"Allow me to reintroduce myself...” (Yale Field Hockey) by A Long Talk

Kamal Carter

ALongTalk2020 — 2024-01-24 11:21:28 UTC

Atlanta, GA.

Team Member, Decide2Inspire, LLC Grandson of a Tuskegee Airmen. Born into the struggle. I am here because I need to make sure the world is a better place for my daughters. The only way to do that is to have “A Long Talk About The Uncomfortable Truth” & ACTION!

Kyle Williams

ALongTalk2020 — 2024-01-24 11:21:36 UTC

Washington, DC. CEO at Decide2inspire, Inc and creator of A Long Talk About The Uncomfortable Truth. I’m here because I needed to make sure my sons were attending schools and playing for coaches who were committed to keeping them safe and creating environments where their voices are valued and amplified. I'm here to engage in an honest conversation about identifying and eradicating the impact of racism in America.

Maddy Zavalick

2024-03-17 13:06:48 UTC

Hi my name is Maddy Zavalick and I am a sophomore on the Yale Field Hockey team. I grew up in Glastonbury, CT but now live in Newington, CT. I come to this discussion with a sense of humility and a willingness to listen and learn. My hope is to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of racism, its historical roots, and its ongoing impact on our society. I wish to engage in meaningful dialogue and collectively explore ways to foster and create a more inclusive community.

Tabs Collier

2024-03-17 13:59:27 UTC

Hi my name is Tabs and I'm a first year on YFH. I live in North London, England. I enjoy being part of a team - whether it is on the field or in a meeting room. I hope to gain more confidence in my ability to speak in discussions about race so I can take away the lessons learnt in 'A Long Talk' and broaden its impact to those both involved and not directly involved in the program.

Keely Comizio

2024-03-22 15:27:05 UTC

Hi my name is Keely and I'm a junior on the team. I live in Florham Park, New Jersey. I hope to gain a better understanding of the history of racism in our country and its continuous presence. As an upperclassman, I hope after this talk we are better able to create an inclusive community where everyone feels heard and we don't shy away from the hard topics.

Julia Freedman

2024-03-24 14:24:37 UTC

Hi my name is Julia and I'm a junior on the team. I live in Greenwich, CT. I am dedicated to learning about the history of slavery and systemic racism, as well as gaining perspective on the black experience in America and my own privilege. I hope to actively listen and engage in uncomfortable conversations in order to create an honest and inclusive environment on this team and outside of it. As athletes, we are leaders - so, it is that much more important to educate ourselves and build the confidence to engage in hard conversations around race.

Alexa Pitts

2024-03-26 23:39:06 UTC

Hi my name is Alexa and I am currently a junior on the team. I am from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am excited to learn more about how racism is still present in my communities in ways that I am unaware of. I hope to actively listen and engage in uncomfortable conversations with my teammates to foster more understanding and clarity. As the only black woman on my team, I look forward to learning alongside my teammates, whom I consider my family away from home. As an upperclassman, I hope our understanding level helps us create an even more inclusive team and community within YFH.

Colette Staadecker

2024-04-03 14:51:29 UTC

Hi, my name is Colette and I am currently a junior on the team. I live in London, England. I am excited to listen and learn more about the topic of racism, specifically how it impacts the athletic community. I am hoping to gain a better understanding of how to discuss this important topic with those around me and foster an inclusive community where no voice is left unheard. I am looking forward to educating myself more on these issues through the Long Talk process!

Lauren Venter

2024-04-04 01:31:18 UTC

Hi, I'm Lauren (better known as Lolly) and I'm a sophomore from South Africa. My hope from this experience is to gain perspective and a better understanding of the history of slavery in America, and the pervasiveness of its effects to this day. I look forward to being apart of such a necessary conversation. Talking about "The Uncomfortable Truth" in an open and honest environment will allow us to move forward with more grounded insights, and contribute to building a more inclusive community.

Sienna Tejpaul

2024-04-04 12:40:24 UTC

Hi, my name is Sienna and I am a freshman from Greenwich, Connecticut. From this experience I hope to broaden my knowledge on racism and how it is present in the communities I am a part of. I am eager to learn how to create a more inclusive community and how to better support my teammates. I hope that by talking about these difficult topics together, our team will become even more connected to one another.

Melissa Gonzalez

2024-04-04 14:03:26 UTC

Hi, my name is Melissa Gonzalez, the head field hockey coach at Yale, and I'm originally from New York. I am eager to engage in the Long Talk experience to deepen my understanding of racism, both for myself and this team. My goal is to actively listen, learn, and acquire knowledge about how we all can become more actively anti-racist. Creating a safe and inclusive environment within our program is important. I look forward to equipping ourselves with lifelong tools to navigate uncomfortable conversations.

Belle Bressler

2024-04-04 14:34:49 UTC

Hi, my name is Belle Bressler, an assistant field hockey coach at Yale. I am originally from Leesport, PA and just joined this group in the beginning of March. I am eager to better my understanding of how to handle discussions around the topic of racism. A goal for me would be to be to be able to create a more inclusive environment where everybody feels comfortable having difficult conversations. I look forward to learning alongside this YFH group!

CC Wolf

2024-04-04 15:40:24 UTC

Hi, my name is CC and I am a current sophomore on the Yale FH Team. I'm from Short Hills, NJ. I look forward to having these difficult conversations about racism and what being antiracist means. I would especially like to learn more about how I can use my privilege to advocate for marginalized voices in the US.

Kerry Kiddoo

2024-04-05 13:17:32 UTC

Hi, my name is Kerry Kiddoo, I am one of the Assistant Field Hockey Coaches here at Yale. I am originally from North Carolina. Through this experience, my goal is to learn, listen, grow, and understand how we as coaches can continue to foster an inclusive, safe, and antiracist environment for our athletes. I look forward to actively working alongside this group to challenge our respective biases and gain important perspectives through hard conversations. This is foundational work to not just make us better YFH and Yale community members, but global citizens.

Nicole Gotthardt

2024-04-06 15:16:34 UTC

Hi, my name is Nicole Gotthardt and I am a senior from LA. Through this experience, I hope to learn more about the historic struggles of the African American community in the United States to be better informed about the pervading impacts today. My goal as a leader on the team is to create a inclusive environment where everyone approaches difficult topics with humility, empathy, and respect. By the end of the workshop, my hope is that we become educated on hard topics around race so we can be leaders in inclusivity and respect on campus.

Nini Rothenberger

2024-04-06 18:42:57 UTC

Hi, I'm Nini and I'm a sophomore from Frankfurt, Germany. I hope to expand my knowledge on racism and how it affects the communities I am in. I am excited to take part in this extremely important talk and I hope that after the talk we will be able to create a more inclusive community.

Lily Ramsey

2024-04-06 21:30:33 UTC

Hi, my name is Lily Ramsey and I'm a junior from Summit, NJ. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the historical roots of racism and its continuing influence on society today. By actively listening to other's perspectives, I hope to develop greater awareness of the experiences and struggles faced by the African American community. I want to engage in open and uncomfortable conversations with my teammates so that I can learn how to foster inclusivity, both within YFH and beyond.

Ellie Barlow

2024-04-07 15:09:22 UTC

Hi my name is Ellie and I am a junior from England. I studied a lot of this history in school in England, and so I am excited to expand my knowledge but from a more American perspective. I look forward to engaging in these conversations and becoming more informed on this difficult topic.

Emma Ramsey

2024-04-08 13:08:16 UTC

Hi my name is Emma Ramsey. Im a first year from Summit, New Jersey. I am very eager to become more educated about racism in general. I am specifically curious and excited to learn about the historic struggles of the African American community in America. I am also looking forward to engaging in an open and honest conversation about racism so that we can take the necessary steps on fostering an inclusive community!

Poppy Beales

2024-04-08 16:10:38 UTC

Hi my name is Poppy Beales and I'm a sophomore from England. I am keen to gain a better understanding of the history of racism in America and the impacts it has on today's society. I hope after this talk I have a better understanding of how to discuss these important topics and engage in uncomfortable conversations. I hope by doing this as a team, it creates a community that talks about hard issues and where everyone feels safe and heard.

Hettie Whittington

2024-04-08 21:58:04 UTC

Hi I'm Hettie and I'm a first-year from England. I haven't had much education when it comes to Black History so I am eager to learn more about what role I can play in my community and how I can play a small part in making systemic changes in the world.

Sophie Thompson

2024-04-09 13:42:11 UTC

Hi my name is Sophie and i am a freshman from England. I am looking forward to learning more about the history of racism in America and the long lasting impact it has on todays society. Through 'The Long Talk' process i look hope to increase my confidence in approaching and having difficult discussions surrounding racism and its deep rooted history in America.

Fenne Mulder

2024-04-09 16:28:59 UTC

Hi my name is Fenne Mulder. I am originally from Amsterdam, Holland. I am excited and eager to learn more about the racism, especially within America. I think it is really important to know more about this difficult topic and it is something that I will include in my every day life