening our collective identity, community, and shared vision. This long-term vision for shifting the paradigm of work for justice, changing the WAY change is done, will fundamentally alter broad-based social change at its very core—from inner to outer— resulting in a more just, equitable society for all. Great vision takes great action and our work is not possible without the generous support and partnership of individuals like you. The publication of transform. is made possible by your direct contribution. No amount is too small‌so make your contribution to deep change today. Donate to CXC Visit the Center's website What is Transformative Change? Find out HERE
Center for Transformative Change is a project of Transformative Change (formerly urbanPEACE), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to inform, incite and empower a broad-based, presence-centered, transformative social change movement.
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