Expect and accept discomfort.
You will feel uncomfortable at times. When you feel it, accept it, explore it, ask yourself, “Why am I feeling uncomfortable?”
Expect and accept non-closure.
We will not have an answer, a solution, or closure at the end of our dialogue circles. We will have more questions, thoughts, and feelings.
Stay engaged.
With all the discomfort and non-closure, you may be tempted to disengage with the material or people - this will block any movement forward. Take a break when you need to and return when you are ready.
Speak your truth.
There is no single truth. Things can be dialectic. They can be opposite and yet both true. If you speak from ‘your truth’, there is room for other beliefs to be shared and heard. If you hear something that changes your truth, give it the space it needs to take shape.
Protect what’s shared and each other.
One thing that helps people feel free to speak their truth is knowing they can trust others to act in good faith, to watch out for each other’s well-being, and not to use their mistakes or personal stories against them. That begins with not sharing what someone else has shared unless you have their permission, and it also extends to how you share if permission is given.

Adapted from Glenn E. Singleton’s Courageous Conversations about Race