Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out

Meditation instructor King draws on her long experience with meditation and diversity consulting for multinational companies (such as Levi Strauss and Intel) in this helpful overview of using meditation and mindfulness to work through pain and conflict rooted in structural racism. King offers clear and specific guidelines for meditation practices intended to help both people of color and white people work through racial trauma and contribute to dismantling racism. For example, King outlines a framework for dealing with difficult emotions through four steps: recognizing, allowing, investigating, and not identifying. Her voice is expert yet soothing as she shares personal stories as well as facts about racial disparities in society to fully establish the problems stemming from racism and why they should be resolved. “Racism is a heart disease,” she writes. “How we think and respond is at the heart of racial suffering and racial healing. If we cannot think clearly and respond wisely, we will continue to damage the world heart.” Although the book is directed toward an audience already interested in antiracist work and meditation, King’s keen advice will be impactful for anyone looking to deepen a meditation practice or invest further in racial awareness and justice. (June)