I'm working through some articles related to race* and I came across the term "responsive listening." Contextually, the article was discussing how white people engage with people of color when people of color provide feedback or criticism about methods and practices used by white people. The term struck me in this context. When white people patiently listen and agree, that doesn't go far enough. Feedback and criticism ought to result in action beyond nodding one's head! This is where responsive listening comes in. We listen and respond with changed behavior. This is something I'll employ in the racial context mentioned and also with my husband, kids, and everyone else I come across. *I'm a member of a Facebook group designed as "a space for people of color to lead discussions about racial (re)conciliation and justice." People of color have not always been the privileged and centered voice in the group so the group admins recommended some readin
-Sarah