interviews

The work continues! by Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo, Ph.D.

By November 19, 2020 No Comments

Many times when change happens in a particular setting, tensions arise that are rooted in many factors. These factors range from the individual level to system levels. The United States has gone through a period of change in its’ political structure by electing a new president and signifying itself historically with a black woman as Vice President. There is much that this country has experienced in the current years, not to mention the historical and contextualized experiences among the different races and ethnicities, genders, and many other intersectional identities that people hold. While I cannot capture the complete essence of the monumental change, and the many feelings that come with it, these reflections are my way of processing my feelings and understanding, while sharing with others in the hope of collective growth in our nation.

There is so many emotions throughout the nation
Whatever they might be for each soul, it needs to be leaned into
Out of those feelings come insights
Insights that shape the discourse of the nation
Enough of shutting them down, as it just gives more power to the wound
The wound heals when you tend to it
As we heal as a nation, let us remember peace is not attained either by achieving sameness, but having a shared understanding in truth of our differences
Peace is achieved not by the delusion of all is good, but rather creating space for both restraining and activating forces to be harnessed for innovative ideas and solutions
Generations coming up need to see how to better have civil discourse
It cannot be learned via avoidance, but rather an appreciation for the wholeness of lived experiences and all the narratives of the collective
The light that is shining for justice, needs to keep shining brighter than ever!

Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo, Ph.D. is the author of a children’s book, Koli and Bosco “the Dog”: Rescue from the Fire; and an independent consultant and co-principal of TERSHA LLC, where she has overseen the executive management of the organization and in collaboration with the operations management, provided technical support to clients using analytics, critical research, and evaluation. These work experiences, combined with skillsets in leadership, framework development, surveys, mixed-methods, policy analysis, health equity, and culturally-responsive and equitable evaluation, make her a unique systems thinker in research, development, advocacy, and policy. She is also part of AWDF-USA’s Afriwomen community.

Learn more about Dr. Sharon by checking out these publications, and keep in touch via the platforms:

Website: https://tersha-llc.square.site/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sharonattipoe-dorcoo

Facebook: KoliBosco
Twitter: @KoliBosco

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