Community Reckoning
On our 250th anniversary, it’s time to repair a legacy of stolen lives, stolen labor, and stolen land. Here’s how we do that, and how, together, we can still form a more perfect union.
Why Community Reckoning?
The foundational injustices of our nation echo through our history. Today, some of the most harmful impulses of racism are once again surging in education, employment, and public hostility. We cannot paper over this history or wish things would get better.
Instead, an honest accounting of our nation’s injustices is the way to make right some very old wrongs. Doing this reckoning can create the conditions for healing and authentic relationships based in justice. The greater unity that is possible through this work can also make us unstoppable as we work together to build what could truly be a more perfect union.
Who is this for?
This zine is for any community group, university, faith group, or civic organization. It’s FREE for anyone who wants to explore a path towards justice and integrity.
Why is this zine free?
I had the honor of learning from extraordinary people during the years I worked as editor of YES! Magazine, and with elders and other leaders of the Suquamish Tribe, and as a community organizer. This zine owes a lot to the people I met along the way, and I want to pay it forward by giving this zine to anyone who can use it.
👉 Print it * Share it online * Leave copies in your community *
It’s FREE and in the Creative Commons. No sign-in required.
Inside the zine
The S.T.A.R. path: Stop the Harm, Tell the Truth, Acknowledge, Repair
What reckoning looks like — stories that show the way
Truth-telling tools: questions, activities, and resources for your group
How race was invented — and why that matters now
A BINGO card that reveals inherited privilege — without shame.
Digital version to download.
PRINT version to download.
Questions or comments? Leave a comment below, or email me at howwerise@substack.com.
Samples from Community Reckoning
Please share!
This zine is FREE and in the Creative Commons. Please print copies to share, copy this link, or send the PDF to friends and colleagues. Your faith group, activist organization, university, or civic organization can use it together to do the work of reckoning — there are lots of additional resources listed in the back. And let me know how it works and how it could be improved.
What an important and useful resource!!