@Sharon Hurley Hall I remember the sense of urgency from teachers, parents, and community members in my school district where I served as assistant superintendent. Even though we were experiencing the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, scrambling to figure out how we would ever reopen our schools, we felt the call to prioritize racial justice with the same level of commitment. Like many school boards, mine wrote a resolution condemning racism and anti-Blackness. They wrote a racial equity board policy which included the action of hiring of a Director of DEI, which I'm pleased to say is still in place. But something that was told by one of our African American high school seniors that I've never forgotten... through tears, she spoke of how it finally seemed that the world was actually waking up and for the first time beginning to see how unequally Black people are viewed and how differently they are treated. She said her biggest fear was that this was just a passing fad and that not too long from now this would all be a thing of the past and white people would carry on the way they always have--benefiting from their white privilege and not doing anything that would result in a substantial change in the lived experiences of BIPOC. Her message continues to both haunt me and to hold me accountable for not allowing my commitment to racial equity to wane. I have to do more.

Thank you @Erin Corine Johnson for the incredible Future of DEI Summit experience you provided. As a still fairly new member of this community, not having been to the summit in February, I wasn't sure what to expect. Everything about it surpassed my expectations!!! I was fortunate to be able to attend many/most of the sessions and each one, each day, was as amazing as the ones before it. I was blown away by the content, care, commitment, and community I witnessed from you and every presenter/panelist. I will process what I learned for months to come and will return to watch replays to continue digging deeper. Thank you for all that you poured into the planning and organizing of the event, and also for all that you poured out of yourself, hour after hour, session after session, day after day. It was nothing short of miraculous to witness you and to be part of this amazing event. I hope you feel the love that we all have for you — those who've known you for years and those of us who have only known you for a few months. You are an amazing leader, and I am so grateful to you for this event and this community❤️

@Brandyn Gallagher Thank you for sharing this video. I've watched it several times now. I'm wondering if this is the first time Jocelyn Wabano-Iahtail stood up to a white person in this way. And did any white person in that audience understand the impact of the white lady's behavior and attempt to make amends for what happened? I'm also asking myself: When have I behaved like that white lady, and what harm have I caused people of color by my ignorance?

Sending much love to all who are being celebrated here today! YOU BELONG❤️

@Tim Collins Yes, yes! LOVE ALWAYS WINS❤️🌈💙

Happy birthday @Colin Yearwood!!!