Pronouns
she/her
What do you do as a consultant/coach?
I support individuals, groups, and communities to actualize, deepen, and sustain their commitments to racial justice and liberation. My work includes supporting organizations in operationalizing racial equity in their policies, practices, culture, and ethos; designing and facilitating white caucuses in organizations; and facilitating meetings, retreats, and change processes. I coach individuals seeking to strengthen their racial equity practice, to work through current issues that may be inhibiting action, and to build leadership skills with accountability practices. My coaching also includes working with groups to think through strategy and consider entry points in their change process, engage staff, address tension points, and sustain racial equity/justice change work. Over the years, I have written about change processes, disrupting philanthropy, and how we and organizations can deepen our resolve and our work collectively. Also, I conduct research, curate best practices and resource lists, and develop and facilitate communities of practice and networks to expand our individual learning and further our action for racial justice.
What is your approach?
At MP Associates Consulting, our work begins with understanding your unique history, strengths, and challenges within the broader community and systemic context. We honor the work that has come before and recognize the wisdom already present in your efforts. Together, we examine power dynamics, build internal will for change, and discuss actions within an institutional and systemic context that align with your goals for racial equity and justice.
Accountability is central to how we work. We work transparently, assess current practices, learn from one another’s experience, and remain accountable to each other and the wider community while centering communities and individuals most impacted by injustice. This includes reflecting about where progress is happening and where challenges remain, building relationships and encouraging client partners to share their skills and experiences to contribute to the broader movement for equity and justice.
In my coaching approach I focus on clarifying what you want to achieve in your racial justice journey. This includes reflecting on your narratives, behaviors, and practices to identify areas for growth, and exploring the risks and opportunities involved in taking action. Together, we build new skills and strategies to help align your efforts with your commitments, ensuring they are intentional, effective, and impactful.
How has your experience/background contributed to your work?
Over the past 30 years, my work has been profoundly shaped by countless heroes and sheroes work, as well as by my family and growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. These influences have anchored my ongoing journey of learning, practicing, and taking action for racial justice.
In 1994, while working in St. Louis, Missouri, I co-designed a six-day residential Dismantling Racism Institute with an accomplished group of faculty. This program graduated over 200 participants who committed to two years of action. At the same time, I co-created a comprehensive community initiative, CommUNITY St. Louis, with the Collaboration Council. Later, in Washington, D.C., we built a national network of 150+ race relations and racial justice organizations in 2000, and then in 2011, worked with a core team of activists to establish another network of racial equity organizations. Networks and communities of practice are critical in developing our communication and action with each other. Collaborating with Sally Leiderman and Shakti Butler, we co-created RacialEquityTools.org and the Transforming White Privilege curriculum. These efforts solidified my dedication to writing, developing, and sharing tools and resources to advance racial justice.
These experiences, along with working with organizations to operationalize their commitment to racial equity, and strengthening leaders’ tenacity to advance racial justice, continuously develops my approach as well as my own personal learning and action as a white person with privilege.