In honor of Women's History Month, we're sharing a talk from the Stanford Contemplation by Design Summit. The video features a conversation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams on the topic of Race & Restoring The Democracy That Never Was. Called “the most intriguing African-American Buddhist” by Library Journal, angel Kyodo williams is making history by bridging the worlds of transformation and justice. Her critically acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace was hailed as “an act of love” by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, and “a classic” by Buddhist pioneer Jack Kornfield. In this engaging discussion, Rev. angel addresses the fact that while in many ways we have been confronted with grasping the limits of our democracy: police acquitted for overt aggression; federal overreach in local jurisdictions; voting rights gerrymandered away, the real question is whether the structures of race have ever allowed democracy to be possible. And if race imposes limits to freedom, how do we restore a democracy that never was?
- SNBAA