I thought I knew a lot about race at the time, but Living the Pledge really deepened my understanding. The time line was very memorable, and breakout sessions added a very personal perspective, which was very valuable.

I am sometimes able to handle myself better. It may be that I am able to listen with more empathy and act with more compassion as I’ve processed through some of my own issues (white fragility… guilt, sadness) that earlier prevented me from seeing and being in the situations in a useful way.

I have taken more opportunities to consume books and movies told from a non-white perspective.

In online debates I have deferred much more to people of color on issues that affect them, and when I’ve felt unfairly attacked on those issues I’ve worked to see it from their point of view instead of getting completely defensive.

I speak up and support folks who post things, particularly on Facebook, about the injustice.

I think about how African Americans live with racism every day. My awareness of racial comments, jokes, etc is certainly heightened since the training. I understand microagressions better, for example. I think about many more issues from a racial perspective.

I am more self aware now and try to identify my reactions and grow from what I learned.

I’ve tried to put myself into increasing numbers of situations in which I’m a minority. The most intense so far has been membership and increasing participation in an area African Methodist Episcopal congregation, whose ministers and members mostly are forgiving of my repeated blunders and whose patience and resilience are a real inspiration.

I have a more sensitive filter when listening to people talk about how they have been affected by the virus based on their economic situation.

When the issue of race comes up now, I see it in a different context because I have more information about the history of race in our country. There were big gaps in my knowledge of redlining, Jim Crow, and other institutionalized injustices that give me a bigger picture for understanding what is happening today. I also have a deeper comprehension of some of the challenges people of color must face just going about their daily lives thanks to hearing personal accounts.

Understanding the history and systemic foundations of racism helped me move beyond the emotional paralysis I felt due to guilt, sadness, and a sense of ineptitude.

I am conscious that I have many blind spots regarding my social power as a white person, and I continue to work on recognizing them so that I don’t inadvertently cause harm through words or action. Through conversations in the program with other white people who also have blind spots, I could recognize my own growth, and was reassured that I am not alone in this work, and that I am part of a community working toward the same goal.

Living the Pledge has made me more conscious of how the deck is stacked against people of color in our society. It has also made me more aware of my own implicit bias.

I believe I respond more emotionally to racial issues than before the Living the Pledge class.

When I heard how Black and Brown folks were suffering from COVID at a much higher rate I gave out 13 free face masks I’d made to Black and Hispanic folks at a SE Raleigh shopping center, and bought fabric to make more so I can do more of that.

I have noticed subtle social inequities at work and did what I could to remedy them and improve inclusiveness.

I’ve added more diversity to the shows I watch, such as shows focusing on Asians, Indians, Black Americans & Africans, etc.

My awareness of racial comments, jokes, etc is certainly heightened since the training. I understand microagressions better, for example. I think about many more issues from a racial perspective, too.

I understand more about the institutional promotion of racism.

Since the Living the Pledge program, my appreciation for the challenges/discrimination/racism facing Blacks has deepened, as has my understanding of how privileged I am as a white male.

It’s made me very aware of things that had escaped my notice earlier like the cumulative effect of microaggressions and white privilege.

When I have encountered a difficult situation around race now, I am more confident about asking questions. If someone pointed out something I did as racist, I would be more open to receiving that input and would thank them for teaching me instead of being ashamed or defensive. I have asked people in my life to call me out. When I have seen white people say or do something racist, I have called it out in a firm manner without labeling them—just pointing out the logical injustice of what they say without condemning them.

I have engaged in more conversations about racial justice in my social media presence and the real world.

I was born and bred in the south, in an inherently racist culture and surrounded by institutional racism. Living the Pledge was a safe space to think, and feel and ponder the effects of the culture I grew up in. I am more self aware now and try to identify my reactions and grow from what I learned.

Living the Pledge has made me more conscious of how the deck is stacked against people of color in our society. It has also made me more aware of my own implicit bias.

 If someone pointed out something I did as racist, I would be more open to receiving that input and would thank them for teaching me instead of being ashamed or defensive. I have asked people in my life to call me out.

For me, the workshop’s most powerful exercise was an experiential “slap in the face” about the uneven consequences for those of us who made “just one little slip of the tongue” and those who are subject to volumes of such slips repeatedly.

When I took Living the Pledge I thought that I had very little to learn about racial problems. I was very wrong. Living the Pledge taught me a tremendous amount and made me think more deeply about my implicit biases and gave me the insight to combat them.

I’ve started to look for Black or minority owned businesses to support when I have options.

If we have any chance to truly live in a democracy, understanding the facts and the nuances of how race is intertwined in our society is key. This course is very helpful, challenges us, and is done in a safe space.

Living the Pledge gives a great overview of the history of racism in our country, and our own opportunity to help create positive change. Shame can keep white people from feeling comfortable opening ourselves to considering our part in racism in our country. Living the Pledge offers a space for growth where we can recognize our shame, even if it’s been a blind spot for us, and grow beyond it toward working to support a more equitable world.

I am also thinking of ways to be more inclusive in outreach to minority attorneys and law students in informal ways.

There was info presented about the history of race and racism in this country going back before its founding that I wasn’t aware of. The exercises opened my eyes to the experiences of some Asian & Hispanic Americans that I hadn’t thought of. Although it was scary trying the role plays, it was beneficial to be able to try that in a safe and caring environment.

I participate in conversations about racism with Black friends and colleagues while respecting their boundaries.

I have appointed the first African American bankruptcy trustee in the EDNC history who, sadly, is the only African American trustee ever appointed in the state.

I have shared facts about our country’s history of oppression with people who were unaware of certain events and policies that have hurt people of color.

I have stepped up support for organizations that fight racial injustice like NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Poor People’s Campaign, ACLU and others.

I speak up to white friends and colleagues when I witness microaggressions or structural racism where we may have some power to help correct it.

When I’ve been a part of hiring panels, I have worked to make sure candidates of color get serious consideration and the same benefit of the doubt that white candidates get.

I am working with my senior staff attorney to focus our intern recruitment efforts toward HBCU law schools to increase the pool of interested applicants.