Why 'No Offense'?

As a child,

a kid on the playground asked if they could lick my arm to see if I tasted like chocolate. I admit, in my six years of life at that time, it did not occur to me to find out if I tasted like chocolate. What if I'd been living with my own infinite supply of chocolatey-goodness and didn't know? I felt this genius kid deserved an answer as much as I did and I held out my arm for tasting. We were both very disappointed. I passed on the opportunity to see if he tasted like vanilla.

The fragile thread running through our different lives is finding a way to communicate and share our experiences. Unfortunately, those who are most likely to ask questions aren't aware of the emotional labor it can create for the person being asked the inappropriate or potentially offensive question. The person being asked may feel they must suppress the resentment those questions can cause, whether in the workplace and even within personal relationships. Resentment which erodes valuable relationships and deepens division, even when those questions come from a place of genuine curiosity, the responsibility to learn is that of the individual wanting answers. No Offense created a mobile app to forge a space the excuses of feeling uncomfortable are exiled. Especially questions which start with, "No offense, but..."

My first-grade classmates and I were disappointed

to discover my skin wasn't chocolate, but we engaged in discovery, and stepped out on faith that our desire to learn about one another wasn't coming from a hostile place, but a charming and innocent craving for facts. We learned the valuable lesson that despite the different colors, all of our skin was the same.

I created No Offense

because we'll never be perfect, but we can

choose to engage in making progress. I hope you'll join us.

-Sonia Stovall, Founder of No Offense, LLC