Tom Adams
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A video and a year of attention made possible what previously seemed impossible – holding police officers accountable for deaths of Black people caught in a racially biased society and criminal justice system.
The first such area that comes to mind is the idea of the role of government. We have a government because there are things that only a government of all the people can do. Think of national defense, a national currency or national rules regulating commerce between different areas.
I have explored in these posts what I consider some of the big issues blocking our communities and nation from living in more peace, love and equity. This week and next I am delighted to share with you another perspective on the challenges facing America.
The battle between hope and despair seems fiercer than ever this year. A few promising signs of hope have appeared and still, there are many that can make me feel hopeless. How do we renew our aspirations for good and resilience?
This week we are continuing to explore the many ways to advance racial equity and justice. I have invited a colleague and friend, Bob Francis, to share the kind of discussions and actions he is taking and seeing others take to advance deeper and lasting change in America. Bob is the retired executive of a regional youth-serving organization in Connecticut. He began this work as a civil rights activist in the 60’s and is a life-long advocate for change.
Where we live determines nearly every aspect of, and access to, opportunities, jobs, education and our vital social networks. With our dysfunctional community design based on zoning laws of today, we get dysfunctional traffic jams, long commutes, poor educational opportunities, segregation, distrust, sprawl and gates.
I have been in hundreds of conversations about how to increase racial diversity in organizations and companies. Most of them are either idealistic pipe dreams or efforts to find the “magic right answer” and avoid the hard, uncomfortable work of change. Black History...
Our family has begun having intergenerational zoom discussions about justice and equity. We cross-pollinate with in-laws and cousins from our partners’ families which makes the conversations particularly rich. My wife’s niece talked about the struggles a mid-west art...
“Democracy prevailed.” – These words spoken on Inauguration Day by our new president, Joe Biden, offered us hope. Indeed, January 20th was a great day for those of us who are hoping for change. President Biden, Vice President Harris and three former presidents filled...
What the hell is going on? How did it happen? What needs to be done? What’s mine to do? “I don’t know” is the most honest answer. America is facing critical questions that deserve more than superficial, simple theories and quick fixes to return to the appearance of...
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.