Dr. B. demonstrates unwavering love, leadership, and commitment to students on the margins. —Calvon Jones, M.Div. (Yale University), D.Min. Candidate (Duke University), Associate Pastor to Children and Youth, Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago)
“The most important lesson I have learned in the fifty years I have spent working toward the building of a better world is the true work of social transformation starts within. It begins inside your own heart and mind, because the battleground of human transformation is really, more than any other thing, the struggle within the human consciousness to believe and accept what is true.” --John Lewis
I have been coaching leaders across the country for more than 30 years, primarily in underserved schools and communities. My lifelong equity work, activism, and organizing began in Oakland, California, in 1968, followed by teaching and learning at every level, from kindergarten through university. States of Being: Leadership Coaching for Equitable Schools was published on May 14, 2020.
Along the way, I have been recognized with numerous awards and honors including the prestigious 2006 Duke University Presidential Diversity Award, two Gracie awards for women in media, and a Silver Reel award from The National Federation of Community Broadcasters. In 2017, I was named a Bogliasco Fellow in dance, and have been named Distinguished Writer for poetry several times by Art Ascent Art & Literary Journal. For a more complete look at my story, please visit lindabelans.com.
Distilled from decades of teaching and coaching experience, this book contains a treasure trove of guidance for school leaders and coaches who want to deepen their practice and re-direct it to address issues of equity and justice. The clarity of its prose, the practicality of its advice, and the elegance of its organization make this slim but weighty volume not only a handbook but also an inspiring outline for revising the search for meaning in schools and beyond. Jim Henderson, Ph.D