Episode 18: Deborah Plummer on turning us and them into we
Deborah Plummer left an all-white Catholic convent after 13 years of being a nun to become a human translator for Blacks, people of color and white people. Her mission is to help turn “us and them” into “we.”
She talks about how the murder of George Floyd finally gave a face to systemic racism, how each of us can educate ourselves and stay connected to dreamers and creators like Sen. John Lewis to build the kind of world we all want to live in.
Racism might not define a person, but it does shape how we each experience and express ourselves and how we respond to the world around us.
My Takeaways:
The bottom line? Turn fear into love.
For centuries, white people, whether they call themselves racist or not, have benefited from policies and practices that hurt or excluded Blacks and people of color.
Meet people where they are so they can join, process and engage.
Willful ignorance is no longer an excuse with all the resources available. Educate yourself: Listen to podcasts, TED talks, read books, watch movies, have conversations and create friendships across racial lines.
Official Bio:
Deborah L. Plummer, PhD is a psychologist, university professor, author, and speaker on topics central to racial equality, inclusion, and mutual respect. She is most passionate about creating inclusive organizations and building peaceful communities.
Deborah draws her energy from engaging others in workshop settings, in-home book salons, community classrooms, and through her writings and blog posts. As an academic, she continues her research on diversity metrics and cross-racial friendships while teaching and facilitating discussions forwarding a relational model for managing the dynamics of differences.
Her book, Some of My Friends Are… examines how cross-racial friendships work and fail within American society and has been longlisted for the Mass Book Award in non-fiction. She is editor of the Handbook of Diversity and author of Advancing Inclusion, and award-winning Racing Across the Lines.
Deborah lives in Cleveland with her husband, Michael Bussey and is active in the community as a member of The Links, Incorporated. She serves on the boards of Nana’s Tribe Foundation and Books@Work. She makes a second home in Boston where she cherishes her work with Facing History and Ourselves, and GrubStreet.
In her next life, she plans to come back as a master chef (think Ina Garten) or a singer, dancer and entertainer (think Beyonce).
Website: