The Change Lab

so grateful to be part of Compassionate Houston!!!!

Proud to have joined Council Member Ramirez in recognizing Compassionate Houston for 15 years of advancing a culture of compassion through outreach, partnership, and community empowerment, and for their ongoing commitment to ensuring Houston remains a compassionate city for all.

I can't stop thinking about this song.
In 1990, two guys from San Francisco — the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy — mapped out how redlining, mass incarceration, media, education cuts, and the drug war all connect.

One system. One machine.

Nobody was really listening. They never blew up.
But I went and looked at the numbers. 35 years later? They were right about all of it. And the numbers got worse.
Wrote about it on Substack. Link below.

They Saw the Whole Machine How a 1990 hip-hop track mapped an inequality that’s still running — and still winning — 35 years later.

Government Funding Bill
CALL YOUR SENATOR

Funding for major federal agencies expires Friday at midnight. This bill covers defense, healthcare, education, transportation, disaster relief, and immigration enforcement. Without action, many government services will pause.

👷 Federal Workers
🌀 FEMA Disaster Relief
🛂 Immigration Enforcement
Deadline: January 30, 2026 at midnight

CALLYOURSENATOR — THE CHANGE LAB Call YourSenators YOUR VOICE MATTERS • MAKE THE CALL • MAKE A DIFFERENCE ⚡ URGENT ✓ IF PASSED tap for details ✗ IF BLOCKED tap for details 📄 Read the bill ⚡ See full impact What This Vote Means For You If Congress Votes YES: If Congress Votes NO: What Gets Funded What's At Risk 0 Call...

Had a great experience listening and learning from Jelani Cobb, Ph.D. at the Rice University Cambell Lecture Series. Here are some of my thoughts. Really excited to share with y'all. 100% welcome feedback or insights.

Living in the World 1965 Made Dr. Jelani Cobb, Queens, and the long game behind America’s rules on belonging and power

"Positive change exists in direct proportion to the willingness of people to fight for it." - Dr. Jelani Cobb

https://thechangelab.substack.com/p/living-in-the-world-1965-made

Over two evenings at the Campbell Lecture Series at Rice University, Dr. Jelani Cobb walked us through a long story about immigration, states’ rights, power, and the American playbook that has been running since before we were a country. There was a kind of grace to it. He moved through the material like a conductor, and his orchestra was the history of immigration, voting, and the political calculus that drove the changes.

Living in the World 1965 Made Dr. Jelani Cobb, Queens, and the long game behind America’s rules on belonging and power

These four webinars from the Constructive Dialogue Institute give college leaders, educators, and student organizers practical tools for building campus cultures where people can talk across differences. Click any webinar below to watch it now—all recordings are free.

https://www.thechangelab.net/resourcecenter/constructive-dialogue-institute-webinar-series

Help Houston’s kids thrive in 15 minutes Pick one quick action—attend a meeting, join a micro-team, or support reading minutes.

We had an unforgettable weekend at the Impact Hub Houston / Houston Hackathon 2025! Over 48 hours, our Change Lab team—Cris Wright, Yolanda Adams, Stephanie Yang, Zain Kahn, Peter Durand, Bolivar Morales, and David A. Brown—came together with a shared vision: to make civic engagement less confusing and more empowering.

Our project, StepUP, is designed to transform civic participation from something complex and passive into a clear pathway of guided steps—helping people build skills, confidence, and momentum to address issues like housing, health, education, and the environment.

The hackathon was filled with collaboration, innovation, laughter, and even a moment of awe under the Blood Moon. What started as strangers quickly became a community committed to action.

Now, we need your support! Out of 12 inspiring projects, public voting is open. We’d be honored if you explored the gallery and cast your vote for StepUP.

👉 Discover the projects and vote here:
https://houstonhackathon2025.devpost.com/project-gallery

Together, we can StepUP to a stronger, more connected future.

We found this resource Wellbeing & Wellbecoming Through the Arts from the The Wallace Foundation really useful and hope inspiring.

It explores the idea of wellbecoming—a frame that goes beyond healing toward who we’re becoming, individually and collectively. Through the arts, through belonging, through the stories we choose to carry forward.

We just added it to The Change Lab INC. resource center. If you’re building spaces for connection, possibility, or repair… I hope it sparks something for you too.

Well‑Being and Well‑Becoming Through the Arts — THE CHANGE LAB As schools cut arts programming, after-school and community-based programs fill critical gaps—especially in low-income areas. These programs offer young people creative spaces to build confidence, joy, cultural pride, and future pathways Wallace Foundation . The report shows arts are not a luxury

We just published a new resource on Substack:

Stability Is a Fragile Grace — a gentle invitation to slow down, reflect, breathe, and return to your body. It includes a mindfulness practice, a few seated movements, a journaling prompt, and some voices I return to when I need to feel steadier.

Read: https://open.substack.com/pub/thechangelab/p/stability-is-a-fragile-grace

If you're doing the work of building connection, tending to community, or just trying to stay human while systems shake—this is for you.

We believe in access over barriers. If you’d like to support or share this kind of work, consider becoming a Community Partner.

🤝 Learn more: https://www.thechangelab.net/partnership

PARTNERSHIP FORM | Join the Movement Today — THE CHANGE LAB Partner with The Change Lab to foster belonging, collaboration, and civic impact through shared initiatives and mutual support. Get involved now.

What do we owe each other in a democracy?

Alexis de Tocqueville didn’t come to America looking for answers about freedom. He came to study prisons—and instead, found a young nation obsessed with building something together.

We used to form committees, show up to town halls, gather around common concerns—not because we had to, but because we believed in each other. That was the magic of early American civic life: the balance of rights, privileges, and responsibilities.

Fast forward to now… and let’s just say the group project is struggling.

I wrote a piece about what it means to actually live in a democracy—not just have one. It's a mix of civic philosophy, dry humor, and a real invitation to build something better.

https://thechangelab.substack.com/p/rights-privileges-and-responsibilities?r=2asc00

Rights keep us free.

Privileges help us thrive.

Responsibilities remind us we belong to each other.

The Change Lab is 45 days old and growing. If you’ve got time, treasure, or talent, let’s talk. We’re not here to be the answer—we’re here to build with you.

Rights, Privileges, and Responsibilities (and Not Being an Jerk About It)

Who can we trust to tell us the truth?
In an age of polarization, media saturation, and rising misinformation, this question weighs heavily on all of us—regardless of political leanings.

Join Braver Angels Houston for an evening of civic dialogue and community connection. This Fishbowl-style conversation invites people from across the political spectrum to explore how media shapes our understanding—and what we can do to seek truth together.

📍 Wednesday, July 16
📍 St. Stephen’s UMC, Houston, TX
📍 7:00–8:30 PM (arrive at 6:45 PM)
👉 Free & open to the public

Whether you're liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between, your voice and questions matter. This isn’t about debate—it’s about curiosity, courage, and connection.

🗓️ RSVP now and join a growing movement for civic renewal in Houston:
🔗 [Register here]

https://www.thechangelab.net/resourcescenter/who-can-we-trust-exploring-truth-in-a-fractured-media-landscape

Who Can We Trust? Exploring Truth in a Fractured Media Landscape — THE CHANGE LAB In an era of media saturation and growing political distrust, Braver Angels invites you to a Fishbowl-style conversation exploring how we make sense of the truth. This dynamic and respectful dialogue offers an opportunity for people from across the political spectrum to wrestle with questions like