Description

In this episode of Eyes on Whiteness, Maureen invites educators—teachers, counselors, staff, and school leaders—into a reflection on introspection as a form of resistance.

Not resistance through exhaustion or constant urgency.
But resistance through honesty. Through pause. Through returning to self.

In institutions shaped by white supremacy culture, educators are often expected to perform superhuman care without ever tending to their own needs. Perfectionism. Urgency. Emotional suppression. Compliance. These are not neutral workplace norms—they are expressions of whiteness.

This episode offers a different path.

You’ll hear:

• Real stories from educators who used introspection to act with integrity under pressure
• Maureen’s personal reckoning with overwork, urgency, and the moment she realized her students were getting her performance—not her presence
• A guided reflection to explore how you’ve survived—and what you might be ready to release
• A compassionate invitation to slow down, reflect, and practice new leadership rhythms rooted in alignment, not sacrifice

Reflection Prompts:

• What coping mechanisms helped you survive—but no longer serve your values?
• Where has urgency pulled you away from being present—with your students, or with yourself?
• What might shift if you gave yourself the same grace you offer your students?

Featured Educators (with deep gratitude):

• Mary Wood (South Carolina): for choosing alignment over compliance
• Amanda Jones (Louisiana): for resisting censorship with honesty and care — @librarianjones
• Katherine Rinderle (Georgia): for centering students over policy
• Abbey Clements (Connecticut): for turning trauma into a vision of healing and advocacy — LinkedIn

Subscribe + Stay Connected:
To stay close to this work, subscribe to the newsletter and explore the course, Cultivating Intersectional Leadership, at:
www.cultivatingintersectionalleadership.com

You don’t have to be perfect.
 You’re simply invited to be present—and to begin again.

Support the show

This episode was created with deep love, and deep thanks to the frameworks and tools within Cultivating Intersectional Leadership, a course I co-created with Diedra Barber.

CIL isn’t just a training. It’s a transformative journey—one that supports individuals and organizations in making the systemic, strategic, and spiritual shifts needed to build something different.
Something rooted in justice. Something aligned with who we say we want to be.

You're invited to learn more or inquire about participation at:
🌐 www.cultivatingintersectionalleadership.com
Or visit our podcast site at:
🎧 www.eyesonwhiteness.com

If this episode stirred something in you, share it.
If you’re holding big questions, write them down.
And if you’re tired—rest. But don’t quit.