Courage to Love: How Transformation Requires Us to Build Healing Communities

Where do we find hope when systems are breaking down around us? Dr. Dominica McBride offers a profound answer: in the courage to love and connect with each other.Drawing from her family's dramatic journey from Haiti to America—her grandfather was a military leader who rescued people from the Parsley Massacre before fleeing Duvalier's regime—McBride reveals how historical trauma travels through generations. This ancestral understanding now shapes her revolutionary work as founder of the Become Center, where community psychology meets social justice.The conversation explores her groundbreaking "Courage to Love" initiative in Chicago, which tackled infant mortality rates by building neighborhood connections. The results were transformative—bringing together residents who hadn't connected in forty years, creating what participants described as "nothing short of magical." This approach offers a powerful model for addressing collective trauma through community healing rather than individual interventions alone.McBride shares scientific evidence that our bodies physically respond to both oppression and love. Research shows it takes five to six positive interactions to overcome just one negative experience, highlighting why building loving communities matters so much in our current climate of fear and division. As she puts it, "One way to disguise power is by keeping people separate."Perhaps most striking is McBride's reframing of relationships: they aren't luxuries separate from survival—they are survival. When we recognize our interdependence, we discover our collective power to heal and transform our communities.Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by current events or seeking practical ways to strengthen your community, this conversation offers both wisdom and actionable strategies for finding hope through connection. Subscribe now to join our community of hope dealers committed to building the future we deserve.F.L.Y. L.I.B.R.E. a guide for healing and liberation can be purchased here: amzn.to/4iCzAAMGet Dr. McBride's book "Becoming Changemakers" to explore more stories of resilience and community transformation. Connect with the Become Center at becomecenter.org or email [email protected].