Is it possible to talk about race and social justice in a productive way? Listen to our interview with Hilary Giovale to find out the answer to that question and more! We discuss the challenges with having these conversations, how vulnerability plays a role in sharing our personal stories, and how white individuals can confront their guilt and engage in difficult conversations about their heritage and responsibility. 

Agree? Disagree? Have a story to share? Let us know! 

About Hilary: 

Hilary Giovale is a mother, writer, community organizer, and facilitator who lives on Hopi, Diné, Apache, and Havasupai land in Flagstaff, Arizona.  A ninth-generation American settler, she is descended from Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of Ancient Europe.  Hilary seeks to follow Indigenous and Black leadership in support of human rights, environmental justice, and equitable futures.  As an active reparationist, her work is guided by intuition, love, and relationships.  She divests from whiteness and bridges divides with truth, healing, apology, and forgiveness.  She is the author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair.  Learn more about her work at goodrelative.com.

• Check out Hilary's Guide to Making a Personal Reparations Plan.


• The book Hilary mentioned is: My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Healing our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem.


• This page has some links to independent booksellers who carry Hilary's book.  All the proceeds from book sales go to Decolonizing Wealth Project and Jubilee Justice.

Chapters

00:00  Introduction to Difficult Conversations

03:30  Identity Transformation and Community Reactions

05:39  Engaging with Indigenous Communities

08:00  The Shift from Old to New Identity

11:00  Guilt and the Legacy of Colonialism

12:54  Navigating White Guilt in Conversations

15:33  The Power of Personal Storytelling

19:13  Vulnerability and Protection in Sharing Stories

22:39  Reconnecting with Ancestry and Identity

23:40  The Historical Context of Whiteness

29:02  Navigating Conversations with Conservative Family Members

29:48  Personal Reparations and Community Healing  

Contact us:

Email – tas.difficultconversations@gmail.com
Chris – www.linkedin.com/in/chriswonglmhc
Lucie – www.linkedin.com/in/lucietesarova