In these turbulent times, many people in our network and communities have reached out to have a conversation about how they feel, what they see, how they sit. In each conversation, I have tried to listen, to understand how they see the world, to add the pieces of the puzzle that others have shared with me, and to share what I know. Together, we are beginning to piece together what it might look like to secure the well-being of our nation in this turbulent time. Together, we are finding we have many more assets, more cause for hope, than I ever imagined. But only if we’re willing to show up for one another.

Today, I am at Facing Race with Race Forward. A powerful and brilliant artist I met when we held the last WE WIN Together gathering in St. Louis was here. She was fully, completely herself. In a moment when she had to cover for a technical hitch, she broke out into a powerful poem–one of the highlights of the evening. A South Asian musician and a Black poet did a piece together. Indigenous poetry and the songs and art of many people are on the walls. It is a profound celebration of joy and liberation. Perhaps what we need more than anything is to remember the joy and power of being together.

WE RISE and WIN Together. This idea will be tested in the days and months ahead. We are inviting all of you into a series of conversations about solidarity and sensemaking over the next month. Tell us what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are afraid of, what you dream of. Then let’s figure out together how we get there.