06/19/2026
I visited the south side of Chicago for a week when my oldest son was a teen and volunteered with summer reading programs, cleaning a park, serving kids lunch and playing with them, served a meal to homeless people down a dark alley just steps from the hustle and bustle of the city’s shiny shopping district. I had visited Chicago countless times prior to this trip and never saw the people we served. We watched as people continued to pass them by as if they were invisible. I am so grateful to Barack Obama and all who were involved in building the presidential library right in the middle of the community people seemed not to see. I pray this brings attention, income, hope and vitality to the neighborhood and the people living in the community that I still hold dear in my heart after spending a week with them so many years ago. I can’t wait to visit!
Happy Juneteenth, the day we as Americans could ALL claim freedom. May we all one day feel equally free, with equal opportunity. As a social worker, diversity and cultural competence is a core value of my profession and something I care deeply about. In the past two years, the requirement to have 3 continuing education hours related to diversity has been removed from our licensure requirements. Why? How can a profession focused on human dignity serve every population without adequate training on all cultures and people groups we will encounter in our work? We can’t unless we prioritize continuing education in this area on our own, which I will continue to do. Today felt like a day to speak out about how the systems that serve those who need it most seem to be going backward and why this holiday and the actions of our former president in bringing hope to the south side of Chicago is so very important.