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Justice Walks June 2025
Welcome to this month’s Justice Walk newsletter.
Thank you for being here. You matter.
This month I’ll:
Tell a story about staying curious in conversations
Recommend a resource to honor and recognize Juneteenth
Offer a reflection about both/and spaces and how we move through them
Let’s get to it!

“Abby, are you the oldest person in the world?”
I was walking my four-year-old friend to Pre-K. His question came out of the blue.
Weeks away from my 50th birthday, age was a bit of a sensitive issue for me, and my instant reaction was pearl-clutching offense. But,
He’s four,
And a thinker,
And I’ve been working on listening to understand vs listening to respond;
I took a breath. Before I could speak, he had another question:
“Abby, do you FEEL like the oldest person in the world?”
Okay…this was more interesting. I drew on all my learning and healing work from the last few years and very calmly, with only curiosity in my voice, said, “Do you think I’m the oldest person in the world?”
“Well, I feel like you’ve said that sometimes.”
Oh. 💡
Flashback to me, on his parents’ floor with he and his sister wrestling me to the ground. I say to the adults in the room, “I hope you’re ok with me living here on your floor now? I’m not sure I can get up; I am the oldest person in the world.”
I said to him, “You know what, Buddy, I bet that is something I have said as a joke.”
What a lesson. Well, what lessons.
Gathering more information is key to effective communication. Boy did I want to immediately respond with something sarcastic and/or defensive to that first question. But my friend was looking to connect. He was looking to understand more of the world and my and his place in that world. He was curious. By meeting his curiosity with my own, I was able to more clearly understand what he was trying to find out and meet him in that conversation - not in the one I originally, wrongly assumed we were in.
Self regulation is important. This one is true 100% of the time. I got activated when my guy asked if I was the oldest person in the world. That was MY stuff, not his and not anything he caused. I needed to take a breath, notice my reaction, and recognize that externalizing those emotions onto him with my response was not appropriate or helpful.
People listen to our narratives about ourselves. (You may want to imagine “Children Will Listen,” from the musical Into the Woods playing in the background of your mind now). At four, my friend is learning about the world. He’s had limited input and exposure, so when a trusted adult says something, he has no reason not to take it at face value. I said I was the oldest person in the world. He believed me. Another friend heard this story and said, “Time to start dreaming stuff you want him and YOU to think and believe…” Yes. That part.
It’s a lot to unpack out of one question from my four-year-old friend. And I’m pretty sure I’ve just gotten started.
As you go through your day, consider leaning in to curiosity for every interaction. Notice what you hear, and see if you can find ways to understand if what you heard is what the person means to communicate. I’m endlessly fascinated around how often my first assumption about what my conversation partner is saying is wrong.
Learning Resource
I’m doing something a little different this month, sharing information that requires a monetary investment ($40) to access. I know I still have a lot to learn about the history and continuing resonance of Juneteenth, and how I can participate in “making liberation real.” If it’s within your ability, consider supporting this Black woman’s time, labor, and wisdom by purchasing her learning bundle. All the info is below.
A virtual offering by Joquina M. Reed
Product Summary:
The Juneteenth Freedom Seeking Bundle is a powerful, self-guided resource anchored in truth, resistance, and repair. Centered around a dynamic virtual training, this bundle is built for those who are ready to move beyond symbolic celebration and into a deeper commitment to justice and Black liberation.
What’s Included:
Access to the full Juneteenth Virtual Training, led by Joquina M. Reed
A curated “Do the Work” action list with direct links to national and grassroots reparations efforts
A foundational explainer: “What Is Juneteenth?”
A myth-busting FAQ answering common questions about who can engage and how to do it with care. Including the answer to the question of whether non-Blacks should celebrate?
A personal welcome message and closing reflections to ground your journey in historical truth and moral clarity
Who It’s For:
Educators, nonprofits, and team leads seeking a justice-centered entry point to Juneteenth
White and non-Black folks looking to move from allyship to active solidarity
Black folks who want a resource that honors grief, truth, and the brilliance of our freedom-seeking lineage
Anyone tired of watered-down DEI and looking for something real
This isn’t just a training. It's a political and spiritual offering.
One that says: repair is still unfinished. Freedom is still uneven.
And we all have a role to play in making liberation real.
Folks to Follow
Mimi Gonzalez is a first-gen Afro-Latina who is passionate about storytelling as a tool for reclaiming identity & community care. Losing 36 loved ones well before turning 30 and working as a death doula taught her how much grief shapes who we are and how we show up. One way Mimi is building the support and community she needed (and needs) is through her podcast, griefsense, where she hosts conversations on grief, mental health, and social impact with a particular focus on Black, Latine, and Gen Z folks. I know it sounds depressing, but Mimi is one of the most joyful people I know.
Paul Johnson is doing the deep, internal work to unlearn the messages of superiority whiteness teaches us and learn what it means to be and move in liberation. He’s sharing his journey with amazing transparency and authenticity. If you’re a white person who struggles with shame, guilt, fear, and perfectionism in anti-racism work, check out Paul on LinkedIn above or get his newsletter on Substack. (Note: I usually intentionally recommend Black, queer, trans, and other traditionally marginalized folks as experts. It is also important for those of us who are white to know about and build community with our peers in this work.)
Taking Care of Our Feet

I appreciate this differentiation from Arthur Chan. When I was growing up, being impolite was the greatest sin. It was hard to learn that politeness often causes harm. Kindness and niceness are different. Welcoming and including are different.
Can you think of examples of when you have been welcomed but not included?
What are ways that you can practice including, not just welcoming, people in your life and as a leader?
Looking for more resources, recommendations, and tools for your journey? Upgrade to a paid subscription for either $10/month or “Name My One-Time Gift.”
Inspiration For Our Walk
Have you heard of a strengths or assets-based approach? It focuses on the positive, what we can build upon, rather than focusing on what we don’t have. This quote makes me think of that idea. Liberation isn’t as much about destruction as it is about building the new.
What kind of world do you want to be in?
What do you want your community to look like?
Who do you want to be in relationships with and how do you want those relationships to operate?
You can build those relationships. Those relationships form communities. Those communities create the world.
We don’t have to follow rules set up for how we “should” operate, especially those that were not created with our well-being and wholeness in mind.
What small step towards liberation can you take today?
Ready for the next step?
Upgrade to a paid subscription for additional content and the password to a curated webpage of resources - including questions to go deeper
Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague - it really helps!
Book a FREE one-hour discovery call to learn how I might partner with you or your organization to embed equity and belonging work into your everyday practices.
Reflection from a Coaching Client
"My time with Abby has been an open and enriching professional experience. She challenges your thought process and approaches situations without judgment. Her ability to listen attentively and offer thoughtful clarification creates a supportive and constructive environment.”
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