It’s a fragile web we live on. And now it’s been jostled. In a span of 48 hours this week, my entire month of work unraveled. A college eliminated an engagement as they suspended classes. A conference and rally in DC was cancelled because the participants have compromised immune systems and couldn’t risk exposure. The same thing has happened to my son, who is a concert lighting designer. And my friend who is a musician. And my agent who books […]

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What can an ally do? I’m the poster child of privilege. That much should be clear to anyone who meets me. Straight white guy from the suburbs. College educated in middle America, middle-aged living a middle-class life. Married to my college girlfriend for 29 years, 2.0 kids and a cocker spaniel in a 1960s split level. My notion of peace has always been communal. As Dr. King reminded us, “None of us is free until all of us are free.” […]

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When have you found unexpected courage? It’s one of the questions we asked students last week during our residency at the Honors College at Rutgers University.  As the students explored our American Stories exhibit, they met some of the more challenging stories with wonder. “I don’t think I could have done that,” one young man said when he read the story of how Bud Welch forgave his daughter’s killer. “That seems almost impossible,” another said about Deanna Thompson reckoning with […]

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It’s either the most ridiculous or the most brilliant thing we’ve ever planned. It’s Karen’s idea (Karen is my wife, if you’re just starting to follow), but it didn’t take me long to agree. 2019 was a busy year. I slept somewhere other than my own bed roughly 160 nights, so Karen and I were apart more than we cared to be. It’s all a part of growing A Peace of My Mind as it continues to evolve in new […]

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In the autumn of 1990, Karen and I were in Europe. It was a three month no-frills backpacking tour and most of our entertainment consisted of wandering the streets and countryside and people watching. Tickets to just about anything were out of our budget. But in Prague, we made an exception. There was an evening concert by an Iranian folk ensemble. At the time, the United States was still reeling from the hostage crisis. The 52 American hostages in Tehran […]

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Some things are hard to measure. Many of the best things in life are difficult to quantify. Happiness. A sense of belonging. Faith. Love. We try. We measure things in dollars and followers and statistics. But when it comes to things of intrinsic value, those numbers often fall short. In my 2010 interview with Marion Vance for my first book, she explained that we need a better measuring stick. “The tendency is to try to put a number on everything, and […]

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I am revisiting this interview with Harry Williams, Jr. from February 19, 2010. Harry was and is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Carleton College. Among the courses he teaches are “African American History,” “Black Atlantic History,” which focuses on the relationship between Ghana and the United States, and “U.S. History from 1865-1945.” Harry views the world from what he calls a “tragic conception of history and a tragic conception of life, ” which means -— in his words […]

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Sometimes life moves so quickly that we don’t have time to adequately process the events of the day. I’m reminded of wading into rough surf to try to bob in the waves. It’s all fun and games until you find yourself off balance. Before you can even regain your footing another wave washes over you and suddenly it’s all you can do to keep your head above water. This fall has been a little like that. So many good things, […]

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Brandon Bright works at MPACT- DFW in Fort Worth, Texas, an organization that educates and offers services around HIV and sexual health for men of color in the community. Brandon was diagnosed with HIV in 2009 and he has used his experience to help connect others to services that can help demystify issues around HIV and provide resources that can lead to a long and healthy life. “Every day in some shape, form or fashion, I’m reminded of where I […]

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