“Brownicity has helped open my eyes and my heart in ways I never knew I needed before. It stirred up in me a combination of anger and sadness for the racial injustice and the systematic prejudice we allowed to develop in our country. There were times when I didn’t want to go through the poignant questions at the end of a lesson because I was embarrassed of my answers. I’ve been living in denial and not making a true effort to notice the discrimination that was all around me. But no more. My eyes are open, never to be closed again. The subject matter is hard but so important. ”

Beth Griffiths, Director of Donor Development, CFRE Proverbs 31 Ministries

“Pastoring a Multi-ethnic church for almost 20+ years made me think we were conquering the racial divide. But due to continued injustices to young black men in our country our country began to polarize once again. To my horror I watched our muti-ethnic congregation do the same. I had a church full of white and brown people and no one knew how to talk to each other. I myself had no voice. I was embarrassed by my fear, my ignorance and my inability to deal with what was happening. “What Lies Between Us” became the study that pushed us in the right direction. It helped me find my voice, it helped me learn and understand the first steps I need to take in order to be a part of racial healing.”

Pastor Dan Berry, Cornerstone Family Church, Des Moines, IA, and WLBU Certified Instructor

“Brownicity came into our lives at a perfect time as I was a newer mom raising kids in a multicultural family. I learned quickly that it’s never too early to educate your children, or society will indoctrinate whether passively or more in-your-face. The tools I received have helped me educate myself and my family. But it’s also the gift that keeps on giving, as I am able to point others in the direction of knowledge to help eradicate the poisonous strain of race/ism that still permeates our society. ”

Debi Adam, American Immigrant (Jamaica), mom of a multi-ethnic family, Wells Fargo Marketing Strategist

“I started my journey with Brownicity when my school offered a study throughout the school year. I was instantly interested because I wanted to learn more about how to inform and educate my 4th and 5th students and be able to have appropriate conversations about race with them. Although I was scared to take this leap, I knew that I had people around me, and the people of Brownicity, that would support me and help me. I was scared that I wouldn’t say the right things or that I wouldn’t be able to make a difference, but throughout my journey I have realized that I do know how to make a difference. After completing my year long class with my school, I wanted to help spread the word and help other people. Along with others, I joined a committee to bring Brownicity to my church. As I went through the course for a second time, more and more interesting facts and aspects of history stood out to me that I hadn’t noticed the first time. I realized that I was comfortable talking about race, and I was comfortable being vulnerable and realizing how I could change to be better in the future. After learning alongside Brownicity, I now feel equipped to have conversations with anyone about race. More importantly, I feel that as a teacher, I am equipped to teach my students properly about history and how to have healthy conversations about race.”

Maggie Siebert, Davidson, North Carolina Charter School Elementary Teacher

“I taught in the Des Moines Public School District for the last 25 years of my teaching experience. Because the school district, especially the high school at which I taught, was becoming more culturally diverse, staff participated in numerous in-services geared at teaching us about cultural differences and how these differences should influence how we approached our classes. I learned more in this 6-week course than I did in all those years of in-services. What Lies Between Us gave the history and context I wish I would have had to better understand my students and my own attitudes. This course would be appropriate for any teacher as they prepare to interact and teach students with a variety of backgrounds and cultural differences.”

Sandra Sears, Des Moines Public School High School Teacher