On the 4th episode of Season 2, Tim'm features his friend and colleague Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, who is currently leading work at GLSEN. Listen as they discuss and give us the real “T” or truth about the topic of Intersectionality.

A concept and framework created by Black feminist scholar, Kimberle' Crenshaw, Intersectionality is defined as the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups. (Merriam-Webster)

The episode begins with "Ten”, a song by Tim’m that was featured on his solo debut album, Songs From Red Dirt. The song was originally written as a spoken word poem in his first book, Red Dirt Revival: a poetic memoir in 6 Breaths. After the dialogue with Melanie about their lived intersectionality as Black LGBTQ+ leaders in education, the episode concludes with the poem “Sixteen” which is also on Songs from Red Dirt and which appears in the second edition of "Red Dirt Revival: a poetic memoir in 6 Breaths”.

Tim'm would like to offer special thanks to Rayna Moore for her voice as Intro to the podcast, Frank Richardson III for his support as co-producer, and Ray Brown for his support as an editor.

About our featured guest:

Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (They/She), is the incoming Interim Executive Director at GLSEN, a national non-profit that works to ensure K-12 education is safe and affirming for all students, including LGBTQ+ youth. Her vision for the next chapter of GLSENs work is rooted in the belief that education can and should be an experience that is safe, affirming and liberating – and that we can achieve that goal only when we build in racial, gender and disability justice into our education system as a key indicator of success.

Before joining GLSEN in 2019 as Deputy Executive Director, Melanie served as the Program Associate Director of The Worker Institute at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. As a part of the leadership team there, Melanie worked to ensure the strategic, programmatic, and operational excellence of the Institute.

She brings extensive experience in social justice movement and organizations as a manager and consultant with her, including curriculum design, facilitation, organizing within and beyond various marginalized and intersecting communities, including current and formerly incarcerated and underground economy involved people, LGBTQ+ community, youth, immigrants, people with disabilities and senior citizens. Melanie has a long track record of building and running successful high-impact programing, training and developing individuals and leading teams, as well as designing effective and values responsive infrastructure that drive high levels of performance and impact across the organization.

Since 2018, Melanie has lectured at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies, in the Masters of Applied Theater program. They earned their B.A. in Politics, Peace and Justice Studies and Philosophy from the University of San Francisco, and their M.A. from The City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies in Applied Theater, where they lecture as an adjunct.

From 2016-2019 Melanie served as board chair of The Audre Lorde Project, the oldest center for community organizing for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color, in the New York City area. Melanie’s work on the ALP Board was rooted in the belief that as long as there are organizations connected to our freedom movements – those organizations must be internally safe, healthy and vibrant spaces, on which movements can rely if they so choose.