“There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black skin Africans. But we were all participating in the same rituals, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white…I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color.” – Malcolm X, “Malcolm X’s Letter from Mecca (April 20, 1964),” ICIT Digital Library, accessed 10 May 2026.
His powerful experience of the unity and brotherhood of Ummah at the Hajj inspired Malcolm X to change his life, his work, and his philosophy. As a jail chaplain, I am called to support incarcerated people of all religions and spiritual paths, including those who don’t think they have any. In my observation, the two primary religions to which Santa Clara County jail prisoners convert are Christianity and Islam, probably because those are the religions most US prisoners follow (Pew Research Center, Religion in Prisons – A 50-State Survey of Prison Chaplains, 22 March 2012). I see having a compassionate and informed understanding of faiths other than my own as part of my job.
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As part of my Islamic Studies certificate, in the Spring 2025 term I took a Graduate Theological Union (GTU) class called, “Martyrdom and Afterlife in the Qur’ān,” for which I gave a Presentation about notable American civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Our inspiring GTU professor was Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala. Part of my presentation explored what it meant for Hamer to be a martyr since martyrdom was a focus of our class discussions. I was happy to see a print of Fannie Lou Hamer decorating the offices of the Sentencing Project when I went to visit last week in Washington DC. Here is my Presentation.
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Caitlin and I are working with the six Lebanese STEM professionals to develop a technical project that will help find housing and resources for people recently displaced by the conflict in Lebanon. The team is developing this project to use their experience and skills to help their homeland during this difficult time. The team also has a group of professional and culturalTechWomen mentors supporting them. Some of our team is housed in San Francisco and some in the South Bay, so we have been meeting every few days on Zoom, plus a working dinner at my house. This weekend we are finishing up our pitch presentation for Monday’s TechWomen pitch day. We are very proud of them – wish us luck!
More about TechWomen from the Institute of International Education, “TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities. Through mentorship and exchange, TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.”
8 October 2024: Here is a link to the inspiring 3 minute pitch that Team Lebanon gave yesterday about their “Hadak Lebnen” project to create a platform to support over a million recently displaced people in Lebanon.
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The Susan Broaddus Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2023 for women students at the Université Anglicane du Congo (Anglican University of Congo) in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is an initiative of the Episcopal and Anglican Churches and their international Congo Network, for which I have had the honor of being the Secretary since 2015. The Rev. Dr. Daniel Karanja (Africa Partnership Officer, Episcopal Church) chairs the Congo Network. Episcopal Bishop Susan B. Haynes of the Diocese of Southern Virginia sponsors the Susan Broaddus Memorial Scholarship in the USA. The Rev. Dr. Kahwa Njojo, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Anglican University in Bunia, and recently elected elected Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kalemi, sponsors the Broaddus Fund in the DRC.
In the 2024-2025 term, the Broaddus Fund will support two students studying Theology at the Anglican University in Bunia. The Broaddus Fund committee is honored to support these capable and inspiring women of the church as inaugural Broaddus Scholars. The Broaddus Scholars are committed to following the model of Susan Broaddus, a faithful member of the Congo Network who died in 2021 after a lifetime of faithful activism and lay leadership, including twelve years as an Episcopalian missionary in the Congo. Susan’s outstanding and inspiring contributions developed the role of women leaders and educational programs, especially at theUniversité Anglicane du Congo.
Since the death of Susan Broaddus, the Congo Network has worked to honor her legacy of education and advocacy. The Broaddus Fund committee has developed a governance plan and process, established a partnership with Episcopal Bishop Susan B. Haynes of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, collected funds for the first two Broaddus Scholars, announced the scholarship, collected and reviewed applications, and approved the inaugural honorees.
If you would like to support women in church leadership in the Congo, consider a donation to the Susan Broaddus Memorial Fund.
For those who speak French, here is the information in that language, thanks to FRÉDÉRIC (FRED) SPITZ, Congo Network member, and Episcopal Church Global Relations and Networking Officer,
Le fonds de la bourse d’études à la mémoire de Susan Broaddus
Le fonds de la bourse d’études à la mémoire de Susan Broaddus a été créé en 2023 pour des étudiantes de l’Université Anglicane du Congo à Bunia, en République démocratique du Congo. Il s’agit d’une initiative menée par des Églises épiscopales et anglicanes et de leur réseau international pour le Congo, dont j’ai l’honneur d’être la secrétaire générale depuis 2015. Le Révérend Dr Daniel Karanja (responsable du partenariat avec l’Afrique pour l’Église épiscopale) préside le réseau Congo. L’évêque épiscopale Susan B. Haynes du diocèse de Virginie du Sud parraine la bourse Susan Broaddus aux États-Unis. Le Révérend Dr Kahwa Njojo, doyen de la faculté de théologie de l’université anglicane de Bunia et récemment élu évêque du diocèse anglican de Kalemie, parraine la bourse d’études Susan Broaddus en RDC.
Au cours de la période 2024-2025, cette bourse d’études soutiendra deux étudiantes en théologie à l’Université anglicane de Bunia. Le comité de la bourse d’étude est honoré de soutenir ces femmes de l’Église, compétentes et inspirantes, en tant que premières lauréates de la bourse. Ces boursières s’engagent à suivre l’exemple de Susan Broaddus, membre fidèle du Réseau Congo, décédée en 2021 après une vie d’activisme fidèle et de direction laïque, y compris douze ans en tant que missionnaire épiscopale au Congo. Les contributions exceptionnelles et inspirantes de Susan ont développé le rôle des femmes leaders et les programmes éducatifs, en particulier à l’Université Anglicane du Congo.
Depuis le décès de Susan Broaddus, le Réseau Congo s’est efforcé d’honorer son héritage en matière d’éducation et de promotion. Le comité de la bourse Susan Broaddus a développé un plan et un processus de gouvernance. Il a établi un partenariat avec l’évêque épiscopale Susan B. Haynes du diocèse de Virginie du Sud et il a collecté des fonds pour les deux premières boursières Susan Broaddus. Le comité a fait la promotion de la bourse, a collecté et examiné les candidatures, puis a approuvé les premières lauréates.
Supporters of the Stepping Stones Gathering got together yesterday to write Christmas Cards for prisoners. Stepping Stones was started in 2018 to support jail and prison inmates, and those in reentry and recovery. Sending written holiday greetings and letters of support to prisoners has been part of this ministry since it started. Prisoners have told us each year how important it is to get cards. Since many inmates are not in communication with outside friends and family, our cards may be the only ones arriving. Some prisoners keep their cards and re-read the encouraging messages for weeks or months.
Cards are donated and must meet jail and prison requirements: no foil or glitter, regular postal size, no scents or images on envelopes. (Also, no “Home for the Holidays” messages – because most of the prisoners will not be home.) St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church hosted the card writing (we met in one of the rooms of St. Andrew’s School), provided coffee and tea, and is buying the stamps. Stepping Stones volunteers donated sweets or sandwiches to the party.
I put together a list of 122 inmates and people in reentry with whom Stepping Stones has been in contact, verifying prisoner addresses against Santa Clara County and California location websites. We regretfully do not have addresses 32 of those who have been released or sent to another carceral facility but we hope to locate them for next year.
Yesterday, diligent Stepping Stones card writers completed 263 cards. Each of the 90 men and women for whom we have an address will be sent at least one card, and many will get more than one. I am mailing 65 at a time so as not to overwhelm the jail mail distribution system. Cards with glitter or gold foil or decorated envelopes have been donated to a San Jose program that supports people in reentry and recovery.
Images Copyright (c) 2023. Thanks to Thierry Doyen for the group photo! If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right on Katysblog home).
TechWomen Team Palestine, Seed Grant and Pitch win, 16 October 2023
As a TechWomen Professional Mentor and country Impact Coach for many years, I have been honored and impressed with TechWomen’s Team Palestine 2023. Each year, every one of the 100+ women in 22 country teams invited by the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs from the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia works hard to create a project that will improve their home when they return from working and learning in America. Team Palestine has worked especially hard under the horrific circumstances of their homeland being at war, starting two weeks into their six week program. Their compassion, dedication, and intelligent leadership has inspired the entire TechWomen community. Working with my sister mentors, we coached the team in developing a project to support STEM education among primary school students in Palestine. On 16 October in San Francisco, they gave their three minute pitch, and on 20 October, Team Palestine was one of five teams that won an award and seed funding! I am so proud that Team Palestine will help children at home learn science, technology, engineering, and math as part of recovering from the trauma of war.
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Yesterday, my sister TechWomen Impact Coaches for 2023 Team Palestine and I had a lovely conversation starting to plan for the arrival of our new mentees. Looking forward to learning from Shagufta Ahmed and Nancy Hendrickson! The 104 TechWomen mentees from 21 countries arrive in San Francisco soon and we are very excited to meet them.
I am thinking of my dear friends and colleagues among the Palestine TechWomen Fellows of cohorts-past, and asking them to support the incoming team. I am also thinking of my journeys in Palestine and hoping that I will learn as much during the next six weeks. My first trip to Palestine was in 1979 after I was graduated from U.C. Berkeley, my second was in 2006 to create a Sun Microsystems mentoring program between technical groups in St. Petersburg (Russia) and Hertzliya (Israel), and the third was an (unofficial) delegation of five TechWomen mentors to Gaza City in 2016, as guests of Mercy Corps and Gaza Sky Geeks. I very much look forward to traveling there again.
I was honored to be the 2010-2011 Process Architect for the U.S. State Department – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ TechWomen mentoring program and am very proud to continue my service as a citizen diplomat. In 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expanded TechWomen (based in the San Francisco Bay Area 2010-2022) to include a cohort in Chicago. My daughter, Jessica Dickinson Goodman, is a mentor for 2023’s Team Nigeria, based in Chicago. Jessica was one of the mentors who went with me to Palestine in 2016 and she has been an Impact Coach for Team Palestine in prior TechWomen years.
About TechWomen: “TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities. Through mentorship and exchange, TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.” There are 1,153 TechWomen Emerging Leaders and Fellows in 22 Countries. More than 150 companies have hosted TechWomen Emerging Leaders.
Katy standing in the Dead Sea 2006Gaza City Vase 2016TechWomen arrive in Gaza, Feb 2016Gaza Sky Geeks with TechWomen 2016Katy Dickinson and TechWomen presenting, Gaza City 2016Selfies with Eileen Brewer at Gaza City harbor, Feb 2016
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