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I
live in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I've been rooted more or
less for 32 years. My husband, David Billings, and I have
raised three children: Nathan, 32, who lives in New Orleans;
Noah, 28, who lives with his wife and son in Houston; and Stella,
19, who is now a Californian, living and studying in Santa Cruz.
I've been an educator for most of the last 30 years -- first as a public school and early childhood teacher/advocate, and, for the past 8 years, as an adult literacy program director/organizer. I try to live my life as an anti-racist activist. In my work, that means helping to transform traditional organizations (child care programs, churches, YMCA's, etc) into more equitable and justice-oriented institutions. My understanding of racism comes from an organization I've been associated with for nearly 20 years, the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond (www.thepeoplesinstitute.org). Most recently, I've been learning about the reparations movement and studying how those of us who are white can contribute to the public dialogue about our nation's history. I hope this reparations movement will help us all better understand and account for the power and wealth we have that is rooted in the enslavement and servitude of African peoples. (I was trained well as an historian at Pomona!)
Best wishes for a successful 40th reunion!