Repairing the Quilt of Humanity: A Metaphor for Healing and Reparation

The quilt of humanity is in a tattered state, says Deborah Howard, a New York City organization development and diversity consultant. We suffer too much as a result of racism, oppression, and the various ways that power and privilege affect us. Drawing on her own cultural background, she employs the Jewish concept of tikkun olam-healing and repairing the world-to present a provocatively insightful way out of our dilemma. That ideal can be applied both to the overall tattered quilt of humanity and to the individual torn, twisted, and distorted woven cloths that make up this quilt. Mending the quilt of humanity is a lengthy and complicated process. It requires reparation and healing on different levels and in many ways, all of which are necessary for complete equity and justice. Weaving her own story of injustice and oppression into the larger pattern, Deborah Howard gives us an inspiring model to follow. We learn how to weave our own stories into those of the larger society. Finally, she writes about the importance of understanding the essential thread of forgiveness-for ourselves and for others for perpetuating society's inequities.