Combined Destinies: Whites Sharing Grief About Racism
Posted from: NASPA Region VI Newsletter
Posted: Winter 2013 edition
NASPA member Caroline Haskell and Ann Jealous have collaborated on a literary partnership to write Combined Destinies: Whites Sharing Grief about Racism, a book that invites its readers to look at how the system of racism has impacted white Americans. By beginning a conversation that encourages self-examination and compassion, this courageous anthology posits that unearned privilege has damaged the psyche of white people as well as their capacity to understand racism. Using intimate stories, some from writers who have never before spoken of these highly charged issues, Jealous and Haskell offer readers a chance to explore their own experiences.
Combined Destinies is based on the premise that for positive and lasting change to occur, it is necessary to open hearts as well as minds. The book is organized thematically, with individual chapters that focus on, for example, guilt, shame, or silence. Anyone who is interested in mental health and spiritual healing would benefit from reading this book, but it’s especially suitable for teachers, professors, students, social activists, members of community groups, therapists, clergy, and other members of the counseling