Seek First to Understand: Meet Kassy Alia Ray

Kassy Alia Ray

On this episode of Community Possibilities, I speak with Kassy Alia Ray. Kassy is the Executive Director of Serve and Connect.

In this podcast, Kassy talks about how she moved beyond grief to give back to others.

In this episode we talk about:

·        The fact that we all want the same thing: for our communities to be safe, our families to be protected, and our children to thrive.

·        How hard it is to see from others’ perspectives, especially when we don’t agree. In her TED Talk, and in our conversation, Kassy tells the story of an interaction that helped shape her thinking.

·        Death is a part of life. Because we all live in community, we love, and therefore will experience pain and loss. When we step outside our grief, we can connect and see outside ourselves.

·        How our norms around grief keep us from healing and finding joy.

·        How she learned to lean into difficult conversations by seeking first to understand.

·        What we all need to do to learn to listen and build our empathy muscle.

·        How Serve and Connect seeks to be the bridge between police and those who feel harmed by police.

·        The community work that Serve and Connect provides support for communities and police and helps them connect in new ways.

·        Why we both love the article, In Praise of Paradox by Julian Rappaport.

·        How we find the courage to collaborate and work towards a common understanding.

Let me know what you think is the most powerful moment. Click to listen here.