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Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing
So, you want to do your part to end racism in the United States?
Have you been watching racial conflict erupt across the nation, wondering if there is any hope for peace? Do you want to be part of the healing of our nation but just don’t know if you as an individual can make a difference? Do you wonder if you need a title or need to run for office to make the kinds of changes needed?
In Bridges to Heal US, you will learn from author and 30-year, locally- and nationally-award-winning educator, Erin Jones, about strategies to help you move your community towards racial justice by:
Developing the attitudes and behaviors necessary to engage in HARD conversations about race and justice
Understanding the role of your own story and identities in dismantling racism
Learning about the stories of other people who may experience race different from you
Realizing which levers to push at your work site, in your community and in government to eliminate racism
Identifying next steps to move your learning forward
You can’t end racism on your own, but if you are interested in learning how to BE and BUILD the bridges necessary to heal the deep wounds of racism in the United States of America, get your copy of Bridges to Heal US today!
Have you been watching racial conflict erupt across the nation, wondering if there is any hope for peace? Do you want to be part of the healing of our nation but just don’t know if you as an individual can make a difference? Do you wonder if you need a title or need to run for office to make the kinds of changes needed?
In Bridges to Heal US, you will learn from author and 30-year, locally- and nationally-award-winning educator, Erin Jones, about strategies to help you move your community towards racial justice by:
Developing the attitudes and behaviors necessary to engage in HARD conversations about race and justice
Understanding the role of your own story and identities in dismantling racism
Learning about the stories of other people who may experience race different from you
Realizing which levers to push at your work site, in your community and in government to eliminate racism
Identifying next steps to move your learning forward
You can’t end racism on your own, but if you are interested in learning how to BE and BUILD the bridges necessary to heal the deep wounds of racism in the United States of America, get your copy of Bridges to Heal US today!
182 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2021
31 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 8, 2021
I grew up in Southern California and went to schools were whites were the minority. I know, I know. So what.
I think this book would be good for people who have realized they need more exposure to race and thinking about it. Those who are just starting on their journey into addressing it in their everyday life. If you are further along in that journey this book may not bring much to your journey.
Still, it is interesting to hear other people's stories and I am glad I read it because it connected with things I had already encountered in life before moving to Spokane and afterward. Things I had noticed that were huge differences in the California and Spokane experiences. And that was a good thing.
I think this book would be good for people who have realized they need more exposure to race and thinking about it. Those who are just starting on their journey into addressing it in their everyday life. If you are further along in that journey this book may not bring much to your journey.
Still, it is interesting to hear other people's stories and I am glad I read it because it connected with things I had already encountered in life before moving to Spokane and afterward. Things I had noticed that were huge differences in the California and Spokane experiences. And that was a good thing.
July 22, 2021
“There will be those who become paralyzed because they do not have the perfect equity statement or do not know the exact “right” way to respond to a situation.” p 83
Have you ever felt frozen or overwhelmed as you struggle to respond to racism in our society? Erin Jones writes a book with a perfect blend of memoir and actionable ideas to thaw you out and move you forward on your path. Erin has been an educator for many years and she has worked in the Superintendent of Public Instruction office helping to guide equity education forward. She tells her story with clarity and gives insight into the ups and downs of her journey to becoming a top notch equity speaker and trainer. When Erin turns her attention to how to do the work, her ideas are practical. We are given clear lists of behaviors to foster or actions to take and then a more detailed description of how to go about achieving success. Again, focused stories from Erin’s lived experience are interspersed to deepen our understanding of her advice. At the same time, she challenges us to recognize our own beliefs, our own stories and our own knowledge of true history to determine how they will impact our work now. By writing about her own unique life experiences and equity work, Erin empowers us to believe that our own life can inspire and inform valuable equity work if we stay the course. Then she gives us tools to do that work.
“Just start. And then do not stop.” p128
Have you ever felt frozen or overwhelmed as you struggle to respond to racism in our society? Erin Jones writes a book with a perfect blend of memoir and actionable ideas to thaw you out and move you forward on your path. Erin has been an educator for many years and she has worked in the Superintendent of Public Instruction office helping to guide equity education forward. She tells her story with clarity and gives insight into the ups and downs of her journey to becoming a top notch equity speaker and trainer. When Erin turns her attention to how to do the work, her ideas are practical. We are given clear lists of behaviors to foster or actions to take and then a more detailed description of how to go about achieving success. Again, focused stories from Erin’s lived experience are interspersed to deepen our understanding of her advice. At the same time, she challenges us to recognize our own beliefs, our own stories and our own knowledge of true history to determine how they will impact our work now. By writing about her own unique life experiences and equity work, Erin empowers us to believe that our own life can inspire and inform valuable equity work if we stay the course. Then she gives us tools to do that work.
“Just start. And then do not stop.” p128
August 15, 2021
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: Bridges to Heal US
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Erin Jones
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
Bridges to Heal US written by the author Erin Jones consists of stories and strategies for Racial Healing. In this book, the author has shared about the racism that exists in the USA. Many people don't like to engage in conversation about race or politics. If you try to engage in such conversations, people send you private messages asking you to stay away from it.
Erin has shared about her life also. How at an early age, she was recognised as a world changer. Erin started learning different languages because to change the world, she should be able to communicate in different languages. Erin who was both black and white once had to fill a document in which she had to select her race. Being adopted by white parents made this decision hard for her but her mother asked her to put black in the form.
This book will help the readers to get the answer to the question “What can I do to be part of
racial healing and justice in the United States of America”. The conversations and stories that Erin has shared in this book are worth reading. This book opened my eyes and will surely help people in healing deep wounds of racism. I appreciate the strategies that Erin has shared with the readers. It's an insightful read and guides readers to engage in hard conversations about race and justice.
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Erin Jones
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
Bridges to Heal US written by the author Erin Jones consists of stories and strategies for Racial Healing. In this book, the author has shared about the racism that exists in the USA. Many people don't like to engage in conversation about race or politics. If you try to engage in such conversations, people send you private messages asking you to stay away from it.
Erin has shared about her life also. How at an early age, she was recognised as a world changer. Erin started learning different languages because to change the world, she should be able to communicate in different languages. Erin who was both black and white once had to fill a document in which she had to select her race. Being adopted by white parents made this decision hard for her but her mother asked her to put black in the form.
This book will help the readers to get the answer to the question “What can I do to be part of
racial healing and justice in the United States of America”. The conversations and stories that Erin has shared in this book are worth reading. This book opened my eyes and will surely help people in healing deep wounds of racism. I appreciate the strategies that Erin has shared with the readers. It's an insightful read and guides readers to engage in hard conversations about race and justice.
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
August 4, 2021
“Bridges connect to places, but bridges also get walked on...and sometimes with heels.”
Being a bridge is at the same time rewarding and painful.
"Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing" penned by the author Erin Jones is a book worth reading. This book teaches strategies to the readers that could help them to move their community towards racial justice. This book guides readers to do their part to end the racial discrimination in the United States of America.
This story is both a memoir and an insightful call to action that inspires readers to work towards racial healing. Erin, a brown woman was given birth by a white mother at a hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her mother gave her up for adoption at the Children’s Home Society where Erin was adopted by a white couple who had never met Black people. The couple was unaware of the challenges they have to face for adopting a black child in a white family.
Readers could take away many useful things from this book. Cover photo is mind blowing and the title is suitable. In this book, the author has not only shared the good about her life but she has also covered the bad and ugly parts of her life. This is a book worth reading. I am glad to get my hands on it.
Being a bridge is at the same time rewarding and painful.
"Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing" penned by the author Erin Jones is a book worth reading. This book teaches strategies to the readers that could help them to move their community towards racial justice. This book guides readers to do their part to end the racial discrimination in the United States of America.
This story is both a memoir and an insightful call to action that inspires readers to work towards racial healing. Erin, a brown woman was given birth by a white mother at a hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her mother gave her up for adoption at the Children’s Home Society where Erin was adopted by a white couple who had never met Black people. The couple was unaware of the challenges they have to face for adopting a black child in a white family.
Readers could take away many useful things from this book. Cover photo is mind blowing and the title is suitable. In this book, the author has not only shared the good about her life but she has also covered the bad and ugly parts of her life. This is a book worth reading. I am glad to get my hands on it.
July 28, 2021
I’ve been honored to hear Erin Jones several times at Bellevue SD events, and I love her storytelling. In a later chapter, Erin compares the book to a marathon and encourages those new to the work to pace themselves. So for those who are already marathon runners in the racial justice work, you will find the book to feel more like a breezy 5K. While there are many books out there that provide a strong entry point to the work, this one would be great for those who connect to storytelling and a more gentle approach. Gentle is not my style, but I appreciate where Erin is coming from and why she approaches the work the way she does. And though she is gracious and gentle, that doesn’t mean she obscures hard truths. I always worry about white people who want a “gentle” approach to racism and wonder what the impact might be on other folks of color who rightfully choose not to be gentle, but that doesn’t mean Erin shouldn’t show up as her authentic self, and I’ve seen her enough to know that she leads who she is. 100%. Also loved to see the forward from Brooke Brown with a shoutout to Christian Paige!
August 16, 2021
Bridges to heal US
By
Erin Jones
My Review:
Erin Jones' Bridges to heal US is her debut book. In this book, Erin has shared her life stories that are powerful and guide readers to be involved in hard conversations about race and justice.
In the USA, being a brown or black person is not easy. Even though racism has reduced, it still exists and people are treated differently sometimes. People are often shy to discuss racism, religion, politics, etc. But without discussing it, we can't move towards racial healing. Erin is inspiring readers to bring the change. At a very young age, she was told by Mrs Sadat that she is a world-changer and since then Erin has lived her life the way a world-changer would.
This book is a call to action. It has changed my thinking. Till now, I have only read books that talk about racism but for the first time, I have got my hands on a book that discusses about racial healing. Erin has written this book very well. The title of the book is based on the content of the book and hence is suitable. I strongly recommend this book to every one who wants to create a change and heal the deep wounds of racism.
My Rating: 5/5
By
Erin Jones
My Review:
Erin Jones' Bridges to heal US is her debut book. In this book, Erin has shared her life stories that are powerful and guide readers to be involved in hard conversations about race and justice.
In the USA, being a brown or black person is not easy. Even though racism has reduced, it still exists and people are treated differently sometimes. People are often shy to discuss racism, religion, politics, etc. But without discussing it, we can't move towards racial healing. Erin is inspiring readers to bring the change. At a very young age, she was told by Mrs Sadat that she is a world-changer and since then Erin has lived her life the way a world-changer would.
This book is a call to action. It has changed my thinking. Till now, I have only read books that talk about racism but for the first time, I have got my hands on a book that discusses about racial healing. Erin has written this book very well. The title of the book is based on the content of the book and hence is suitable. I strongly recommend this book to every one who wants to create a change and heal the deep wounds of racism.
My Rating: 5/5
January 2, 2025
This book has plenty of personal stories, which makes it more accessible, especially if (like me) you've decided you like Erin. (I voted for her!) It has some general action items, but those are hidden in the text. I read through the majority of this without a highlighter or note taking items nearby. Because the action items aren't called out in sidebars or chapter summaries, I'll have to go back through the book and take notes on the action items I'd like to build into my life.
I debated on whether this was a 4 or 5 star read for me. It is overly optimistic and lacks specific scripts or ways to deal with setbacks that will come up. That said, sometimes you just need a cheerleader and not a high-level coach. To me, that's where this book excels. It doesn't get bogged down in the minutiae of the work, but it gives you permission to try and a pat on the back as you head into the fray. In the end, I gave it 5 stars because I will recommend it to colleagues who need that little push.
I debated on whether this was a 4 or 5 star read for me. It is overly optimistic and lacks specific scripts or ways to deal with setbacks that will come up. That said, sometimes you just need a cheerleader and not a high-level coach. To me, that's where this book excels. It doesn't get bogged down in the minutiae of the work, but it gives you permission to try and a pat on the back as you head into the fray. In the end, I gave it 5 stars because I will recommend it to colleagues who need that little push.
September 26, 2021
This is the book I needed right now. I personally know the author and have worked with her professionally on several occasions over the years, and I know her integrity and commitment, and have admired her work for many years. Her passion and wisdom comes through. This is not a treatise of why there is a racial divide, or an academic study on what to do. This is a personal story. This is an invitation. This is an encouragement. This is a call to action. This is a collection of anecdotes, with some name dropping, that shows the breadth of her experience. This is not a historical analysis. This is ministry.
This is the story of US and the potential we have as a nation. This is a book that rises, I believe, above politics while recognizing the politicization of the racial conversation.
This book is a great complement to my other reading that tends to be more rooted in historical and academic context. This book is practical, accessible, and encouraging.
This is the story of US and the potential we have as a nation. This is a book that rises, I believe, above politics while recognizing the politicization of the racial conversation.
This book is a great complement to my other reading that tends to be more rooted in historical and academic context. This book is practical, accessible, and encouraging.
July 26, 2021
To me, the purpose of this book was to invite each of us to look at our personal life experiences and take stock of how our stories drive our beliefs and actions. Erin did a great job of sharing her life experiences along with the historical events and policies that have shaped her perspectives on race and equity. Really, that’s what we’ve all done, which is why there are as many perspectives as their are people. However, her approach of “humility, humanity, and history” is, in my opinion, the most effective combination of concepts in doing this work. We can all learn more; we can all be compassionate human beings; those in conjunction with a clear knowledge of history can create the change we need. If you want to know what you can do right now, right where you are, this book is worth a read.
August 29, 2021
This book not only had powerful stories but thoughtful strategies to stitch our communities back together. Erin left me with hope that our communities and our country can heal and move forward better knowing and understanding each other.
August 23, 2024
I give this book a 5/5 stars because It quite literally feels like I am reading a book about myself. I found it really easy to relate to relate to the author on so many levels. It was really comforting to meet her in person and also meet the person in the book as well.
June 2, 2025
I love Erin’s approach to bridge building. She truly invites her readers into a dialogue, and encourages us to ask questions of ourselves, our surroundings, and our backgrounds. Brave spaces, not safe spaces. Remarkable work!
September 9, 2025
I threw shade on the Realtor Book Club that I participate in – and should retract that as this book was a very good exploration of race and how to discuss it in a healing and intelligent way – rather than in conflict. I saw the author speak awhile ago and appreciated her words and this book.
August 16, 2021
Read, think, listen and feel. Connections to be made with what Erin Jones shares and reflections to spend time on for each chapter for everyone.
Read
September 18, 2021A wonderful read, with much to think about and to act on.
January 4, 2022
“Always be learning.” This author is a national treasure!
February 5, 2022
Erin Jones' life makes her a brave bridge builder. She has a gift as a story teller. Her book inspires and informs with empathy and passion.
September 10, 2022
Erin caught my attention the first page and kept it through the end. I highly recommend it to those on their anti racist journey. I also follow her on TicTok to keep learning from her.
November 28, 2022
This book needs to be essential reading for advocates, and healers of all kinds (both professional and those within organic roles like parents, siblings, friends. Grateful for this work!
August 20, 2024
Excellent book! I had the opportunity to meet Erin in person. She is amazing and inspiring. I believe every teacher should read this book.
June 24, 2023
Erin Jones talks about the healing of our divided nation by sharing stories from her life, her experiences. I found myself talking to other about what I had just read as I was still reading the book. As an educator, I was appalled by some of what she experienced and overall, in awe of her strength and bravery. Her insights are truly eye-opening and though provoking and this will be a book I reference repeatedly as I evolve by contributions to our healing.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews