Channel U: Union Institute and University

Welcome to Authors of Union. We talked with Dr. Michael Halperin, a 1993 Ph.D. graduate of Union. Dr. Halperin is an author, playwright, screen and television writer. One of his latest books is 'Fields of Poison'. The book recounts the odyssey of Antonio Velasco from a village in rural Mexico to a life of backbreaking labor as an eleven-year-old migrant farm worker in America. He rose to the heights of the scientific and medical professions investigating and preventing life-threatening pesticide poisoning. Against enormous odds, he developed diagnostic protocols and treatment of toxic pesticides that have a long-term impact on public health. Dr. Velasco’s story represents the American ideal that the nation benefits from generations of immigrants. Dr. Halperin is an author, playwright, and screen and television writer. He has served as Executive Story Consultant for 20th Century-Fox and Story Editor at Universal Television, and writer-producer for MCA Television. He is the author of the bestselling “Jacob’s Rescue: A Holocaust Story.” His book “Black Wheels” was a National Education Association choice for its African American 100 Best Book List. Others, “Judaism: Embracing the Seeker,” and ​“Writing the Second Act” were Writer’s Digest Book Club selections. In addition, he is the playwright of four plays. Visit his website to learn more about his work. The host for the interview-style podcast is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in Union’s General Education Program, poet, and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. Rumney's poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. Rumney recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at the University of Cincinnati.

Welcome to Authors of Union. Today’s guests are Union alumna Jennifer Mooney and journalist Byron McCauley, co-authors of 'Hope Interrupted'. They describe the book as a cautionary tale of hope and fear. It is a story of optimism and existential dread. Byron, an award-winning columnist, and business executive, and Jennifer, an award-winning communications executive with a scholarship in psychology, lean into hope and ask if there is or ever truly was an American Dream. The host for the interview-style podcast is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in Union’s General Education Program, poet, and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. Rumney's poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. Rumney recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at the University of Cincinnati.

Join us for a conversation about Union's Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, which highlights students who focused on Humanities & Culture, Education Justice & Equity, and Public Policy & Social Change. Together they talk about how they found Union, identify highlights from their experience there, and share thoughts for future students. Humanities & Culture: Dr. Tamara White graduated from Union's Ph.D. program, earning a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies and certificates in Museum Studies and Design Thinking. Dr. White's work focuses on the intersection of art and social justice Education Justice & Equity: Angie Brown is a Ph.D. candidate at Union. Every day she progresses toward completing her dissertation, which focuses on parental involvement in public schools at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Policy & Social Change: Dr. Jen Kramer-Wine also graduated from Union's Ph.D. program, earning a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Specialization in MLK Studies. Kramer-Wine's work focused on restorative justice policy creation, adoption, and implementation in two urban school districts. If you are interested in learning more about Union's Ph.D. programs, please visit myunion.edu.

Welcome to Authors of Union. Today, we are going to talk with Dr. Pete Caccavari, who has written his first chapbook of poetry, Minor Loss of Fidelity, shipping soon from Finishing Line Press. The book depicts people reacting to their environment – whether natural or human-made – and their struggles to make sense of those encounters. Caccavari's poems chronicle a variety of losses, but also a variety of hard-won gains. These encounters with the environment are mirrored in encounters of content with poetic forms. Personal history, natural history, and poetic history undergird the present, and these gird the present for the future. (Source: Finishing Line Press) Caccavari wears two hats. By day, he is the Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Title IX Coordinator for Union Institute & University. His job requires compliance and attention to detail. “I enjoy that job very much – it’s where I can satisfy my desire for order." By night, his creative side emerges. “Poetry, on the other hand, lets me color outside the lines and break the rules.” Caccavari earned his bachelor of arts in English from Xavier University and his M.A. Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University. He lives in Cincinnati and credits the beauty of the landscape and city as inspiration. The host for the interview-style podcast is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in Union’s General Education Program, poet, and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. Rumney's poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. Rumney recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at the University of Cincinnati.

In this episode of Channel U, we celebrate National Poetry Month. Our guest is Union Institute & University alumna Lois Roma-Deeley (Ph.D. 2000). The award-winning poet, educator and current Poet Laureate of Scottsdale, Arizona will read selected poems from her books and discuss her work, her approach to writing, and her journey as a writer. Her most recent full-length book of poetry is The Short List of Certainties, winner of the Jacopone da Todi Book Prize. She is the author of three previous collections: Rules of Hunger, northSight and High Notes, which was a finalist for the Patterson Poetry Prize. Her fifth book of poetry, Like Water in the Palm of My Hand, is forthcoming from Kelsey Books in 2022. Roma-Deeley's poems have been featured in numerous literary journals and anthologies, nationally and internationally. Roma-Deeley was named the 2012-2013 U.S. Community College Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and CASE. Roma-Deeley founded and directed the Creative Writing and Women's Studies programs at Paradise Valley Community College as well as the Creative Writing Women's Caucus of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. Roma-Deeley is Associate Editor of Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry. Authors of Union features a conversation with one of our published authors. Your host is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in the UI&U General Education Program, poet and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. His poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. His fellowships include the American Antiquarian Society, The Writers’ Room of Boston, and the St. Botolph Club, as well as a residency from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at UC.

In addition to being Women’s History Month, March was also Social Worker Month. In this special episode of Channel U, our host Alexis Glennon will speak with guest Jessica King McLaughlin about the role of caregiving in our society, how caregivers have been affected during the pandemic, and discuss potential policy solutions that could help caregivers. Host Alexis Glennon, LCSW-R is a Core Faculty and Field Director at Union Institute & University within the Bachelor of Science in Social Work program and a Doctor of Social Work student at the University at Buffalo. She is also a Research Fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Social Work Health Futures Lab. Her research area is digital literacy skills for social workers and the social work profession's role in tech justice. Along with her academic appointments, Alexis has a private practice specializing in treating trauma and the clinical assessment and application of digital literacy skills for clients. Our guest is Jessica King McLaughlin. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. Jessica earned her undergraduate degree from Emory University and her master’s in social work from Boston College. Jessica is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked as an in-home therapist and in community mental health with children and families, and, most recently, as a medical social worker in a hospital setting. Presently, Jessica is an assistant researcher with the Paul Freeman Financial Security Program in the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver. Jessica's clinical work with multigenerational families motivates her research interests in dementia, financial well-being across the life span, informal working caregivers, and workforce policy implications for caregiver burden.

In this episode of Channel U, we will discuss the casting process of reality television shows and the parallels to everyday success and psychology. Heather Hans joins us again as host. She is a Ph.D. student at Union Institute & University with a concentration in Ethical & Creative Leadership. She is a psychotherapist and has master’s degrees in social work and business administration. Heather is a TV expert guest and does a weekly mental health segment on 9News Denver. Her research interests are using TV and media to empower people to reach their goals by using visualization and improvisation. Heather’s guest is Jesse Tannenbaum, the Head Casting Director of CBS reality shows Survivor, Big Brother, and Amazing Race. Jesse has worked primarily with CBS since 2013 on all of their reality competition shows and is also working on new projects for the network. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Central Florida and prides himself on working well with others and being a team player. He’s working in an industry that he loves and that's reflected in his work.

Dr. Aaron L. Dobynes, Sr. is passionate about Black history, womanist theology, and the “Beloved Community.” This podcast combines all topics into one as Dr. Dobynes discusses being a man-womanist, the differences between womanism and feminism, the disrespect Black women have historically experienced, his thoughts on God being a woman, and so much more. Our guest is alumnus Dr. Aaron L. Dobynes (https://www.shiloholdsite.org/pastor.html), who graduated from Union’s Ph.D. program in 2015. Dr. Dobynes is the senior pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) in Fredericksburg, VA. A native of Alabama, Pastor Dobynes is a fourth-generation preacher who met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the age of five. Pastor Dobynes self-identifies as a man-womanist and an advocate for women. Host Dr. Paula D. Royster is a 2018 graduate of the Union Ph.D. program. The active scholar-practitioner and full-time professor is a two-time Fulbright Scholar recipient. She is also a member of the U.S. Department of State Diversity Speaker’s Bureau roster and served two years as a peer-reviewer for the Fulbright Commission. She founded the Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc (CAAGRI), a non-profit organization established to reunite as many African families as possible using genealogy research tools, historical narratives, and genetic DNA analysis wherever possible.

Continue listening to the second installment of this Black History Month featured podcast, focusing on Black Health and Wellness. Your host is Lisa Akers (https://myunion.edu/member/lisa-akers-phd/), PhD, RDN, IBCLC, RLC, FAND. She is joined by lactation expert Dr. Kimarie Bugg, D.N.P., FNP-BC, M.P.H, IBCLC (https://myunion.edu/member/kimarie-bugg-dnp-fnp-bc-mph-ibclc/). Be sure to listen to the first part of this two-part series as you won’t want to miss any of the discussion. Here are references/links to help you find more information: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

In this final Black History Month featured podcast, highlighting the 2022 theme of Black Health and Wellness, we will focus on maternal and infant health and the inequities that have plagued Black communities throughout history. Our guest is lactation expert and Union faculty member, Dr. Kimarie Bugg, D.N.P., FNP-BC, M.P.H, IBCLC (https://myunion.edu/member/kimarie-bugg-dnp-fnp-bc-mph-ibclc/). Dr. Bugg is President and CEO of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), a national nonprofit created in 2011 to address breastfeeding inequities in the African American community, and a career perinatal and neonatal nurse professional. Dr. Bugg has spent nearly four decades working in the Atlanta Metropolitan area and nationally in mostly African American communities promoting perinatal health, breastfeeding, and community-based impact solutions. Dr. Bugg is joined by host Lisa Akers (https://myunion.edu/member/lisa-akers-phd/), PhD, RDN, IBCLC, RLC, FAND. Dr. Akers is currently the Program Chair for the Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation, the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness, the Master of Arts in Human Lactation Studies, and the Master of Arts in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics Programs at Union Institute & University. Join us now for this timely and thought-provoking discussion. This is a two-part series, so be sure to listen to both segments (once available). Dr. Bugg mentions numerous articles and websites during this podcast. Here are references/links to help you find more information:

Continue listening to the second installment of this Black History Month featured podcast, focusing on Black Health and Wellness. Your host is Lisa Akers (https://myunion.edu/member/lisa-akers-phd/), PhD, RDN, IBCLC, RLC, FAND. She is joined by public health expert Dr. Muswamba Mwamba, DRPH, M.P.H, IBCLC (https://myunion.edu/member/muswamba-mwamba-drph-mph-ibclc/). Be sure to listen to the first part of this two-part series as you won’t want to miss any of the discussion.

Does a zip code predict health outcomes and life expectancy? How do food deserts affect people of color? How can men support breastfeeding and what are the medical benefits of breastfeeding? What is nutrition and how does it differ in various parts of the world? Find out in this Black History Month featured podcast, focusing on Black Health and Wellness with public health expert Dr. Muswamba Mwamba, DRPH, M.P.H, IBCLC (https://myunion.edu/member/muswamba-mwamba-drph-mph-ibclc/). His passion is how culture affects the quality of life and overall population health. He is also an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, a scholar on immigrant health in the context of the U.S. health disparity, and an affiliate faculty member at Union Institute & University. He brings an international perspective to the conversation. Born and raised in the Congo, he lived and trained in Europe, before moving to the United States where he ran numerous maternal and child health programs. He will compare nutrition and health in other cultures, especially the health and diets of Black Americans versus those in Africa and Europe. Dr. Mwamba is joined by host Lisa Akers (https://myunion.edu/member/lisa-akers-phd/), PhD, RDN, IBCLC, RLC, FAND. Dr. Akers is currently the Program Chair for the Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation, the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness, the Master of Arts in Human Lactation Studies, and the Master of Arts in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics Programs at Union Institute & University. Join us now for this timely and thought-provoking discussion. This is a two-part series, so be sure to listen to both segments (once available).

Authors of Union features a conversation with one of our many published authors. Today’s guest is Peter Lazes, (Union Ph.D. ’74) alumnus with concentrations in Clinical and Industrial Psychology. Peter’s book “From the Ground Up: How Frontline Staff Can Save Americas Healthcare,” coauthored with Marie Rudden, M.D., outlines concrete steps to improve the healthcare system with research-based labor management practices that apply to all areas of work. A specialist in organizational change, leadership development, and labor-management partnerships, Dr. Lazes will discuss the importance of worker participation in decision-making that has applications in many sectors of our economy. Dr. Lazes is the founder and former director of the Healthcare Transformation Project and Programs for Employment and Workplace Systems at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he served for 40 years. He is now Visiting Professor and Co-Coordinator, Healthcare Partnership Initiative, School of Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State University. He has worked with labor union and management leaders in the U.S. and Europe to customize and implement strategic worker participation programs and employee-driven innovative opportunities. His recent work involves assisting hospitals and healthcare organizations to develop methods to improve patient care and reduce costs with a focus on frontline staff engagement. He has written more than 30 articles on such topics as the creation of agile work systems, new roles for unions in the 21st century, ways to create meaningful jobs, methods to increase civic participation, strategies for keeping American jobs and has produced several videotapes on topics such as creating breakthroughs in organizations. Dr. Lazes and his partner Marie Rudden, MD, plan to create a series of webinars about labor/management partnerships in the near future. Your host is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in the UI&U General Education Program, poet, and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. His poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. His fellowships include the American Antiquarian Society, The Writers’ Room of Boston, and the St. Botolph Club, as well as a residency from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at UC.

Authors of Union features a conversation with one of our many published authors. Today’s guest is Peter Lazes, (Union Ph.D. ’74) alumnus with concentrations in Clinical and Industrial Psychology. Peter’s book “From the Ground Up: How Frontline Staff Can Save Americas Healthcare,” coauthored with Marie Rudden, M.D., outlines concrete steps to improve the healthcare system with research-based labor management practices that apply to all areas of work. A specialist in organizational change, leadership development, and labor-management partnerships, Dr. Lazes will discuss the importance of worker participation in decision-making that has applications in many sectors of our economy. Dr. Lazes is the founder and former director of the Healthcare Transformation Project and Programs for Employment and Workplace Systems at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he served for 40 years. He is now Visiting Professor and Co-Coordinator, Healthcare Partnership Initiative, School of Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State University. He has worked with labor union and management leaders in the U.S. and Europe to customize and implement strategic worker participation programs and employee-driven innovative opportunities. His recent work involves assisting hospitals and healthcare organizations to develop methods to improve patient care and reduce costs with a focus on frontline staff engagement. He has written more than 30 articles on such topics as the creation of agile work systems, new roles for unions in the 21st century, ways to create meaningful jobs, methods to increase civic participation, strategies for keeping American jobs, and has produced several videotapes on topics such as creating breakthroughs in organizations. Dr. Lazes and his partner Marie Rudden, MD, plan to create a series of webinars about labor/management partnerships in the near future. Your host is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in the UI&U General Education Program, poet, and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. His poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. His fellowships include the American Antiquarian Society, The Writers’ Room of Boston, and the St. Botolph Club, as well as a residency from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at UC.

Getting to Know the Millennial and Gen Z in the Church and What They Want: Cultivating Momentum in a Peculiar Age with a Digital Crowd In this episode, host Devin E. West and guest Dacari J. Middlebrooks discuss how they were raised in predominantly African American Protestant churches – what they were told to do as well as what they were not told. Among other things, they will also talk about how Millennials/Gen Z stay connected to the church and how our new normal with virtual worship can help them be a positive and creative voice for the church. Our guest, Dacari J. Middlebrooks, is a huge advocate for human development and a chief catalyst for social and cultural change. He earned his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Vanderbilt University. Inspired by his own battle with depression, Middlebrooks authored his book, “The Depressed Millennial: Surviving Unmet Expectations.” It is his hope that those battling depression, particularly Millennials, will find inspiration in his story, seek treatment, and survive the unmet expectations levied against them. His book can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Depressed-Millennial-Dacari-J-Middlebrooks/dp/171860582X Host Devin E. West currently serves as the pastor at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Hamilton, OH. He has earned a B.A. in Pastoral Counseling and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.). Pastor West is currently pursuing his doctorate at Union Institute & University in the Ethical and Creative Leadership program with a focus in Transforming Leadership. Pastor West is very active in the community, working closely with city leaders, officials, and pastors. He has worked on various boards and helped to energize organizations with his exuberance and commitment. He has held positions such as Dean of Christian Education and associate dean. He seeks to bridge the gap of racial divide that continues to hinder and hurt our churches, leaving them bereft of change.

In this episode, we will be discussing the importance of improvisation and creativity for mental health. Your host is Heather Hans. She is a Ph.D. student at Union Institute & University with a concentration in ethical & creative leadership. She is a licensed clinical social worker and has master’s degrees in social work and business administration. Heather is a TV expert guest and does a weekly mental health segment on 9News Denver. She has a psychotherapy practice in Colorado and her research interests are improvisation and creativity in TV & media, in order to empower others. Heather’s guest is Dr. Steven Pritzker. He was a writer and producer of hit TV shows for over 20 years. He later went back to school to get his doctorate in Educational Psychology. Dr. Pritzker is the co-creator and editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Creativity, which helped establish the study of creativity as a field of research. He is a Saybrook University faculty member and creativity coach.

In part two of this series, Dr. Rosalyn Brown-Beatty, director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, continues her conversation with alumnus Antwan McKenzie Plez, a licensed mental health counselor and graduate of the CMHC program. Please be sure to listen to part one prior to listening to this segment.

We are excited to have a returning host as Dr. Rosalyn Brown-Beatty joins us again for another two-part series. She is the director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Union Institute & University. Her guest is Antwan McKenzie Plez, a 2018 graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Antwan will discuss his experience with being a student in the program as well as his work in the counseling field. Antwan is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida and operates a fully virtual private practice specializing in the treatment of trauma and grief. This will be a two-part series, so please be sure to listen to part two once it’s published.

Authors of Union features a conversation with one of our published authors. Your host is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in the UI&U General Education Program, poet and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. His poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. His fellowships include the American Antiquarian Society, The Writers’ Room of Boston, and the St. Botolph Club, as well as a residency from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at UC. Today’s conversation (part two of two) is with Union Ph.D. ’99 alumnus Melvin Gravely II, author of Dear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity. Dr. Gravely eloquently accomplishes what many have undoubtedly wished to do: talk openly to someone we know about race in the United States today. He uses significant experience as a business and civic leader to express a rare balance in this timely message. The book is a forthright, collegial conversation via chapters in the form of letters, each with a combination of personal reflection and meaningful hard facts. He challenges the reader but without judgment or indictment. His depth of thought, deftness of expression, and clear, layman’s terms make for an urgent call to begin to close the gap between races in America. The book presents an invitation to understand three questions at the heart of the issue: What is really going on with race in our country? Why must we care? And what can we do about it together? In the end, Dr. Gravely calls on us to ask ourselves, “What is my role in all of this?” After reading Dear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity readers will understand why their answer to his question can change everything.

Authors of Union features a conversation with one of our published authors. Your host is Dr. Linwood Rumney, professor in the UI&U General Education Program, poet and author. He is the winner of the 17th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award for Abandoned Earth. His poems and nonfiction essays have appeared in many publications including the North American Review and Crab Orchard Review. His translations of Aloysius Bertrand, an early practitioner of the modern prose poem in French, have appeared in Arts & Letters and Hayden’s Ferry Review. His fellowships include the American Antiquarian Society, The Writers’ Room of Boston, and the St. Botolph Club, as well as a residency from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He recently completed his Ph.D. as a Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellow at UC. Today’s conversation (part one of two) is with Union Ph.D. ’99 alumnus Melvin Gravely II, author of Dear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity. Dr. Gravely eloquently accomplishes what many have undoubtedly wished to do: talk openly to someone we know about race in the United States today. He uses significant experience as a business and civic leader to express a rare balance in this timely message. The book is a forthright, collegial conversation via chapters in the form of letters, each with a combination of personal reflection and meaningful hard facts. He challenges the reader but without judgment or indictment. His depth of thought, deftness of expression, and clear, layman’s terms make for an urgent call to begin to close the gap between races in America. The book presents an invitation to understand three questions at the heart of the issue: What is really going on with race in our country? Why must we care? And what can we do about it together? In the end, Dr. Gravely calls on us to ask ourselves, “What is my role in all of this?” After reading Dear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity readers will understand why their answer to his question can change everything.