“As someone who lives at the intersection of several marginalized identities (black, female, immigrant) I have found that not only is true community vital for my mental health, it often feels like the key to my very survival. The Circles of Care came at a time when I really needed a safe container and a space to process some difficult feelings as we all watched the world and this country in particular wrestle quite painfully with the dual pandemics of COVID19 and systemic racism. The summer of 2020, I remember feeling particularly exhausted as I reflected on years of micro- and macro- aggressions and felt powerless to stop re-experiencing said racial trauma, much of which I had almost unknowingly suppressed in order to survive. Going to work was hard. Being home was hard. It all felt hard, and I was desperately searching for healing and wondering if my usual arsenal of self care tools would be enough to sustain me through this. In the Circles, I found a sanctuary of sorts, a space where I didn’t feel like a token or a spokesperson but could be my authentic self, offer support to others like me, and feel held and supported in turn. Black physicians are still “unicorns’’ in medicine in this country. Being able to be in community with kindred souls helped.

There is a quote from Emily and Amelia Nagoski, sisters and co-authors of a book called “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” that I keep on my vision board. It goes - “ the cure for burnout isn’t and can’t be self care. It has to be all of us caring for each other.” Participating in the Circles, and being able to co-facilitate allowed me to not only feel cared for myself, but to provide care to others like me, an opportunity I found deeply meaningful.

I am deeply thankful for the Braxton Institute and the different ways it cultivates community. As someone with a never-ending commitment to growth and healing, the opportunity to see and be seen is one I hold near and dear. For me, it has always been the foundation of any sustainable healing to come. I am excited about participating in more Circles, or experiences like it, in the future. ”

“As we embarked on a Restorative Justice process with the City of College Park, the Braxton Institute paid a critical role. They introduced us to the literature on Restorative Justice, helped us adopt common language, and find an appropriate framework to move forward. Today that work serves as the basis of our restorative justice journey. I take this opportunity to say thank you to the Braxton Institute for serving as an invaluable resource.”

“Tree of Life: Black Faith Matters works to center the knowledge of those pushed to the margins in ways that cannot be addressed when the community itself is not in leadership. Rapid response in these times requires building on established relationships. I know the Rev. Dr. Braxton as a leading figure who is trusted by medical professionals, religious colleagues, academic scholars, and leaders in the movement for Black lives. Such trust, in these times, is a matter of life and death for our community.
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““The Embry Center for Family Life thanks you for our continuing partnership of the last three years. Your efforts have made a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of people in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. We are delighted to join in making a difference and we look forward to participating as you formulate more programs to address the issues of health disparity and to empower sustainable health and wholeness for the larger community.” ”

““We are grateful for having had the opportunity to partner with Rev. Dr. Braxton over the past five years. We have worked hard and we continue to stretch ourselves beyond belief. Yet, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, ‘We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.’ The Braxton Institute is exactly what we need at this time — the Sankofa moment that is central to the juxtaposition of our past and future.

Over the years, your collaborations with us have helped me support UU congregational professional and lay religious leaders in developing the cross-cultural knowledge and skills that foster multicultural growth and ministry in Unitarian Universalism at the congregational, district, and national levels. The values of the Braxton Institute are in keeping with those of Multicultural Ministries. We applaud the commitment to sustaining resilience…and to unleashing that rare commodity: joy! Your ministry saves lives.””

““We appreciate your expertise and work at our recent conference in Midland, Texas. All of us at the Soul Repair Center look forward to further collaborations with the Braxton Institute.””