Speaking of Racism (Speaking of Racism)

In this week's episode, Tina speaks with Susanna Barkataki about her new book. An Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, Susanna Barkataki supports practitioners to lead with equity, diversity, and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence. She is the founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs 200/500 Yoga Teacher Training programs. She is an E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT).

Author of #1 New Release and International Bestseller in Yoga in Nov 2020 Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice. With an Honors degree in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and a Masters in Education from Cambridge College, Barkataki is a diversity, accessibility, inclusivity, and equity (DAIE) yoga unity educator who created the ground-breaking Honor {Don’t Appropriate} Yoga Summit with over 10,000 participants. Learn more and take her complimentary masterclass to embrace yoga’s roots without appropriation: www.namastemasterclass.com

We are back for a new season! For the month of May, we will have the honor of hearing from Gabes Torres. Gabes is a Filipino/a/x psychotherapist, organizer, and member of the Speaking of Racism community + Advisory Board.

Melody Li joined Gabes for this episode to discuss de-centering whiteness in Therapy.

Melody Is a colony-born migrant & settler, therapist of Color, and mental health justice activist. They created Inclusive Therapists (www.inclusivetherapists.com): a social justice-oriented mental health directory and community that celebrates the strengths & centers the needs of marginalized communities. They also lead a mental health justice movement to decolonize, disrupt and dismantle oppressive mental health practices. In community, they restore, reimagine & reclaim our healing. Melody believes that all people with all identities & abilities in all bodies deserve equal access to quality mental health care.

Beatrice Dixon, the founder of The Honey Pot Company, joined Tina and Jen in this episode. Beatrice talks about her company, her partnership with Target, and what it was like to be the recipient of racist attacks after a Target ad featuring her and The Honey Pot Company went viral. 

This episode celebrates Beatrice, The Honeypot Company, and the power of representation.

 

 

It is important to listen to the peoples of the Pasifika and Oceania during Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and beyond.   Here, Gabes has a conversation with Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno. Sage is an Indigenous Native Hawaiian award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and changemaker. She is the CEO & co-founder of Future For Us, a platform dedicated to advancing women of color. Sage has galvanized a nationwide movement to build a future of work reaching new levels of growth through diversity, equity, and inclusion.    After spending 7 years in Seattle, Washington, and now back home to her home in Hawai'i, Sage reflects on her time in having to contend racist and sexist spaces in the corporate world, while also reflecting on what it's like to process the present and ancestral grief and rage in light of her lived experiences of colonialism against her, her people, and the land.

It's a New Year, and we are bringing you a new podcast! Join Tina and Jen for the first official episode of season 2 as co-hosts. They talk about their favorite episodes from 2019, share their plans and words for 2020, tell you about next week's book giveaway, give info on upcoming Legacy Trips to Montgomery, and more!

 

 

 

In this episode, Tina and Jen talk about the book Just Mercy. 

If you've been planning to see the movie or read the book, but haven't had a chance to yet, this podcast episode will not ruin anything for you. 

 

We're closing out June with Permission To Be Podcast Co-Host and Speaking of Racism Advisory Board Member Tommy Allgood. 

 

 

 

To find out more about Row House Publishing: https://www.rowhousepublishing.com/

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

 

Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons directs the Center for Healing Racial Trauma, where they provide therapy services to the global majority and consulting services to organizations on anti-racism.

 

"Dr. Hargons (formerly Crowell) earned her PhD from the University of Georgia in 2015. She directs the RISE^2 Research Team (Relationships, Intimacy, and Sexual Enrichment | Race, Intersectionality, and Social justice Engagement), where they study sex, social justice, and leadership – all with a love ethic. Recent projects have included the Healing Racial Trauma project and studying the sexual narrative of Black students. Her work has been featured in various media, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Therapy for Black Girls."

Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons directs the Center for Healing Racial Trauma, where they provide therapy services to the global majority and consulting services to organizations on anti-racism.

 

"Dr. Hargons (formerly Crowell) earned her PhD from the University of Georgia in 2015. She directs the RISE^2 Research Team (Relationships, Intimacy, and Sexual Enrichment | Race, Intersectionality, and Social justice Engagement), where they study sex, social justice, and leadership – all with a love ethic. Recent projects have included the Healing Racial Trauma project and studying the sexual narrative of Black students. Her work has been featured in various media, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Therapy for Black Girls."

On this special episode of Speaking of Racism, guest host Patty Taylor sat down with Marla Taviano, Pleasance Silicki, and Nicki Pappas to talk about the power of pilgrimage, healing in community, and how they experienced these things on a Legacy Trip to Montgomery Alabama.

You can find and follow our guests on IG:

Paty Taylor @patricia_a_taylor

Marla Taviano @whitegirllearning

Nicki Pappas @broadeningthenarrative

Pleasance Silicki @pleasanceshamirah

 

For more info and to book a trip with Legacy Trips, go to: https://www.wetravel.com/users/legacy-trips

 

Support the work of Tina Strawn and this podcast by joining the Speaking of Racism community on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/SpeakingOfRacism

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

 

Historian Lettie Shumate joins Tina and Jen to talk about her recent trip to the EJI's National Memorial For Peace And Justice and Legacy Museum, her life and work as a Historian, and the importance of historical literacy.

 

On this week's episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina and Jen are joined by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao, the creators of Race 2 Dinner.

Tune in to learn more about what brought Regina and Saira together and how they are working to dismantle racism, one conversation at a time.

 

 

On this episode of Speaking of Racism, Kina Reed of J. Reed Consulting LLC and Caroline Kauffman talk about reparations.

 

 

Joquina M. Reed is a lifelong learner published researcher and a JEDI (Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practitioner who sits as the stewarding founder of J. Reed Consulting LLC. She affirms the words of her great ancestor, Anna Julia Cooper, “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class - it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.” Joquina is deeply shaped by her lived experience, ancestral wisdom, and formal undergraduate and graduate education in Communications. She is also the curator behind the Please Say Black and Divesting from Whiteness podcasts. Connect with her across social media via Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin! 

 

 

 

Support the work of Tina Strawn and this podcast by joining the Speaking of Racism community on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/SpeakingOfRacism

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

 

 

We are replaying this episode with Kathy Kang from March 22nd, 2020.

 

We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and commit to end white supremacist delusion.

Today's episode is with writer, speaker, yoga teacher, and social justice advocate Kathy Khang. Kathy joined Tina and Jen to talk about what life is like for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the era of the coronavirus. They discuss the dangerous rhetoric coming from the president, the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, and so much more.

In today's episode, Tina and Jen talk about the movie Just Mercy, how it moved them to action, and the complexity with how it's taking the nation by storm. If you haven't watched the movie, fear not- there are no spoilers in this episode. 

 

Ji-Youn (she/her) is a justice-oriented therapist of Corean ancestry, located in what is colonially known as Vancouver, Canada. With collective liberation as her vision, she aims to disrupt oppressive practices of the mental health industry and its complicities, and envision new ways of mental health care rooted in abolition and community. She also deeply believes in embodied joy, ease, and liberation while in the pursuit of collective liberation. 

 

Follow Ji-Youn on @itsjiyounkim

 

Thank you to Ellen Cline and Bryan Brown for offering their wisdom in sharing how they practice antiracism and decolonizing work in their clinical and healing practices.

 

RESOURCES

adrienne maree brown - Emergent Strategy

Travis Heath - Radicalizing Psychotherapy: From Multiculturalism to Abolition

If You’re New to Abolition: Study Group Guide

@SocialWorkersCanKissMyAss

Todd, N. & Wade, A. (1994). Parallel objectifying practices: Domination, deficiency and psychotherapy. Calgary: The Calgary Participator. 

https://decolonizeeverything.org/

 

Music in the episode by: https://www.bensound.com

 

Tanya Ranchigoda grew up surrounded by her Sri-Lankan community in Southern California. It is through her immigrant family upbringing that she learned about collective and inclusive communities.   She took this worldview and professionalized it by becoming a social worker. She now carries people and community stories and histories and collaborates with them to show up as they choose to even in the face of adversity.   Her 20-year career spans oncology social work, private-client grief and trauma counseling, supervision, coaching, corporate training, and a decade as an adjunct lecturer in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Washington. 

Tina and Jen are joined by friend and avowed political geek Johnathan Perkins of black& podcast to talk politics, the upcoming election, and what it looks like to engage the upcoming election from an anti-racist perspective.

 

 

We are bringing you a special marathon of episodes for this time of national pause and quarantine.

Today's episode is with writer, speaker, yoga teacher, and social justice advocate Kathy Khang. Kathy joined Tina and Jen to talk about what life is like for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the era of the coronavirus. They discuss the dangerous rhetoric coming from the president, the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, and so much more.

Speaking of Racism is back with a new season! Join Tina and Jen as they share what they've been up to and what's in store for the new season.

 

Join our Patreon community at Speaking of Racism for bonus content, unedited episodes, and more! https://www.patreon.com/SpeakingOfRacism

 

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

 

 

On this week's episode of Speaking of Racism, you'll hear from 5 of our Board Members as they reflect on Black History Month.

 

Today's episode is from the early archives of the podcast. Jen shares her thoughts on an MLK event she took her kids to and continues a conversation with Noah Lomax about racism in the North and the myth that it doesn't exist as it does in the South.

We are reposting Tina's favorite episodes. In this episode, Myisha T from Check Your Privilege joins Jen to discuss the book How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal M. Fleming. The book is a must-read for anyone stepping into anti-racism work. Listen in as Jen and Myisha talk about their own experiences in anti-racism conversations and share their takeaways from the book.

An excerpt from the Beacon Press Website sums it up well: "Fleming unveils how systemic racism exposes us all to racial ignorance—and provides a road map for transforming our knowledge into concrete social change."

   

June 19 marks Juneteenth, a day of remembrance for the Black community, specifically recognizing Emancipation Day. And while HIStory tells us on June 19, 1865, General Order No. 3 was read in Galveston, Texas there is so much more to be revealed. Historian, conflict mediator and podcast creator Lettie Shumate helps us impact the much deeper lessons and legacy of the sacred day.

In today's episode, Jen is joined by Kina Reed, creator of The AntiBlackness Reader and Hug Your White Friends to talk about the book, When They Call You A Terrorist, A Black Lives Memoir.

Joquina M. Reed thrives as an educator, researcher, writer, public speaker, and community advocate. Within all her spheres of influence, she attempts to A.C.T. right. She challenges herself to Advocate for self and others, practice critical Compassion, and move through spaces with a transformative Transparency.

​

Joquina is the creator and curator behind the social media platforms, The AntiBlackness Reader Project, and Hug Your White Friends. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies and is a published researcher, conference presenter and public speaker. Her public advocacy is largely inspired by her academic research relating to social power and race and gender identity constructions. 

You can find her work at https://www.joquinareed.com/

Myisha T is an awesome and sometimes exhausted mom to 3 different-ability children. She is an anti-racism guide, mental health activist, speaker, and entrepreneur who is passionate about women’s mental wellness and empowerment. A passionate advocate for mental wellness, Myisha T believes that when people get real, they can begin to heal. She founded the “Check Your Privilege” (CYP) movement, an online community, and a series of workshops that support women all over the world in exploring their relationships with power, privilege, and racism. A proponent for womxn of color having access to healing she’s co-leads Brown Sisters Speak a mental health peer support and women's empowerment movement for BBIWoC.

Regina Jackson and Saira Rao are co-founders of Race2Dinner, co-authors of White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How To Do Better, and the subjects and Executive Producers of the film Deconstructing Karen.   Regina Jackson was born in Chicago in 1950 and remembers an America where everything was in Black and white. Burned into her memory are; the beatings and horrific treatment of civil rights workers throughout the south, the Goodman, Chaney & Schwerner murders, the murder of Viola Liuzzo, the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the murders of President John Kennedy and his brother Robert. The violence perpetrated on innocent people going about their lives, by white people. It is these memories that drive Regina to push for real change in America. Which is why she co-founded Race 2 Dinner.   Saira Rao grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Indian immigrants. For forty years, she wasted her precious time aspiring to be white and accepted by dominant white society, a futile task for anyone not born with white skin. Several years ago, Saira began the painful process of dismantling her own internalized oppression. Saira is a lawyer-by-training, a former congressional candidate, a published novelist and an entrepreneur.   Follow @race2dinner, read this book, watch this film - all links are in their bio.   For Tik Tok add link www.race2dinner.com

On this episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina and Jen sit down to talk about Blaxit- what it is, how Tina started her Blaxit journey, and why she's made it a mission to help other Black people on their journey.

 

Follow Tina on IG @speakingofracism, @tina_strawn_life, @are_we_free_yet

 

Support the work of Tina Strawn and this podcast by joining the Speaking of Racism community on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/SpeakingOfRacism

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

This week's special guest is Andre Henry. Andre is a writer and speaker with a passion for racial justice. He writes a weekly email giving practical insight on antiracism and nonviolent social change.

In this episode, Andre joins Jen to talk about the power of everyday people and the importance of doing the work to create the world we want to see. He talked about what activated his own journey into anti-racism, why hope is essential in this movement, and how people can come together to build the world they want to live in. 

Johnathan and April are millennial, biracial, brother and sister, and hosts of the podcast black&. Listen in as they join Jen to talk about their work, their podcast, and what they refer to as FTR's: fundamental truths about racism. Follow them at: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black/id1467935293

https://www.johnathansperkins.com/podcastblackand

We are reposting several of our favorite episodes, and this one is from a conversation with Andre Henry.

Andre is a writer and speaker with a passion for racial justice. He writes a weekly email giving practical insight on antiracism and nonviolent social change.

In this episode, Andre joins Jen to talk about the power of everyday people, the importance of doing the work to create the world we want to see, why hope is essential in this movement, and how people can come together to build the world they want to live in. 

Follow Andre:

IG @theandrehenry.

Website andrehenry.co

Join the Hope and Hard Pills Community at andrehenry.co

On this episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina and Jen are joined by Kerri Kelly and Michelle Cassandra Johnson.

 

 

 

Support the work of Tina Strawn and this podcast by joining the Speaking of Racism community on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/SpeakingOfRacism

 

Pre-order Tina's book, Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America here:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-We-Free-Yet-Divorcing/dp/1955905053?dplnkId=e61d76be-3bbb-4a3b-9db1-124e799b4586&nodl=1

 

The time has come for our April book discussion. On this episode, Jen speaks with the author, Jaqueline Battalora about the book, early Colonial history, the creation of whiteness as an umbrella identity, and so much more.

Jacqueline Battalora is the author of, Birth of a White Nation: The Invention of White People and Its Relevance Today, and numerous articles. She is an attorney and professor of sociology at Saint Xavier University, Chicago and a former Chicago Police Officer. Battalora is an editor for the Journal of Understanding and Dismantling Privilege.

In this episode, Jen and Chakita talk about Black History month, the information gap that exists in our historical understanding, and how we can use history as a bridge. Chakita is the founder of United Street Tours, a speaker, and a consultant with a passion for creating and promoting growth mindsets. United Street Tours is a walking tour company based in Nashville, TN that specializes in black history. The tours put an unconventional spin on city tours, featuring buried stories that were left out of the storyline. 

...Alternatively Titled: "Hello Chelsea, It's Tina and Jen, Let's Talk About Your Privilege" Before Tina became the owner and host of Speaking of Racism, she and Jen did this episode on the Chelsea Handler documentary. It's one of our most popular episodes, so we are reposting it for all the new listeners.

On Friday, September 13th, Chelsea Handler released a documentary on Netflix called "Hello Privilege, It's Me, Chelsea." Being the anti-racism educator she is, Tina Strawn decided to check it out, and within days Tina and Jen had watched the documentary two times, talked about it over the phone, and decided to do a podcast discussing it.

If you've watched the documentary, plan on watching the documentary, or have absolutely no interest in watching the documentary- this episode is an essential listen as Tina challenges us to greater depth and accountability in the work of dismantling white supremacy and privilege.

Be sure to follow Tina Strawn on IG @tina_strawn_life or email her at tinastrawnlife@gmail.com

In this episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina is joined by Decarceration Manager, Brittany White. Brittany is a formerly incarcerated Black woman who serves as the Decarceration Manager for the faith in action campaign- Live Free National. Brittany is passionate about shining a light on the experiences of women within the criminal justice system and equipping people with the tools to dismantle systemic injustice.  

www.livefreeusa.org

www.faithinaction.org

IG @mzbrittbmw

"Monique Melton is a highly sought-after anti-racism educator, published author, international speaker, and host of the Shine Brighter Together podcast. She is also the founder of Shine Brighter Together, which is a community dedicated to healthy relationships & diverse unity."

 

Monique joined Tina to talk about life, joy, and so much more for this week's episode of Speaking of Racism.

 

As a follow-up to our November 3rd, 2019 episode on Rodney Reed, Tina spoke with Rodrick Reed, the brother of Rodney Reed, to find out how everyone is doing, get a status on the case, and learn about what kind of support they all need as they continue to fight for Rodney's freedom.

 

To donate and support the family and their fight for Rodney, you can give directly:

CashApp: $freerodneyreed.

Venmo: @reedjusticeinitiative

 

 

Jermaine Fowler is a public educator, historical storyteller, writer, and founder of The Humanity Archive- a media company committed to telling the stories of history in the most compelling way possible.

Much of his work deals with unsettling history and the current reality of today’s world: post-industrial cities stricken by poverty, racism, inadequate healthcare, and educational inequality.

In this episode, Jermaine joins Jen to talk about The Humanity Archive, his passion for bringing history to life, the importance of featuring voices traditionally erased from the past. 

Our special guest-host, Corey Leak from Existential Podcast, sat down with Jermaine to talk about what it's like in Louisville Kentucky surrounding the Breonna Taylor killing. 

Today's episode is from the archives of Ooh, She's Speaking. Join Jen for a conversation with Cedric Lundy of Token Confessions Podcast as they talk about the importance of history, relational proximity, doing our work, and how we can move closer to racial conciliation.

Travis is a licensed psychologist and has served as a professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver for the last 12 years. In July, he will become an Associate Professor at the University of Denver and assume co-directorship of the International Disaster Psychology: Trauma and Global Mental Health graduate program as well as serve as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Graduate School of Professional Psychology.   Past work he’s been involved with looked at shifting from a multicultural approach to counseling to one of cultural democracy that invites people to heal in mediums that are culturally near. His most recent work involves incorporating the work of Black abolitionist scholars into psychotherapy, community healing, and uprising.  His writing has focused on the use of rap music in narrative therapy, working with persons entangled in the criminal injustice system in ways that maintain their dignity, narrative practice stories as pedagogy, a co-created questioning practice called reunion questions, and community healing strategies. He is currently co-authoring the first book on Contemporary Narrative Therapy with David Epston and Tom Carlson. He has been fortunate to run workshops and speak in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States.   Thank you to Tolu Mejolagbe and Michael Zuch for sharing their insights on how it is like to practice decolonized therapy.

On this episode, Jen is joined by Gabes Torres to unpack concepts behind colonialism, its lasting impact on all people, and the power of healing, hope and community. Gabes is a researcher, speaker, theologian, singer-songwriter, and psychotherapist in training. Her life’s work is to show how there’s nothing “post-” about postcolonialism, and that the impact of historical and oppressive conquest continue to manifest in the ideologies, cultures, languages, literature, human behaviors, inter- and intrapersonal relationships, and spiritual practices we have today. You can learn more about Gabes on www.gabestorres.com, and you have the power to help her in continuing her work of decolonization by supporting and/or sharing www.gofundme.com/help-Gabes-Stay

We are kicking off our Black History Month series with Speaking of Racism owner and co-host, Tina Strawn. Tune in and listen as Tina highlights two people who have impacted her: Alice Walker, and her debate and speech teacher- Electra Kitchin.

 

Stay tuned for more BHM moments from our board members this month!

 

 

If you're like us, you've likely signed a petition with Change.org but aren't quite sure how to organize or start one of your own. In today's episode, we talk to two campaigners- Ansa and Rashawn from Change.org to learn about the organization, their roles, what goes on behind the creation of a petition, and how people can better use this as a platform to create change.

Here's a petition we are encouraging everyone to sign: 

https://www.change.org/p/shutdown-parchman-prison-in-parchman-mississippi

In today's episode, Tina and Jen talk about their trip to L.A. to meet in person. They share stories from their time together, talk about the Food For Thought Dinner Party Jen hosted, and discuss how essential community, rest, and joy is in anti-racism work.

In this episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina is joined by Decarceration Manager, Brittany White. Brittany is a formerly incarcerated Black woman who serves as the Decarceration Manager for the faith in action campaign- Live Free National. Brittany is passionate about shining a light on the experiences of women within the criminal justice system and equipping people with the tools to dismantle systemic injustice.  

www.livefreeusa.org

www.faithinaction.org

IG @mzbrittbmw

EbonyJanice is the founder of Black Girl Mixtape, a multi-platform safe think-space, centering the intellectual authority of black women in the form of a lecture series, a podcast, and an online learning institute lead by black women scholars. Learn more at her website www.thefreepeopleproject.com

Nandi Kayyy is a Queer, southern-born, non-binary musician & activist with a passion for Black liberation, soul music, and fried chicken. Nandi is the frontman of Nandi Kayyy & The They Agenda, an Alternative R&B band as well as the host of the 'Black Friends Dinner' podcast. Nandi serves as project manager at Hope & Hard Pills, a media collective founded by Andre Henry providing practical insight on racial justice and on the advisory board of the Speaking of Racism Podcast. Nandi’s passion for equity spills over into their work in technology. Nandi is the Associate Product Manager at AboveBoard, a software technology company dedicated to increasing representation of underrepresented groups in executive leadership.

 

Megan Torres and Janelle Faison stood up to their children's private Montessori school in 2019 after the director locked herself and Janelle's four-year-old child in a room the size of a closet.   Prior to this incident, Megan's 6-year-old son was asked to leave the school mid-year. Megan's son's contract was canceled by the Director the same day Megan complained of intimidation and tone policing from a different administrator, a woman of color. The abrupt timing of this dismissal resulted in the loss of over $50k in state-issued scholarship funds for Megan's son. Despite Ohio Senator Maharath making a statement to reconsider the scholarship due to concerns of bias, and a former teacher alleging bias, the state agency in charge of the scholarship and finally, governor Mike DeWine denied reconsideration. (It's worth noting that DeWine's communication advisor is on the school board of directors and that the Director of the Montessori worked in the past as the Assistant Bureau Chief of the Childcare Division at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the same division charged with investigating the alleged misconduct involving one of the children.)   With the help of local organizers, both mothers held a protest on the first day of school to draw attention to the use of seclusion in schools and tone policing Black women. They rallied a robust antiracist online community using the hashtag #weseeCMEC to highlight unfair and often unconscious bias from white people that cause trauma for Black parents and children at school. Their story was picked up by NPR. Megan's story used as a case study for unconscious bias at last year's American Montessori Society national conference by Montessorians for Social Justice.    Their story is a case study for bystanders in what to do (and what not to do) when you find yourself observing blatant injustice. 

In this episode, Tina is joined by Rebekah Borucki, to talk about her children's "Big Messy Books" series, the importance of diversity and representation in publishing, and her own experience as a Black Biracial author. Rebekah "Bex" Borucki, the founder of BEXLIFE® and the BLISSED IN® wellness movement, is a mother of five, author, TV host, meditation and yoga guide, and birth doula. She has taught meditation as a profound act of self-care that can be executed effortlessly and effectively to hundreds of thousands of individuals online and in live workshops and public events. Rebekah’s mission is to make mental-health support and stress-management tools accessible to all. Most recently, Rebekah started her own publishing imprint, Wheat Penny Press, to publish her children’s “Big Messy Books” series.  Go to www.bexlife.com for more information.

In this mini-episode, Speaker, coach, and anti-racism educator, Tina Strawn joins Jen to talk about the importance of Black leadership in anti-racism spaces, an exciting announcement about the podcast, and what it looks like to live anti-racism work in action.

On this episode of Speaking of Racism, Tina is joined by Jessica Care Moore to talk about her latest book- We Want Our Bodies Back.

Jessica Care Moore is the CEO of Moore Black Press, Executive Producer of Black WOMEN Rock!, and founder of the literacy-driven, Jess Care Moore Foundation.  An internationally renowned poet, playwright, performance artist, and producer, she is the 2013 Alain Locke Award Recipient from the Detroit Institute of Arts. Moore is the author of The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, Sunlight Through Bullet Holes, and a memoir, Love is Not The Enemy. Her poetry has been heard on stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the London Institute of Contemporary Arts. She has performed on every continent. Jessica Care Moore believes poems belong everywhere and to everyone.

Tressie McMillan Cottom joined Tina to talk about her book Thick: And Other Essays (2019), winning the MacArthur Foundation's Genius Grant, Black Sisterhood, and more.

"Tressie McMillan Cottom, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life (UNC). Professor Cottom’s research spans higher education, work, race, class, gender, and digital societies. Lower Ed (2016) is her critically-acclaimed work on for-profit higher education and social inequality and THICK: And Other Essays (2019) was a non-fiction finalist for the National Book Awards. Among many other awards, she is the 2020 recipient of the American Sociological Association’s Sociology for Public Understanding of Sociology career award. She hosts a culture podcast with Roxane Gay, Hear to Slay, and lives in Chapel Hill, NC."

 

Trevor and Maria are the hosts of Lost Ones, a true-crime racial justice podcast that focuses on stories of injustice committed against people of color. They both live in New York City and work in the criminal justice policy reform space.

 

They started Lost Ones to uplift the stories of people of color which are often ignored by mainstream media.

Perry Clemons (He/His) is an African-American third-grade teacher from Harlem, N.Y. He has created a board game called Inequality-opoly: The Board Game of Structural Racism and Sexism in America. Inequality-opoly is a custom property trading game that transforms recent national studies into a perspective-taking experience. In this game like, in the real world, certain players based on their perceived identity enjoy privileges while others face obstacles to building wealth.

The mission of Inequality-opoly is to spread awareness and advance discourse about the effects of Structural Racism and Sexism in America. The objective of Inequality-opoly is to battle with or benefit from Structural Racism and/or Sexism to become the wealthiest player and partnership by buying, renting, developing property, and (most importantly) making deals. Whichever player or partnership has the most wealth at the end of the game wins.

The idea for Inequality-opoly came when Perry attended diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings. During these trainings, Perry noticed the difficulties the facilitators faced in demonstrating the effect of racial and gender discrimination in a way that is engaging and personalized to all the people in the room. As an educator for over a decade, he knows the best way to teach or reinforce something is to make it a game. He thought that gamifying diversity training would make for deeper understanding and richer discussions. After 3 years of research, development, and playtesting, Inequality-opoly is now for sale thanks to a successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaign at www.inequalityopoly.com

...Alternatively Titled: "Hello Chelsea, It's Tina and Jen, Let's Talk About Your Privilege"

On Friday, September 13th, Chelsea Handler released a documentary on Netflix called "Hello Privilege, It's Me, Chelsea." Being the anti-racism educator she is, Tina Strawn decided to check it out, and within days Tina and Jen had watched the documentary two times, talked about it over the phone, and decided to do a podcast discussing it.

If you've watched the documentary, plan on watching the documentary, or have absolutely no interest in watching the documentary- this episode is an essential listen as Tina challenges us to greater depth and accountability in the work of dismantling white supremacy and privilege.

Be sure to follow Tina Strawn on IG @tina_strawn_life or email her at tinastrawnlife@gmail.com

Cedric Lundy from Token Confessions Podcast joins Jen to talk about the ongoing Jussie Smollett investigation, calls for people to speak against him, and how getting caught up in this is a distraction.

In this episode, Myisha T from Check Your Privilege joins Jen to discuss the book How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal M. Fleming. The book is a must-read for anyone stepping into anti-racism work. Listen in as Jen and Myisha talk about their own experiences in anti-racism conversations and share their takeaways from the book. An excerpt from the Beacon Press Website sums it up well: "Fleming unveils how systemic racism exposes us all to racial ignorance—and provides a road map for transforming our knowledge into concrete social change."

Join Jen and Cedric Lundy from Token Confessions Podcast as they talk about the actual definition of racism, why there is so much confusion over it, and how Joe Rogan got it wrong on a recent show.

Jen and Tina continue their conversation in this episode and get into some of the nuances of anti-racism work- how allies can move from ally to co-conspirator, what it means to stay in one's lane, and more. 

In this episode, Jen speaks with Tina Strawn about her journey toward anti-racism work and the creation of Satya Yoga Trips, which are 3-day anti-racism yoga trips to the lynching memorial and the legacy museum in Montgomery, Alabama.    Tina is an anti-racism advocate, as both a student and a facilitator. Having recently relocated with her wife from Atlanta to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Tina now focuses on her anti-racism work full time, which includes the anti-racism/yoga trips to Montgomery, as well as speaking engagements, leading private events and soon she will be launching a series of anti-racism workshops and online webinars. 

Brigette Jones is back! She is a Historian and the Director of African American Studies at Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. On today's episode, Brigette takes us through the history of Juneteenth, the importance of making it a nationally recognized holiday, and tells us how we can all celebrate and appreciate this holiday. 

On this episode, Jen is joined by her friend and local Chicagoan, Noah Lomax to talk about the history of policing in the U.S, life in Chicago, the cover-up and case surrounding the killing of Laquan Mcdonald, and the subsequent verdicts.

Speaking of Racism is a community podcast dedicated to frank, honest, discussions on racism in the US. Listen here to our brief mission statement.

In this episode, Marcie Walker from Black Coffee With White Friends joins Jen to talk about her new project- Mockingbird History Lessons. 

Marcie talks about her passion and vision for Mockingbird History Lessons and beyond. She shares her own personal story as a young girl learning history in a predominantly white school, how little it had changed when her daughter went to school decades later, and what she's doing to change it. 

 

Go to:https://www.patreon.com/mockingbirdhistorylessonsforadults/posts to join the movement and support Marcie. You can also follow her on IG @blackcoffeewithwhitefriends and @mockingbirdhistorylessons

Join Jen and Marcie for part 2 of their conversation. Marcie Walker is the writer, creator, and creative behind the wildly popular website and Instagram page- Black Coffee With White Friends. In this episode, Marcie talks about having parents who grew up during Jim Crow and how that may have impacted their parenting, what happened when she shared honestly about race and racism with a larger audience, how to engage conversations about race with healthy boundaries, and an exciting new project that she is preparing to share with the world! 

On this episode, Marcie Walker from Black Coffee With White Friends joins Jen to talk about her life, her passions, and the inspiration behind her wildly popular website and Instagram space- Black Coffee With White Friends. Marcie shares her passion for human connection, truth-telling, and authenticity as she navigates life as a mother, storyteller, and peacemaker. You can find her website at www.blackcoffeewithwhitefriends.com and follow her on Instagram @blackcoffeewithwhitefriends.

John Williams joins us on the podcast today to discuss his work at the Center For Racial Reconciliation at Fellowship, Monrovia.

John has diligently and faithfully worked toward racial reconciliation for almost 30 years. He is passionate about training groups who seek to increase their awareness around biblical multicultural and racial reconciliation and brings years of experience and expertise in facilitating and training to this work.

John uses facilitating dialogue and interactive exercises as a core element in all of his workshops. These workshops are designed to introduce participants to the deceptive and destructive effects of racism in our lives and the body of Christ, and present opportunities to learn and experience the work of racial reconciliation within a biblical framework. John is a graduate of UC Berkeley and USC Law School.

John has been practicing law for over 20 years, has mediated and facilitated sessions for individuals and small groups in the area of alternative dispute and conflict resolution, and is an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University and Life Pacific College teaching on Race, Reconciliation, and Ministry.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this urgent call to action. Rodney Reed has been on death row since 1998 for a crime he did not commit, and he is scheduled for execution on November 20th. Anti-racism educator and social justice activist, Tina Strawn joins Jen to discuss the details of the case and what you can do to help. We need to amplify this story and do all that we can to stop this execution. Please listen, share, and take the steps we've outlined in the show. Refer to www.innocenceproject.org for details from show and up-to-date information.

Constanza Eliana Chinea (She/Her) is a Latinx certified Yoga Instructor who has a total of 10 years of experience in the industry and over 300 hours of training in Yoga, trauma, and anti-racism. She began teaching and consulting after noticing a need for diversity and representation in the industry. She now teaches Yogis and entrepreneurs how to decolonize their practice, create equity for teachers of color, and build inclusive spaces in the community.

In this episode, Constanza Eliana shares her experience, expertise, and insights into anti-racism, creating diverse spaces, decolonizing yoga practices, and so much more.

To learn more about Embody Inclusivity, visit: https://www.embodyinclusivity.com/ 

To follow on Instagram: @eliana.chinea

Corey Leak is a pastor, activist, writer, and podcaster. In this episode, Corey joins Jen to talk about his new podcast, his passion for difficult conversations, what it was like to work in white evangelical spaces, and how his justice work and activism collided within evangelical spaces. You can follow Corey on Instagram at @coreyevanleak and @existentialpodcast. You can find him on Facebook and you can find his podcast on a number of platforms.

It's the first episode as Speaking of Racism, and Noah Lomax is my special guest. Join the conversation as he and I talk about Noah's life in Chicago, how he got started in anti-racism work, the positive power of social media, how people can support one another, why we need to have some real conversations about high school wrestler Andrew Johnson being forced to have his dreads cut off, and everything in between. Pull up a chair and let's talk!

On this episode, Calvin Moore from Leading Questions joins us to discuss stereotypes, history, and the importance of understanding our past. Calvin is a historian with a passion for engaging difficult conversations and he opens up about what life was like as a black man living in predominantly white spaces. He gives advice on engaging anti-racism work and shares some of his top book recommendations on the topic.

In this mini-episode, Speaker, coach, and anti-racism educator, Tina Strawn joins Jen to talk about the importance of Black leadership in anti-racism spaces, an exciting announcement about the podcast, and what it looks like to live anti-racism work in action.

Another one from the archives of our previous podcast. This episode is part two of my conversation with Cedric Lundy from Token Confessions podcast. We talk about The Red Table Talk with Jane Elliott, why claiming to be colorblind dishonors the individual, and once again- why understanding history is so important. 

In this episode, Brigette Jones, Historian and Director of African American Studies at Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, Tennessee joins Jen to talk about the importance of increasing African American representation in historical settings, the power of looking to history to heal our nation, common misconceptions about the North vs. the South, and much more. 

Michael W. Thomas is a photographer and life-long student of history. He sits on the Board of Directors at the Marietta Museum of History and teaches classes on African American history. In this episode, we talk about him growing up in Marietta, the importance of history, and the power of photography in telling stories and reclaiming history. Michael will join us a regular contributor on Speaking of Racism.

Lori L. Tharps is an assistant professor of journalism at Temple University, an award-winning author, freelance journalist and popular speaker.

Lori joined Jen to talk about her book Hair Story: Untangling The Roots of Black Hair in America, as well as her passion for diversity.

You can find Lori's blog and podcast here: www.myamericanmeltingpot.com

 

Tayo Rockson is a writer, speaker, consultant, and media personality who runs UYD Management - a strategic leadership and consulting firm that helps organizations incorporate sustainable diversity and inclusion practices. As someone who has lived on 4 continents, he is an authority in communicating effectively across cultures. In addition to that, he's been named a "Top 40 Millennial Influencer" by New Theory Magazine. He hosts the popular As Told By Nomads podcast and his book Use Your Difference To Make A Difference is based on how to connect and communicate in a cross-cultural world.

In this episode, Tayo joins Jen to talk about diversity training, his book, and more.

  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Use-Your-Difference-Make-Cross-Cultural/dp/1119590698 Podcast: https://tayorockson.com/podcast

Calvin Moore is a historian and the host of Leading Questions with Calvin Moore. On today's show, he joins Jen to discuss White Supremacy, its definition, and why we aren't as removed from it in this nation as we think we are. 

Join Jen Kinney and Dexter Pearce as they discuss the book and phenomenon known as White Fragility. 

It's MLK day, and Jen is continuing her conversation with Noah Lomax. In today's episode, she talks about how we need to reject the temptation to turn Dr. King into feel-good memes so we can continue the radical work he started, and Noah shares his insights into racism in the North vs. the South and why we have much work to do.

Join Jen and Charles Johnson from Straight Talk With Charles Johnson as they talk about the recent decision by Ole Miss to remove a prominent Confederate monument. They talk about everything from the presidency of Donald Trump, and the Lost Cause History of the Confederacy, to reparations for the descendants of slaves, and more.

In this episode, Jen is joined by fellow podcaster, Will Smith of Let's Talk. Will is a Youth Pastor who holds a degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling, and in this episode, he talks about growing up in the church, his frustration with the racial reconciliation movement, and how people can better approach race, faith, and unity.

For more from Will, you can follow him on Instagram at @pastorwill_

 

Delina Pryce McPhaull is a former journalist and freelance writer, editor, podcaster, and editorial consultant who homeschools her 3 children. She is the creator of the Woke Homeschooling Curriculum and came on the show to talk to Jen about the importance of learning history, teaching children the truth about history, and how we can raise anti-racist kids. This episode is for you whether you have kids and homeschool or not. To follow Delina, head to wokehomeschooling.com