What's Going On: Christine Pendo Mugando Lo on Everydayness -Especially Equity, Race, and Community.

This weekend was a chance to steal some lasting amazement from the best climbing athletes in the nation in the midst of one of the best climbing communities out there. I was proud to be part of our national and local climbing community this weekend. But while I spend a wealth of my time around kids, educators, and climbers, I think I can carefully say we walk through each others lives like white noise -- quick greetings, light laughter, a half-hearted spot, maybe an exchange of ideas. Nothing too deep or very committing. And it's not that I need or want to know everyone deeply -- there are just certain people I'm drawn to know a lil better. That's the truth for Christine Pendo Muganda Lo, who I knew would offer insights across the spectrum of matters related to identity, equity, education, and relationships. I have a lot of favorite parts to her write-up, but I love her perspective on equity, race, and community. Enjoy!  

Background: Where you're from, family, birthday, marriage, education

I grew up in Illinois in the suburbs of Chicago. I come from a biracial, multicultural family: my mother was raised on a subsistence farm in a Pennsylvania Dutch community, while my father was born and raised in Tanzania, the son of a diplomat. I was born August of 1987, the middle of three sisters. My parents are both educators, and decided to homeschool my two sisters and me the entire way through high school. In college, I doubled-majored in mathematics and Spanish -- two languages I loved, but had no idea how to incorporate into my future career path. After college, I moved to Wisconsin for graduate school, I spent six years at UW Madison and completed a PhD in Population Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiology. I met Justin in Madison, in my grad program, actually, and we developed a deep friendship over climbing, running, faith, and general grad school battles. I married Justin earlier this year :)

How would you describe yourself as a child?

I was the stereotypical middle child. I enjoyed challenging my parents, and their rules. I loved any creative outlet, I was a quick-thinker and a master negotiator.

Do you think characteristics or temperament or interests as a child inform your passion(s) today? Definitely. I saw in my own life how easily is it for gifts such as creativity and quick-thinking to morph into something selfish and hurtful. As a child, I didn’t always use my “powers” for good. As a result of my own experience, I now love challenging youth to identify how their giftings may be used for positive or negative outcomes, so that they can make more informed choices about their actions.

What is a favorite memory as a child/adolescent?

During the summers, my sisters and I would spend days working on my grandparents' farm in

Pennsylvania. For anyone, but especially for a city kid, there is an incredibly rewarding feeling that follows putting in a full day of manual labor and seeing a literal harvest as a result.

What is a story you remember?

Because my sisters and I were homeschooled, my parents crafted their own academic calendar for our education. I remember being in middle school when I found out that the “other kids” had vacation all summer long. I can’t say I was delighted to learn how “extra” education had been “gifted” to me. ;)

Do you have a favorite or strong memory of school?

My parents created a lot of space for hands on learning in our educational experience. I remember being very interested in animal biology as a kid, especially bird embryology; I read every book I could find about birds, eggs, imprinting, etc. My mom bought me an incubator and found a few chicken and duck farmers, and then let me loose. I hatched chickens, bantam chickens (mini chickens), ducks, and miniature ducks over the course of numerous summers. Later, my mom encouraged me to share my excitement with younger kids in our homeschool group, so as a highschool student, I created a 10-week curriculum, and taught 3rd and 4th graders about the science of embryology and helped the class care for 24 incubating duck eggs. It was a blast.

Who else in life has influenced you?

My two grandmas and my great grandma. During time spent together in the U.S. and in Africa, these women have done a beautiful job of modeling the value of family and of hard work. They are incredible, strong, and inspiring women. I’m thankful to be part of their legacy.

What do you think we can do to encourage and support equity personally and professionally?

Refuse to become lazy in our thoughts and speech. If you encounter something that feels even a tiny bit “off,” process it fully. Write it down. Talk about it with someone you trust. Use the most precise language you can. Brainstorm and try to make connections to identify the root of the unfairness that you sensed. It is easy to let things slide, but if you consistently challenge those comments or actions (either your own, or observed), you gain in two ways:

1. You sharpen your ability to sense inequities, even those subtle issues that we may have accepted as “normal.”
2. You learn how to better communicate your feelings about situations, and you learn to find common ground in these exchanges with others, so that conversations can be fruitful.

Does race and ethnicity matter to you? Why? What challenges you and/or others?

This is a newer passion of mine. Every part of a person’s identity matters.

On an individual-level, it is simply unjust that one may become unsafe, uncared for, or unacknowledged because the piece of their identity that is a minority, is perceived more strongly than the whole of EVERY piece of their identity, the sum of which makes them human.

On a societal-level, when a piece of a person’s identity is ignored or discriminated against, society becomes more and more homogeneous, and as a result, we all lose out. Without differences, we can not learn from each other, and that makes social growth very difficult. A society with no room for the “other” will have an increasingly normative voice and with no alternate voice to offer challenge, it will become increasingly easy to make mistakes.

In what ways do you believe a community can foster equity and acceptance?

I think a big step is to refuse to ignore problems. As uncomfortable as it is, we have to acknowledge and diagnose problems before can make steps toward improvement.

Advice regarding personal conversations about race and equity issues?

Listen first. Be humble and teachable. Be ready to forgive -- race and equity are hard issues and we are guaranteed to misstep as we try to understand each other. Remember that if someone explains their feelings to you, those perceptions are real and ought to be treated as such, even if you (and many others) may see the world differently.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy? Feel challenged by?

I am trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist, but currently working as data analyst in health informatics. My job offers me the opportunity to keep learning new statistical and data management tools, which is really great. I have the chance to work on many different types of data and I am becoming much more versatile as an analyst.

I feel most challenged by being so far removed from the public health impact. I use data to describe problems, but in my current position  I am not able to design interventions to address these problems. I challenge myself to find productive ways to redirect my skills in this new setting.

What lessons has your work life taught you?

Create space for your passions and skills, they will open doors for you to have broader impact.

What did you imagine you'd be doing today?

Chasing infectious disease outbreaks around the world and making a huge public health impact.

What is/are your passion(s)?

Connecting with people and building relationships.

What makes you stop and go “Wow!”

New babies. It’s incredible that such a tiny tiny package can hold so much potential. WOW.

Short term goal related to your passions?

One of my goals for this year is to become the strongest I’ve ever been, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

High point in Life:

THIS season. I've FINALLY developed enough self-confidence to be unapologetically me, and appreciate differences without needing to make comparisons.

Turning point in Life:

Finishing graduate school. I am now convinced that I can be disciplined enough to achieve big, hard things.

What are 15 things that make you uniquely YOU?

1. I love to read parenting blogs. I have no children, but I can’t get enough of discussion surrounding attitudes, boundaries, trust, growth, etc – I try to apply what I learn to myself.  
2. For the life of me, I can’t keep the letters ‘v’ and ‘f’ straight; I confuse the two in both written and spoken English.
3. I love pasta.
4. One day, I’d like to become an expert in something.
5. Fall of 2014 is missing from my memory due to a concussion.
6. I do not enjoy board games.
7. Relationship building is one of my favorite things to ponder.
8. I am not particularly brave, but I love trying new things.
9. My identity is tied closely to my interracial, intercultural roots.
10. I love sowing into our future through children and youth.
11. I have really big hair.
12. Cardigans!
13. Empathy is probably my strongest  personality trait
14. I have goals to become more articulate, self-confident, and responsible.
15. I like bright colors.

Favorite sayings/remarks?

“Tuko pamoja” It’s a Swahili saying that can’t quite be translated to English because it’s so cultural, but it means “we are together” and it captures the idea that we rely on each other, that coming together as a society is the only way to move forward. It is the opposite of individualism and it reminds us that we have responsibility to care for one another. “Tuko pamoja”

Significant advice someone gave to you?

“Try thinking about it” -- my dad

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*After reading Christine's interview a few times through, I think who she is comes down to Tuko pamoja. I love that Swahili saying.  Thank you so much Christine - I know more about you today than I did yesterday!  

Change and Fitness: Where You Come From Matters

Learning about the early lives of my friends gives perspective.  I first met Rick Miller bouldering side-by-side working problems on the same wall - always positive and just an all-around nice person, he and I became fast climbing friends.  Along the way I learned some things and once again, was reminded by Rick's story here, that where you come from matters.  Read on and enjoy this honest piece!  

I had an odd childhood.  My parents were separated on and off, and as a kid, I moved around a lot - 12 different schools in 4 states and 3 summer schools.  These early experiences left me with a different view on life, or at least my own perception of Life.  Growing up, I was called a "half-breed" being part Caucasian and Asian because I was half of each, and what it did was instilled in me this idea that I was already different from everyone else.

At times I found myself hiding one of my ethnicities to try and fit into a mold that was called the norm.  Due to this fact and moving a lot, I never quite had the opportunities I could have let myself have in certain circumstances, particularly to play in sports.  Because of my inconsistencies in grades, I wasn't eligible for sports anyway, and found that the most accepting crowd/clique in school were the artsy-goth kids.  So you are who you hang with in some respects.  I mostly avoided making friends so as to avoid the feeling of losing them when one moves away like I was bound to do.

After moving out on my own at 17, I found myself to be semi-reclusive and shy to the world.  Somehow I managed to graduate from high school and started taking care of my mother who had colon cancer at the time, and ended up settling into a quiet social life which was nil in 1998 and beyond.

Eventually years later, 2006, I found myself desiring life, a life of my own.  I wanted to connect with nature and started to hike and trail run on the trails of state parks.  One of those parks happened to be Devils Lake, and it was there that I saw my first real live rock climber.  I was instantly curious and fascinated and wanted to know more about this seemingly leisure activity.

At the end of the summer of 2006, I was 26, and found myself at a location in the Dells called Vertical Illusions.  It gave rock climbing courses so I didn't hesitate to sign up and learn more about not just the activity, but also myself and my fears and ability to reflect and problem solve issues.  Like most climbers, I started top roping outside which led to easy climbing to hard leads, evolving into sport climbing and then bouldering - the last discipline of the sport for me.   I found myself in various places I would not normally find myself: Hueco, Bishop, Yosemite . . . All helped me gain what felt like a positive foothold on life being surrounded by positive challenges.

By 2007, I was told by a friend about an indoor climbing gym in Madison, WI.  And it was there at Boulders Climbing Gym where my life changed.  Not just because of the great route setting, but because of the beautifully diverse and open people.  It was unlike any other sport I previously tried, those that were always around an alpha male or an ego or points or teams of division where someone got picked last.  Here everyone bonded, everyone smiled, and everyone was noticed.

My life has been deeply enriched through positive people pushing my mental and physical limits to achieve what is considered and labeled a "problem," and to find the most efficient way to solve it.  I became a closet athlete.  I began to run more, and run longer.  I bought a 12 station workout machine for my spare bedroom, lifted weights, did core training, and climbed in the gym 6 hours a day for 5 days a week. Even with all this I still could only boulder V3's, my plateau and arch nemesis.  I found myself stumbling time after time to break that grade and remained unsuccessful until I met a few wonderful women who I watched to understand form vs. power, finesse over brawn, a mental tenacity to listen to the body not just the mind.  These two ladies, Vera Naputi and Anne Hughes, inspired me to discover a new form set for climbing and were openly friendly to anyone regardless of strength.  I felt accepted for once, something that hadn't occurred for me in a long time, being surrounded by people who would eventually introduce me to more great people.

Eventually because of these great people, I broke through and climbed a V4, but more importantly, these wonderful people helped me break through my shy self.  From 2007 to 2012, I've had my ups and downs with climbing, progressing through training and dietary lifestyle vs. laziness and Krispy Cremes or having a 40 hour week job.  Having climbed 13c and V11, I'm now on a hiatus from climbing.  I'm unable to climb a V4 or a 10d.  And I wonder if all that training was wasted.

But I find myself without regrets, because there's an epiphany in all of this - that it was the people around me who made life more enjoyable, not necessarily the short lived feeling of a send, but a sense of unity.  I no longer climb these days and have reverted back into a life I used to have before this, but what little time I spent in that community, whether they were considered a great climber or not, still were rainbows in my skies.

On a side note, I'm an only child who didn't meet my cousins until my late teens.  I have only met one set of my grandparents.  My Asian grandfather was unfortunately taken and shot, then killed in front of my grandmother and her kids (my mother was probably 3 or 4 years old), during the Korean War.  So my mother grew up without a proper education which made for awkward table manners :).   I guess that's why it was always hard to make friends.  

[Not so at Boulders Climbing Gym, where in my opinion, Rick goes down as one of the nicest guys there . . . ]