Here’s a quick story on one of the pivotal moments when I didn’t bite my tongue:

Over a decade ago, I was one of the only young women of color sitting with a group discussing racism during our staff training. A white woman, who was higher on the staff hierarchy along with her salary, shared about her experiences of reverse racism (!!). Her example was, getting made fun of her dancing for being a white woman. There was a pause in the room, but no one spoke up until I broke the pause and said that reverse racism doesn’t exist. That racism is a system where there is power and control over specific peoples. That was the moment I realized that people will stay quiet to avoid conflict and to soothe certain peoples’ feelings. That was a moment I decided that I would speak the truth out loud and bring along compassion, grace, and my thought-provoking voice.