Why The Beach?

I was inspired by the words of activist Greta Thunberg while writing my second book, Ignite: Lighting the Leader Fire. I had this vision of gathering women on the beach as a call for us to see ourselves as untapped resources capable of leading the world to a new dawn. Gathering women is what I do best, so I began with this: "Imagine you and I are standing on a beach at night." I could not have imagined what would happen next—how the house fire I wrote about in my book would, in fact, ignite in the first half of 2020 as a pandemic raged and racial injustices blazed in the center of it all. So why the beach? Because it's where women gather to figure shit out. Because blue oceans inspire us. And while we can—and are—do this alone, when we do this work together we are stronger as a result. It's time to gather the women. More specifically, it's time to gather the White women like you and me, in support of racial justice. It's time.

Welcome to The Beach

This beach is for you if...

  • You're feeling inspired to action, but also overwhelmed, distracted, and all over the place. You want to focus, dig in, and do the work of racial justice you've been talking about doing.

  • You want this time to be different, and you understand this work is a marathon, not a sprint—which means organization is critical, accountability is key, and community is essential.

  • You're someone who needs enough structure so you don't fall off the map with your intentions, but not too much that you feel weighed down, resistant, or annoyed by it. You want to want this.

The Beach is Open!

I've been on this beach for a while now playing, seeing how it supports my own work (it does), and noticing how I use it (bite-sized goals rock), so you'll see loads of my sandy footprints out here already. But as of July 1 it's open for you to join me. Loads of women in my community have been eagerly waiting for me to let them know when I'm ready, so here I am. It's good enough (the creatrix in me will inevitably be tweaking it as we go...), I'm ready enough, and the more the merrier. I'm eager to have you join me, so come into The Beach, Sister. Our first LIVE bonfire call (totally optional) will be July 28, so if you're hungry to get started, there's a clear date to organize around. Just sayin'.

This Is How You Do It

“Lael has put together a brilliant platform. As I explore my own complex feelings and deepen my understanding of anti-racism work, I’m comforted and grateful to have a space to connect with like-minded women. If you’re looking for a place to recognize and explore your whiteness for the first time, as I am, this is a wonderful place to do that.” - Amy, Annapolis, MD

Imagine gathering on a beach with other white women hellbent on doing their racial justice work.

One look around and you'll see clusters of conversations, quiet spaces to reflect and gather your thoughts, and (optional) monthly live calls to process out loud and connect. All of this is available to you on The Beach, for you to use as you see fit. You'll find tons of organized information, stacks of books, the most helpful anti-racism resources, and kindred spirits...all in one place. On this beach you'll feel inspired to dig in, hold yourself accountable, and be witnessed—if you desire that. Harnessing the power of our collective learning on this beach will plug you into something bigger than yourself, and 100% of your presence here will benefit the lives of Black women and girls seeking therapy. That is this place.

Join us on the beach, sister.

What's Waiting for You Inside:

  • Tons and tons of anti-racism resources that have primarily been written (produced or created) by Black women. Why? Because the voices, experiences, perspectives and stories of Black women matter and are being crowded out by White voices and Black men's voices. In here, we make space to listen to Black women first.

  • Space to gather, process and organize our thoughts and feelings—public or privately—in a way that harnesses the the power of our collective learning. Why? So we can engage with our racial justice work more broadly, deeply and consistently. In here, we don't just give it lip service—we get it in our bones.

  • Access to a community of White women committed to showing up to who we are, where we are, and our role in it. Why? Because if we don't go searching for an education about race—for racial literacy—we won't get it, and we know that is our White privilege at work. In here, we aim to make history, not repeat it.

I was hungry for a place to nurture my relationship to racial justice work. I created this to meet that need. Join me?

Think of this as one-stop-shopping to organize, follow through, track, and make sense of our anti-racism work. Think of this as a way to stay engaged while also giving back through your automatic donation to The Loveland Foundation. Let's do our work together. Let's learn with and from each other, without adding unnecessary burden to the Black community to hold this space for us or carry our emotional burdens. Let's show up together—fully and powerfully—as white women doing this work and feel what it's like.

Get your beach access here

"Just FINALLY gathered my emotional energy to open this and look around. Weeping. This is beyond incredible. Holy shit, Lael. Thank you." - Kat, Scarborough, ME

White Women Gather, Black Women Receive

100% of each registration fee will be donated to Loveland Foundation's Therapy Fund, which provides financial assistance to Black women and girls nationally seeking therapy. Additionally, women who gather on this beach of ours will be encouraged to purchase books, subscribe to podcasts, enroll in programs, and enlist the services of businesses owned and operated by Black women.

Come join us on the beach, woman.

Let's Do Our Anti-Racism Work Together

Here's a look at all the clusters happening on this beach

“The Beach calls are an amazing opportunity to reflect, learn and be inspired. Lael has created a thoughtful and intimate space. As usual.” - Andrea Lee, Annapolis, MD

"I'm so grateful for this because you have made it accessible and organized and I simply have no excuses to not do the work. It's powerful and I'm glad you responded to this need in your very authentic Lael way." - Lisa, Portland, ME

We've Got This.

You could wait. You could do business (and life) as usual. Unfortunately, our White privilege makes those options all too easy. Or you could choose to seize the moment and make a big difference simply by showing up just as you are. Let's do this, woman.

Join The Beach + Make It Happen

Questions? I've got answers.

  • Is this a training course? Is it a program with curriculum?

    Nope. Definitely not. I want to be very clear that I am not the expert here, nor am I someone who is going to walk you through any prescribed program or training. While I am the host and curator of this space, I am very much IN this work with you as a participant learning right by your side. I might frame the discussions for us to get us going, but I will be joining you on this quest, not leading it. We will each be responsible for leading ourselves here.

  • Who compiled all these resources—and how do we get them?

    I did. And we did. One of the gifts of working with my community of women in SheChanges is that I am constantly getting resources sent my way. And women know this about me. Two or three times a week, a client or a woman who knows me and my work will reach out and say, "Lael, what have you got on....?" Personally speaking, I like to geek out on this stuff—I'm passionate about learning and a voracious reader—so it seems to work out well. I'm envisioning adding resources to our collection as we go, gathering ideas in here as well as out there. With regard to getting them, that's on you. You won't see any affiliate links, and I am not profiting from this endeavor in any way. I am, however, encouraging you to seek out indie booksellers that feature Black writers, and have happily shared links to training, curriculum and programs offered by Black women in an effort to directly support their businesses and their work.

  • This work is really private to me. Is it okay if I don't comment much or participate in discussions?

    Absolutely. For some people, just having a way to organize, track and make your way through this work in a visible way is going to be the biggest appeal. I joked that I felt like Marie Kondo organizing this—keeping everything neat and tidy so we could get messy.

  • What if I'm just interested in the monthly LIVE discussions? How will those work?

    My plan is to hold a "live bonfire" discussion once a month using Zoom. This gathering is free and entirely optional, but I am personally using these LIVE gatherings a way to hold myself accountable to some work each month. Others might join these discussions to get inspired, feel validated, and not feel so alone in this work. We're going to feel our way into this depending on how many women are on the call, but my intention is to hold space for experiences, insights and stories to be shared. I plan on recording them, so if you can't join in one—or are curious about what they're like—the recordings will be a good place to start.

  • How will the regular discussions work—do I just leave a comment or will someone start one for us?

    Yes. To both :) There are prompts embedded in each section to spark your thoughts AND you have the ability to just share what's on your mind (or in your heart). There are TWO ways to engage in a discussion: 1) you can comment on a specific resource (like a book or a podcast) and 2) you can head over the the discussion section and share your thoughts more generally around topics like "whiteness", "learnings", "parenting" or "actions". If someone responds to your comment you will get an email alerting you. Part of my vision for these discussions is that we benefit from and be inspired by each other's work—so if someone writes a comment about some key takeaways from a book I was considering and it resonates with me, I might pick it up sooner as a result. It's why I frame each discussion with the invitation to "share the love".

  • How long will I have access to this Beach?

    I am committed to be here through the end of June, 2021, so that's what I've got for now. I'm pretty keen on generating donations for The Loveland Foundation, so perhaps we might reenlist next July, but I haven't decided that just yet. But please know that when you DO join, 100% of your registration fee will be donated as a gift to The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund. I hope to keep a running tally somewhere so we can see the financial impact we're having with Black women and girls seeking financial assistance for therapy. That matters and feels good.

  • Tell me more about this donation we're making...why did you choose The Loveland Foundation and what's it about?

    The Loveland Foundation is the brainchild of Rachel Cargle, a public academic, writer and activist who's work is rooted in bringing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood. I'm a huge fan of her work in general, but more specifically I'm keen getting behind the Therapy Fund she established within the Loveland Foundation to support Black women and girls getting financial assistance for therapy. Why? Because I know the power of therapy to root us in our own wisdom, bodies, and truth in times of transition. Personally, I don't know what I'd do without that support right now. So I can't IMAGINE how much Black women and girls could benefit from this support as they are most impacted by the effects of racism and continue to be the front-line leaders of this fight. I believe in therapy. I believe in Rachel. I believe in the power of women to rally and support other women.