Hi everyone! So grateful to have met @Erin Corine Johnson and be invited into this community she has cultivated. I am Alexandria and after 33 years (my entire life) of living in the U.S. I moved to Madrid Spain 6 months ago. I am a school psychologist by training, with a PhD in the making. My research interests/work traces the genealogy of racialized disablement, arguing that the overrepresentation of Black students in special education is a direct continuation of historical logics of economic exploitation and control of the Black body. When I am not thinking critically about the state of the world you can find me marveling at a sunset, dancing salsa on the weekends, enjoying a cup of coffee or glass of wine, and binge watching a show or movie. Thanks for having me!

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Inspired by @Erin Corine Johnson's question to us at today's session as to how we can support folks in the Black community, here is an opportunity to do just that. Read Theresa M. Robinson's post and the links explaining the 2026 WarriHER Experience Retreat and the Retreat Access Fund. And please share widely! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7429894495858565120-8i56?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADMcucBSKN6zuQruDb0nk67IiKCY3EEu2A Retreat https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IsxjrfVq3XRrrgFE3RPueqOf15MKeOri/view?usp=sharing Retreat Access Fund https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YLAmthsEmpogLsYBCXKL32IeY2l3kA1a/view?usp=sharing As a bonus, check out Theresa's Guided *You-Turn* Journal: https://a.co/d/04P139iP (Your purchase of this journal supports the WarriHER Experience Retreat Fund)

Sharing this post here with an ask: Sharing this with an ask to all who see this: react, comment and share this post. Taj M. Smith is a truly great human. Thanking you all in advance for your support For folks in countries where Venmo and Cashapp are not available, here is Taj's PayPal : @tajdor https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tajmsmith_donate-to-help-a-black-healer-heal-organized-activity-7429716842342072320-2zcx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADMcucBSKN6zuQruDb0nk67IiKCY3EEu2A

Sharing from an email from Dr. Sam Rae: I'm approaching the two-year anniversary of when I first decided to pause my consulting business and take a sabbatical, and honestly… I cannot believe how much my life has changed since then. I'm at another turning point and a huge transitional moment. And instead of being nervous about what's coming next, I'm excited. Everything that's been unfolding is showing me that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. So here's the big news I want to share: I've decided to turn my personal research into a formal study and would love for you to participate. If you've been following my work, you know I've been building frameworks around what I call High-Functioning Survival Mode™ — the cycle that high-achieving, high-masking women get stuck in. I've been studying this and living it, and noticed there's a real gap in how burnout is understood for women like us. Most of the tools and resources are surface-level and certainly don't use an intersectional lens. Now that I'm on the other side, I want to hear directly from other women navigating this through real data. So I created the High-Functioning Survival Mode™ Study. Because you're part of my email community, you get access before I share it publicly. The survey takes under 10 minutes and explores how stress, survival mode, and burnout patterns show up individually, in relationships, and at work. If this resonates with you, I would love your participation. And, if you know a high-achieving woman who should be part of this, please share the link with them. TAKE THE SURVEY