Michelle is a speaker, writer, and activist, and the award-winning author of The Wake Up. Michelle makes me so proud to be a fellow Korean American — I am so inspired by her humanity, her integrity, and her ability to so clearly articulate her thoughts on many big issues.

We talk about the clashing of unmetabolized traumas, the interconnectedness of all social justice causes, and the white supremacist lie that we must all be in competition with each other. She talks about the betrayal she felt when she realized that her lifelong fight for proximity to whiteness was leading her nowhere, and the unexpected, unconditional love she has received since focusing on the work she is now dedicated to. And I love Michelle’s closing thoughts on hope being a discipline.

Please enjoy the ever so clear and sturdy — Michelle.

Michelle’s IG

Michelle’s Book

Leah’s IG