Terri Givens

Back to Europe — but oh, the delays…

When I last visited Europe in 2019, I couldn’t have imagined that it would be three years before I made it back. I have been a regular visitor/researcher to Europe since I started graduate school in the mid-1990s. When I landed in Copenhagen today, I…

Only the beginning — much more left to learn about #BlackHistoryMonth

It may be the end of Black History Month, but we all have much more to learn, and hopefully these posts will inspire you to make Black History a project for 365 days of the year. Day 14 of #BlackHistoryMonth and it’s #ValentinesDay! I can’t think of…

The #RadicalEmpathyChallenge — Taking Action

“We are living in a time when practicing empathy, taking action, creating change, and building trust are more important than ever. From Washington, DC, to London, from Berlin to Sydney, from Hong Kong to Johannesburg, people around the world are…

Recognizing African American Trailblazers for #BlackHistoryMonth — Week 2

This year for #BlackHistoryMonth I am highlighting people who have had an impact on my life, profession and the world. This is a summary of the second week of posts. Day 7: Those who know me well know that I grew up on the original Star Trek shows…

Recognizing African American Trailblazers for #BlackHistoryMonth — Week 1

Terri Givens 3 hours ago·5 min read This year for #BlackHistoryMonth I am highlighting people who have had an impact on my life, profession and the world. This is a summary of the first week of posts. Day 1: Although I never met her in person, I was…

Starting on the path to Radical Empathy

Terri Givens Just now·3 min read People often ask me how to get started on the path to radical empathy — first I remind them that there are six steps: A willingness to be vulnerable. Becoming grounded in who you are. Opening yourself to the…

The coming storm…

The coming storm… It has been a year of loss and as the doors begin to open, it will be the opening of more than just the physical locations… How will our hearts grapple with the pain? Who will we be remembering? What did we give up? What did we let…

2020: The Year in Review

We were planning for 2020 to be an auspicious year for The Center for Higher Education Leadership (CHEL). In January we had updated our website, added new courses, and we were ready to launch our new offerings at SXSW EDU. My partner Shelley Seale…

To breathe again…

Today I finally felt it. I felt the weight come off of my shoulders and I felt like I could see the light again. It has been a tough four years, and it has been much worse than I could have ever imagined four years ago. Although I still feel like we…

A birthday story

“You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not with its idea of you.” James Baldwin The birthday cake has been eaten, and the champagne bottle is empty. Today is my birthday, I am 56 years old. I was born in 1964, a time of…

A letter to my boys

Dear Andrew and Brandon, Your generation is living through one of the greatest upheavals our country has faced since the early 1900s. Apparently we haven’t learned the lessons of global war, racism and pandemic. We have spent a lot of our time on…

An excerpt from my forthcoming book on Radical Empathy

In the Sea of White Supremacy One analogy that has helped me conceptualize the lack of understanding that most people have about racism and discrimination is that white supremacy is the ocean and we are the fish swimming in it. For white people, it…

Truth and Reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation Commission must come after COVID-19 and Trump The hits keep coming during the COVID-19 crisis — the Supreme Court ruling that the Wisconin primary must go forward despite the fact that it potentially puts voters’ health and…

The Day the Mountain Exploded

As I sit Here in Quarantine, 40 Years Later, I think of my Mother It seemed like a normal day, a typical Sunday in our household. After breakfast, my mother and I headed to the fabric store, I was working on making a skirt and jacket from a pattern I…

Bill Powers — a remembrance

March 14, 2019 I’ll never forget the first time I met Bill Powers. He was the Dean of the UT Law School at the time, and I was the Director of the Center for European Studies. I was looking for funding from the law school for a conference I was…

A view of the world from Doha

The 18th annual Doha Forum took place on December 15–16, and although I am not an expert on politics in the Middle East, I was intrigued to go and see what was going on in Qatar, given that the country has been under a blockade for 18 months. I was…

The Best of 2018

Wishing all a Happy New Year! It has been a year of writing, travel, speaking, consulting and change. In July I began a new career as a consultant and speaker after 18 years as a professor and academic administrator. I was invited to speak on my…

Voting Rights In The 21st Century

Many believe voter suppression is a relic of a bygone era. They’re wrong. Terri Givens Nov 2, 2018 · 7 min read Every voice is equally powerful. Don’t underestimate your vote. Voting is the great equalizer.—Maya Angelou During a recent trip to…

The Most Significant Global Debate Is Over Immigration

Looking at immigration policy across countries and over time Terri Givens Jul 23, 2018 · 6 min read With images of children in cages, separated from their parents, and would-be migrants floating on overloaded boats in the Mediterranean becoming…