There needs to be a way for someone to naturally—whether I’m interested in [politics or not]—be able to help with what is important. With what needs to be done. Having to go to a poll or having to go somewhere to register and to vote and being in line and waiting outside [all day]…that is, what I think, really turns off people. We can’t do it electronically, but we have apps like Postmates, we have apps like Uber and Lyft. We even have Weed Maps. They come to you. Why can’t [they] come to us and we sign whatever we need to sign, we fill out our paperwork to [to vote]? We can create an app for people to come to us. It [can be] that simple..if we can take the stress out of [the voting process] It’s important. That’s the point of apps and technology. It’s to make things easier for us and without compromise. …We would obviously have to have funding for such a thing, but if they have funding for…weed deliver apps and for people that can bring your food to you…why can’t you bring my papers that I can vote with?His comments also point to technology being inseparable from the sociopolitical framework of this country and it is something that should be discussed more, given that tech giants like Mark Zuckerburg (CEO of Facebook), Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter), Travis Kalanick (former CEO and consider themselves to be apolitical (and non-complicit) and are finding out the hard way that they are not. Still. While the summit occurred in a particularly safe space (which was sorely needed), the events speakers, organizers, and attendees were not ignorant of the chaotic world that swirled around. When asked what she would say to all the young (and perhaps older) voters who are feeling apathy and despair under the current administration, and in the midst of the Kavanaugh hearings Shahidi stated, “I feel like EighteenX18 in many ways is like a form of reclamation, especially now that it feels as though the government is happening without us, as though they’re going to proceed as business as usual, no matter what we do, no matter how we feel. Eighteen x Eighteen was a way to really spell out how we can be civically engaged in between [the chaos] and the importance of voting.” Lethal Weapon’s Chandler Kinney added, “I think the answer is in why we’re all here today. Today is all about engaging young people [despite the chaos]. Today is about engaging in collaborating and connecting, to inspire.” I found myself nodding through their words, remembering what Red Redding said in Shawshank Redemption about hope being “a dangerous thing”. And it’s funny because listening to every young person at this summit advocate for themselves and hype themselves up to literally vote in this next election definitely encouraged my cynical ass to even feel some semblance of hope. Why? Because it’s a reminder that even in as bleak a time as this, hope is necessary. Does this make them dangerous? Perhaps. But maybe that’s exactly the message that America needs to hear right now.
How We Heal In A Divided World
Sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
In the wake of the 2024 election season, Essence sat down with W.K. Kellogg Foundation President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron to discuss her forthcoming book How We Heal, which makes a powerful case for hope through racial healing. Below, Tabron talks about why she wrote the book, the promise of racial healing, and why we need it now more than ever.
We just came out of an extremely polarizing election season. Americans are deeply divided—a poll conducted by Johns Hopkins University in late October found that nearly half of Americans think members of the opposing party are “evil.” Your forthcoming book, How We Heal, discusses how we got here and how we can find common ground through the practice of racial healing. Let’s start with the basics: what is racial healing?
TABRON: Racial healing is a practice with roots in Indigenous communities that harness our shared, deeply human need for connection. It starts with truth-telling and solidarity-building and asks us to confront uncomfortable realities about our histories, society, and unconscious beliefs.
One of racial healing’s most potent tools is the racial healing circle, a powerful technique I’ve seen used successfully across various communities and identities throughout the United States and the world. In racial healing circles, facilitators help participants share their experiences in an environment free of blame or shame. These dialogues are, by definition, not easy—but where other conversations tend to break down, healing work helps us “stay in the room” by giving us the tools to work through difficult emotions when they pop up.
When we do that, something remarkable happens. People begin to see their shared humanity. Relationships emerge. With these relationships in place, communities can begin to address the racism that has rooted itself in the many systems, structures, and institutions that give shape and meaning to our lives.
How We Heal weaves your personal story with the Kellogg Foundation’s journey to center racial equity and racial healing in its philanthropic work. Why did you choose to include your personal story in the book?
TABRON: My story is an American story. I’m a child of the Great Migration, which my mother and father joined to escape the Jim Crow South in search of a better life. I was born in Detroit, a workshop for democracy, during a grand but ultimately flawed experiment with racial integration. I’ve faced the obstacles and indignities familiar to anyone who has lived as a person of color in the United States.
I also grew up surrounded by love, education, and opportunities to pursue my passions and dreams. I thrived because of that nurturing environment. Every child deserves that chance.
My story and the stories of so many others like me make it clear: race, a part of our identities we cannot choose or change, should not determine our opportunities or outcomes. Our stories are powerful and telling them can be the first step toward change.
We’ve seen the backlash against racial equity efforts at the federal government level, in universities, and in the workplace. Is racial healing possible in this environment?
We know some loud voices are trying to advance a story about businesses retreating from DEI efforts, but that is a false narrative. For example, there have been intense efforts by some corporate shareholders to push forward anti-DEI proposals in boardrooms, with 15 of these made in 2023 and 30 made in 2024. It may even seem that support for these proposals is growing because those same shareholders are putting anti-DEI proposals forward in an increasing number of C-suites. In truth, support for anti-DEI activism is falling, and of the proposals brought to a vote in 2023 and so far in 2024, none have received majority support.
From our work through our Expanding Equity initiative, we see that workplace DEI continues to be in demand by employees and a priority for leaders. Many are taking the opportunity to reassess and reprioritize the highest-impact efforts.
Racial healing is needed when so many Americans struggle to communicate with one another and find common ground. We may disagree on the solutions to some problems we face, but many of us are tired of the division that seems to define our country and paralyze our institutions.
If we want to build a better future for our children—and I still believe most of us share that goal—we must find a way to work together. Fortunately, the tools of racial healing work across any divide, including partisan, class, demographic, and generational.
Racial healing provides a framework to connect with people across our differences. It allows us to recognize our shared values and fate, even if we haven’t always shared a similar American experience. Anyone and everyone can take the first—or the next—step on this journey, and I hope this book empowers more people to do so.