Dominique Samari is intentional. She is so present, even in everyday conversation, that one might wonder whether the rest of us are listening at all. Our encounter with Dominique was especially meaningful because we crossed paths with her while she was also interviewing Milwaukeeans. We learned a great deal from her insights and methods.

Over the course of the last year or so, Dominique has committed herself to a project of self-reflection and connection. She calls it the Belonging Project, and it has involved interviews with more than 60 Milwaukeeans about how they create a sense of belonging for themselves and others. It’s unlike anything she’s done in 30 years of professional life. In the political climate of Black Lives Matter and Me Too, as the country faces a cultural reckoning around issues of race and an increase in hate crimes, Dominique has been going deep and going local. Her project is about gaining knowledge and building a practice of engagement simultaneously. It’s about study and personal field work that inform one another. As more Americans – especially white Americans – become aware of  the prevalence and depth of white supremacy, she argues, there is a heightened opportunity to address racial inequality.

Dominique, who co-founded P3 Development Group, is an experienced and respected strategist and facilitator interested in building environments of equity, inclusivity and social change. Before that, she worked for the U.S. Department of State in Afghanistan, creating training programs to integrate Afghan professionals into the criminal justice system. Dominique also served as a court commissioner for the City of Milwaukee. She got her law degree from Marquette University.