It’s fair to say our country finds itself in the heat of a reopened wound stemming from police violence and racial tensions. As we see our cities in turmoil, we can either shrink or lean into the problem. Below are a couple of inspiring and practical conversations we've had in the last 24 hours.
1) Race and Police Violence in America - Is The Beloved Community Actually Achievable?
Ashton is a prominent lawyer and expert having served both as police monitor for the city of Austin and policy advisor for Austin Mayor Steve Adler. Among many other leadership positions, Ashton also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce. Ashton has a degree in Economics from Brown University and law degree from UT.
Jennifer is a playwright and actress with profound insights into black history and the legacy of slavery in America. Jennifer's latest creation is adding multimedia performance to the "If These Walls Could Talk" exhibit at Austin's antebellum mansion, the Neill-Cochran House at 2310 San Gabriel, which has the only former slave dwelling and workplace still standing in Austin. Jennifer graduated from Brown University.
2) Nation In Pain - What can you do? With Napoleon and Andrea Greene
Napoleon and Andrea Greene are a suburban African-American Christian couple looking for ways to embrace their experiences and perspectives as tools to serve, to uplift and to influence others within their circles to exercise faith, hope, and love in the face of challenging social issues.
Napoleon has worked for the past 16 years as a test engineer for a large international manufacturing company.
Andrea works for an innovative central Texas school district as an elementary instructional coach providing professional learning, coaching, mentoring, and support to classroom teachers and school staff.Stay safe,
Christian Ray Flores
P.S. This is a great read for challenging times.
If you are looking for expertise, insight, and a faithful perspective. Check out this TDS interview.
