What I Do

Hi, I am an author and an educator who has been doing cultural competency work both formally and informally for all of my life. For clarity's sake, I am using the definition of cultural competency used by Kikanza Nuri Robins: a way of being that enables people and organizations to engage effectively in a variety of cross-cultural environments. In other words, using writing, reading, listening, and speaking as the primary tools, I help individuals and organizations create environments that allow people from different race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and age cultures to find their true voices, as well as the courage to honestly engage their voices in expression with each other, and often with the larger community in which they live. The especially difficult interactions, in my experience, are always around race, which is my specialty.

Essentially, I build community using an artistic approach. For the record, let me state that I have no interest in cultural fair event planning or other events that project a false sense of equality across cultures. I am more interested in helping people speak from their truth, and in the process, possibly uncover the power dynamics that lay beneath the surface, but that people may not be aware that they bring with them and that might be inhibiting the dynamic unfolding of the true community they could have as they work together. This could involve everything from the impact of internalized and systemic oppression to socialization. This is difficult, creative work. Let me share with you what it has looked like for me:

Books Of Hope (Somerville, MA)
Encampment for Citizenship (Washington, DC, Tohatchi, NM, NYC)
High School English & Drama Teacher (NY, NY)
Visiting Artist in Residence (The Berkshires of MA)
Writing Group Facilitator for Homeless Women (Cambridge, MA)

(In upcoming posts, I will give details about each of these experiences.)

Here are some of the services I offer:
cultural competency assessment
internalized racial oppression workshops
readings of my work
writing/theatre workshops for children and adults ( Finding the Book Within, Creating the Time to Write, Taking the Fear and Mystery Out of Finding an Agent, Theatre Games, Writing About the Characters in Our Lives, etc.)
editing
helping communities, organizations, and groups write and publish what is important to them

If any of this work interests or intrigues you, please contact me through this blog, and I will be glad to give you a consultation, free of charge.