  The Facts Behind Just the FACTS "We would love to still include Factuality as part of the course. Do you have the ability to run it virtually?" It was something about the way Delores Mason (Visiting Faculty at Saint Joseph's University) inquired about a virtual equivalent of FACTUALITY that sent my brain into the ultimate frenzy. Those who have attended a FACTUALITY facilitation know that there's something really special that transpires in 90 minutes. I am always overwhelmed, and in the greatest way imaginable, by the empathy, vulnerability, and accountability, expressed by participants during facilitations. I have lost count of the amount of times I've been asked about FACTUALITY's virtual equivalent... creating one was of no interest to me because I did not want to chance compromising the delivery of its message, the experience, and the referenced breathtaking participant takeaways. I couldn't even begin to imagine how I could capture those tangible moments... through a screen. "We would love to still include Factuality as part of the course. Do you have the ability to run it virtually?" I think back to the moment I received that email. I was standing in my living room and after reading it, I began to lean over the sofa and place my phone on the cushion in what felt like slow motion. Still in slow motion, my body began to move back into an upright position and ideas flooded my brain. Within minutes, the blueprint of FACTUALITY's virtual equivalent appeared. Within 30 minutes, I had identified the entire concept. Ironically, the idea of what would later become FACTUALITY was a similarly aggressive... 30 minute thought process. "I GOT IT," I declared, 30 minutes later. I worked around the clock until I finalized a version of FACTUALITY that I loved just as much as the original... do you know how many hours and days that took? Finally the newest iteration of my work Just the FACTS by FACTUALITY, was complete. This virtual equivalent, albeit absent of the game board itself, remains interactive and delivers all of the facts and all of the feels... hence the name "Just" the FACTS. Every feeling felt when I first created FACTUALITY, I now have the greatest fortune of feeling again. There is tremendous joy in creating and I look forward to sharing my latest creation with you.  In the midst of this pandemic, I've been reflecting heavily on the pre-existing inequities of marginalized communities and how COVID-19 will only exacerbate already challenging circumstances.
The following list of articles focus on the coronavirus and its implications for the populations that have been vulnerable for quite some time.
Last updated May 12, 2020.  During the debrief at one of my recent facilitations, one of my participants spoke candidly about growing up in a racist family; it wasn't uncommon for them to hear negative things about black and brown people growing up. During game play, they felt as if life... or the game was passing them by, due to the factual structural inequities that coincided with their character's identity. They shared that playing one of FACTUALITY's characters of color made them realize that their family is and has been entirely wrong.
 To date, FACTUALITY has reached over 16,000 participants in 26 states! #roadto20k
I teamed up with Baltimore City's Office of Equity and Civil Rights for the filming of their Fair Housing Webinar. During my segment I addressed the origins, intricacies, and implications of redlining (a federally sanctioned policy, practice, and concept that drastically compromised black homeownership and eventual wealth) and its consequential present day inequities, which are all captured in FACTUALITY. The full webinar can be accessed here.  Really great facilitation with the faculty and staff at Chesapeake College and the feedback was truly exceptional.
Could you imagine bumping into Angela Davis... especially en route to facilitating a conversation on structural inequality?! To think that this all began with my friend Bonnie, recommending my work on Facebook, which led to getting hired by Wingate University, followed by the session being pushed back two days, and a flight delayed three hours... all of these factors left me standing right next to Angela Davis upon arrival. Sharing that story was a great way to get my facilitation going and as usual, my participants were thoughtful and incredible.    It might seem unconventional, but FACTUALITY has been used as a keynote on numerous occasions. This keynote facilitation was part of the Breaking Down Barriers, Building Up Leaders conference.
This game means that FACTUALITY has been facilitated in 26 states. What made this session super memorable were the students, especially Kendra who played the game two times in a row after enjoying the first session so much. Additionally, the President, Dr. Darrin Good, was in attendance; that's what true leadership looks like.  I started off as a Criminal Justice major that transferred into the Legal Studies program. I was selected to present my research on the justice system during senior year. 15 years later, I was selected to present my research/FACTUALITY, at Rikers.    |