Many reasons exist why an organization may come to a point of needing to change its internal culture. Some of these include patterns of abuse, patterns of fraud, patterns of betrayal among leadership, or patterns of racism, sexism, or phobias which lead to oppressing certain persons. 

If your organization is considering ways to change internal culture, here are some questions to help you focus and be effective in making important changes: 
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1. Have you consulted with persons most harmed or impacted by the previous cultural practices you are working to change? What, specifically, is their advise for what needs to change? 
2. If the changes you hope for take place, how will you know? And how will others know? What will have changed? Be specific. 
3. Are there amends that ought to take place, first, in order to enact change? If so, what are they? 
4. If you run into strong and differing opinions within your organization about changing culture, hosting debriefings or constructive, guided conversations may help to relieve tensions. This can be done by organizational leaders, but also may require a third party to more effectively facilitate these conversations. Will bringing in a third party to facilitate debriefings or constructive conversations help with relieving tensions? 
5. What specific measures need to be put in place to keep the organization moving forward in its goal of changing culture? 

​Keep in mind that the more specific you can be at the outset in making plans for cultural change, the more effective you can be. There are additional considerations to keep in mind, but these will help any organization begin to create an effective map forward. 

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​When people talk about emergency or disaster preparedness, they most often refer to exit or evacuation strategies, communication plans, and stocking supplies. They rarely, if ever, refer to the mental, emotional, and spiritual practices proven to help survivors thrive beyond adversity. 

​What are these healthful practices? 

According to researchers like Peter Levine (2012), Bessel van der Kolk (2014), Nadine Burke-Harris (2018), and Nagoski and Nagoski (2019), the keys to thriving beyond adversity are:

​Perhaps what is most compelling about research into the practices that help sustain resiliency is that these acts often are the very elements that make up a community's culture. The food, the dance, the art, the patterns of rest, the family gatherings and neighborly interactions. These are the very things – research is showing – that we ought to embrace in times of crisis and not neglect.

​In what ways do you or your community maintain healthy cultural practices, even and especially in times of crisis? How have you seen these practices sustain you? Share in the comments below.

As we continue to process in each of our communities the ways that injustices can be addressed and repaired, White persons around you, in your communities, congregations, and teams, or you as a White person, may be re-evaluating systems of racism and wondering what specifically can be done next.

Here are some important practices for White persons to consider, for participating in dismantling systems of racism within one's immediate environments:
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Conduct an Inventory of Relationships

• How many Persons of Color are leaders in your life, in your immediate surroundings, at work, at school, in your congregation, or in your community?
• How many Persons of Color do you seek advice or guidance from on a regular basis, when making decisions in your life?
• How many Persons of Color authors do you read, through books, news articles, academic journals, or other premier sources?
• How many Persons of Color professionals do you seek services from?
• How many Persons of Color are neighbors who live in your current neighborhood?

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These are only a few of the questions to be asking yourself related to systems of racism in which you may participate, including professional or work environments, local government, literature, and real estate.

Make Changes
As you review your answers to the questions above, if you found that your numbers are low, what steps can you take to increase the numbers in answer to those questions?

​Breaking down the insulation that the above questions might reveal requires continual intentional actions in which you see and perceive Persons of Color as genuinely esteemed persons in your life. Not as people in need of your help. Not as people to "enable." Rather, as people to learn from, be guided by, and with whom to partner. As peers and leaders in your life.

While it may be relatively easy to increase your reading of Persons of Color authors – and I would encourage you to do that – I would also encourage you to explore the ways you can increase numbers in response to the other questions. This may take harder, or more uncomfortable, work in some cases. It may require having hard conversations with persons in your work, school, congregation, or local real estate arenas.
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Having these conversations, with thoughtfulness and a focus on listening carefully, are some of the ways you can begin to make a difference. ​

Thank you for being committed to care in the face of ongoing collective trauma. Your care restores.