WOUNDS

Wounds: A Collaborative Memoir in Stories is about the triumphs and the pains experienced in Razel Jones, (African American) and Daniel Abbott's (Caucasian) collective journey toward cross-cultural navigation. Jones and Abbott explore the concepts of Race, Difference, and Cross-Cultural navigation through stories beginning with their youthful experiences in rural northwestern Michigan.

On the heels of the senseless, race-inspired murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, change is past due. The void of understanding Difference and the need for activists and allies in various forms is absolute. This book offers tools to enable the building of meaningful cross-cultural relationships, and to inspire activism and advocacy.

These true stories will cause those who have experienced similar racism to resonate with the cycles, behaviors, and responses. They will inspire allies to emotionally connect and dive deeper into realization of the patterns of oppression. All readers will grow in empathy, and be compelled to amp up efforts to be more anti-racist, culturally intelligent, and effective in standing against inequities.

Razel Jones is a Diversity and Inclusion professional, speaker, and the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Tennessee State University. In 2016, he released his first book, See What You Hear, a piece about actualizing vision. Jones has a BA in English Language and Literature from Grand Valley State University and an MBA from Northwood University. He has professional certifications in Cultural Intelligence, HR, Strengths, Civil Rights, and Affirmative Action. He and his family reside in the Greater Nashville, Tennessee area.

Daniel Abbott is an author, speaker, and educator from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the co-author of Wounds, a collaborative memoir written with Razel Jones, about the triumphs and the pains experienced on their collective journey toward cross-cultural navigation. His shorter work has appeared in Lit Hub, the Noctua Review, the Ginosko Literary Journal, and the Owen Wister Review. Abbott holds a BA in Writing from Grand Valley State University and an MFA in Fiction from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. He is currently working on a project titled Dancing Skeletons, an epic community saga set in his hometown of Grand Rapids.