From Protest to Practice: How This Deck Sparks Real Conversations on Racism
This Juneteenth, we revisit the story behind {THE AND} On Racism Edition—a powerful tool for honest, necessary dialogue about race, bias, and identity. Created in 2020, it’s more than a deck—it’s a space for truth, discomfort, and real growth.
Juneteenth, a day to commemorate freedom and reflect on the long, unfinished journey toward racial justice in America. And while some may feel that the louder conversations around race have quieted in recent years, one thing remains clear: the need to keep talking hasn’t gone anywhere.
In honor of this day, I sat down with Topaz Adizes, founder of The Skin Deep, to revisit the story behind one of their most timely and courageous projects: {THE AND} On Racism Edition. Created during the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the deck was a collaboration between Topaz, writer and activist Sonia Renee Taylor, and transformational coach Didier Sylvain.
The goal? To design a tool that could help people have constructive conversations around racism, hidden biases, emotional well-being, and structural power, even, and especially, when it's hard.
“We were all stuck in our homes, watching the world erupt in pain and protest,” Topaz told me. “Our team felt it was time to do something. We wanted to create something people could actually use to talk about what was happening. Something that could hold space for discomfort, truth, and growth.”
The team came together quickly, understanding that urgency doesn’t always mean rushing, it means being intentional. They met several times to craft and refine the questions, checking for depth, clarity, and emotional impact.
“It’s one of our most potent decks,” Topaz said. “It goes beyond emotional check-ins. It asks about your relationship to racism, to allyship, to your own blind spots and the systems you’re part of. It’s about personal experience, yes, but also about cultural norms and how we engage with them.”
And that’s exactly what makes this deck so different from others in {THE AND} series. Most decks focus on our inner lives or intimate relationships. But this one adds another layer, the structures we live in, the histories we inherit, and the choices we make in navigating them.
Topaz spoke candidly about his own experience using the deck as a white, cisgender, heterosexual man:
“When I’ve used this deck in diverse groups, especially in the workplace, I can feel the edges of my own discomfort. I can feel where I’m uninformed. That edge, the one where you feel unsure of what to say or how to say it, that’s the edge where growth happens. And it only happens if you can sit with it long enough.”
The deck doesn’t ask you to be perfect. It asks you to be present. It encourages humility over performance. Curiosity over certainty. Conversation over conclusion.
“We all have blind spots. We all carry ignorance. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn. If we’re willing to acknowledge the limits of our own perspective and hold space for someone else’s truth, something powerful happens.”
The set of Jeanne & Sonya's sisterly conversation
In the years since the deck was released, the cultural and political climate in the U.S. has shifted dramatically. But the need for dialogue hasn’t disappeared. If anything, it’s become even more important, and harder to come by.
“There’s been a pendulum swing since 2020,” Topaz said. “But the truth is, no matter where the conversation sits in public discourse, people still deserve the right to be heard. To share their experience. To question what they’ve been taught. That kind of learning doesn’t end when the headlines fade.”
Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom is not just a historical milestone, it’s a continuous effort. And part of that effort involves listening to each other, challenging our assumptions, and engaging in conversations that may never feel easy but will always be essential.
That’s what the On Racism deck offers: a starting point. A space. A moment of mutual recognition. If you're ready to explore these conversations with intention, with your family, your coworkers, your community, or even yourself, the {THE AND} On Racism Edition is here to support you. In honor of Juneteenth, we're offering 25% off on the physical deck from June 8th to June 30th with code: JUNETEENTH25. This isn’t just a deck of questions. It’s a tool for reflection, recognition, and real connection. Let it help you go deeper. Let it help you begin.
This Juneteenth, I hope we all find the courage to lean into those spaces, not just to talk, but to truly listen.
Regina Zuniga
The Skin Deep Digital Content Specialist
Watch Sonya & Jeanne's conversation here:
I Choose To Love You | {THE AND} Jeanne & Sonya
