The Olive Branch Newsletter

Welcome to the Olive Branch Newsletter! The olive branch is a symbol of peace. I hope you will join me in taking this journey together toward inner peace and peacefulness as we sustain ourselves in racial equity and social justice work in higher education. On this journey toward change, some of the tips I’ve learned along the way are grounded in mindfulness, self awareness, and readiness to do the work of unpacking and healing from the internalized, interpersonal, and institutional trauma we have endured from structural racism and forms of oppression. It is in this personal, political, and organizing work that we will liberate our own lives and the lives of those we serve toward a more just society.

We do this work in community, which in turn, is how we work on ourselves to become the best version possible while working with others to dismantle structural racism and inequities in education for a better world. My lived experience tells me when we are faced with internal and interpersonal conflict, discomfort, or turmoil in doing this work, we “extend an olive branch” to make an offering of peace and reconciliation. This offering of peace is both inward and outward. We give ourselves permission to make mistakes, forgive, learn, and grow. We extend this permission to others without judgment, with grace, forgiveness, and humility. Together we will become critically conscious leaders of racial equity and justice grounded by a mindfulness practice toward peace and radical acceptance to make change possible.

Join my newsletter to stay connected and access leadership tips, resources, and reflections curated from my years of experience in higher education leadership and community college administration as an equity practitioner in service to community.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Maraming Salamat Po!

In community with you,

Claire