Mirabai Bush welcomes Rhonda V. Magee for a conversation around the importance of narrative in social justice, the connection between love and justice, and much more.
Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and has spent more than twenty years exploring the intersections of anti-racist education, social justice, and contemplative practices. She is an internationally-recognized innovator, storyteller, thought and practice leader on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice, and author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. Learn more about Rhonda at rhondavmagee.com.
Rhonda V. Magee gives her keynote address at the 4th International Conference on Mindfulness live online on July 5th. Click here to learn more and register for the event.
The Importance of Narrative in Social Justice
Mirabai asks Rhonda about her book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice. They discuss the importance of narrative and story in relation to the law and social justice, and how the stories of those who are suffering the most are often the stories that get marginalized. Rhonda talks about how she brings mindfulness and compassion practices to her classroom.
“A lot of folks who care particularly about social justice make an extra effort to bring in the stories of those who have traditionally been marginalized under our system.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Anti-Racism and Love (27:00)
Mirabai and Rhonda explore anti-racism and how it’s not some fixed achievement, but something that needs to be incorporated into our everyday mindfulness practice and embraced as a way of being. They talk about love and how it fits in with social justice. Justice is not just about care made visible, but also how we are with ourselves and each other.
“This, to me, is why it is that mindfulness is such a perfect technology for working with racism.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Sharon Salzberg speaks with Rhonda V. Magee about bringing mindfulness to racial justice issues on Metta Hour Ep. 125
A Common Ancestor (45:45)
Mirabai asks Rhonda to lead one of the mindfulness practices from her book. Rhonda talks about the liberating potential of mindfulness practice, then leads a guided meditation where we invite a sense of the Mother in us. It’s about moving back through the generations and connecting to a common ancestor that all of humanity shares.
“We’re inviting this sense of a lineage, walking back from ourselves through to that human being who brought us into the world.” – Rhonda V. Magee
