Hey, all! I'm in the process of doing a lot of restructuring the groups (and articulating some of my own internal shifts as a coach, community organizer and activist). As I prepare to pivot my focus to supporting changemakers and facilitating dialogue on the issues rather than spending days entrenched in debate around what is right and wrong, I want to reintroduce to you the vision I have for this group to continue to be a soft, inviting space for changemakers of all levels to convene, converse, and connect to opportunities that advance our individual and collective purpose. Enter the Changemaker's Haven, our rebranded starting point for changemakers and aspiring accomplices to social justice. What will change: 🌱 Our group name 🌱 Our URL (will soon be changed to skool.com/changemakers-haven) 🌱 Quite possibly the name of the webinar learning series itself, still deciding on this 🌱 The Identity & Belonging Lab's pricing structure, which will now include a monthly option so that you can receive direct support 🌱 The next step from this group for those looking for "what now?" support around monetizing their impact platforms expertise What will NOT change: 🌱 The focus of this group, which will be to amplify each other's work, share relevant resources along our journeys as allies to our own causes and those of others 🌱 The cost, which will stay FREE to join from any of our webinars and events These changes feel relevant, but aligned. I'm looking forward to seeing how the direction of our conversations shift as a result. What do you all think? I very much value your input, so please let me know how this resonates. Have a very Happy Monday and looking forward to seeing some of you this week for our REPLENISH Summer Life Coaching Program Info Sessions

Today is the 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder. That was the final catalyst (there were others) that led to the work I'm doing today: the newsletter, the book, this community and the posts and podcasts and events. It is sobering to think of those whose commitment did not last and heartening to think of those who remain committed and active. All of which is to say that I'm in a funny place emotionally today. What comes up for you? (I sent out a special edition of my newsletter today with an updated version of the poem I wrote on the first anniversary. https://www.antiracismnewsletter.com/p/reboot-remembering-george-floyd )

Hi all, With permission from Erin, I'm putting an ask out to anyone who identifies as a white activist/ally/accomplice: I’m writing a book exploring how shame, perfectionism, and religious conditioning show up in white folks doing social justice work, particularly how these forces limit, distort, and hinder our activism. I’m looking to interview white activists who are open to reflecting on their experiences with these dynamics. If you’re willing to share honestly, sit with some tough questions, and contribute to a resource that aims to help others deepen and sustain their practice, I’d love to talk with you. Interviews are confidential and conversational. Feel free to message me or comment below if you're interested—thank you in advance! Paul Johnson

OK, so I've been holding off from bringing up this topic here for a while because I know there are soooooo many more important topics and conversations about race we could be talking about here. But I realized I may not be the only one holding back from asking certain silly-feeling & -sounding questions or starting conversations about more minor, everyday things in this safe community of incredibly smart, strong, and empathetic people. So I'm going to try to make a concerted effort going forward to start posting questions that are on my mind and heart, even when something is holding me back (mostly that I feel dumb), and worry less about how y'all might view/judge me to focus instead on what I (and maybe somebody else) could learn from sparking a discussion. OK, so here's today's question.... 😅 I've always defaulted to using the yellow ones and never gave it much thought until I started hearing more murmurs about why some folks find that problematic. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1078977416/race-chat-emoji-skin-tone-colors But because I help manage several online communities that are led by Black business owners, whose members lean non-white, I've been thinking/worrying a lot about this whenever I use emojis (which is kind of often. And I'd like to keep doing so. 🤣) I'm curious what you think about the potential effects of defaulting to using something that is meant to represent neutrality, because it's the simplest/safest thing to do. Do you have an opinion/thoughts on which skin color you use for texts, posts, etc. that you wouldn't mind sharing?

Today feels like a great day to extend a huge hello to the *18* newest members of The Accomplice Accelerator community who have joined us in March and April. Please take a moment & join me! @Heliana Ramirez @Rosa Indenbaum @Mondo Vaden @Causha Spellman-Timmons @Alana Cheeks-Lomax @Rachel Rocha @Rebecca Monti @K. T. @Cassandra Sánchez @Annemarie Shrouder @Amanda Thorson @Andrea Gregory @Eugenio Villamizar @Alicia Wargo @Karl Snyder @James Edwards @Shea Belté-Jackson @Bella DeLeon Whether you’re here to engage and connect or just read and absorb, we’re honored & grateful to be in community with you. 🤝 This is YOUR space to grow, connect, reflect, and take action with fellow aspiring accomplices, justice-minded leaders, and change-makers across all levels of experience, so we hope you visit often to take advantage of the rich opportunities to share your voice, and connect with and learn from the other amazing members of this powerful, like-hearted community. Even if you've already introduced yourself in our official welcome post (highly recommend you do so if you haven't yet!), drop a quick "hey" in the comments because this is how we'll slowly get to know one another a little more deeply over time. 💕 ---------------------------------- ✨ Midweek Check-In ✨ Here's your chance to slow down, take a breath, do a little writing, and check in with yourself and one another, if you need it: