Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out

Poet David Whyte offered a fresh perspective through his concept of a “conversational identity.” The idea is that we are constantly changing and evolving, always in the middle of something; therefore, our relationships should be fluid, more conversational, where we are not completing the work but rather beginning the conversation. He explained that

metta practice will not make what we don’t like go away, nor will it make what we do like stay. Through this mindfulness practice, we are not trying to change what we are facing. Rather, we are freeing ourselves in the moment by loving ourselves, and we are training ourselves to embrace what is right here, right now, with friendliness and intention

You might also consider the conversation a mini-series instead of a one-time event; begin again when and if it feels right. If the conversation was satisfying, reflect on how good it feels to have clarity, reach agreements, or connect more honestly.

What’s happening? What am I perceiving? • How am I relating to what’s happening? • What racial views or beliefs are fueling suffering in this moment? • What impact is my experience having on my heart, body, and mind? • How does my belief impact my mood? Where is this felt in the body? • What assumptions am I making? Do they support distress or free

We can strike back, or we can pause and tune into the suffering that is being displayed.

Compassion practice motivates wise action.

This is the true nature of awareness. When investigating our habits of mind, it can be helpful to open our awareness to include all that is in the mirror, without fixation or preferences.

A Word about Wise Speech Habits of harm are often expressed in our speech. Sometimes our speech, to our surprise and often embarrassment, can tell us what we are really thinking. My mother kept my brother’s parrot for several months. I recall visiting her one day, and the parrot began to mimic her one-sided conversation on a recent phone call—her l

In a Mindful of Race training program following the 2016 election, several white men expressed concern that they were being treated as Trump supporters when they weren’t. They didn’t want what they felt was such a negative image to be projected onto them just because they were white. I waited a few moments before responding. Then I simply said, “We

Metta is not a prayer for help from something or someone outside of ourselves. It is not an ego-driven kindness based on possessions, attachment, or grasping, nor is it overly sentimental. Rather, metta is a genuine desire for all beings, without exception, to be safe from inner and outer harm, to be healthy and content, and to live with ease.