by Morgan Curtis, Ancestors & Money Coach

I am excited to share with you that Decolonial Dames of America has just been published! This pocket-sized book is my personal exploration of the repair work required of white descendants of colonial settlers and enslavers in North America.

About a month ago, this essay went out into the world, and it has felt both incredibly vulnerable and immensely rewarding to share my story in this way with thousands of people — 2500 of them were delivered all over the country! My inbox has been a flood of meaningful responses, including beautiful photographs of where the little books ended up. I’d love to hear from any of you that read it.

“ahhhh so beautiful! just read by candle light the beautiful bound/unbound alchemical prayer of a book! i am so overjoyed that its is in the world and the accompanying words.... so beautifully offered, all of it. thank you for giving it time, the work of translation and storying a journey and in so doing, making possible for others, opening channels for what we are here for in these lifetimes.”

If you want a physical copy, email me back and I can put one in the mail for you. There’s no distribution system other than me walking to the mailbox, so thanks in advance for your patience! They are offered as a gift, and all financial offerings received in return are shared with Sandi, brontë and Melissa, you’ll see who they are when you read it.

There will be an in-person book launch event at Harvard Divinity School on April 19th, open to the public, you are all invited. This is hosted by The Constellation Project and Terry Tempest Williams, my beloved mentor of more than a decade now, to whom the thanks go for making this book project possible. I’m so grateful to Terry for her profound love, rigorous craft, and endless support, and to The Constellation Project for fundraising for and publishing this series of prayer books, of which the Decolonial Dames is one.

I so hope some of you might be able to join us in Cambridge, or spread the word to those in the Boston area that might be able to. I’m looking into livestreaming and/or recording, so please let me know if you want to join virtually so I can share that info when it comes.

On Transmuting Ancestries of Exploitation

It was a joy last month to have a deep and potent conversation with dear friend Ayana Young on her podcast For The Wild: “Rising against growing wealth inequality and resource consolidation, guest Morgan Curtis asks how we might, rather, shape our world in reciprocity, mutual aid, and intentional community. This week, Ayana and Morgan dive deep into the need for repair, healing, and acknowledgement as we face the historical roots of modern inequity…

This heartfelt and expansive conversation calls for us to unlearn the ways racial capitalism has taught us wealth should be passed down. Perhaps the world that we are longing for is one where abundance is not wealth, but rather right relationship - with land, with ancestry, and with each other.”

Reparations Planning: Moving through Our Fears Together

I am excited to be co-hosting with my Harvard Divinity School classmate Keila Franks an in-person workshop near Greenfield, MA next Saturday, April 8th. We still have a few spaces left, please forward to anyone that might be interested…

“Many of us feel called to be part of the movement for reparations and landback, but it can be difficult to know where to start. This workshop is for those who are considering, or have already begun, moving personal financial resources towards reparations. You may find yourself asking questions like how much is enough? what risk am I willing to take? can I afford to do this? will it even make a difference? what if I do it wrong? We have learned how common these questions are, and that it takes community to find our way through them towards action.

Join Morgan Curtis & Keila Franks from Dr. David Ragland’s Harvard Divinity School class “Reparations as a Spiritual Practice” for a day-long workshop including storytelling, ritual and contemplation of our fears. Our goal is to create a space that can support us to move through internal obstacles and make courageous commitments towards reparative action. 

We welcome up to 15 people, and invite you to send a few sentences about what moves you to participate to Keila (kfranks@hds.harvard.edu).”