I would say “Happy birthday America” but some years ago I learned that there are other Americas. (It is a lesson I should have learned earlier.)
I would say “Happy Birthday to the US” but we don’t seem to be united. (And when there are people in our country who are seemingly okay with discrimination and violence and something adjacent to tyranny, I don’t feel a call to be united with every single person, so that’s cool.)
For my part, on our country’s 250th birthday, I want to hear from some truth tellers. And, because my faith is important to me and because there is so much of religion that gets twisted into politics that it makes me literally ill….I want to hear from some faithful truth tellers.
I am thinking of the words of Dr. King, in Memphis, in his last public speech. I want this country to “be true to what you said on paper” like he did. Our earliest “official” documents talk about equality and about justice and about liberty, I want us to truly pursue that.
Maybe because it was his last speech, maybe because Memphis was home for me for several years, maybe because several years ago I heard a reflection from one of the sanitation workers who marched with Dr. King… for whatever the reason, this speech of his is one that I keep coming back to. As he said toward the end of the speech, “Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.”
I believe we still have an opportunity to make this country a better one, but it is something we have to be intentional about.
In April 2025, Dr. Rev. William Barber referenced Dr. King’s speech in his own impassioned rally of the people, and encouraged us to “stand tall” and to lead with love and repent of apathy. It does so often seem like people are apathetic to the injustices around us. Aside from Rev. Barber’s powerful delivery, I appreciate that he gives us tasks we can do. We don’t just have to feel apathetic or frozen from the trauma happening around us.
Christians for Social Action is an organization with resources for how we can stand together and take action with people, especially people our systems have marginalized and made vulnerable.
The American Friends Service Committee is another group that I trust and whose work is grounded in a belief that we have to simultaneously challenge injustice and work for peace.
I am going to wrap up here with a reference to Sojourners, an organization I have been learning from for about 30 years now (eek). They have a piece by Jamar Tisby, entitled “After 250 Years, Christians Owe America the Truth”.
In social work we talk a lot about “meeting people where they are”. We mean it in the sense of beginning the work where the client is, not where we (or they) wish they were. We mean it in the sense of being non-judgemental, and of prioritizing client voice and choice. Below I reflect on a Biblical example of someone being met where they were. I don’t always connect my faith and my profession so explicitly on this blog (though they are always connected in real life), but when this example struck me a few weeks ago I haven’t been able to forget it.
One day recently I was coming home, coming through the garage and into our house through our old homeschool room, which is now laundry disaster area, crafting and art making mecca, and temporary garden growing station. I knew that my middle daughter was home because I saw her car in the driveway, and she knew I was on my way home because I texted her when I left campus. So the two of us were in the know about who was home and who was coming home. No one was in the dark about that.
Well. I opened the door to the homeschool room and immediately heard screeching and screaming from her, who was an inch or two away from the door. Me being me, I started screeching and screaming too and there we stood, for almost a full minute, just screaming because we had scared each other so badly with our presence.
Imagine if either one of us had been in the space depicted in John 20, with the disciples in that locked room, when all of a sudden Jesus appears and calmly gave everyone a greeting of peace. I can’t fathom the screaming that would have happened if she and I would have been there. We might have been the focus of the next few verses instead of who we commonly, and I think mistakenly, refer to as “doubting Thomas”.
After his appearance in the room and his greeting of peace to everyone, Jesus says to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” He said that because Thomas had missed the first post resurrection sighting of Jesus, and despite what the other disciples told him, Thomas said he wouldn’t believe until he saw the scars in the hand and on the side. Jesus met him where he was.
When I was growing up, anytime I would express doubt at something, my granny called me a Doubting Thomas. I think that’s how a lot of people refer to him, but I would like to push back on that a bit or at least not make it the prime point of his identity. We know that Thomas had been a follower, and I think at that point in time, he was expressing some disbelief, some confusion. Something I have certainly experienced before. And Jesus had mercy on him, and provided him with the evidence he was seeking. This helped him be at peace, and get moving again toward the work he was called to do.
So many people I know right now are balancing tension between belief and disbelief, between faith and confusion, between certainty in the Lord and doubt. I have been in that place before. And know that Jesus will meet you where you are in your journey, whether it is on a road, in a room, through a hymn, in nature, or through community.
Some of us aren’t having a crisis of faith per se, but we are having a crisis of humanity. Why do so many “believers” spout racist talk? Why do some “believers” abuse power? And, on days that I balance the tension between wanting to lay on the couch and read a good book while the world burns around me, and going out to try to do a little good out in the world, I am thankful for people who meet me where I am in a non-judgemental way and help me remember the work I am called to do.
Moral of the story: (1) meet people where they are, in a non-judgemental way (2) help them hear their calling (3) let people into your life who can do these things for you.
A week ago we had graduation, and earlier this week I turned in my final grades. I have been alternating going through piles of paper, a slew of emails, and attending meetings. I have also done a couple of walks and enjoyed not feeling like my hair was on fair.
As graduation is more in my rearview mirror, I will eventually stop going into the office every day and I will read for fun and also take longer walks and get to spend more time with friends and family at a pace that is different than my normal. I eat healthier in the summer. I have more friend time and less screen time.
I flourish in the summer. (My friend Aimee calls this “Summer Sabrina”.)
I think it is important to note: Flourishing doesn’t equal “not working”. I am never fully away from my work for very long, because my work is a big part of my identity and something I feel called to do and be. I think what makes me flourish in the summer is the different pace of the work, and that I have time to reflect more and to think about different aspects of work (and life). And, as mentioned previously, my hair doesn’t feel like it is on fire.
The academic year is fast paced and sometimes frenetic. Even semesters that feel long go by quickly. I am not as mindful in the semester as I would like to be, and not as healthy.
All of this begs the question….what do I need to do differently to have aspects of Summer Sabrina in August through April? How can I practice some genuine self care (even if it is boring self care) so that I might be of better service to others?
I also want to stretch my poetry and essay reading and writing throughout the year, not just summer. Here is one of my favorite poets and essayists: David Whyte I am also working personally on a collection of poems tied to headlines. How many have I written since last summer? One.
So….while I have other things on my bucket list, a big part of my summer “me time” will be thinking about how to have more wellness and more flourishing year round. If you know me in real life, hold me to this!
Almost 61 years ago the Voting Rights Act was passed, thanks in totality to the blood, sweat, and tears of civil rights activists. (If you aren’t familiar with Bloody Sunday in Alabama, read this for the history that happened immediately leading up to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.)
Every time part of the Act gets gutted by the Supreme Court, we lose some of that equity progress as well as basic protections. Last week’s decision, followed by actions of certain states (including Tennessee, where I live), is an attempt to get ahead of what could otherwise be disastrous midterms for a certain party.
If you live in Tenn and care about voting equity and basic civil rights protection, I beg you to call or at least email your representatives to ask them to vote against this latest redistricting plot. If you live in any other state, pay close attention to what is going on with respect to local elections. If you need help with finding out info in your specific area, I am happy to help!
I hate AI on principle because of the impacts on the environment. It is profoundly, negatively affecting our environment, of which we only have one.
As a professor, I reaaaaallllly hate AI because it has made my work harder. (Harder in the frustrating sense, not harder in the sense of “I am struggling but learning” sense.) I may write about that differently another day, but today I am focusing on the environment.
Every week for the last several months I have found myself in a conversation with someone about AI, and most of the time this person has found a new use for it that they are smitten about. I generally make a face (the exact face you get depends on our relationship) and say, “But….the environment….”and the conversation really doesn’t go much past that point. It is not that people don’t care about the environment, it’s that people don’t know the depths of the environmental impact. I know that I didn’t. So I have committed to researching some reputable sources and hopefully my environmental arguments will land better in the future. (I say this knowing that even my computer use, anyone’s basic computer and energy use, also has environmental impacts. I know there are other ways I can live more sustainably too. We are all works in progress.)
Below are some of the highlights of what I learned. Let me know if you want more details and links b/c I can surely send them!
There is also something known as “the green paradox”, explained in this article. In essence, there are ways that AI can theoretically contribute in a positive way to the environment, such as in monitoring deforestation and other ecosystems. However, the authors of this piece recognize that we are far from AI sustainability practices necessary for it to be more of an ally, and that right now AIs carbon and water footprints are growing faster than equivalent environmental benefits.
So, there you have it: the primary reason I hate AI. And while every time I say it, I feel like a 90 year old screaming to “get off my lawn”, I am going to learn to embrace it. Keeping green spaces and a healthy water supply is worth it.
A few weeks ago I learned that it was “Social Prescription Day”, celebrated annually on March 26. I learned of this in the evening of March 26, of course, kind of too late to prescribe myself, or anyone else, something social to do. (If you are new to the term, social prescriptions are “a systematic approach to addressing patients’ social needs by referring them to or implementing community-based interventions and facilitating social connection based on individual need”. You can see this quote in context, and learn more about social prescriptions, by checking out this case/commentary note from the Journal of Medical Ethics.
Anyway, when I was preparing my class for March 27 (a Friday, so a 50 minute class), I decided I could tie in the idea of social prescriptions to my last class of the day: Social Work Practice with Children and Families. That week on Monday and Wednesday we had been talking about isolation that many families experience, the challenges of building social and instrumental supports with families, and the ways that isolation can increase risk for child abuse and neglect at the family and community system levels. So, we spent the first 10 to 12 minutes of Friday’s class finishing that discussion and looking at a program meant to build informal support networks around families. (You can check out the Family Hui Initiative here…very cool!)
And then I told my students they could have the rest of the class time to do something that would either reduce social isolation (if they were feeling isolated) or they could do something to promote social connection with others or among others. I told them I would ask them the following Monday what they had done, so they couldn’t just blow the rest of class off and be done with it.
I had some students who decided to pair up and go take a walk on campus (and it was a lovely day for that, one of our first warm spring days). I had other students who opted to stay in class and do social things with each other: I had brought a basket and bag of things to class with me: play dough, coloring books and markers and crayons, legos, Uno cards, and a puzzle. I had a couple of students take the sidewalk chalk I had bought and go outside toward the sidewalks around the quad.
I played Uno with four students, including one student who has come late consistently all semester and is new to campus this semester. We had to encourage her to join us, but when she did, she came alive in a different type of way. While we played we shared some about our weekend plans, but mostly about who we had played Uno with in the past, so we had a chance to learn about people’s families. I checked in periodically with the other groups who were coloring, building a replica of the campus clock tower out of legos, and puzzling.
The group that took the sidewalk chalk outside appeared at the end of class to return my chalk. One student who is not actually in my class, but had gotten caught up in the activity, came along with the others to return it. He said, and I quote, “that was very satisfying”.
I left class and walked back to my office feeling pretty good about the use of the time, both how it had tied into our recent content and also how it seemed to help give people a little lift. It definitely gave me a little lift.
The next morning I happened to be looking at social media, and someone on campus who works in a different building had come upon my students’ chalk art and took a picture of it. She said she walked around that building twice just to get to see it again. Our “social prescription” day gave her a little lift, and I hope it did others as well.
Whether we are talking about isolation or loneliness, two different but related things, it is clear that it is on many minds and hearts of people, both those who are “helpers” and those who are feeling the feelings (and these may overlap some, too).
The good news is, you can “prescribe them” for yourself, for your students, your congregation, your extended family….be intentional about making time and creating space for interacting with others.
Both professionally as a social worker and personally as a mother and basic human, I care very much that people “find their people”. If you need help or encouragement thinking about how you can find *your* people, here are a few ideas: (1)look in the “Hip <name of your community> facebook page”. I can almost guarantee you someone has asked in the group before “how do I meet people?”. Check out their local advice. (2) If you are a believer, but not active in a faith community, be intentional about visiting some places. Find your fit. (3) Visit your local library, local community garden, local greenway. Read bulletin boards for gathering opportunities and see who hangs out in those spaces. (4) Take the risk and ask someone for coffee or a walk. (5) Volunteer at a cause you believe in, and you will meet some like minded people.
And learn to embrace potentially feeling awkward while you are in new spaces….I am the queen of this. Find someone who cheers you on in this (both the making time for people, the intentionality of it, and the embracing of the awkward).
As 1/2 of “married filing jointly” household that just paid their tax bill the day before it was due, I am a little salty.
Hear me clearly: I would cheerfully pay my current taxes (and pay more) if we had less income and wealth inequality in our country, and if we were taking progressive measures to get there.
I would not be salty about taxes if we invested more in public education (not voucher scams), or if we had more efficient and robust health care outcomes. (We spend a lot of money on healthcare relative to our GDP, but our outcomes are depressing compared to other countries with similar economies.)
I also support continuation of Social Security payments in hopes that I get there some day. I support taking care of our veterans, and more.
I have been taught in multiple settings that a budget is a moral document; we fund what we value.I am not decrying the need to pay taxes. Render unto Caesar. But I would prefer for my renderings to go toward things that are in alignment with the collective good, with love for others and care for creation. We can operationalize that in many meaningful and important ways. What will it take to get us there?
In looking at Center for Budget and Policy Priorities resources tonight, I took the screenshot below. Not only are we spending beyond our means, we are experiencing decimation of public services.
This is a great resource for understanding the basics of the proposed SAVE America Act, from the National Conference of State Legislatures It is clear and fairly presented.
I have let my elected officials know my thoughts in opposition to this proposed act. I am in opposition to it not because I don’t care about fair elections and upholding voting integrity (I care very much) but because there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, even using the most conservative database. In my state, there have been 26 cases of voter fraud since 1982 (and none by undocumented immigrants).
Before posting this, I checked news sources from conservative to liberal, and they are all reporting the same: the president did mail-in voting to cast his own ballot as recently as last week. This, while he calls mail-in voting corrupt and cheating when other people do it. Ponder that while you are looking up the contact info for your Senators (where the vote is now) and making your voice heard.
Late one night this past week several friends sent me links to the stories about Cesar Chavez, a primary figure of the United Farmworkers’ Movement. One of the classes I teach most every fall includes content on community organizing, and I always talk about the tactics and strategies he used in organizing farmworkers.
Thankfully, he has never been the only person I have talked about in this movement. I have always talked about Dolores Huerta as an equal force in organizing farmworkers, though she has remained less well known than Chavez. (Though last fall, at an event on campus celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, I hosted a screening of the 2018 PBS documentary Dolores and most of the students who came were not familiar with either name.)
Vergara, C. J., photographer. (2025) Dolores Huerta, farm workers mural.16th St., Milwaukee, WI . United States Milwaukee Wisconsin, 2025. September 9. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2026162509/.
Anyway…even though I have never focused only on Chavez, I have definitely held his work and his life—so I thought—in honor and esteem. The hunger strikes. The marches. The standoffs in the grape fields. His work was focused, honorable, and justice oriented. I held him in such esteem that I picked his stamps to be on my wedding invitations in 2003, for Heaven’s sake. I definitely would have called him a hero.
I never thought he was perfect. I definitely recognized his humanity. But I never thought he was a rapist and a pedophile. In thinking about this course that I teach coming around again in a few months, I will certainly make the movement the hero, as Huerta says in the NY Times article.
Thinking about Chavez’s “second death” (first, biological and second, moral/reputational), it makes me think of the broader issue of people in power (or even “spotlight”) using their power to sexually abuse others. Not every person in power abuses it in this way, but we have a long list of examples.
Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche Community for people with disabilities.
Honestly I could keep going but it is too depressing.
Clearly, there’s a broader issue to teach about here beyond community organizing strategies. How do we hold people in power accountable to just and right behavior? How do we hold systems accountable for censoring/stopping humans when they abuse/hurt others? What are the systemic/organizational traits that make it less likely a “leader” can abuse their power in this way?
I think this is one of the questions I will challenge my students with this fall as they prepare to work in non-profits, government systems, schools and more: How do you create a strong culture of safety in your workplace? What would you notice that it would tell you it is effective? What are the yellow or red flags that would tell you there are causes for concern?
A couple of days ago (8/25) was the 100th anniversary of the first Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This is an example of a union that fought a long time to win increased wages and other rights, and is also a good example of co-occurring struggles for labor rights and civil rights more broadly. Seeing a reminder of this anniversary made me think a bit about other labor struggles that led to today’s progress…as well as the labor-related struggles we still face.
I always hope student have heard of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and their work with organizing farm workers, but if they haven’t, here is a helpful overview. There are also documentaries on their work and biographical films about each if you want a different genre to explore!
The Zinn Education Project also has great resources on teaching labor history, including lesser known organizers and people who were thrust into organizing because of their particular context…a great reminder that any of us could be/should be ready for “such a time as this”.
For several iterations of teaching a course on Poverty in the US, I used a book called A People’s History of Poverty in America. (Author is Stephen Pimpare). I stopped using it because I needed a newer book with more up to date statistics, but if you are looking for a book on the history of poverty in the US, this is a great one. Anyway, the picture below was on the cover of this book, and I always asked students to tell me what they were seeing. This illustration from William Balfour Ker is entitled “From the Depths”. Showing this picture and alongside data on income and wealth gaps could make for a very interesting labor-related discussion as well.
In all seriousness, though, I want my students to enjoy their day off from classes but I also want them to recognize the roots of labor day, and the labor struggles that still need people standing in solidarity.
Teaching (toward) the Beloved Community 