There may be no limit to what a mother would do to give her son a world of opportunities.  Pam and her son frequently drove over 5 hours a day commuting to high school and to sporting events. And Pam has spent many, many hours on the track and soccer sidelines cheering him on. Now at age 58, Pam is very excited that her son is … Continue reading Pam

Does our culture drive the television, film and media industry or does the TV, film and media industry drive the culture?  That is a question that has been on the mind of Corey for many years.  In this time of serious concern about racial equity, Corey feels the entertainment industry has an important obligation to highlight more diverse stories from a more diverse range of … Continue reading Corey

Sports is part of the answer in Nigel’s mind.  By engaging in sports with people of diverse backgrounds, we can get to know each other in ways which encourage understanding and tolerance of cultural differences. Nigel is a sports-loving gentle soul, even listening to spa music in the background while we talked.  Having graduated from Maynard Jackson High School in 2019, Nigel lives in Southeast Atlanta with … Continue reading Nigel

Mixing directness with diplomacy is a skill she has had to perfect over the last several decades as a trained lawyer, consultant and non-profit volunteer.  Even today, Candace often is one of the few, and sometimes the only, Black women in the room. Candace had an early influence on this project of interviewing my Black friends about race and helped formulate some of the questions.  She … Continue reading Candace

Always looking to give people the benefit of the doubt, Christina could not be sure, she said, that the incidents on the basketball court were racially related.  Others would probably not have been so generous in their assessment.  At 5’7” with her hair up, she is often smiling when she’s playing basketball.  But she is a fierce competitor on the court and, in fact, will … Continue reading Christina

It was becoming clear to me a few years ago that staying quiet on issues of race was no longer going to be enough, as a white woman benefitting from privilege.  I have long had an interest in civil rights and social justice issues, and I am fortunate now to have relationships with many people of color.  According to Robert Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute, … Continue reading Intro by Ellen

David has the demeanor of a beloved teacher who has been down this road before.  You want his opinion and you know he is going to tell it to you straight, even if it is hard to hear.  He has had to be an educator on race many times, and it shows in his calm, patient manner. Having lived in the Atlanta area since 1982, David, a … Continue reading David

Because she is fun loving and easy going while still being a formidable executive, it seems it would take a lot to get under her skin.  Mona describes herself as a glass half full kind of person.  Yet the events of the May and June in U.S. race relations have left her frustrated and struggling to process it all.   Mona has been frustrated that not all of her … Continue reading Mona