Race Matters for Juvenile Justice (RMJJ) is a collaborative leadership group working within our community to reduce disproportionality and disparate outcomes for children and families of color through institutional organizing, education, and workforce development.

What I thought I knew and believed about racism was challenged by the information presented. It challenges me to review my own thinking and approach in systematic change to improve the futures of our children of color. Racism means something completely different to me now.

Darrin Johnson and I were also fortunate to attend Race Matters for Juvenile Justice’s Dismantling Racism Training as part of a UNC Charlotte Chancellor’s Diversity Grant… It was, frankly, life-changing. That is a big statement but hardly does it convey how impacting it was. It was NOT cultural competency training; it went to the causes, not the symptoms of racial inequity. How it is that I have a social work education and license to practice social work, am a social work educator, and continually read social work literature, and didn’t know this information? I have no idea. However, feeling ashamed or embarrassed of my ignorance is not a helpful response, so I plan to come up with a better response as I process this over the coming weeks… I hope you can attend sometime and see/hear these facts/realities for yourself.

I will be more intentional in my role as a white ally. I will listen more actively to see how I can support communities of color. I will be more aware of my own implicit biases.