Inherit the Earth: Recent Episodes
Jamila Batts Capitman and Sarah Montes / Decolonize Race Project
Inherit the Earth is a podcast about the experiences and perspectives of multiracial people in the United States of America. According the 2020 census 33 Million Americans identify as mixed race and the numbers are only growing. Thanks to the Loving Vs. Virginia case in 1967, cross racial marriage is legal, yet our country remains divided by race. The children of these cross racial unions offer important insight into the potential for race relations in this country and beyond and help us to envision a world where all people are counted regardless of the color of their skin, their country of origin or who they love.
Sully is a 21 year old who has focused on embracing all parts of his identity instead of just choosing one way to identify. He talks about his generation's changing perception about the economy and capitalism and his ideal world where his positive energy and capacity to light up a room is more important than his race.
Avery is an incredibly thoughtful 16 year old student leader. In this episode they talk about language as a way of connecting with a part of their heritatge, intersectionality, appearance and the use of African American Vernacular English in digital spaces and IRL. Please note: Avery mentioned that they were confused about how to label their identity of Chamoru, largely due to the conglomeration of Asian Pacific Islanders. They wanted to clarify that Guam is in the pacific which is not something they were sure about at the time of recording.
Siena Nagel is a 22 year old world traveler who is passionate about food and wine. She shares her perspective on the relationship between class and race and her experience with language as a way of connecting to her heritage. Siena explains that Blackness is not a monolith and talks about internalized white supremacy. She also shares how traveling has expanded her understanding of Race. She dreams of a world where her energy is as important as her racial identity.
Daviel is a 17 year old who believes in the beauty of the human experience. She talks about being comfortable in her own skin and uplifting others. She shares her pride and joy about the cultural expression of her family.
Jhamari Mayugba is an 18 year old who speaks about the importance of food as a part of his culture and how family shaped how he came to understand who he is as a cultural being. Jhamari also discusses how love is shown in different ways depending on the cultural context.
Aster is an 18 year old who loves storytelling . Aster discusses experiences of colorism and the importance of individualism and knowing who you are and what makes you, beyond your race.
Stevie is a 17 year old who has learned a lot about her cultural heritage from spending time with her friends from different cultural groups. She also talks about how her experience is often very much dependent on other people’s perceptions about race and skin color and not her own self definition. She describes herself as neutral and non judgemental.
Schuyler is a 37 year old from Boston. He speaks with pride about being a Black American with roots in Boston and the diversity within Blackness. He also talks about his experiences going to high school in a predominantly white high school and how he was perceived. He discusses the messages he received from his family about identity and the experience of being judged by the way he looks.
Deja Caldwell is an 18 year old who loves Cheerleading. Deja discusses the importance of not falling victim to stereotypes and staying strong through self love. She also shares about her perception of the prejudice in the world around her and not letting anyone else define who she is.
Belai Abraha:
Belai is a 14 year old who loves to sing. He explains how the way he describes his identity had to change due the war taking place in his father’s country of origin. Belai shares how proud he is about his ethnicity. He also talks about why he often identifies as “Black” when people ask and how he is proud of who he is.