Rayla D. Mattson

A photograph of Rayla Mattson smiling broadly.

Rayla D. Mattson serves as the Director of Religious Education for the Unitarian Society of Hartford (Connecticut). Outside of congregational life, she is raising her three beautiful children as a single mom.

From Rayla D. Mattson

Displaying 1 - 10 of 11

Braver/Wiser

A small crowd of people singing or chanting, some with smiles and others with arms raised.
Everyone for Everyone

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
Marginalized people can’t just want things to be different. It has to be everyone wanting things to be different for everyone.
From the arms down, a toddler leaves footprints on the beach, her back to the camera.
Big Shoes to Fill

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
I appreciate the path that my grandfather paved but also recognize that I can add to his path in my own way and still honor the road he paved the way for.
A Black woman, sitting on a couch, smiles as she opens a box.
The Kindness of Others

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
A white woman pulled over and ran over to me with a shopping bag. She smiled and drove away. As I looked down at the bag, I had very mixed emotions.
A black-and-white close up of long, black curls
The Strength That Defines Us

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
My heart broke the day my son stood in the bathroom crying. He handed me a pair of scissors and told me to just cut it. I told him how beautiful his hair was and how sad I would be to see him cut it.
In the foreground, a mother sitting on a stoop, watching her young daughter.
No Longer Claiming "Divorced"

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
I spent time feeling embarrassed—that somehow I had failed—because I had filed for divorce. It’s been over nine years now, and I wake up every single...
Two people, seen from behind, push a car on the side of a road.
Stopping to Help

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
My oldest child was confused: why would no one stop and help us? Even though people weren’t stopping to help us, my son said, he wanted to be more like...
A young girl, bundled into a warm coat, smiles excitedly at someone off-camera.
I Ride Bus

Rayla D. Mattson

From Braver/Wiser
“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village.” —Elaine Hall, educator and parenting...

Call and Response

three houses in silhouette on a hill at night, windows lit and stars above
Parenting with Heartbreak

Rayla D. Mattson

From Call and Response
In a pandemic, amid outcry over police murders of Black people, how can a mother address the gravity of these traumas without sending children into despair

LeaderLab

three houses in silhouette on a hill at night, windows lit and stars above
Parenting with Heartbreak

Rayla D. Mattson

From LeaderLab
In a pandemic, amid outcry over police murders of black people, how can a mother address the gravity of these traumas without sending children into despair

WorshipWeb

In a square, vintage black & white photo, two Black women pose in front of a car.
Centering Myself

Rayla D. Mattson

From WorshipWeb
I come from a long line of strong Black women. My grandmother used to share stories about how she caused “trouble” in town when a white man hired her...

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