Author Patti Digh visits the ReRooted Podcast for a conversation about understanding systemic racism and waking up to our own biases.
Patti Digh is the author of 8 books, including the grassroots bestseller, Life is a Verb: 37 days to wake up, be mindful, and live intentionally. Formerly the founding Vice President of International and Diversity Programs for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), with over 350,000 members worldwide, since 1996, Patti’s company, Strong Offer LLC, has inspired individuals and organizations to create courageous, creative, compassionate and inclusive communities so people can make “strong offers” that change the world. Learn more at pattidigh.com.
Waking Up to Racism
Patti talks about encountering the realities of racism at an early age. She shares the influences that led her to work in social justice and towards the eradication of structural racism. Francesca and Patti talk about applying mindfulness to our own biases and privileges when examining racism.
Hard Conversations (24:10)
Francesca and Patti discuss the discomfort that comes when people of privilege confront the truths of structural racism. Together they look at the role that fear plays in racism.
“Racism is a complexity, not a complicated problem. A complicated problem is solvable. You make a plan and you solve it. Racism is not solvable in that way.” – Patti Digh
More Than History (37:10)
Patti and Francesca talk about Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the day of the announcement that slavery was abolished in America. They discuss events encompassing this year’s Juneteenth that highlight the division and ignorance that still exists around racism.
“We have to look for these kinds of hallmarks of what the culture is talking about.” – Patti Digh
Explore unseen bias and tools for working with racism with Ruth King and Sharon Salzberg on Ep. 87 of the Metta Hour Podcast
