“Fieldnotes on Fortitude”

FIELDNOTES ON FORTITUDE

The New Book by OHF

An insightful and moving collection of essays that cuts through the chaos and cruelty to show us how to breathe again and nurture the bonds between our individual resilience and communal resistance from the publishers of Fieldnotes on Allyship

Fieldnotes on Fortitude: Resilience in Resistance is an anthology of essays written by sixteen authors gathered together to share their views and experiences in recognizing injustice and in strategically fighting for justice. Each section focuses on one aspect of confronting our crises.

“Part 1: Two Democracies Walk into a Bar” examines the telltale signs of failing democracies.
Essays in “Part 2: Authoritarianism in America” describe the state of our national condition.
In “Part 3: The Arc of the Moral Universe,” the authors recount historic and successful steps in the rebuilding of a better American society.
“Part 4: Repealing the 20th Century” looks to all that is being lost in the dismantling of the post-WWII economic, political, religious, and social structures that provided people a better life, and
“Part 5: Resilience in Resistance” offers ways for individuals and communities to reject the mad dash to an 18th century America of enslavement, erasure of native populations, disenfranchisement of women, and the rule of wealthy property owners.

If you’ve followed Our Human Family over the years, you’re familiar a few of the contributing authors listed below. But for Fieldnotes on Fortitude, we brought a few new and exciting writers. No doubt, those new to the editorial team will quickly become favorites. Behold, our sixteen contributing writers and editors:

Joan Adams, MSW, LCSW-R* is a licensed clinical social worker in Harlem, New York, providing psychotherapy, clinical supervision, training, and consultation on race and racism for organizations and individuals. She co-facilitates an international group for BIPOC therapists who are exploring the use of Systems Centered Therapy in their work. Ms. Adams is also a Warden on the Vestry of the Episcopal Congregation of St. Saviour, the resident congregation at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Roy Bale “Skip” Dalton, Jr.* was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida in 1974 and 1976, respectively. Nominated by President Obama to the United States District Court in January of 2011, he currently presides in the Orlando division of the Middle District of Florida.
Mark Dorosin* is an Associate Professor of Law and the Director of Legal Clinics and Field Placements at the Florida A&M University College of Law. He has been a civil rights lawyer and litigator for thirty years, working to address the continuing impacts of racial segregation and exclusion in housing, employment discrimination, environmental justice, restrictions on political participation, and racial disparities in education.
Drew Downs is an Episcopal priest and an MFA student in creative writing at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. He writes creative nonfiction and poetry and was the recipient of the Irish Benevolent Society preaching award from Huron University College. He currently serves a congregation in Indiana committed to ending homelessness, food insecurity, racism, and the death penalty.
Steve Dragswolf* is a writer from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. He currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is interested and invested in Indigenous people, Christianity, and storytelling, often intermixing the three. Read more of his work at BadLodge.com.
Consuelo G. Flores is a respected artist, educator, and cultural practitioner specializing in Day of the Dead altars. She has curated exhibitions, led academic workshops nationwide, and directed both short and full-length plays. A published poet and active member of a literary collective, she has also produced cultural programming at Grand Performances and curated exhibitions at Avenue 50 Studio.
J. Gray* is an African American woman who desegregated a town as a girl. Her personal experience within the nation and as an exchange student in northern Africa fostered her deep interest in culture, ethnicity, and language. Watching the broadcasts of the Senate Watergate Hearings as a child introduced her to politics, and college majors in political science and Spanish helped cement her passions for justice.
Michael Greiner, PhD, JD, has managed political campaignsacross the country, worked on Capitol Hill, and served as Deputy Mayor of Warren, Michigan’s third largest city. His firm, specializing in bankruptcy law, has helped thousands of families and businesses restructure their debts. His research has been published in The Harvard Business Review, The Journal of Business Strategy, The Journal of Business Research, and other top journals.
Sherry Kappel is a poet, essayist, and fiction writer with an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh. She looks for the best in humanity and is driven by empathy in her writing and in life. Her work is on Medium, where she also edits Snapshots, the Haiku Hub, and special projects for Our Human Family. Sherry lives in North Carolina with her husband, daughters, and critters.
Stephen Matlock (retired) is a part-time author and gardener in the Pacific Northwest, often overwhelmed by both words and weeds. He has been writing about his journey into inclusion and diversity for close to twenty years. In his extra time, he volunteers at the local food bank, has lively conversations in Haitian Creole with his friends on the island, and works in his town to build a liveable community for all.
Lecia Michelle is the author of The White Allies Handbook: 4 Weeks to Join the Racial Justice Fight for Black Women. She has led racial justice groups and conducted training on allyship. As a Black woman, Lecia Michelle understands the importance of fighting for and protecting our most marginalized communities
Sharon Pendana is the author of Secret Washington, D.C.: An Unusual Guide (Jonglez Publishing, 2025). As the founder of The Trove, she writes about the fascinating journeys of remarkable creatives, highlighting the things they treasure. Among the treasures Sharon holds dear are her freedoms and the right to advocate for positive change. You might find her at a protest near you.
Clay Rivers is an author, award-winning artist, actor, and accidental activist. He is the president of the charitable organization Our Human Family, Inc., where he also serves as editorial director of its publications. Clay is a lector and lay eucharistic minister at his church in Orlando. He believes that society’s ills can be solved by following Jesus’s command to “love one another.”
Glenn Rocess is retired Navy, has traveled five continents, and has worn many hats, including as a steam plant supervisor, LAN admin, OSHA inspector, foster parent of medically fragile children, and an adult family home owner. More importantly, he is a dad, a husband of thirty-three years, and fears absolutely nothing except his wife’s guilt trips.
Maré Silva* is a queer Black Brazilian undergraduate at a historically women’s college, merging her passion for science and civic engagement. From a favela in Brazil to a cancer research lab in the U.S., she writes to remember, to resist, and to build a better world with radical hope and science.
William F. Spivey resides in Palm Coast, Florida, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Fisk University. With the help of many, he transformed from a basketball player to a historian and writer. He is the author of the historical fiction novel Strong Beginnings and the collection of essays Estranged Americans: Fallacies of Freedom, Citizenship, and Racism.

* new members of the OHF editorial family

These essays are written to give insight into what’s happening now and why, and to provide strategies to push back to not just restore what is being lost but to re-imagine what can be done better.

The works are the voices of hope and knowledge that remind us that we are stronger together, and that We the People can change the world for the better—only if we work united to that end.

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