I learned to listen better from attending Al-Anon meetings. In our national quest to listen about racism, we can all learn how to improve our listening skills. Here are several helpful takeaways.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am in no way saying this is an apples-to-apples comparison. Racism and alcoholism are two separate problems that need to be handled in different ways, to be sure. However, the basic principles described below make sense to me for broader applications. They can help us all listen better in conversations about racism, and they apply to both whites and people of color.

Please continue reading with an open mind and heart, rather than a defensive or judgmental one. I welcome your respectful comments at the end.