And its influences in a white life — My experience of blackness as a white man is as someone allowed inside a community which is not my own. To members of the Black community, I am a cousin, a friend, an ally, teammate, coworker, and in times past, a romantic partner. Yet, I remain white. …

The U.S. Problem with Acknowledging Historical Truth — Ignorance can be educated. Of the many reasons for obtaining and maintaining a thorough and unadulterated education, this is the most important. Unlike mathematics, the humanities — which include history — demand repeated and ever-deepening explorations in order to fully understand the why, who, what, when, where, and how. On…

Reforging Bonds in Time — In all my (almost) 38 years on Earth, one individual came close to never receiving my forgiveness. Having not only inserted himself uninvited into my life, the results of his actions detonated my biggest dreams and obliterated my life to the point of rebuilding from foundation. …

The Community Spread We Need — If anyone found the rush on toilet paper, et al. absurd, they’ve either never lived through a major storm or failed to view It’s A Wonderful Life. The 49er-like stampede continued from Brisbane to Boston for days on end. Even with strict, retailer-imposed rations in place, aisles of dry goods…

Implementing Bold, New Processes from Lesson Learned — In the span of less than a month, educators across the United States proved their worth in spades. Ixnay the soul-cushing, state tests. Ixnay the cumbersome, formal evaluations. Throw down the gauntlets, get creative, and teach. These marching orders thundered from the highest levels of educational bureaucracy — not without…

How Mandatory Summer Programs Do More Harm Than Good — Bright lights. Thunderous crowds. Primed competitors. For communities across America, our local high school sports’ teams provide the very essence of unity. Win or lose, these players embody storied pasts and expectant futures. Their feats become the sustaining lore of lives beyond their own. We embrace them with gladiatorial enthusiasm…

That Changed His View of Service & the World Forever — That Changed His View of Service & the World Forever Anxiously awaiting takeoff from St. Louis International for Marine Combat Training, the pilot’s announcement of a delay did not help. I craned my head from the aisle seat and stared out at nothing but open runway and a clear, blue…

Why the Crisis at Our Southern Border Should Keep Us Up at Night — When Ariel entered my room that morning, I recognized something was wrong. Foremost, she came in long before class during a time when she usually laughed it up in the cafeteria with friends. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she collapsed into the papasan and asked if we could talk…

Considerations in the 21st Century — A near perfect enchantment surrounds the celebration of our nation’s founding. One need not feel guilty to have never served in the armed forces. One need not remain in somber memorialization. One need not buy gifts galore or spend solo hours preparing a meal. …