[Lace on Race Admin Staff]

https://laceonrace.com/2021/08/01/an-invitation-to-our-expanded-lace-on-race-cafe/

An Invitation to our Expanded Lace on Race Café

Discussion

[Laura Berwick]

I am personally very excited at this new phase of our move to our very own dedicated space. As easy as it is to interact on Facebook, sometimes I think that very ease prevents depth. I’ve really valued the profound interaction I’ve already been seeing in the Bistro, and I think adding new ways of connecting here will only deepen what we’ve started.

Of course, I have a sneak peek into the changes that are coming, since I’m our primary website wrangler. I can’t wait until we all meet up in our expanded space!

[Christin Spoolstra]

thank you for throwing your whole self into this site – I truly, truly appreciate you

[Shara Cody]

Thank you for all the thought and time you’ve put into making the website a place of connection and learning, Laura, Lace and leadership team.

[Rebecca McClinton]

ack, yes…so true, how ease prevents depth both in formats like facebook and across the board in other ways. Your comment makes me reflect on how all too often I automatically search for the easiest route, or the route of least resistance, when really if things come too easily it should probably be seen as a warning sign that I’m not investigating them thoroughly enough.

[Rhonda Freeman]

A very deep bow of gratitude and awe to Laura not only for the ‘hands on keyboard’ work that she has put in, but in her consistent turning towards Lace as leader and how I trust – nay, know – that this endeavor is not about a platform for her to get a plate of cookies, but as a platform to engage in community and find more, and more, and more ways to mitigate the harm we do to black and brown people. I see you over there as I am walking, Laura. I am honored to laugh and dance with you sometimes, too.

[Christin Spoolstra]

I am so thrilled for this – has been a long journey and a labor of deep love. Excited for the next step on our community’s journey.

[Kelsi Watters]

A labor of deep love… this is going to stick with me. Hesed love is at the root of our orange tree! Without Hesed love, and without unwavering commitment, our tree would not have withstood the storms. I want to learn more and more every day, to walk in Hesed love.

[Christin Spoolstra]

happy to be walking with you, Kelsi!

[Julia Tayler]

I love the Bistro. Thank you all for all the hard work and love that has gone into it.

[Rhonda Freeman]

Julia, I am with you! I open up here. Ask more questions. It’s not like I was afraid that my friends would see me on Facebook (or my enemies for that matter), it was knowing the algorithms they use and the control they have – even if it is often accidental. Here, I can focus on the walk. Focus on the topics. Learn, grow, take a moment, and, honestly, not be distracted.

[Rebecca McClinton]

Looking forward to the new activity feed. It’s a privilege being a participant during these growth processes. I love the website and feel more free to share of myself more fully than I do at times on facebook (though that has been a needed pushing through some clenching for me). With increased depth come increased digging in. Thank you for your labor of love, Laura, in the the behind the scenes tech, Marlise with all the gorgeous graphics, and all of you in leadership for the thought and care that goes into every turn from the guidelines, to the in depth conversations.

[Julie Helwege]

We talk so much in community about our walking and growth – new people in new ways doing new things. The importance of relentless reliability. Roots. Unlearning. Kind Candor. Pivoting to race. Engaging. Holding our buckets. Leaning in. Accountability. Vision. Hesed.

I always value and aspire to emulate leadership that walks the talk. Lace on Race, our website and its continued growth is just this example.

Lace is always here, walking right alongside us. Reaching, pushing, planting, loving and challenging.

We will continue to evolve and our orchard thrives accordingly. I will continue to evolve and my orchard will thrive accordingly.

I’m grateful for this space and all the tools it provides. I’m safer and less harmful because of it. I’m learning how to love and be loved. I’m learning how to dismantle racism and supremacy in myself and see eye to eye.

Facebook is “easy” in one sense, but it is not the future of racial justice and furthering our North Star mission.

I’ve learned here that pushing that easy button is a privilege I have – and it’s usually oppressive and harmful to others.

I can’t wait to see all the continued growth of the community that lies ahead, a North Star that continues to shine brighter and brighter and a Center for Equity that continues to walk its talk.

[Shara Cody]

“walks the talk” articulates it so well. Walking the talk isn’t easy and I’ve rarely seen people do it consistently let alone an organization and through the crises that its encountered in a little over a year. I’m less harmful from engaging with the community as well and am excited about what we can do both individually and as a community as we go deeper at the website.

[Jessie Lee]

I’m grateful and excited for this change, for the takeout window to become more of a portal to this space. I absolutely believe this space and the people who occupy it have all the necessary ingredients to make and bottle our secret sauce that allows us to cleave together as we work to change ourselves to bring our internal and external lives into alignment with our shared purpose. As I’ve discovered here, community- real community- is incredibly powerful. I’m excited to walk with everyone & weeble/wobble together in this journey.

[Rebecca McClinton]

I’m thinking how it would be easy for me to only engage here and not also man the portal so to speak and continue to look for ways of wrapping new folks into the fold. While I want to stay in the car with people, I need to continue to grow that car into a double decker bus. 🙂

[Jessie Lee]

Growing the car into a double decker bus… I love that!

[Lace Watkins]

a double decker bus!!! yes. y4s.

[Lace Watkins]

double decker bus! yes. yes.

[Shara Cody]

The updates to the café (website) are going to be awesome! I already love engaging there much more than FB and appreciate all the work that’s gone into its redesign and now new features. The many benefits of these changes to our walk towards the North Star are exciting especially that LoR has been able to partner with more organizations and individuals. I’ll keep wobbling with you.

[Robin Van Haste]

I’m so excited to see the new activity feed! Thank you to everyone who has brought this to life.

[Dee (Dalina) Weinfurtner]

Looking forward to the activity feed. I know that a lot has gone into making the website look great and function well. I appreciate this community and I know the new features will allow for even deeper growth.

[Kelsi Watters]

I will wobble with you. I may be a Weeble Wobble, I may stumble, but I am part of a community that does not waver, no matter what happens. I’m so excited for the launching of the new website! I do agree that this space is more focused, less controlled by Facebook algorithms, and is a space that encourages learning and growth and community, is less inclined toward instant gratification and quick comments like Facebook can be. I want to continue to water and provide sustenance for the orange tree so that our branches continue to grow, free and uninhibited, to reach out and touch the world.

[Emily Holzknecht]

I am finding my way around with the new changes. The scavenger hunt to get acquainted with the space is a great idea!

[Nicole Larson]

So far, I like the new design very much. Thanks to Laura and Marisa for the redesign, and to Lace and all posters for helping build the platform and each person’s praxis! My eyes are no longer closed to the racism I have learned and absorbed. I am grateful.

[Author]

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