Dear White Women - SoundSage

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This is a short episode – about why we vote, and why we hold onto hope today and going forward – and it may be the episode that you need to hear today.

If you’ve already voted: THANK YOU.

If you haven’t voted yet, pause this and go do that.

Spread the word. Please VOTE.

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When we first recorded this episode, we were at the end of the Trump presidency, when we still had a legal right to abortion in this country. Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land, and women had access to safe abortion options in many states.

Now, on the eve of the 2024 Presidential elections, abortion is on the ballot in a post-Dobbs world, where we have women dying because they cannot get legal abortions, and there’s a whole bunch of lawmakers (mostly White dudes) who want to tell women what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Oh, and don’t be fooled by Melania’s sudden desire to be pro-choice: there’s only one Presidential candidate who cares about women’s health and human rights (of which abortion is one), and her name doesn’t end with Trump.

So, take this as your reminder to vote for the candidate who cares about women - not about sexually assaulting them, but about their healthcare, their agency, and their bodies. And also, hopefully, as you listen to this re-release, you find that there are so many people out there fighting for women’s health care and reproductive justice, just like If/When/How and Mariko Miki are, and that there is a real community in this. That part is hope personified. And that is what we need to lean into now as well. So vote. And hold onto that hope.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

What to listen for:

What is a self-managed abortion anyway?
What are some of the issues when it comes to criminalizing reproductive decision making? Sign a petition here.
How we need to destigmatize abortion and decriminalize women’s reproductive lives.
The groundbreaking work If/When/How is doing in spearheading a legal defense fund for reproductive justice.
Resources people can use, including:
a Reproductive Legal Helpline for anybody thinking about a self-managed abortion,
and the latest state-by-state information on what’s happening in the legal landscape of women’s reproductive rights (with a quick escape button if you need to close the browser immediately).

For this episode, we spoke with Mariko Miki, who is the Managing Director and General Counsel at If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, where she oversees the organization’s programs, people, and policies. Joining If/When/How in 2010, Mariko designed, launched, and directed the Reproductive Justice Fellowship Program, now in its 10th year, and worked to expand reproductive rights and justice course offerings in legal academia. Mariko has served on the Advisory Board of TEACH (Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare) and the Board of Directors for Exhale Pro-Voice, and was a 2019 Rockwood Leadership Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Fellow. Mariko graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School.

Relevant episodes:

Ep. 190: Why abortion became political
Ep. 92: Real talk about abortions, with Dr. Jenn
Ep. 198: Everything adoption – and we mean EVERYTHING – with Patrick Armstrong
Ep. 46: Our conversation with abortion provider Dr Jenn.
Ep. 47: The bridge between reproductive rights and health care.
Ep. 13: Racial disparities in the U.S. healthcare system when it comes to Black moms.

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Trump lies repeatedly. He’s shown us who he is. He’ll continue to try distancing himself from Project 2025 because it’s come under fire in public and he’s very image-savvy, but be very, very clear - this is his policy agenda outline. Listen to more of Trump’s policies in his own words, along with more on Project 2025, in this episode.

And if you want to do more, consider doing these things:

Register to vote and text your entire family and friend network to ensure they’re registered to vote - and ask if everybody has a plan for how to get their ballots in
Go to VoteForward and Center for Common Ground and write postcards - do this quick
Follow Erin Gallagher and the #hypewomen for Kamala - they’re mobilizing white women to take action, and the latest even got Oprah’s attention!
Listen to Episode 254 with activist Sam Chavez on what else you can be doing.

What to listen for:

Why we think having Trump in a second term is FAR more dangerous than many expect.
The harms that will befall our country, because of things like his views on:
Immigration and making America a white-supremacist centered nation,
Ukraine and what that says about his desire to pander to the influence of outside nations,
His hatred of the press and what that indicates about his desire to turn America into an authoritarian state,
Violence, and how a deeper threat of control and violence will eventually impact every American citizen
Abortion, and what this means for every woman, mother, and person capable of bearing a child, including families overall.
Do not look away from the massive threat Trump poses for our country. Please ACTIVELY VOTE for Kamala Harris to keep this from happening.

Link to Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook 2025: https://www.authoritarianplaybook2025.org/

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You know how we both feel about the phrase “oh, stop being so political” for the simple reason that politics IS personal.

Political choices impact most things you do on the daily, and often involve the things you care about the most for your community.

That’s why, today, we wanted to speak to someone who may not look like who you think of when you think “politician” - or at least, not until VP Harris stepped even further into the spotlight.

We hope you hear what it takes to be a woman of color running for office, the importance of representation, and why it’s important that every single one of us vote in this upcoming election.

What to listen for:

What it’s like to run for - and win - office to be a state Senator as a woman of color
The importance of electing diverse representation
Multiple examples of how every vote counts, in elections she and her friends have run in!

About our guest:

Mona Das champions sustainable solutions, racial equity, and women's empowerment. Her lived experience as a daughter of Indian immigrants who came with $6 fuels her passion to dismantle barriers.

A Washington State Senator from 2018-2023, Das achieved victories like the single-use plastics ban by forging coalitions across divides. As a woman of color, she faced roadblocks, giving insights into challenges women leaders face. She is also the first person from the Indian State of Bihar to be elected to state or federal office in the US.

Through keynotes, Das shares strategies for overcoming obstacles, leveraging data/narratives, and translating visions into real-world solutions. Her dynamic presence and storytelling captivate.

An entrepreneur with an MBA in sustainability, and the Executive Producer of Bad Ass Women Doing Kick Ass Shit, an award-winning film about eight BIPOC women running for office in 2022, Das empowers audiences to embrace authenticity, overcome limiting beliefs, and unlock potential. badasswomencommunity.com

Her mission: inspire transformative action towards an equitable world.

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This episode is for all of you who may think: “My vote doesn’t matter.” “I don’t vote.” “I would get involved but I don’t know how or where to volunteer.” “I don’t have any special election-related skills.” Or anything along those lines. You may have even said this out loud, or you may have heard friends or family say this. Either way, this is for you.

We said in our email this week that we were getting ready to dive into Election 2024 - because “I’m not political” or “I don’t talk about politics” is NOT going to cut it; these days, politics is invading our libraries, schools, wallets and bodies and those of our children as well.

So we bring you an incredible activist and supporter of activists, who will leave you with not only the best approach to engage people in your life who say they don’t do politics but also a bunch of organizations you can get involved with between now and November that we think will make a huge difference to the trajectory of our nation.

PS, if you aren’t yet on our email list, what are you thinking!? Get on it! Register at www.dearwhitewomen.com.

What to listen for:

How do you respond when someone says they won’t be voting? Ask lots more questions.
Organizations to consider getting involved with:
Working Parties Family: https://workingfamilies.org/about/
Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/
Sister District for state races: https://sisterdistrict.com/
Northeast Arizona Native Democrats: https://neaznativedemocrats.org/
Vote Forward: https://votefwd.org/
Your local state election office to volunteer to be poll workers
Or check out https://866ourvote.org/ to find out more information about voting and to volunteer to protect the vote and the electoral process
A free Social Media Care & Resilience Pocket Zine for you!
The margin of effort – i.e. just how close so many critical elections were, meaning that your effort can potentially make a TREMENDOUS difference to the outcome of an election.
The post-election recovery session online that Sam will be co-hosting

About our guest:

Sam Chavez is a queer, Latine, New Mexican American activist who’s passionate about a livable planet, belonging, and equitable societies. She founded The Roots of Change Agency to harness her storytelling and decades of marketing experience to cultivate connections that lead to lasting social change. She does this through strategic coaching, workshops, podcasting, and writing.

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What comes to your mind when you picture someone who’s resilient? Usually, we hear that it’s one person who’s faced a setback, and they remain hopeful and willing to work through the challenges to return to some sort of life they had before. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “pick themselves up by their bootstraps” to describe this type of person. We know we have. But that doesn’t always work, as we continually say.

We have a guest today who’s going to help us critically examine that image we have - and help us understand what we’re missing. She’ll tell us we need to think critically about when it comes to glorifying resilience, especially if we’re doing it for individual gain or to showcase individual strength, without realizing that the opposite of resilience is loneliness – we have to remember the communal and community contribution to the ability to be resilient.

We’re at a time in history where it feels - no matter your perspective - like the world is burning down around us. We want to trust that we will still be standing. To do it, we need to know when to be optimistic and when to be strategically pessimistic, not beat ourselves up when we’re coming up against moral injury, embrace certain ways of thinking - cognitive flexibility, for those who want the big words - and hold onto hope for the collective, above all.

What to listen for:

The inaccurate understanding Americans have of resilience – and how it needs to shift from an individual to a collective focus: the opposite of resilience is loneliness.
The mind-blowing study that shows us social status matter – and reexamining preconceptions and research in positive psychology, male-focused hardiness, and more.
Rethinking popular portrayals of the upcoming generation – that, maybe, “younger people aren’t distressed because they lack the right mindset or don’t understand what is happening around them. They are distressed because the world is distressing, and adults have failed them.”
How do we find hope when it feels like the world is burning around us? Have openness to difference, openness to change, and acceptance of limits.

About Soraya:

Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning author and activist. As a cultural critic, she writes and speaks frequently about gender norms, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, politics, and technology. The former Executive Director of The Representation Project and Director and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women’s civic and political participation.

Soraya is also the author of The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth after Trauma, a thought-provoking exploration that challenges our most dearly held, common myths of resilience and urges us to shift our perspective from prioritizing individualized traits and skills to uplifting collective care and open-ended connections with our communities.

Her first book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, was recognized as a Best Book of 2018 by the Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and NPR and has been translated into multiple languages. She is a contributor to several anthologies, most recently Free Speech in the Digital Age and Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change The World. Soraya is also a co-producer of a WMC #NameItChangeIt PSA highlighting the effects of online harassment on women in politics in America. Her work is featured widely in media, documentaries, books, and academic research.

As an activist, Ms. Chemaly also spearheaded several successful global campaigns challenging corporations to address online hate and harassment, restrictive content moderation and censorship, and institutional biases that undermine equity and negatively affect free speech.

Prior to 2010, Ms. Chemaly spent more than fifteen years as an executive and consultant in the media and data technology industries.

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Most of us say we’d speak up and do the right thing - that we’d not conform to horrible societal standards. We hear that, for example, when people speak about what happened during World War II in Europe. Would you have been part of the Resistance, knowing that the risk included not only social shunning but indeed death? But we also hear that so many of you have a hard time speaking up when it comes to interrupting moments of racism, sexism, misogyny, ageism, homophobia - I mean, it can be really intimidating to use your voice. Like, you want to do the right thing, but feel like you don’t have all the information, don’t know what to say, what the repercussions might be, for example.

We’re here to say that if there ever was a time for us to use our voice - from interrupting with people who want to take away other people’s rights, to promoting equity, looking out for ourselves by getting what we need from relationships and communities, and using our right to vote in the voting booths this fall (because yes, a vote can be your voice as well) - now is the time. We’re so grateful we get to bring you a meaningful and practical conversation that can help you reframe your understanding of why we become silent - and how to unlearn all of that intentionally, so we can start using our powerful voices again.

What to listen for:

Shocking stats: “Kids ask roughly 125 questions per day. Adults ask about 6 questions per day. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we silence our curiosity.” What are the ramifications of becoming silent, especially with a 2024 lens?
The three questions that each of us - intentionally or not - wrestle with around voice vs. silence: What are the costs of choosing voice? What are the benefits of staying silent? Given the costs and benefits of each, what makes sense to me?
How being at a hyper-fast pace can not only lead us not to speak our minds, but lead us to silence others as well.
Tips around unlearning systemic silence, like asking who does this policy support and who does this policy silence or disadvantage?

About Elaine:

Elaine Lin Hering is a facilitator, writer, and speaker. She works with organizations and individuals to build skills in communication, collaboration, and conflict management. She has worked on six continents and facilitated executive education at Harvard, Dartmouth, Tufts, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. She is the former Advanced Training Director for the Harvard Mediation Program and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. She has worked with coal miners at BHP Billiton, micro-finance organizers in East Africa, mental health professionals in China, and senior leadership at the US Department of Commerce. Her clients include American Express, Chevron, Google, Nike, Novartis, PayPal, Pixar, and the Red Cross. She is the author of the USA Today Bestselling book Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully (Penguin, 2024).

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We’re going to be sharing this episode today, which if you’re listening in real-time, is shortly after President Biden stepped aside, not accepting the Democratic nomination and instead, getting behind his VP Kamala Harris - our country’s first female VP, and first Asian and Black VP as well.

Today’s episode is focused on acknowledging the contributions of people who came before Ruby Bridges, who we all think of when we think of school integration. Little did we know that back in 1868 in Iowa, there was a young Black teen who was actually the first known person to integrate a school. What would happen if we all read children books that included the story of Susan Clark? How would knowing about our country’s real history, with all its nuances, false starts, hope, and persistence change our understanding of where we are as a country today - and what it really will take to move it forward into a more tolerant, accepting, integrated, supportive, community-driven nation? Maybe it would teach us that history isn’t linear, that backlashes do happen, but that the desire to fight is a sign that we all still hold onto hope, which is really what we need collectively now.

What to listen for:

What’s so important about understanding real history - in particular, the contribution of girls and women
What the story of Susan Clark tells us about how change does NOT come easily, does not come linearly, and that history repeats itself.
Why this story was written as a children’s book

About Joshalyn:

Joshalyn Hickey-Johnson, aka Ms. Rocki, was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa, and attended Waterloo public schools. She is the mother of two and grandmother of seven. Ms. Rocki took on the challenge of working a traditionally male job at Viking Pump in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and worked there for 30 years. She began writing books featuring real-life experiences from her children’s lives as they were growing up. Her debut book, “GOOD MORNING, LOVEY!” was published in 2005, followed by “Travis It’s NOT Your Birthday!” in 2008. She partnered with Chaveevah Ferguson, serving as a publicist with BaHar Publishing, the first African-American-owned book publishing company in Iowa. She co-authored “Ropes In The Kitchen” with her father, Naaman ‘Jock’ Hickey. Ms. Rocki started NORTH END UPDATE, a weekly live interactive show highlighting good things in her local community and featured on Iowa Public Television’s “Greetings from Iowa.” Since 2017, she has worked on the show with her best friend and co-host Chaveevah. Ms. Rocki recently hosted Iowa PBS’s “Juneteenth: THE MOVEMENT.”

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So we’ve spoken inspirationally and aspirationally about wellbeing, the power of the pause, about spirituality.

But what if my brain is still going, but I can’t wrap my head around this all – I need some more structure, some more tools, some more intellectual perspective!?

We’ve got a book for you!

And if you’ve been a longtime listener to the podcast, you know that we very rarely do repeat guests, unless we (a) love them and (b) feel like they’ve got another message to bring to our community.

Dr. Sue Varma fits the bill for both, and so much more. We’re bringing her back to talk about her new book, Practical Optimism, with excellent frameworks around well-being, how to survive this rollercoaster of a year, and so much more.

What to listen for:

A three-point framework on how to make (tough) decisions
The importance of balancing a life of purpose with a life of joy - yes, busy women, even us! That scale imagery got us…
Practical ways to challenge ourselves when we’re not seeing things clearly
How culture plays into our lives and our sense of belonging

About Sue:

Dr. Sue Varma, one of the nation's foremost mental health authorities, is truly a multidimensional expert. Dr. Varma is an esteemed physician and board-certified psychiatrist practicing in Manhattan for over twenty years, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychopharmacology, and couples counseling. She is a nationally acclaimed medical commentator and has been at the forefront of some of the most important mental health conversations of the day. From breaking news and documentaries to primetime specials across the major networks, Dr. Varma has been a long-time contributor to the Today Show, CBS Mornings, Nightly News, GMA and has given over 2000 media interviews over the last two decades and has been featured in Washington Post, Time Magazine, NY Times, and numerous health and wellness magazines. Dr Varma is a media advisor and consultant to medical organizations and news groups,  and an internationally renowned keynote speaker across industries. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Varma’s dedication to mental health is underscored by her pioneering role as the inaugural medical director and psychiatrist of the esteemed 9/11 mental health program at NYU, for which she was awarded a Mayoral Proclamation. She is a two-time Sharecare Emmy Award recipient, the Ivan Goldberg Public Service Award and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the highest distinction bestowed upon its members. Dr. Varma  was recognized as one of the world’s top five leading health experts by Global Citizen for her contributions during the pandemic. Her new book, Practical Optimism: The Art, Science and Practice of Exceptional Well Being, has not only been resonating with readers in the U.S with rave reviews- Publishers Weekly says "Readers don’t have to bury their heads in the sand to live 'fully and joyfully' in an imperfect world, promises psychiatrist Varma in her buoyant debut." and "Studded with catchy pearls of wisdom, this can-do guide uplifts. Practical Optimism, now available everywhere, was featured in the NY Times twice this year and is now being translated into more than nine languages worldwide. 

Website: www.doctorsuevarma.com, IG @doctorsuevarma, Book: Practical Optimism

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In the five-plus years of the podcast, I’d say that we have spent a LOT of time on various “hot button” issues - I mean, we live quite squarely in the ones that surround race and identity, wouldn’t you say? - but one of the facets of identity that we don’t often explore is that of religion. Not because we don’t want to talk about it, but a lot of times the opportunity doesn’t really present itself.

That’s why we were so excited to talk to one of the authors of Healing Our Way Home, a new book that addresses white supremacy and identity through the lens of Black Buddhist teachings.

What started out as a series of conversations between three practitioners morphed into a whole book, focusing on self-care and Buddhist teachings with the goal of collective liberation in mind, but in a way that’s totally different than what we’ve seen out there thus far.

Can’t wait for you all to listen and learn more.

What to listen for:

A brief explanation of the Buddhist history and teachings
What it was like knowing Zen Master Thich Nhat Han
Three powerful questions we should all be asking ourselves, as we work to remain centered in our own selves while experiencing the world in its current poly-crisis state.

About the authors:

KAIRA JEWEL LINGO is a Dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, as well as in secular mindfulness, at the intersection of racial, climate and social justice with a focus on activists, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, artists, educators, families, and youth. Based in New York, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss and Disruption and co-author of the forthcoming, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy and Liberation (Feb 2024) from Parallax Press. Her teachings and writings can be found at www.kairajewel.com.

VALERIE BROWN, True Sangha Power (pronouns she/her), is a Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, ordained in 2018, and a member of Religious Society of Friends. She transformed her twenty-year, high-pressure career as a lawyer-lobbyist into human-scale, social-equity-centered work, guiding leaders and organizations to foster greater understanding, authenticity, compassion, and trust.

MARISELA B. GOMEZ is a co-founder of Village of Love and Resistance in Baltimore Maryland, organizing for power, healing, and the reclamation of land. She is a meditation and Buddhist teacher, physician-scientist, and holistic health practitioner. She lives in the lands previously stewarded by the Piscataway, Lumbi, and other tribes, colonized as Baltimore Maryland in the USA. She is the author of Race, Class, Power, and Organizing in East Baltimore along with other scholarly, political, and spiritual writings.

For more information: https://www.parallax.org/product/healing-our-way-home/

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This one goes out to all the busy women in our community.

Whether you’re a Type-A, a Recovering Type-A, a paid working mom or a working mom in the home - we hear it over and over again: we women are feeling stretched super thin, exhausted, and overwhelmed.

Enter a radical mindset shift: the power of rest.

We’re excited to bring you a conversation with Kibi Anderson, who drops brilliant reframing of what we think of as rest (it’s not always what we’ve been led to believe) and other life advice that helped us breathe a little better.

What to listen for

Kibi’s story to becoming the Rested Rebel!
What is rest? Anything that gives you joy, moving from me-care to we-care.
Other life advice including not to take things personally, and not to make assumptions - from The Four Agreements.
All about the multi-author book, Point Taken, that Kibi was part of, and why you should buy a friend a copy.

About Kibi

Kibi Anderson is an author, coach, keynote speaker, and Emmy Award-winning content producer. She is a graduate of Harvard College and NYU Stern Business School, and the founder of Life Editor, a firm providing communications and leadership coaching to C-Suite & Senior Leaders. She has helped drive millions of dollars in annual revenue, created international content campaigns, and offered counsel to global Fortune 100 and startup clients. She has traversed an illustrious career in international management consulting, film production, and technology entrepreneurship while also managing a chronic auto-immune condition. She believes and teaches that the key to ultimate professional success is not through working harder, but embracing the power in the pause.

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I don’t know that there’s a better book and conversation to kick off our summer author series with than this one.

We’ve said for a while now that there’s a benefit to applying a psychological, human-based lens to the social justice learning we’ve been sharing on this show for the last five years.

This conversation shows us why we are spending our summer talking about that bridge, which over the course of the next few months will center discussions about wellbeing, about the power of the pause, practical optimism, meditation, and more.

Because in the midst of such a turbulent, divided time, don’t you want to feel better?

With social psychologist Dolly Chugh, we’ll get into some beautiful stories that let us all remember there are times we prioritize comfort over discomfort – but that not knowing facts creates its own sense of discomfort too. Why not join us in the learning and unlearning?

What to listen for

How unlearning is not just intellectual work, but emotional work too.
The on-the-spot example that gamers might really relate to
A brilliant takedown of nostalgia, which we all fall for, and the impact it can have
How to spot simplified fables (clear cause & effect, flawless heroes, good guys beating bad guys) to know when we need to be mindful when reflecting on history
Apologies

About Dolly

Dolly Chugh (she/her, hear my name) is an award-winning professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where she teaches MBA courses in leadership and management. Her research focuses on “bounded ethicality”, which she describes as the “psychology of good people.” She is the author of The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias (HarperCollins, 2018), A More Just Future (Simon & Schuster, 2022), and the popular Dear Good People newsletter. Dolly’s TED Talk was named one of the 25 Most Popular TED Talks of 2018 and currently has more than 5 million views.

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This episode is a continuation of last week’s episode, so if you haven’t already listened to that one (it should be right above this one in your podcast feed), stop and go listen now, as it will make the most sense when listened to in order. This week we pick up where we left off, with the remaining four independent dimensions of well-being: spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental. Let’s just get right to it.

What to listen for?

In today’s episode, we talk about the four remaining dimensions of wellness - spiritual, vocational, financial and environmental;
Trump’s support of extreme Christian viewpoints and his own view of himself as “The Chosen One” go against Constitutional and foundational principles of separation of church and state;
Despite being the politician for “every man,” Trump dislikes unions (and the feeling is mutual) because he’s first and foremost his own supporter;
Trump’s financial policies are aimed at making his own life (and those of the extremely wealthy) easier, whereas Biden’s economic policies helped all of us;
Trump is actively working to remove America from climate accords that will negatively impact our world and future generations (plus he doesn’t believe in climate change)
How we can get involved to protect our own, and everyone else’s, wellbeing

Link to last week’s episode HERE.

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In our last episode, we went through reasons - issue by issue (not all of them, but a lot of them) - about why our freedom and democracy are at risk if you vote for Trump and he gets elected for president again in 2024.

In brief, things like his stance on immigration and making America a white-supremacist-centered nation; Ukraine and what that says about his desire to pander to the influence of outside nations; his hatred of the press and what that indicates about his desire to turn America into an authoritarian state; abortion, and what this means for every woman, mother, and person capable of bearing a child, including the freedom of families overall. Notably, all through his own words because he’s been telling us what he’s going to do for years.

In today’s episode, we’re going inside (ourselves) to talk about wellness and thriving, and whether or not we value societies that make it possible for us to feel - and be - well. We’ll do this through the lens of a possible second Trump presidency, because we firmly believe that a second Trump presidency is bad for our well-being - mine and yours, both mentally and physically - and bad for us all, as human beings.

What to listen for?

The eight dimensions of wellness/wellbeing (in today’s episode, we talk about four of them - physical, intellectual, emotional, and social);
Trump’s policies that impact our physical well-being, including ACA and access to abortions;
How Trump’s disbelief in scientific fact and restrictions around schooling harm go directly against building intellectual well-being, especially for our future generations;
The emotional effects that we’re already feeling from a possible second term for Trump; and
How a Trump presidency could result in increased social isolation and divisiveness for our communities.

In case you missed it, here’s the link to our last episode on the risks to our freedom and democracy: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/244-why-we-need-to-take-trump-at-his-word-dont-look-away

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You know that person you know - the one who exaggerates everything?

It’s kind of like that story of the blameless “boy who cried wolf” who lives in fantasy land and never takes responsibility for anything - and this person seemingly has not only the best life anyone could ever imagine, with loads of money, tons of friends, amazing vacations, but also, nothing ever seems to go wrong? (Instagram is a drug, friends).

Now imagine that friend is running (again) for President of the United States.

And that friend is bringing that energy into the race in the most destructive, divisive way possible, in which he’s only out for himself - which his statements prove every.single.day.

Those statements that you would roll your eyes at and dismiss? Now, you no longer can, because those statements tell you who he is, and exactly what he plans to do if he gets re-elected (spoiler alert: it’s going to be hugely destructive to our lives as we know them, and most, if not all, of our freedoms that we take for granted.).

You guessed it - we’re talking about Trump, and why we need to take him at his word. In other words, even though it’s painful - don’t look away.

He’s giving us the blueprint of how a Trump presidency would be, and not only is it worse than last time, it will destroy our democracy and our freedom along with it.

What to listen for?

Why we think the risk of having Trump in a second term is FAR more dangerous than having Biden.
Looking specifically at the harms that will befall our country because of things like his views on:
Immigration and making America a white-supremacist-centered nation,
Ukraine and what that says about his desire to pander to the influence of outside nations,
His hatred of the press and what that indicates about his desire to turn America into an authoritarian state,
Violence, and how a deeper threat of control and violence will eventually impact every American citizen
Abortion, and what this means for every woman, mother, and person capable of bearing a child, including families overall.
Do not look away from the massive threat Trump poses for our country.

Link to Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook 2025: https://www.authoritarianplaybook2025.org/

Resources:

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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This week marks the FIVE-YEAR anniversary of the Dear White Women podcast! That means we’ve outlasted almost all the other podcasts out there… like ya knew we would.

From those first few episodes released altogether on April 15, 2019, to now… it’s been quite the ride. This year, in order to kick off year SIX (!!!) of the podcast, we thought we’d devote an entire shorter episode to talking about not only the past five years but what we have in store for the future and that shot of hope for all of us.

What to listen for:

How the podcast has evolved since its start in April 2019, including its history
The stand-out episode from this past year
Our personal whys behind doing this for the past five years and how that may have shifted over time
Where we think the Dear White Women platform goes from here

About Sara & Misasha:

co-author of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and the co-host of Dear White Women, a social justice podcast. Misasha, who is biracial (Japanese and white), is married to a Black man and is the proud mom of two very active multiracial young boys. They live in the Bay Area of California with their largely indifferent cat.

Sara Blanchard (she/her) helps build community and connection through conscious conversations, which she does as a facilitator, TEDx speaker, writer, and consultant. After graduating from Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs, Sara pursued the science and techniques of well-being and is a certified life coach, author of two books (Flex Mom and DearWhite Women: Let’s Get (Un)Comfortable Talking About Racism), and co-host of Dear White Women, an award-winning weekly social justice podcast. Sara is biracial (Japanese and white), married to a white Canadian man, and is raising their two white-presenting girls to be compassionate, thoughtful advocates. They live in Denver, Colorado with their incredibly lovable dog.

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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If you know us, you may know that we LOVE a good conversation - even if it’s uncomfortable or difficult. But this year, as we head into what seems to be ONLY conversations that are uncomfortable or difficult, how do we best do that? If the idea of even talking to someone now gives you pause, then this is the episode for you.

The connection quality of part of our conversation is a little iffy in places, but it’s worth listening to every moment of this episode. Our guest today (a repeat guest at that!) talks us through the journey of compassionate dialogue, including practical tips on how to practice this in your next conversation, and how to do the inner work necessary to make this the default, rather than the exception, to your conversations in 2024 and beyond.

What to listen for:

The compassionate dialogue structure includes the need to recognize, interrupt, and repair – and sometimes, we’re finding that recognizing our own emotions is the most challenging part!
The good/bad binary, and how it’s entirely unhelpful
A powerful example of how to have difficult conversations around politics

About Dr Dome:

Renowned speaker, author, and equity consultant Dr. Nancy Dome co-founded Epoch Education in 2014 to provide leaders in education and business with accessible professional development in diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equity. As an educator for nearly three decades, Dr. Dome taught in the juvenile court and community schools teaching our most vulnerable students, and has served as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence and faculty member at California State University San Marcos. Her transformative approach helps school districts and educational agencies throughout the country navigate complex topics, build bridges, and work together for inclusive, impactful change. She is the author of Let’s Talk About Race and Other Hard Things: A Framework for Having Conversations That Build Bridges, Strengthen Relationships, and Set Clear Boundaries and The Compassionate Dialogue Journey: A Workbook for Growth and Self-Discovery. For more information, visit www.epocheducation.com.

To hear Dr. Dome’s previous episode on Dear White Women, listen to Episode 164: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/164-how-we-talk-about-race-and-other-hard-things

Resources:

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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“Oh, that’s so political.”

“We don’t talk about politics here.”

“Stop being so political.”

Have you heard that before, when someone brings up a topic that may have been mentioned in the news (or on social media)? Maybe you’ve even been the one that said it. But - have you ever heard it explained what exactly “political” means in this context? Or why shouldn't we talk about it?

We’d argue that there is no such thing as “political”. Or, conversely, perhaps EVERYTHING is political depending on who you are and how things affect you.

But regardless of why people feel things are too “political,” this is EXACTLY the year where we need to be doubling down on talking about all of those things, especially if you care about freedom - your own, in particular.

Even if you disagree with us, please listen in - maybe we’ll provide some food for thought. Or maybe our viewpoints are not so far apart after all.

What to listen for:

What people are really saying when they say, “stop being so political.”
Our freedom - military service, bodily autonomy, environment, and more - is at stake if we don’t get over our discomfort and start talking about the things that really matter.
The story of Little Johnny returns, to describe the parallel scenario of what’s happening with Trump and Putin.

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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If you’re listening to this episode around the time when it’s being released, then you’ll be listening to this right on the last day of Black History Month in the United States. It should go without saying that Black History is American History, but we’re going to say it anyway, and we’ll add that it shouldn’t be confined just to the shortest month of the year but instead should be taught to our kids every day of the year, and should be talked about by us as grownups by an equal amount.

This year, given where we are politically and nationally, we wanted to recognize another key day in February - February 19th. That’s the day when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced 120,000 Japanese Americans (American citizens) to leave their homes and be relocated to concentration camps ON AMERICAN SOIL. They lost everything - their homes, their possessions, their businesses - but despite all of that, they fought to hold onto their dignity and as much of “normal life” as possible. Part of that normal life, for so many Japanese Americans, was the ultra-American pastime of baseball.

That’s exactly why we’re bringing you this episode today - an updated episode from last year where we talk about baseball, the Negro Leagues, and the history behind America’s favorite pastime - baseball - that you might not know, and probably weren’t taught in schools.

What to listen for:

The story of how baseball bridged a racial divide during WWII between white and Japanese children.
The separate (and decidedly not equal) conditions under which Black and white ballplayers had to play
Names of some Black superstar baseball players who – if/when integrated into the Hall of Fame – would be as good or better than some of the MLB athletes we celebrate today
How to talk with your kids, from kindergarten through high school, about this specific period of baseball in American history

Resources:

Episode 50, Why Aren’t Black Kids Playing Baseball?

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Society for AMerican Baseball Research – statistics

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

A Negro League Scrapbook

Mamie On The Mound

Who Were The Negro Leagues?

Undeniable: Negro League Women

Undeniable: International Impact

Undeniable: Jackie and Monte

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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In honor of Presidents’ Day coming up next week, we thought we’d focus on president…ial immunity. See what we did there?

With this episode, we’re kicking off a new “why should we care about…” series on DWW where we focus on the WHY behind important issues, so that we go into November making the most informed decisions we can about the candidates AND their platforms. We’re keeping these relevant, funny, and light - but also impactful in how to understand why we need to care about these issues.

So whether you (a) think you know everything you need to know about presidential immunity or (b) you don’t care or (c) who cares anyway because this is about Trump and he’s going to be the nominee anyway so what I think doesn’t even matter… or option (d), something else - this episode is a must listen. And then please share it with your friends.

What to listen for:

The accessible parallel through our fictional fourth grader, Johnny, to show you how presidential immunity might work.
The significance of the Fourteenth Amendment, and why it was written – the story of John B. Floyd, slave owner from Virginia who happened to be President James Buchanan’s secretary of war.
Truth bombs like: “If we have a president who is exempt from prosecution for crimes committed in office, then we have a dictator. We no longer have a president. So if you care about democracy, you need to care about presidential immunity.”

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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You know when you have a conversation that provides you with a framework of a problem – one you may not have even known existed – and it opens your eyes in a whole new way?

Yeah, today is one of those conversations.

Because it helps look at questions like this: Do we really know what freedom is? How about liberty? And if we don’t know what those concepts mean, how do we know if we’ve lost them? And what role does the carceral system have in all of this?

This might seem like a lot, but in a year in which we’re questioning everything - democracy and America, to name a few - if we don’t know what those concepts mean, how can we imagine a world full of them?

That’s one of the questions that today’s guest asks - and answers - through her new book, Of Greed and Glory, which takes a look at her brother’s incarceration in Angola and uses that as a jumping-off point to ask some larger questions that, in all honesty, we need to be asking ourselves if we really want to be engaged in this fight.

After you listen to this episode, please tell several friends about it, and look to support people doing this work in your community. As always, we’d love to hear what resonates with you - please do reach out and let us know.

What to listen for:

How incarcerating an individual is actually incarcerating a family
Does America even want to be a democracy anymore?
The master-slave dynamic – including how that shows up in patriarchy, and yes, why we believe women understand the significance of this conversation. Hello, Dear White Women podcast…
How American enterprises are built on the same model as the slave plantation slate. Corporate America, we’re looking at you.
What we can do to start changing the system

About the author:

DEBORAH G. PLANT is an African American and Africana Studies Independent Scholar, Writer, and Literary Critic specializing in the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston. She is the editor of the New York Times bestseller Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston and the author of Alice Walker: A Woman for Our Times, a philosophical biography. She is also the editor of The Inside Light: New Critical Essays on Zora Neale Hurston, and the author of Zora Neale Hurston: A Biography of the Spirit and Every Tub Must Sit On Its Own Bottom: The Philosophy and Politics of Zora Neale Hurston. She holds MA and Ph. D. degrees in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and traveled to Benin as a Fulbright-Hays fellow. Plant played an instrumental role in founding the University of South Florida’s Department of Africana Studies, where she chaired the department for five years. She presently resides in Florida.

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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It can be as simple - and meaningful - as picking up a fiction novel, reading it, and discussing it with your book club. Because once you see, hear, and learn, we don’t think you’ll ever be able to “go back to how it used to be.” You’ll change. You’ll do things differently. You’ll make ripple effects happen. Change is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon, nor is change-making. More often than not, it starts small, local, and with just one intentional action.

Today we bring you just that book that we recommend you read with your book club in 2024. The fabulous co-authors of Rebecca Not Becky, Christine Platt, and Catherine Wigginton Green, drew on both their lived experiences and their work as DEI advocates to bring you all a relatable story that will impact the way you see the world, no matter who you are!

What to listen for:

Why this book is different - written by DEI practitioners from a Black and white perspective
What the authors found most challenging and surprising about writing the book
The unexpected feedback the authors are receiving so far
How helpful it is to write and post real, positive reviews on works like this

About the authors: Both live in Washington, DC.

CHRISTINE PLATT writes literature for children and adults that centers on African diasporic experiences—past, present, and future. She holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in African and African American studies as well as a Juris doctorate in general law. She currently serves as Executive Director for Baldwin For The Arts.

CATHERINE WIGGINTON GREENE is a writer and filmmaker whose storytelling focuses on strengthening human connection and understanding. Her feature documentary “I’m Not Racist . . . Am I?” continues to be used throughout the US as a teaching tool for starting racial dialogue. A graduate of Coe College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Catherine is currently pursuing her doctorate from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! Happy New Year!

We like to split this episode, one we have done every year at this time of year for the last four years, into two parts – reflections and projections. You’ll want to listen so you don’t miss how to stay involved in what’s next for us, the podcast, and 2024 as a whole.

What to listen for:

Our history, identities, and what we’ve learned in 2023, including huge successes through the year
How to submit ideas for episode topics in 2024 & book us for speaking gigs: contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com
Stats around how Trump is looking increasingly like a dictator and how we must be vigilant in our own communities and have conversations to further our shared democratic goals

About us:

A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, Misasha Suzuki Graham (she/her) has been a practicing litigator for over 15 years, and is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession as well as in her communities. She is a facilitator, writer, and speaker regarding issues of racial justice, especially regarding children, the co-author of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and the co-host of Dear White Women, a social justice podcast. Misasha, who is biracial (Japanese and White), is married to a Black man and is the proud mom of two very active multiracial young boys. They live in the Bay Area of California with their largely indifferent cat.

Sara Blanchard (she/her) helps build community and connection through conscious conversations, which she does as a facilitator, TEDx speaker, writer, and consultant. After graduating from Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs, Sara pursued the science and techniques of well-being and is a certified life coach, author of two books (Flex Mom and Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism), and co-host of Dear White Women, an award-winning weekly social justice podcast. Sara is biracial (Japanese and White), married to a White Canadian man, and is raising their two White-presenting girls to be compassionate, thoughtful advocates. They live in Denver, Colorado with their incredibly lovable dog.

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One of the things that we find most rewarding about our own journeys in anti-racism, racial justice, and social justice is when we come across practitioners who come from a similar framework that we do (heart-centered, humanity first, believe people when they tell you their stories, and all of those things) but also challenge us to think more broadly, or more deeply, about these topics in powerful ways. Our guest today does all of that and more.

Naomi Raquel Enright is a DEI practitioner, Ecuadorian and Jewish, a mother, sister, daughter, and so many more things - and all of these identities influence how she views the world, especially when she thinks about raising her son. It was an honor to be able to talk about raising multiethnic children with her today, especially with her clear focus on the systems that keep us trapped in a narrative about race that helps zero people in the end. We hope that you sit with what she says, and think about how you frame your understanding of families, systems, and individuals as a result.

What to listen for:

How being raised as the daughter of an Ecuadorian mother and white father shaped Naomi’s perspectives in raising her son
What to think about when assuming things about other families – in particular, whether someone is or isn’t a certain child’s mother – and what that felt like to be on the receiving end of
The reasoning behind some new-to-us phrasing – “presumed to be white” instead of “white-presenting” or “passing for white” and “multi-ethnic” instead of “multiracial/biracial”
Some thoughts on raising children the world presumes to be white, and what white families can do better

About Naomi:

Naomi Raquel Enright is a writer, educator, and consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. She is also a National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Facilitator and a New York Appleseed board member. Raised in New York City, she was born in La Paz, Bolivia to an Ecuadorian mother and a Jewish-American father, and is a native speaker of English and Spanish. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College and studied at the Universidad de Sevilla, Spain. She writes about racism and identity, loss, and parenting. Her essays have appeared in several publications including Hold The Line Magazine, Family Story, Role Reboot, Streetlight Magazine, among others, and in the anthologies, The Beiging of America (2017), Sharing Gratitude (2019) and Streetlight Magazine 2021 (2022). She has been interviewed on a number of podcasts, including Global Citizenship & Equity, Inclusion School, War Stories from the Womb, The Mixed Creator, and Project 25. Her essay The Hidden Curriculum, received an Honorable Mention in Streetlight Magazine’s 2021 Essay/Memoir Contest. Her book, Strength of Soul (2Leaf Press; University of Chicago Press), was published in April 2019.

Read Naomi’s written work:

Strength of Soul
The Hidden Curriculum

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When you think about the holidays, what image comes to mind? Sitting around a holiday table with friends and family? Spending time with loved ones? Watching some holiday movies, sipping hot cocoa, and all the warm holiday fuzzies?

Or is your reality more like that of a lot of Americans, especially this 2023 holiday season: uncomfortable or downright hostile conversations with members of your family who feel VERY differently about you on polarizing topics, which could include politics, social justice, the economy, democracy, genocide, and so much more?

Most importantly, what are we supposed to do about this? Are we supposed to, as the New York Times suggest in their “How to Avoid Awkward Conversations” piece in mid-November, first try and “stifle those conversations”? That doesn’t seem very realistic, because let’s face it, your racist uncle is going to say what he wants to say, regardless of how many times you try to steer him towards “safe” topics.

Here at the podcast, we don’t think people want to avoid having uncomfortable conversations - they just don’t know HOW to have them. More than anything, people want practical tips.

Because let’s face it - we are in an extremely dark period both as a country and on a global level, we have what may be the most contentious election in our lifetime next year (I know, we said this in 2020 - we stand corrected), and we’re still going to be gathering with people over the next year. We think these conversations will only ramp up in frequency, tone, and seriousness going forward.

So in this episode, we’re going to be sharing tons of tools that you need to have those uncomfortable conversations with family, with friends, and even yourself now through 2024. Please share your best tips with us, as well!

What to listen for:

Tips for before, during, and after your holiday gatherings
A selection of these tips include:
knowing yourself and your why,
setting healthy boundaries,
using our favorite question “what do you mean by that?”
using “I statements,” with lots of specific examples
questions you can use to reflect on what worked / didn’t work after the event.
You’ll want to listen to the short episode to get the whole range of how to use these tips and more!

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com. Follow Dear White Women so you don’t miss these conversations! Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe! Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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If you heard our last episode on the myths surrounding Black-on-Asian crime, you heard that narratives pitting one historically marginalized community against another is a tactic sometimes used to distract us from the real enemy that we all should be focused on (hint: it’s white supremacy). It helps when we deconstruct the facts and look at real studies to dispel those myths – and helps, even more, when we get the opportunity to listen to stories of people who live the Black and Asian experience as a multiracial American, when we hear their heart-centered experiences from start to end.

That’s why we are so excited to share our conversation with Ryan Alexander Holmes, who’s not only an amazing actor (and king of hilarious reels on Instagram), but also someone who has thought deeply about race, identity, trauma, healing, and so much more. We believe that there’s something in this conversation for EVERYONE, regardless of how you identify, as it focuses on humanity first above all else.

What to listen for:

Our “secret superhero” names - and what our names mean to us
The impact of growing up in a conservative wealthy area, as one of the only African American families, and how Ryan claimed community and belonging anyway
How to find humor in (your own) culture, reorient your sense of validation, and speak your truth
What Ryan wants people to know about the misperceptions around Black on Asian crime (hint: it’s not real)
The importance of radical empathy and how to heal from racial trauma

About Ryan:

Ryan Alexander Holmes is an actor and content creator based in Los Angeles, known for his strong presence on social media where he uses comedy and writing to explore and embrace his mixed Chinese/African American heritage. He aims to inspire others of mixed backgrounds to embrace their identity and showcase the strength in multiculturalism. You can find more information at ryanalexanderholmes.com/ and follow him on Instagram @ryanalexh.

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You know the viral videos - the ones showing Black people, usually men, attacking unsuspecting Asian folks, usually elderly Asians. These are atrocious, awful incidents of course. We don’t want anybody to be harmed. AND, since we can hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time, we also need to state that these viral videos are giving us an inaccurate impression of anti-Asian hate.

For example, it turns out, according to a University of Maryland, College Park study, that most anti-Asian hate crimes are committed by white people, NOT Black people. Significantly so – more than three-quarters of offenders of anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents, from both before and during the pandemic, have been white.

We want to have this conversation as part of our mixed race Asian arc, focusing on what we believe should be a point of solidarity but has instead been misunderstood to be a divisive issue with regard to Black and Asian Americans, with actual data as a reminder for all of us – that we need to train ourselves to pause when we see narratives that pit one historically marginalized group against another historically marginalized group, and ask ourselves if they’re true, because they’re often serving simply as a distraction to change the conversation, to move it away from the “real” enemy - white supremacy. Dismantling white supremacy is where all of us - Asians, Black folks, white folks, and more – need to keep our energy focused.

What to listen for:

Hate crime statistics - which show that even through the rise of anti-Asian hate through to the Covid years, there were still more anti-Black hate crimes than anti-Asian hate crimes.
Perpetrators of hate crimes are predominantly white, as confirmed by multiple studies – NOT people of color, contrary to misperception due to viral videos
Why is there this erroneous narrative of Black on Asian crime?
Taking apart the idea of white adjacency, and challenging more people of Asian descent to stand in solidarity against the common enemy -- white supremacy.
Examples of Black and Asian solidarity throughout history.

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When we’re asked to do anti-bias talks at corporations, we’re sometimes asked by the different ERGs if we’re comfortable talking about LGTBQIA+ issues - and we answer with our truth, which is that we are both cisgender, heterosexual women who use she/her pronouns. Nobody in our families is LGBTQIA+. So while the skill sets to tackle bias are related, we prefer to give the floor to folks who can speak from firsthand experience and knowledge.

Enter our incredible conversation partner today - Schuyler Bailar, who many of you may know as @pinkmantaray. We’ve been following him on Instagram, and his new book He/She/They is now on our short list of Best Books to Recommend Ever due to its practical structure and the fact that it’s full of questions he’s received about being transgender. Just like the videos and workshops and all the work that he does, it’s accessible, not shaming; it’s factual, personal and so very meaningful. And bonus - he fits right into our multiracial Asian arc, as a mixed-race Korean and white American!

Remember, your LGBTQIA+ friends are not here to educate you; this isn’t their job. Schuyler has chosen to take on this role, so listen to this episode, read the book, watch his informative factual social media videos and make sure you’re doing the work yourself to be a better, more understanding human being!

What to listen for:

Intersectionality, and Schuyler’s own experience growing up biracial
The importance of exploring why you are who you are, for ALL of us, when it comes to gender
The quick take-down of the arguments from people working to push trans women out of women’s sports
A bullet-pointed list of what NOT to say to transgender folks (timestamp 24.07 - 28.30)
How to remind yourself of joy and a sense of thriving in the world, when it gets rough
What Schuyler wants cisgender, heterosexual women to do differently, once you listen to the episode

Make sure you sign up for our email list and follow us on Instagram @dearwhitewomenpodcast so you get the two bonus questions we asked Schuyler!

About Schuyler:

Schuyler Bailar (he/him) is the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. By 15, he was one of the nation’s top - 20 15-year-old breast-strokers. By 17, he set a national age-group record. In college, he swam for Harvard University, on Harvard’s winningest team in 50 years. Schuyler’s difficult choice – to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being an NCAA Champion – was historic. His story has appeared everywhere from 60 Minutes to The Washington Post. Schuyler’s tireless advocacy has earned him numerous honors including LGBTQ Nation’s Instagram Advocate for 2020. In 2021, Schuyler also released his first middle-grade novel, Obie Is Man Enough. And in 2022, Schuyler created LaneChanger.com making gender literacy education accessible to every team, school, and company.

Follow Schuyler on Instagram @pinkmantaray

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You heard us talking with Alex Chester-Iwata the other week on the show, who is third-generationJapanese American, and was the first family member in decades to visit Japan. So, maybe like some of you listening, she has no direct experience with immigration – your family feels like it’s “always been here” in America.

That experience that Alex has of being mixed Asian is really different than what Misasha and Sara grew up with, as daughters of Japanese immigrant parents - we grew up visiting our parents’ extended families in Japan and feeling kind of at home in a different country.

It got us wondering… what IS the impact of immigration on the Asian American experience? Can we explore how the psychological impact of immigration may be a missing part of the discussion when it comes to deconstructing common stereotypes that folks have here of Asians? And how might that impact the mixed Asians in America today?

What to listen for:

Immigration stats – Asians now represent 6% of the total U.S. population and are the fastest-growing population segment, with 103% growth between 2000-2023.
Immigration history – and how the Hart-Cellar Act of 1965 (so recent!) finally opened the doors to immigration from Asian countries.
Undocumented immigrant misperceptions – there are 1,734,600 undocumented immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Islands,17 percent of the total undocumented population living in the United States. Yet we focus on those from our southern borders.
The psychological pressures to know that may impact the perception of Asians in America. Assimilation, language, food, and more.
New vocabulary to know – “ethno-racialization”

To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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When you turn on the TV or open a book, or look for memes on the Internet… how easy is it to find someone who looks like you? Your family? Because it’s never been that easy for us. So when today’s guest, who started her own media company called Mixed Asian Media out of her OWN frustration over not being represented out there, came across our radar, we immediately wanted to know all about her, her company, and her vision of what being mixed Asian is in today’s society, media, and our own journeys.

We couldn’t wait to have this chat with Alex Chester-Iwata, as today we get VERY real about growing up mixed Asian in the United States, belonging in Asian spaces, the questions that White, Asian, and other monoracial (listen in to find out more about THAT word) people ask biracial and multiracial individuals that we REALLY wish you wouldn’t, and so much more. This episode continues our look into what it means to be biracial and multiracial in this country, and even if that’s not you, we guarantee that someone you know is living this experience. This is about all of us.

What to listen for:

Our latest thoughts on representation in the media, and what led to the formation of Mixed Asian Media
How to make spaces more explicitly welcoming of multiracial people.
Why we love the term “monoracial” - and what we want more monoracial folks to know about what NOT to ask multiracial folks.

About Alex Chester-Iwata:

Alex the Founder/CEO of Mixed Asian Media - A website and community for mixed APIs, recognized by the Nielsen Consumer Report on AAPIs. Alex received the 2023 Women of Distinction of Assembly 69th of California award and last year was one of the Asian Hustle Network’s top 50 Unsung Heros. Alex received her BA in 2021 from St. Mary’s College she graduated with honors and received the Dean’s Award for community engagement and academic excellence. Alex is a board member of ACE Next Gen's NYC Chapter and is on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation LA. She is a community leader for the Lunar Collective and she is also part of the 2023 Jews of Color cohort The Workshop, she also serves on the advisory board of her alma mater St. Mary's LEAP Program, and is a member of Gold House and is part of their inaugural Journalism Accelerator Program

Alex is also an Actor. Some acting credits include Broadway’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Gillian in This Space Between Us Off Broadway’s Keen Company. TV credits include New Amsterdam, The Good Fight, and The Closer, to name a few. @AlexFChester @MixedAsianMedia

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DEAR WHITE WOMEN - Multiracial Asians - it’s time to get personal

Why is talking about the multiracial identity and deconstructing the misperception of the Asian monolith important and relevant to you listening, if you’re not multiracial? Several things.

Census information - over 10% of the population identifies as multi-racial, but will changing demographics be enough to combat racism? We don’t think so.
Belonging matters - and if we’re to create a thriving society, how do we ensure that multi-racial people belong?
Legislation - and why we are where we are as a country. Interracial marriages were only made legal in 1967 - 56 years ago!!

Listen this fall for personal stories from your two biracial - Japanese and white - hosts, Sara & Misasha as they interview some must-know multi-racial folks, deconstruct history and misperceptions like the model minority myth and the false narrative of Black-on-Asian crimes, examine the power of advocacy and change and more in this powerful arc they’re kicking off on the Dear White Women podcast, a show that’s been running for 4.5 years.

Follow Dear White Women so you don’t miss these conversations!

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We do this work for our kids, and for ourselves. And when we talk about this work, there are a lot of spheres we need to change to make this world better for said kids - including schools, kitchen tables, policing and the false idea of law & order, public services, government, and the workplace. And, to focus on workplaces for a second, we always talk about how when we discuss racism, we’re talking about the SYSTEMS that run our society – but we also make it really clear that systems are made up of people, and so if we don’t take the time to do some inner work, we won’t be making changes to the systems that’ll be meaningful and sustainable.

That’s why we love this discussion we’re about to bring you, about reimagining inclusion in the workplace. It was really a fantastic action-oriented book that lays out practical things that you can do in the workplace to help uproot systemic racism, literally things you can start doing differently TODAY. And you know how much we love practical action-oriented things - it sort of reminded me of our own book’s listen/learn/act framework!

Plus, we are huge fans of Mita Mallick, who if you aren’t following on LinkedIn already, you should be. So listen in, and if you like what you hear, go on and do two things - order the book Reimagine Inclusion, and then go tell someone at work about Mita’s work so you can bring her into your organization and deepen the change!

What to listen for:

How Reimagine Inclusion is different from other books on DEI in the workplace
Some of the 13 myths that Mita deconstructs
How we should frame the role of white men and women in this work
Where the cultures of companies seem to be headed right now

About Mita:

Mita Mallick is a corporate change-maker with a track record of transforming businesses. She gives innovative ideas a voice and serves customers and communities with purpose. She has had an extensive career as a marketer in the beauty and consumer product goods space, being a fierce advocate of including and representing Black and Brown communities. She is the author of Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace, being published by Wiley in October 2023.

Her passion for inclusive storytelling led her to become a Chief Diversity Officer, to build end-to-end inclusion ecosystems across big and small organizations. Mallick has brought her talent and expertise to companies like Carta, Unilever, Pfizer, AVON, Johnson & Johnson and more. She’s a sought-after speaker and coach to start-up founders, executives, and public CEOs. She is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Brown Table Talk, part of the LinkedIn Podcast Network. On the Brown Table Talk, Mita and Dee Marshall share stories and tips on how to help Women of Color win at work, and advice for allies on how they can show up.

Mallick is a LinkedIn Top Voice, a contributor for Harvard Business Review, Adweek, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. Mallick has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time magazine, Forbes, Axios, Essence, Cosmopolitan magazine, and Business Insider. She was featured in a documentary created by Soledad O’Brien Productions for CBS News entitled: Women in the Workplace and the Unfinished Fight for Equality. Mallick holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She lives in New Jersey, US, with her husband and two children.

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They say never meet your heroes, but we’re so glad we got to meet two of ours, as they gave us the shot of hope at the end of our conversation that we all need, considering everything that’s happening around us currently.

To be honest, we had been looking forward to this conversation ever since David Louie (Episode 212, if you want to go back and listen) made this introduction, and it was everything we had hoped it would be. Not only because Doug Jones and Bill Baxley are legal powerhouses, but also because they were just two men, doing what they believed to be right, because perhaps they were the only ones who could have fought this fight.

And that - the power of one, standing in your beliefs and speaking up for those who cannot - is something we should all carry with us from this conversation.

What to listen for:

How two white men growing up in the South came to their belief in and advocacy of equal justice
The role that witnesses - especially the white wives of Klans members - played in the various trials, both in positive and negative ways
What these lawyers would say to people who diminish the ongoing impact of systemic racism, and claim that “slavery happened so long ago”...
The most powerful way young people can do so that lawmakers hear their voices

About Doug Jones:

A celebrated prosecutor who brought long-overdue justice to the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Doug has built his career on fighting impossible battles. In 2017, he shocked the political establishment by winning a special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama—the first Democrat to do so in 25 years in the state. On Capitol Hill, he quickly built a reputation as a well-regarded and effective legislator, passing more than two dozen bipartisan bills into law in just three years.

Doug’s first job after graduating from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University was as staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary for Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL). Following his stint in Washington, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1980 to 1984. Doug left government service in 1984 and was in the private practice of law in Birmingham, Alabama, until President Bill Clinton nominated him to the position of U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate in November 1997, and he served as U.S. attorney until June 2001. It was while serving in that position that he successfully prosecuted 2 of the 4 men responsible for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church—finally bringing full justice and closure nearly 40 years after the attack that killed four young girls. Along with taking on the Ku Klux Klan, he indicted domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph and prosecuted other criminals who sought to use fear, hatred, and violence to inhibit the rights of others.

Doug is the author of Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights which recounts a key moment in our long national struggle for equality and the successful prosecution of two Ku Klux Klan members 40 years later.

In 2022, Doug was selected by President Joe Biden to be the Nomination Advisor for Legislative Affairs to help to guide the selection, nomination, and successful confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States. In this role, Doug continued to upon the important relationships he had established while in Congress to help gain bipartisan support for the President’s nominee.

Today, Doug is of Counsel with ArentFox Schiff, a Senior Distinguish Fellow with the Center for American Progress, and is involved in a variety of different political and civic organizations. Doug resides in Birmingham, AL with his wife, Louise, and dogs, Scout and Dakota. He has three children Courtney (married to Rip Andrews), Carson, and Christopher as well as two grandchildren, Ever and Ollie.

About Bill Baxley:

Bill Baxley was elected Attorney General at age 28. Remarkably, he was already a seasoned prosecutor, having tried dozens of jury trials as District Attorney in Houston and Henry counties. He served as Alabama's Attorney General from 1971 to 1979 and its Lieutenant Governor from 1983 to 1987. As Attorney General, Bill served as lead trial counsel in every major action on the State's behalf, civil and criminal. He aggressively prosecuted them all. He appointed the state's first African-American assistant attorney general, who later became a federal judge. His successful prosecution of Ku Klux Klansman Robert Chambliss for the 1963 bombing of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is featured in the Spike Lee documentary, 4 Little Girls. His legal accomplishments are also documented in Lay Down with Dogs, Until Justice Rolls Down, and numerous other publications.

Throughout his career, Bill Baxley has served in the Alabama Army National Guard, beginning as an enlisted clerk and rising through the ranks to retire as Colonel, JAG Corps. He has successfully represented clients in the United States Supreme Court, the Alabama Supreme Court, and in appellate and trial courts over which they exercise jurisdiction. He primarily represents large business corporations yet continues to represent individuals of modest means. Those efforts have earned him the distinction of being selected as a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers as well as being recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyer.

Also: Listen to Episode 31: Birmingham Church Bombings – How Did We Get Here on Dear White Women for a historic look at this tragedy

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If you know us, you know that we love to focus on our shared humanity - in other words, the threads that bind us together, those common traits regardless of anything else, the things that make us human, after all. And so when we discovered our next guest, we felt like we found a kindred spirit - after all, his whole platform is called The Humanity Archive.

If you, as we do, believe in the power of humanity, in telling everyone’s stories, and being sure that those stories that we may not have learned in our own classes and schools growing up are being told now - especially for the sake of our children - then you’re going to want to listen to our conversation with Jermaine Fowler, read his book The Humanity Archive, and please, share your thoughts with us once you do!

What to listen for:

How the love of a library shaped a budding historian’s future
The central premise of humanity and how it is a thread throughout all of our histories
The whitewashing of American history – and the role Black scholars have played in re-orienting the truth

About Jermaine:

Jermaine Fowler is a New York Times Bestselling Author and public historian who founded The Humanity Archive, a media company that uses history to explore the stories of humanity. His work sheds light on the unsettling history and current realities of poverty, racism, and educational inequality in post-industrial cities. Jermaine offers hope by studying traditions of excellence that connect us and push us toward a better world. He teaches us how history can be a powerful tool for transformational change, uncovering our blind spots and features voices and perspectives traditionally erased from the past.

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If someone talks to me (Sara) about summer reading, honestly, my brain first goes to fiction novels. I love them, and I have been noticing that if they’re particularly well-written, I end up learning a whole lot about humanity. And the book we’re highlighting for you today is just one of those phenomenal book experiences.

We’re excited to bring to you a book set in the era just after World War II and the incarceration of Japanese Americans on American soil. So many books talk about the experiences IN those camps, but we’ve seen very few opportunities for us to all learn about what it was like for people to return to society, to be released with very few possessions and no real home to return to. Naomi Hirahara dives into this period of history in her books Clark and Division, which was set in 1944 Chicago, and its sequel which we’ll focus on today, Evergreen, set in postwar Los Angeles. We highly recommend both of these books - please let us know what you think!

What to listen for:

Why it was important for author Naomi Hirahara - who writes both fiction and nonfiction books - felt like this topic was best suited for a historical fiction novel
How her personal experience as a Japanese American played into the storyline
When you can find her on her book tour for this brand new novel, Evergreen, in 2023!

About the author:

Naomi Hirahara is the Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author of Clark and Division, and the Edgar Award–winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series, including Summer of the Big Bachi, which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and one of the Chicago Tribune's Ten Best Mysteries and Thrillers; Gasa Gasa Girl; Snakeskin Shamisen; and Hiroshima Boy. She is also the author of the LA-based Ellie Rush mysteries. A former editor of The Rafu Shimpo newspaper, she has co-written non-fiction books like Life after Manzanar and the award-winning Terminal Island: Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor.

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Our notes for this conversation with Christine, before we had it, were this: expect this to be a casual vibe, hilarious interaction, lighthearted fun conversation! We would say that was EXACTLY what this was, in a nutshell.

We went into this thinking we’d probably discuss some stuff like her upcoming book(s), plans, and more. But it really was more of a conversation that was about so many other facets of life than we had planned out, and it also seemed like the perfect conversation to air this holiday week. And - if this doesn’t make you want to hear more about Rebecca and Becky in the fall, we don’t know what will!

What to listen for:

Time, and how we process this as we get older
Intentionality, and how this plays a role in everything in our lives from simpler living, to projects we choose, to how we spend our time
Rebecca, Not Becky - the story of a suburban interracial friendship with SO MUCH under the surface, coming out later in 2023!

About Christine:

Christine Platt is an author and advocate also known as The Afrominimalist. She holds a B.A. in Africana Studies from the University of South Florida, an M.A. in African and African American Studies from The Ohio State University, and a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. From working with educators and children through the ADL’s No Place for Hate in Schools initiative to serving as a Senior Policy Advisor for the US Department of Energy, Christine has dedicated her career to working at the intersections of social justice and environmental sustainability. A believer in the power of storytelling as a tool for social change, her literature centers on teaching and building empathy and awareness for people of all ages.

Christine is a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, Women’s Council on Energy & the Environment, Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Association of Black Women Historians, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and serves as an Ambassador for Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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We’re so excited to kick off our summer book club with this amazing book: The First, The Few, The Only. When we interviewed Deepa for this episode, we remember being so excited to talk to her about this book because, while we’ve talked about a lot of books written for White people to learn more about race and racism, it’s not often that we come across business books that are written specifically for women of color. In fact, women of color still seem largely invisible in many ways in the workforce - but we’re absolutely not.

So get ready to lean in (but maybe not in the way that you’re used to hearing that phrase) and reimagine what a truly inclusive workplace could and should look like, from a perspective that you may not be hearing in your own. And, if what you hear is something you’d like to dive deeper into (we hope so!), please pick up the book and read it for yourself. We’d love to hear your thoughts once you do.

What to listen for:

How this book is different from one written for white women
Defining the term “woman of color”
Five archetypes that many women of color take on in their places of work – do you recognize any of your colleagues?
The view of solutions and the new rules of power – can we change the current structures of society, or do we need to break the system to start again?

About Deepa Purushothaman [per-shot-a-man], AUTHOR | LEADER | SPEAKER

Deepa is a former senior executive and a corporate inclusion visionary. She challenges and redefines the status quo of leadership, success, and power by centering the experiences of Women of Color.

As a senior partner at Deloitte, Deepa spent more than 20 years helping clients grow. She was also the US Managing Partner of WIN, Deloitte's renowned Women's Initiative, and was the first Indian-American woman and one of the youngest people to make partner in the firm's history.

In 2020, Deepa left Deloitte to co-found nFormation, a membership-based community for professional Women of Color. She is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, and a board member of Avasara, India's first leadership academy for girls.

The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, Deepa’s debut book, was published by HarperCollins in 2022 to international acclaim.

Deepa is a TED and SXSW speaker and has been featured in TIME, PBS, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Financial Times, and Harvard Business Review. Her TED talks have almost 3M views.

She has degrees from Wellesley College, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their four fur kids.

CONNECT WITH DEEPA

Website: www.deepapuru.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/deepapuru

Instagram: www.instagram.com/deepa.puru

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Did you miss us last week? We missed you! Listen in to this week’s episode in order to hear some exciting updates, a small podcast look-back, and what we have planned for this summer . . .

What to listen for:

After four years of weekly shows and 220+ episodes later, we’re moving to a new release schedule – releasing every other week!
Why? This lets us focus more on some of the things that we’ve been doing behind the scenes with our Dear White Women platform, namely:
- Expanding our speaking engagements (shameless plug: if you’ve thought about us coming in to speak to your company, school, parent group, or ERG - please reach out to us via our website!)
- Building out a way to stay in touch with all of you on a different medium, which we think will be a Substack.
SO, make sure you’re following us in these places so you are the first to know about new changes:
- Instagram @dearwhitewomenpodcast
- LinkedIn for Misasha
- LinkedIn for Sara
- Newsletter signup

This summer, we’re building a book club, so be sure to tune in every other week to hear about the books we’re featuring. We’ll kick things off with Deepa Purushothaman and her book, The First, The Few, The Only.

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As we’ve discussed on the show, as biracial people with Japanese immigrant parents, anti-Asian hate is something we’ve had to be even more keenly aware of over the last few years. Even beyond that point of tension, let’s be honest, the world is just a lot - for everyone - nowadays.

So we wanted to present you with a gift.

The gift of connecting with spiritual energy, along with an actual sound healing that you can pull over to the side of the road for, or sit or lay down in a safe space to listen to and absorb.

What to listen for:

What this concept of “Asian” means to a first-generation Filipina
What the ancestral, divine art of sound healing can do
What to look out for when choosing a practitioner
A brilliant xx minute sound healing session - our collective gift to you starting at xx:xx into this show

About Christina: Christina Ifurung is the owner of Kapwa Healing. She has a 1:1 sanctuary where she holds sacred sessions that include, reiki, chakra assessments, sound healing, and mentorship in Centennial. Kapwa is derived from the Filipinx term “pagkikipagkapwa” coined by Viriligio Enriquez which stands for an inner connectedness and shared self. She is a certified sound healer under Ali Young and the Medicine of Sound Academy. She was certified as a Reiki Practitioner with Jess Priesta (aka @jessbeinspired). She is also a registered nurse with 10 years of Newborn ICU experience and is currently working in infusion therapy as well. Healing runs in her veins as she also has tracked a Babaylan (Filipinx Shaman) bloodline that links to her mother’s side from the northern Ilocos region of the Philippines. She is also a mother to a bi-racial Hispanic and Filipinx spunky brilliant six-year-old boy. Also recently married to a White American male from a small town in Illinois who dedicates his life to supporting others in their health journeys. For Christina, honoring her ancestry is a strong sacred piece of her practice that she leans into daily and shares with others in her ceremonies in hopes to inspire you to Re-Member your lineage and who you Be.

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We’ve spoken about cross-racial solidarity a few times, but never with quite the beautifully illustrative stories and historical references and personally motivating oomph that we did today. And I think it’s important to note that this conversation is one that happened between the three of us, all identifying as Asian and American, about topics that involve not only our shared Japanese American and Asian American history but included a focus on how we collectively combat White supremacy.

We get to speak with David Mura, author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself - yes, it’s quite the title - and if you have any desire to make any change in this country whatsoever, you’ll want to commit to listening to this conversation in its entirety. We absolutely loved it.

What to listen for:

David’s personal upbringing as a third-generation Japanese American, whose American parents were incarcerated in the internment camps on US soil - and therefore raised him to “want to be white”
How his lens changed, and importantly, why the lens we tell stories through matters so, so much
Stories about Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and how we need to include “AND” in their narratives - they were great AND they were racist slaveowners
The actions white people need to take - knowledge and social interactions, a spiritual journey, and a political commitment
Cross-racial, Asian-Black solidarity

About David Mura:

David Mura is an essayist, memoirist, poet, and fiction writer who brings a unique perspective to our multi-racial and multi-cultural society. A third-generation Japanese-American, he has written intimately about his life as a man of color and the connections between race, culture, and history. In public appearances interweaving poetry, performance, and personal testament, he provides powerful insights into the racial issues facing America today.

Mura's memoirs, poems, essays, plays, and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. Their topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. He gives presentations at educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations throughout the country.

Buy links:

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself-david-mura/18427145?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdyYTzd2nFr3Jd8WwNeMxqAyvh11wd88S-C1ffI14MU8yMN9R7Qw1HGMaAjM8EALw_wcB
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself-david-mura/1142412052
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Whiteness-Tells-Itself-Narratives/dp/151791454X

Social media links:

Website: http://www.davidmura.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.mura.71

Twitter: https://twitter.com/muradavid

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When the email came into our inbox introducing us to a multimedia project called “Jane Crow, Then & Now,” we were immediately intrigued. After all, Jane Crow - or White women’s support for White supremacy - is something we’ve talked about a lot. This support, of white women for white supremacy, has gone on for way longer than most people realize; it’s not just confined to the South; and it’s a prevalent force in our schools, meaning that students and teachers of color are often oppressed due to the power of white women’s support of white supremacy.

As we’ve often said, White women have a lot of power in their own spheres of influence, where two-thirds of women voters are white, 80% of public school teachers are white women, and beyond that, one of these many spheres is deeply personal: child-rearing. It’s the conversations and actions that White women are taking with regard to their own children, and what they’re teaching them, both implicitly and explicitly, that will change the course of the future - for the collective good, or for individual gain.

A lot of White women have chosen to uphold White supremacy through apathy or inaction, even if they don’t consider themselves racist. Those who have chosen to walk against the tide of our country’s trajectory toward racism have done so at great personal cost - but sometimes, for even greater collective gain: our children’s futures.

That’s why, on the eve of Mother’s Day, we’d like to highlight this project by EdPost which highlights the allies in history: the White women accomplices who challenged the system and worked for equity in education for Black and brown children, at great personal cost. For white women looking for historical role models and sheroes, the Gallery of Accomplices provides a GREAT list of resources to encourage and inspire all people to deepen our historical knowledge and commitment to cultural humility, deeper listening when working with children, and families, and communities whose experiences differ from our own.

What to listen for:

Stories of incredible white women who risked their own reputations and capital to do the right thing.
Lydia Maria Child, Sandra Adickes, The Grimké Sisters, Myrtilla Miner, and Barbara Henry are all people whose names you should know
Huge thank you to Maureen Kelleher, editorial director at Brightbeam, publisher for EdPost, who brought the Jane Crow Gallery of Accomplices to our attention

Resources:

Gallery of Accomplices: https://www.edpost.com/jane-crow/gallery-of-accomplices

More info about the project overall: https://www.edpost.com/jane-crow

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If you’re listening to this episode when it’s released, we’re now in May of 2023, which is also AAPI Heritage Month. There are a lot of names for this month, which is great, as there are also a lot of countries and ethnicities represented by the simple word “Asian”. But one group of people that is often left out of the overarching Asian umbrella are the biracial Asians - and, given our own identities in this space, this is something that we experience regularly.

So, to kick off AAPI Heritage Month from a perspective not often discussed, we’re focusing today on our personal stories of being biracial Asian women, and what identity, belonging, and inclusion mean when we look at being Asian in this country through this lens. And, since it’s us, we’ll be throwing in a little bit of history, laws, and psych along the way.

What to listen for:

Sara & Misasha’s personal experiences growing up biracial as one of the OG legally biracial folks in this country’s history
The census data - and how we could only check one box until 2000!
The Loving v. Virginia decision, and how that opened up the door to our families being allowed to exist
How we want more Asian people to stop gatekeeping who is “Asian enough” and instead, start banding together with other marginalized groups to push back against White supremacy – because it’s all of us or none of us.

In this episode, we highlight the podcast Ten Thousand Things. In many Chinese sayings, “ten thousand” is used in a poetic sense to convey something infinite, vast, and unfathomable. For Shin Yu Pai, the award-winning poet and museologist who hosts the podcast, the story of Asians in America is just that. In Ten Thousand Things, Shin Yu explores a collection of objects and artifacts that tell us something about Asian American life – from a second-hand novel to a blue suit worn by Congressman Andy Kim on January 6. Ten Thousand Things is a vibrant, diverse, and bittersweet celebration of Asian America ... and a challenge for all of us to reimagine stories of the past and future. Featured guests this season include Disability Visibility Project podcast host Alice Wong; transgender and non-binary, poet and educator Ebo Barton; and NED founder Eason Yang; among others.

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What SCOTUS will do this term, and what they decide in June, will determine a lot of our ability to keep some basic human rights in a democracy - and the three cases that we’re going to be talking about also may impact you, regardless of what state you’re in.

Back in Episode 108, “Why we all should be concerned about voter suppression,” we talked a LOT about the history of voting rights in this country, the need for the Voting Rights Act (hint: it comes back to racism), and how voter suppression was currently happening in this country. And… while we’d like to say that here in 2023 things have changed, they have not, given that two of the three cases that we’re talking about in this episode deal directly with the right to vote. The third addresses LGBTQ+ rights, but could be interpreted to limit rights much more broadly, and in all 50 states.

So listen up, because we’re going to be breaking down three key cases and why you should be following these decisions when they’re released in June.

What to listen for:

Moore v. Harper and the independent state legislature theory - which basically would claim that only the state legislature itself has the power to set the rules. The theory claims that the state legislatures’ power is so exclusive that they can ignore the requirements of their own state constitution. Would impact gerrymandering and voting rights dramatically.
Merrill v. Milligan, where lawyers are suggesting that the Voting Rights Act prohibits denying votes on account of race but does not affirmatively obligate states to redistrict on account of race. Means that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Alabama, not only was their racially discriminatory congressional map allowed to go into effect, but Louisiana may suffer the same fate - and you bet if this case removes 40 years of precedent that has gone the other way, it won’t just be Louisiana and Alabama that will be challenging Section 2 of the VRA.
303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, where we’ll hear whether some businesses should be free to deny certain clients due to their owners’ freedom of speech that allegedly stretches to their commercial activities. Witness a decline in LGBTQ+ rights, and eventually, potentially, whether the high court will explicitly endorse a double standard that tolerates discrimination against LGBTQ people while enforcing laws banning discrimination based on race… or not…

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With decisions pending in the two Supreme Court cases discussing the future of affirmative action, today we talk about all things affirmative action, including: where it came from, who the biggest beneficiaries of it have been (and if you know a White woman in this country, you’ll want to listen) if we still need it (yes), and what you’ll really need to know about where our society may be headed – because this not only impacts education but our companies and communities, too.

Bottom line: affirmative action actually affects all of us. Listen in to hear why.

What to listen for:

How the term “affirmative action” came to be - originally about race
When sex/gender was included in the plans, leading to White women being the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action
How affirmative action turned into a zero-sum game by twisting it to position White people (women) as victims
Reminders of the affirmative action program that supported White people first - the GI Bill
The SCOTUS case coming up that might undermine the benefits - given the composition of the court - of keeping policies in place that enforce diversity

Other episodes to listen to:

Why White People Should Care: The Women's Movement and Societal Systems

Why White Women Should Care: History, Science + Current Events

John Tateishi’s Conversation About Living in an Internment Camp

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This week marks the FOUR YEAR anniversary of the Dear White Women podcast!

From those first few episodes released altogether on April 15, 2019, to now… it’s been quite the ride. This year, in order to kick off year five (!!!) of the podcast, we thought we’d devote an entire shorter episode to talking about not only the past four years but what we have in store for the future (you didn’t think we’d end with four, did ya?).

What to listen for:

How the podcast has evolved since its start in April 2019
The stand-out episode from this past year – hint, both of us chose Overground Railroad with Candacy Taylor
Our personal whys behind doing this for the past four years
Where we think the Dear White Women platform goes from here

About Sara & Misasha:

A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, Misasha Suzuki Graham has

been a practicing litigator for over 15 years and is passionate about diversity, equity, and

inclusion in the legal profession as well as in her communities. She is a facilitator, writer,

and speaker regarding issues of racial justice, especially with regard to children, the

co-author of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and

the co-host of Dear White Women, a social justice podcast. Misasha, who is biracial

(Japanese and White), is married to a Black man, and is the proud mom of two very

active multiracial young boys. They live in the Bay Area of California with their largely

indifferent cat.

Sara Blanchard helps build community and connection through conscious

conversations, which she does as a facilitator, TEDx speaker, writer, and consultant.

After graduating from Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs, Sara pursued the

science and techniques of well-being and is a certified life coach, author of two books

(Flex Mom and Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism), and

co-host of Dear White Women, an award-winning weekly social justice podcast. Sara is

biracial (Japanese and White), married to a White Canadian man, and is raising their two

White-presenting girls to be compassionate, thoughtful advocates. They live in Denver,

Colorado with their incredibly lovable dog.

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Most people that we know didn’t grow up thinking about or knowing people who were involved in unions. Us too – until Sara married a union man. And it got us thinking… how have unions impacted all of our lives? Turns out, quite a lot.

Here’s one way: the length of the typical workday. Thank unions for 8 hours – because that didn’t just magically happen out of the goodwill of employers. Unions campaigned for over 70 years to move the average workweek from 100 hours per week (!!) down to 40. At one stage, back in the 1950s, nearly one in three workers were in unions, and they played a HUGE role in reducing income inequality and boosting wages. Done right, unions are a public good – they provide benefits for all of society, so basically are the underpinning of a democracy and economy that works for most people.

But here we are today in 2023. You have probably heard about the Fight for 15, to get $15/hour to be the minimum wage for folks in the fast food industry. You may be seeing headlines of workers starting unions at Starbucks, Amazon, Apple, and maybe you even know some folks who are involved. Support for labor unions in the U.S. is currently at a 57-year high, where 71% of Americans approve, but participation is at a record LOW, where only just over 10% (about 14 million American workers) are actually part of a union. Join us as we dive into understanding this critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to shaping not just corporate but our country’s policies and the perpetuation of this growing inequality - and yep, it’s not surprising, but there’s a racial component to this too.

What to listen for:

What a labor union is
The example of the average hours in a workweek, and how unions worked to pressure both governments and companies to lower the number of hours expected
Details on the Pullman Porters, and the first-ever agreement between an all-Black union (the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and a major US company
How companies drove a wedge between workers based on race, which has corresponded with a decrease in union participation by workers in this country
Why we think unions play an integral role in lessening inequality and supporting ALL of us.

Resources:

https://racial-justice.aflcio.org/blog/est-aliquid-se-ipsum-flagitiosum-etiamsi-nulla

https://www.dol.gov/general/workcenter/unions-101

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/pullman-porters

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf

https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/40-hour-work-week

https://www.americanprogress.org/events/labor-unions-future/

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/02/28/1159663461/you-may-have-heard-of-the-union-boom-the-numbers-tell-a-different-story

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I hear the word lobbying and used to envision some sort of dark mysterious magic taking place. But it turns out there are some very forthright, thoughtful individuals who play the role of lobbyist - being hired because they know something about how the legislative process works, willing to give advice and defend positions about what they think is right when it comes to regulating companies and advocating for or against policies that will impact the folks living in our country.

Today, we speak with one of those fantastic individuals, David Louie. David is a former Attorney General of Hawaii and lobbyist for firms including Meta and Airbnb. So grateful that he was willing to share this time with us on the podcast so we can learn first-hand about what lobbying means for individuals, and for the future of our democracy! And a note to all you lawyers out there: add “lobbyist” as a potential career path if you want to use your advocacy skills in a different, yet similar, way…

What to listen for:

The actual definition of a lobbyist, and what skill sets and experience are useful in the field
What sources of information and pressure a lobbyist has to consider
Ways interactions with legislators can go – whether it’s easy to get meetings, and more
How the system of lobbying affects our ability to make sound decisions in this country – and whether it’s helping or hurting us as a democracy

About David Louie:

David M. Louie is a civil trial lawyer at Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, LLP in Honolulu, Hawai‘i—handling complex commercial litigation, construction defect claims, catastrophic personal injury defense, constitutional issues for the State of Hawai‘i, government affairs, and lobbying—and also serves as a mediator and arbitrator. He was Hawai‘i’s attorney general from 2011 to 2014, providing advice, counsel, and representation to the governor, cabinet, legislature, State agencies, and employees. He has served as president, vice president, and director of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association, as Lawyer Representative for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and as Northwest Regional Governor for the National Asian-Pacific American Bar Association. He graduated from Occidental College and Berkeley Law School and currently lives in Honolulu.

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If you’ve ever watched an episode of Law and Order, you’ll know Jack McCoy, who was the District Attorney (with a capital D and A) in that show. Together with his team, Jack McCoy made decisions about a lot of people’s guilt or innocence and argued that in court. Typically, when we think about a criminal trial, there are two phases: culpability, and sentencing. So in the first phase, either the judge or jury decides if the defendant is guilty or not, and then, if the defendant is found guilty, in that second phase, the judge or jury decides what that sentence should be.

But aside from that, it’s true that a lot of us don’t know what DAs do, or what their role is with regard to mass incarceration. Let’s get a little more analytical than Law and Order, and by the end of this episode, we hope you not only know more about what your DAs do, but have some ideas of how to hold them accountable, just like they hold us accountable.

What to listen for:

What the office of the DA actually does
The role of the DA in criminal prosecutions, from the crime being committed all the way to sentencing
Some typical situations that DAs might face and why some opt for incarceration
How we can hold our DAs accountable when it comes to mass incarceration vs. restorative justice, especially in non-election years

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As this is an episode that’s a little bit different from our other episodes (I don’t think to date we’ve interviewed a person who’s currently running for office), we’d like to make sure we are very clear about the following: We are NOT endorsing any candidates in this episode. We are grateful that Trinidad Rodriguez, who is running for Mayor of Denver, was willing to connect with us to give us an inside look at what it’s like running for office, to expand on our civics engagement series. Again, we are NOT endorsing any candidates in this episode.

This episode was also unique in that we got an inside look into what a political campaign looks like, marrying the personal “why” (why we care about certain issues, for example, due to lived experience) with our own individual and collective abilities to make change in the world.

It was also very humanizing about a process that we previously thought was elevated above us, inaccessibly locked away in a black box. That’s not true. Any one of us, with enough experience, support, drive, internal strength, and vision, can run for office. And as you listen, we hope you find your own takeaway - not only about running for civic office but about the power you DO have to make change and shape your own communities on a daily basis.

What to listen for:

Trini’s thoughts on what it takes to actually run for office, and what / who you need to surround yourself with
The importance of breaking out of our silos, and asking those affected what they think will be most helpful to them
Advice on what we can all do to be more engaged – that is, follow up on our votes. Know the outcomes of what you voted on, and hold leaders and politicians accountable to implement the policies that were decided upon by the citizens, with integrity.

About Trini:

Trinidad Rodriguez is bringing a new approach to moving Denver forward. Growing up with a single mom in West Denver, his family had to overcome some challenges like housing insecurity, mental health and addiction issues, and violent crime. The city and its services supported them through the hard times, and that inspired Trinidad to pay it forward and continue to fight for Denver.

Trinidad has spent the last 23 years working in finance and volunteering with various local civic

and nonprofit organizations like the Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Housing Authority,

Blueprint Denver, Rose Community Foundation, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Foundation, and Urban Peak. He is a public finance expert who knows how to leverage and build public and private networks to create public-serving infrastructure. He has financed schools, affordable housing communities, and health clinics that have served tens of thousands of Denverites. This sets him apart from the other candidates.

Now he’s running for mayor to make sure that Denver is a city where every Denverite can achieve their version of success, regardless of the neighborhood they’re in. He is a proven leader with bold plans to address Denver’s biggest issues. Trini understands that we can’t expect different results if we continue to try the same approaches.

More details about his background and experience can be found here.

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When we first released this episode, it was roughly two months after George Floyd had been murdered by the police and it was perhaps the first time that non-Black Americans, and in particular, White Americans, realized that this police violence wasn’t isolated to a few communities, but indeed was a national problem.

And now we’re sitting here, a month after Tyre Nichols was murdered by the police, and thought it was important to revisit this topic based on the discussions that we’ve been hearing, and reading, on the topic of police. We’re now 2.5 years away from this original recording - how have your own thoughts on the police changed since that point?

In the end: the history of policing in our country is America’s history. If we don’t understand this history, we won’t be able to keep ALL of our communities safe in the future.

What to listen for:

The colonial form of policing, and how informal it was at the very beginning.
Who funded the police force in 19th century America - and what they wanted the police to focus on protecting? Hint: motivations split between Northern and Southern lines.
How the structure and funding of the police had to change as cities, and the country, grew, and yet how they served to reinforce hierarchies in society.
Given this, what do YOU think? Can an organization with roots like this be race-blind in its policies and actions? If not, what would it take to change?
We offer some personal histories as we reflect on policing, and how ordinary people can make a difference.

Relevant episodes:

If you want more, we mention this episode of NPR’s THROUGHLINE a lot here.

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If you’re listening to this episode around the time when it’s being released, then you’ll be listening to this right on the last day of Black History Month here in the United States. It should go without saying that Black History is American History, but we’re going to say it anyway, and that it shouldn’t be confined just to the shortest month of the year but instead should be taught to our kids every day of the year, and should be talked about by us as grownups by an equal amount. That said, it’s important also to not just be teaching our kids about the parts of Black history that are full of struggle, and in particular we’re referring to the history of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, which is even being called into question in states like Florida currently.

That’s exactly why we’re bringing you this episode today - where we talk about the the Negro Leagues and the history behind America’s favorite pastime - baseball - that you might not know, and probably weren’t taught in schools - in a way that Misasha’s been talking about this in schools. That’s all to say: you can talk about this with kindergarteners. You can use the materials with older kids as well. But the important takeaway here? Black history is more than just slavery and the struggle to be free. It’s about the everyday moments, the history that encompasses all of us. If we’re not teaching our kids to see Black people in these moments, then we’re really not teaching them to see Black people at all. So - let’s get into the Negro Leagues, as pitchers and catchers are reporting right now for spring training in Major League Baseball.

What to listen for:

The separate (and decidedly not equal) conditions under which Black and White ballplayers had to play
Names of some Black superstar baseball players who – if/when integrated into the Hall of Fame – would be as good or better than some of the MLB athletes we celebrate today
How to talk with your kids, from kindergarten through high school, about this specific period of baseball in American history

Resources:

Episode 50, Why Aren’t Black Kids Playing Baseball?

Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Society for AMerican Baseball Research – statistics

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

A Negro League Scrapbook

Mamie On The Mound

Who Were The Negro Leagues?

Undeniable: Negro League Women

Undeniable: International Impact

Undeniable: Jackie and Monte

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If you’ve been following us on our journey through (third grade) civics, you’ll know that we’ve covered the federal government/civics on a national level in our Civics 101 episode, which was Episode 203, and then focused on state government in Civics 102, which was Episode 205. We’re now here to round out our basic civics knowledge with Civics 103 - everything - and more, if we’re being honest - that you wanted to know about your local city/county/municipal governments. Let’s jump right into this.

What to listen for:

Different structures of local government - like city managers vs strong mayors (which one are you living in!?) - that you can vote for or see appointed
All the other roles that make our daily lives happen - from sheriffs and police and fire to coroners, parks and rec, economic development, public works, planning, and more
Ways that we discovered we can get more involved in our local governments - and what YOU can do too!

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When people think of the government or they think about elections, they often think about presidential elections, and big federal government. But more often than not, our daily lives are hugely impacted by the decisions made by our state and local governments - and this impacts one very high-profile area in particular. Our children, in our schools.

In the news recently was the headline that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida was banning the Advanced Placement high school course on African American studies - which, incidentally, is the same curriculum that is taught in ALL 50 STATES, because it violated state law and “lacks educational value.” They were worried about sections on “Intersectionality and Activism,” “Black Feminist Literary Theory” “Black Queer Studies” and Critical Race Theory (which, incidentally, was in the accusations but the theory itself was not going to be taught in the class b/c it’s a college graduate level course that would be too difficult for high school students even in a college-level course - we did a whole episode on this, in case you’re wondering what is the DEAL with CRT?).

What laws are we talking about? A new one that requires lessons on race be taught in “an objective manner” and “not used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view” - and ones that have been banning books and discussions about gender and sexuality in the classroom in Florida in the name of “parents rights”. All of this has been having a chilling effect on the 2.8 million students in the classrooms who are no longer really learning about the full scope of American history, nor are they able to discuss their own gender or sexuality, that of their family, their friends, nor the history of queer folks in America. Keep in mind, though, AP courses on European history have not been scrutinized by the DeSantis administration. Wonder why….

So yeah. We’re on our civics kick, and we are bringing you back to the discussion we had in April 2022 on banned books, the role that school boards and states have in banned books, curriculum, and so much more. This is the year of doing - so get out there, and make your voice heard.

What to listen for:

What IS critical race theory, actually?
How CRT been misused to discuss culturally relevant teaching
We think anti-CRT should just be called anti-history
The (frightening) increase in book bans recently - even when polls are showing the majority of American voters and parents are opposed to book bans
What you can do right now to get loud

The petition we mentioned:

https://naacp.org/actions/demand-educational-freedom-florida

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We’re back in our Intro to Civics course! You know, the one you probably took in third grade and maybe, if you were lucky, in some form in middle and high school and didn’t pay enough attention to? Or maybe you never took it, if you live in the 60% of states that don’t require students to take a civics exam as a graduation requirement - which is something we learned about in Episode 203, “I’m Just A Bill,” where we focused on the federal level.

This episode, is going to focus on the states, get a little deeper into what our own local officials are doing, and how we can all get more involved in our own governance.

You're probably with us in being sick and tired of feeling like we can’t make a difference or make positive change. SO get ready - we think you’ll be blown away when you learn how much local politics affect us on a daily basis.

What to listen for:

All about the 10th Amendment, which is the one that gives states So Much Power separate from the federal government
The mandates and grants and structures that give the government the funding to work
How you can interact with the state government - even by streaming committee meetings in your living room! - because they shape your communities through schools, taxes, policing, and more.

https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries

https://votesmart.org/education/states

https://static.votesmart.org/static/pdf/govtable.pdf

https://leg.colorado.gov/content/citizens-guide-effective-legislative-participation

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This is not the episode we wanted to record this week - but it’s the one that we NEEDED to record this week. Why? Because just as we’re venturing down the rabbit hole of topics over the next few months that is Civic Engagement and making a difference for 2024, we had blatant scary fearful reminders about why we want you all to know and do more - because people’s lives are at stake.

If you want to know how we feel about the latest mass shootings targeting Asian folks and Black folks, why we don’t give a shit that it was an Asian shooter, how to think about hate crimes, and what the larger issues are and what things are that we can each actually DO - listen in.

What to listen for:

Our personal reactions and feelings to the horrible mass shootings over the weekend - because they hit close to home
What we can do going forward to see the big picture, which centers our communities
Specific issues to act on, including gun control, hate crimes, and domestic violence

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I’m just a bill, on Capitol Hill… do you remember that song, from Schoolhouse Rock? If that jogs your memory, this is the episode for you. If you’re too young to remember that song, this episode is for you. If you hate that song, this episode is for you.

Why? Because this episode is about civics - in other words, how our government functions. We’re at a pretty critical time in our country’s history. With all of what’s been in the news, through the disastrous Speaker of the House election in the House of Representatives, and in the discussions we’ve had, and will have, about Supreme Court decisions, and how where we are right now in 2023 is basically setting the stage for the crucial Presidential election of 2024 - this is a topic that we probably all should know a lot more about. Because right now, we don’t.

What to listen for:

The current state of civic education in the US
What the three branches of government are, and how each of them work
A perspective on the recent Speaker of the House (of Representatives) election - one which went 15 rounds, for the first time in one hundred years
Details like the difference between judges and justices, how long Senators and Representatives are in office for, and how a bill becomes a law
What YOU can do to be an engaged citizen

Resources to read for more information:

Find your senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Find your representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

More specifics on the data we quoted in the episode:

https://kids-clerk.house.gov/grade-school/lesson.html

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-speaker-of-the-house-and-the-constitution

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-the-speaker-of-the-house-gets-picked

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/100q.pdf

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5288/text

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/879/text

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We promised to bring you more conversation about civics and engagement - and today we get to bring you a “real talk” episode about one of our favorite topics - civics, engagement, and a White Woman’s Work. Plus, as a special bonus, we do this in conversation with NYT Bestselling Author Kate Schatz - a queer white woman - who is basically the perfect human being to tackle these topics with.

We talk about what she’d say to white women if she could say absolutely anything, the interconnectedness of oppression while avoiding devolving into the Oppression Olympics, how to figure out what to ask fellow white people about racism instead of asking people of color,

How white women can channel a little more bravery once they know what’s really at risk - which is tied into the mic drop moment when she references Trevor Noah - and really importantly, the folks and civic organizations who are actually making huge differences that we can each get behind. Consider this your “DWW ease in” to our civics focus, but any way you think of this, you should listen, and then get all of your friends to do the same, as we kick off 2023.

What to listen for:

How forces of oppression are linked - with a reality check about the importance of checking intersectionality and privilege in these conversations
Hear why White people need to talk amongst themselves about these topics - and how they might think about approaching their Black friends differently
The mic-drop moment when Kate puts her views on White women into context about Trevor Noah’s TV farewell thanking black women, who can’t afford to f*ck around and find out … it’s really just social capital that’s at risk for White women, so can’t we get you to do more?!
Organizations like the WNBA who’ve made a difference, along with Black Voters Matter, the New Georgia Project, Fair Fight - who we should support all year ‘round and not just before elections

About Kate: KATE SCHATZ is a feminist author, activist, public speaker, and educator. She's the New York Times-bestselling author of the "Rad Women" book series; the 33 ⅓ book Rid of Me: A Story; and Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, co-written with “United Shades of America” host W. Kamau Bell.

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One of our philosophies is that anti-racism work has to be done in a way that’s sustainable - meaning, just like we can’t post a black square to Instagram and say we’re done, we also can’t spread ourselves too thin or work ourselves to the point of irredeemable fatigue because then we also stop having impact.

So to kick off this year, we are bringing you a really open conversation on a topic we don’t as a society speak openly about Women’s health (which, for men, is often just called “health.”)

In particular, we want you to know this conversation is specifically NOT reproductive health, which is often what women’s health is solely classified as, but rather all the things that happen with our bodies related to our hormones, periods, menopause, symptoms, and society’s lack of support. To have this conversation in partnership, we bring you the founder of a groundbreaking, personalized, online Traditional Chinese Medicine company.

Because if we can work to support and balance ourselves from the root causes upwards, we will be able to be more vibrant impactful versions of ourselves.

SPECIAL SURPRISE FOR OUR LISTENERS

Take 15% off a 3-month bundle of Cycle Balance using code DEARWHITEWOMEN15 at this site!

What to listen for:

What symptoms many women actually experience every month due to their very natural, human menstrual cycle
Current treatments available - you’d be surprised
How women of color are impacted by periods
What Traditional Chinese Medicine offers that’s different from Western medicine, and how Elix fits into this idea of personalized medicine

About our guest:

Lulu created Elix in 2020 to destigmatize and normalize menstrual and hormonal health through an East meets West approach. A portmanteau of elixir and helix, Elix is the first digital platform to combine Traditional Chinese Medicine's (TCM) 5,000 years of wisdom with a proprietary algorithm to empower self-healing. The company formulates pure and potent liquid herbal extracts to treat hormonal imbalances at the root cause of painful and life-disrupting symptoms. By digitizing in-depth TCM health assessments and consults, Elix offers easy access to personalized herbal liquid formulas to heal holistically.

After experiencing debilitating pain after getting off birth control, Lulu found her way back to TCM and was able to heal from within at the root cause. Recognizing a white space, Lulu launched Elix at the onset of the pandemic and so far, the company has raised $2.7m, grown 2700% with customers ages 16-52 from all 50 states and Canada (about half are WOC) -- clearly resonating with the community.

With health autonomy, knowledge, and access under dire threat, Lulu is determined to help women with periods feel more empowered about and in control of their own health and well-being. I'd love to speak with you further about Lulu as a guest! She can speak about why WOC are chronically gaslit about their pain, the need to normalize period talk, and how the pandemic changed some periods among other topics.

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Welcome to Episode 200 of our podcast, and welcome to 2023! Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)

In our first episode of this new year, we want to reintroduce ourselves, give you a run of where we’ve been with our platform, and make sure you have an overview of what you can expect from us this coming year. As we’re heading into yet another major election in 2024, if we want to build a community and country that actually looks out for ALL of us, there are things and people we need to know about so we can do things differently - and take action intentionally and consistently.

What to listen for:

Who we are (Sara & Misasha), how we met (walking out of a racial identity conversation as undergrads at Harvard 25+ years ago), and why we have this platform (women have SO MUCH POWER to influence change, and White women, in particular, have voices that can be heard where other voices cannot)
The incredible success we have had, including a quarter of a million podcast downloads, thousands of copies of our book being sold, and being hired to speak at many organizations
What we have planned for 2023 - including civics, SCOTUS cases, and all we think we need to do in, with, and for our communities to be ready for the 2024 elections

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It’s that time of year when everyone starts to think about not only the end of this current year but also the beginning of the next. And friends, we’ve got some big plans for next year - but we’ll save that for EPISODE 200 (our next episode, and our first of 2023!).

This episode will be a little bit of year-end reflection for us - and if these questions resonate with you, we hope you’ll spend a little time sitting with this year, before moving on to the next.

Questions we talk about including:

What was the hardest thing you said to someone?
What is different about you from this time last year?
What internal challenge has taught you the most about yourself?
How did you align your behavior with your values?

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This was a conversation that made us lose track of time. Because even if the core conversation about transracial adoption doesn’t capture your attention - which it should because nearly 30% of kids who are adopted are adopted across borders or across cultures or race - the trajectory this conversation takes into why adoption should NOT be positioned as a solution to abortion absolutely is a perspective you don’t want to miss - along with all the other nuggets of wisdom around identity and belonging as well.

Thrilled to be bringing you insights from Patrick Armstrong, someone we don’t just know from the virtual airwaves but now, thanks to some great opportunities to speak together, in real life too. And if you want to hear more about his journey as not only an adoptee, but as an outspoken advocate for adoptees and, due to his lived experience, transracial adoptees in particular, you’re going to want to listen all the way to the end, and then follow him on every platform out there.

What to listen for:

The moment that Patrick - a transracial adoptee from Korea, raised in a White family - realized that he wanted to explore his Asian identity. Hat tip, Always Be My Maybe.
How transracial adoption shaped Patrick’s identity and influenced his sense of belonging
That adoption currently centers the child - and the importance of considering the adults, and how broken the systems are that lead to families being torn apart
Thoughts on positioning adoption as the alternative to abortion. Hint: It’s not.

About Patrick:

Patrick Armstrong (he/him) is a transracial Korean American adoptee, podcaster, speaker, and

advocate. He is one of the co-hosts of the Janchi Show, a podcast that explores and celebrates

the experiences and stories of Korean adoptees everywhere. He helped start the Asian

Adoptees of Indiana, a group dedicated to creating a safe, engaging community for all Asian

adoptees who need it. He is currently based in Indianapolis.

Contact:

Website

Instagram: @patrickintheworld

TikTok: @patrickintheworld

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It’s December, the time of year when it seems like regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or Hannukkah or Kwanzaa or anything else or nothing at all, our schedules get busy. And lots of times, this busyness centers around food, be it potluck gatherings at work, holiday parties, big family dinners, or even coffee and treats with friends - because food brings us together as human beings better than almost anything else.

But what happens when the foods you have are scoffed at by the folks around you? How does it feel to be made to feel “different” from the other Americans around you based on your cultural heritage? How do you get kids to try new flavors and learn real history, let’s be honest, at this stage in the melting pot game, what makes something American, anyway? We’re here to talk about all that and more with an award-winning veteran journalist Michelle Li - who also created the Very Asian Foundation after a super shocking (now viral) viewer comment in response to her comment about dumplings on television.

What to listen for:

The viral video after a voicemail from a White woman that inspired the launch of the Very Asian Foundation
“I won’t let you yuck someone else’s yum” - and the importance of food in identity
The role that books play - there’s a huge book recommendation list! - in helping folks connect with their identity and the shared history we experience

About Michelle: Michelle Li is an award-winning, veteran journalist who co-launched The Very Asian Foundation in January 2022 alongside friend and fellow journalist Gia Vang. Her response to a racist voicemail became a global movement of unity and caught the attention of The Ellen Show. Ellen’s monetary gift of $15,000 helped start the seed money to create a nonprofit focused on shining a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. Michelle spent many years supporting adoptees through heritage camps and volunteer tours to Korea. She also launched a program to support Missouri children in foster care. All of this led to a congressional award in 2010. Michelle’s journalistic work has been honored with a national Peabody Award, several national Murrows, and multiple regional Emmys– often dealing with race or gender inequities. Michelle has appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and The Washington Post. Michelle currently resides in St. Louis with her family. She is @michellelitv on most platforms. A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food is her first children's book.

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We’ve been asked a lot about how to have uncomfortable conversations lately - namely, the reality that, yikes, my people are coming over for the holidays and how on earth do I handle it when those uncomfortable, racist, inappropriate comments and jokes come up? (Because let’s be real - they’re coming up.)

While there is no official checklist for success, we DO have quite a number of tips to help guide you and your group into more meaningful, engaging conversations around your holiday table.

If you know our podcast, you know we’re all about action, so we’re re-airing this episode that’s quickly becoming a favorite one for many of our listeners in order to share some of the tips that have worked for us - in order not to avoid these conversations, but to have them in a way that’s authentic, honest, and safe for all of us.

We’d love to hear what’s worked for you too, as you navigate whatever uncomfortable conversations might be coming your way - please drop us a line at hello at dearwhitewomen.com and we might share what’s worked for you on our social!

What to listen for: Tips for before, during, and after your holiday gatherings A selection of these tips include: knowing yourself and your why, setting healthy boundaries, using our favorite question “what do you mean by that?” using “I statements,” questions you can use to reflect on what worked / didn’t work after the event. You’ll want to listen to the short episode to get the whole range of how to use these tips and more!

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For those of you who have been listening to Dear White Women from the beginning, or for those listeners who just joined us (welcome!), you probably understand that this whole platform comes from our own deeply personal connections not only to this work but to the world that we’d like to see in the future, as we find that it’s often that personal connection that leads to intentional, lasting change.

That’s why we loved speaking with today’s guest, Stacy Sawin, who comes to us with her own deeply personal story as to why she created FinAbility, an organization that is changing and enhancing security for so many survivors of domestic abuse – especially from a financial perspective. A huge percentage of survivors are experiencing financial abuse along with other forms of harm, so even if her story has nothing to do with your own lived experiences, it’s likely that someone you know can relate - so please listen, share, and, if you’re listening to this on the day it comes out, financially support on this Giving Tuesday, if you’re able.

What to listen for:

The way that Stacy’s personal experience as a survivor of stalking shaped the founding of Finability
How race plays a factor in survivors’ financial access
95% of survivors won’t use formalized support systems such as crisis hotlines, direct service providers, or professional advocates; instead, they're turning to Google…
New languaging → harm-doers (as opposed to abusers)
What each one of us can do to better support survivors after they share their stories with us - believe and validate

About Stacy:

Stacy Sawin is the co-founder and CEO of FinAbility, a 501c3 nonprofit that financially empowers survivors of domestic abuse. As a stalking survivor, she has experienced firsthand what it feels like to be scared for your life and is dedicated to ensuring everyone has the financial security needed to live free from abuse and thrive.

Prior to launching FinAbility, Stacy earned an MBA from London Business School and worked as a technology consultant at Deloitte. Stacy is also an avid long-distance hiker and fosters dogs with Oregon Dog Rescue.

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For a lot of the second half of this year, student debt relief and the student loan crisis have been in national news - and there have been a LOT of feelings about it, ranging from joy and happiness that some of this extreme burden to repay what often can amount to predatory lending practices has now been lifted to the other extreme, which amounts to a lot of “well, I repaid my debt. Why should others be getting a handout?” (If you know us, you know where we fall on that scale.)

But there’s so much more to this story than the question of handouts versus the student debt crisis, because, much like so many other things in the United States, student debt and student loans have also been affected by systemic racism. This is why we’re so thrilled to have Briana Franklin as our guest today, to talk about how and why student loan debt disproportionately affects Black women, her own experience with this as a Dartmouth graduate, and why she decided to do something about this - in a big way.

What to listen for:

How handling student debt is like “draining the ocean with a teaspoon” - and the inspiration behind Bri’s founding of the Priosp(a)rity Project
The ways in which student loan debt disproportionately affects Black women, not just financially, but in a holistic life way too
Huge successes and surprises that the organization has been celebrating
What’s next for 2023 - and how you can get involved

About Briana: Founder, President, & CEO of Finability.

Briana "Bri" Franklin is a businesswoman, philanthropist, and student debt expert/thought leader with a passion for the socioeconomic and holistic empowerment of Black girls and women.

Having taken on a financial burden that eventually ballooned to nearly $120K in student debt through her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, Bri developed an acute appreciation for the challenges many student debt holders experience, including diminished ability to establish financial independence, take advantage of personal freedoms, such as starting a family/home buying, launch business ventures as well as creditworthiness.

In recognizing the extent to which other Black women in particular experience adversity at the hands of the $1.7T student debt crisis as well as lack of financial literacy, she formed The Prosp(a)rity Project as a solution for eradicating these systemic barriers.

Her work has been profiled in outlets such as Forbes, Buzzfeed, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global, attracted support from audiences worldwide, and achieved numerous milestones.

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Hey, so remember how last week we were talking about how we have hope? This is another conversation and way of thinking that gives me hope - in particular for anybody who knows children, knows new parents, or thinks they might eventually know folks who might want to stop reading the outdated encyclopedia that we call What to Expect when you’re Expecting and flip over to a more contemporary, inclusive, humane book to learn about parenting.

Misasha got the opportunity to speak with Jelani Memory recently on their Better Grownups podcast and we’re thrilled to bring him back to discuss the company’s newest venture - 100 Diverse Voices on Parenthood.

What to listen for:

The many powerful ways this new parenting book - 100 Diverse Voices on Parenthood - stands out from the books currently on the market
What it took to produce A Kids Co book written by so many people, for adults, compared to the single-author kid books they’ve published so far
How Jelani hopes that all parents - White parents included - know that this book is for them, to give the proverbial microphone to a wide range of people who are experts in their own experiences and have the knowledge to share with all of us.
The exciting next steps for A Kids Co!

About Jelani:

Jelani Memory (he/him) is a constantly curious writer, entrepreneur, and storyteller. He's the Founder of A Kids Co. a bold new kind of media company that strives to empower a generation of kids through diverse storytelling. He's the author of A Kids Book About Racism and A Little Book About Fear. He was previously co-founder of Circle Media Inc. He currently lives in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, with his wife and 6 kids.

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If you’re reading this on the day this episode comes out, this is a big, big day in America. It’s Election Day 2022, and we don’t think it’s an understatement to say that this is the most important election that those of us who have the privilege to vote in will be voting in - because this election may determine if you or I even get to be able to vote in the next election. So, if you’re reading this and have not yet voted today - stop reading, and please, please go vote. We need everyone’s voice in these elections, as the alternative may be that our voices no longer matter. And now onto some hope…

This is the first time that we’ve had hope in a long, long time, thanks to the book How We Win The Civil War. In today’s conversation with author Steve Phillips, we’re going to discuss the idea that the Civil War never really ended (yup, get ready…) - and also how we can finally win it, with some very concrete ideas and action items for us all at the end of this episode. This may be the episode you need to hear today, on election day, or tomorrow (and every day past that point), when we need to keep fighting, for all of us.

What to listen for:

The fully thought-out case for why the Civil War never really ended - with excellent examples from history
How we win the civil war - by investing in level 5 leaders, building strong civic engagement organizations, developing detailed data-driven plans, and playing the long game
That we need to lead by winning the political battles, to eventually influence individual hearts & minds toward equity
So much about the long game… oh we need to reframe our work, folks!
What Steve thinks would be most impactful for White people to focus on speaking up about and doing
Which organizations and people we should be supporting to make positive change

About Steve: Steve Phillips is a New York Times bestselling author, columnist, and leading national political thought leader. He is the author of the New York Times and Washington Post bestselling Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority. He is also the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics, and the multicultural progressive New American Majority. Phillips is the host of “Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips,” a color-conscious podcast on politics. He is a regular columnist for The Nation and The Guardian. His new book, How We Win the Civil War, is due out on October 18, 2022. For more information, please visit: stevephillips.com

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DEAR WHITE WOMEN - About that Voter Fraud…

If you saw the title and thought “oh, I don’t believe voter fraud impacts me” or “oh, I live in an area where we don’t hear much about that” - you may be very, very wrong. According to a recent analysis by FiveThirtyEight, 60% of Americans will have an election denier on the ballot.

And for those of you who have only heard about election deniers since 2020 - it didn’t start with Donald Trump. Hint: it started with our friend who rhymes with Schmeagan. HA!

THIS episode is one you’ll want to share with your friends & colleagues asap, because you want to make sure you apply the information we’re about to share when you’re filling out your ballot or heading to the polls next week - we’ll tell you just how dangerous and pervasive this trend of alleging voter fraud is, which means our entire system of democracy is at risk And THAT will affect all of us.

What to listen for:

Proof that Trump and his allies deliberately lied - in writing, under oath, to a court, and to the public - about so-called voter fraud numbers, via the Eastman emails.
Current examples of how voter fraud is being used to manipulate people and elections. Example: Echoing the claims of Trump in 2020, Arizona Republican nominee for governor Kari Lake refused to say that she would accept the results of the upcoming election-- unless she wins.
This widespread, thoroughly debunked claim of voter fraud is a rejection of the whole premise on which this nation was founded: voters have the right to choose their leaders. In fact, the Declaration of Independence states that governments derive “their just power from the consent of the governed.”
How none of this is new: the Democrats caught onto the Republican “ballot integrity” initiative in the 1986 presidential election -- estimating that their plans could “eliminate at least 60–80,000 folks from the rolls” in Louisiana, and “could keep the Black vote down considerably” (blatant racism and that’s real voter fraud there) – and counterattacked by expanding voting access.
That the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision gutted the provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
How domestic terrorism is being used in places like Arizona, Nevada, and others to intimidate voters and election officials - leading to a large number of resignations, with the hopes that election deniers can take their place.
What we can do about it: VOTE - have a ballot party to discuss issues with friends, meet candidates, and ask questions. Volunteer to be a poll worker.
If you’re an attorney and familiar with election law - please reach out. There are ways that you can get involved with FOIA requests to help the election officials be able to do their job.

Share this episode with EVERYBODY so they get out and vote while being informed!

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Abortion, by all pollster accounts, seems to be one of – if not THE most – hot-button issues for the upcoming midterm elections in 2022. That’s why we thought it was so important for us to dive into why and when abortion became so political - because yes, we can point to a specific political strategy that linked the pro-life movement with the Republican party, and how that is playing out today in extreme ways. Get ready to connect the dots.

What to listen for:

How recently - in the 1970s - evangelical organizations and Republicans did NOT oppose abortion
The long-game strategy tying opposition to desegregation with abortion as the unifying issue for conservative Republicans
Why certain political figures (especially Reagan) changed their stance on abortion due to not only a desire for power but also due to underlying racism

That looking away means no change - which means, a very large number of American women will have a much harder time getting access to abortion. Abortion is definitely on the ballot this year, along with racism - they are intricately linked and have been so for centuries in this country. So vote. Tell everyone you know.

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If you asked me (Misasha) at the end of 2021 how long it had been since we published our book, I would have told you 5 years, give or take 3 - because it felt like we had been thrown into this whirlwind of activity and PR and interviews and ALL OF THE THINGS about this book. So it seems impossible that just now marks the one-year anniversary of the publication of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism!

In honor of this one-year mark, we thought we’d sit down with each other to talk all things book, based on the questions we’ve gotten from so many of you over the last year: the good, the bad, the really tough, the things we’d like to forget - basically your behind-the-scenes look into our year with this book out in the world.

Plus, as a thank you for your support, keep listening for the chance to have us do a special virtual drop-in with your book club or your small group of people!!

What to listen for:

The most memorable, joyful, cringeworthy conversations we’ve had on TV, radio, and conversations IRL since publishing this book in October 2021
Why we wrote this book in the first place
Where we’d like to see this book go next
How to get us to come to YOUR book club or community - follow us on IG and get on our email list to learn more!

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Have you ever had your eyes glaze over when someone hands you a history textbook or walks you through a museum full of facts and dates? But then you hate yourself because you are smart and yet don’t feel like you know things? I’ve been that person (it’s Sara here) - which is why I’m absolutely thrilled to share this conversation with the authors of a fabulous historical fiction novel that taught me SO MUCH about American history and the Civil War in particular. We learned so much in reading this book, in particular about experiences that were never taught in school, or were glossed over in favor of a simpler narrative.

The book is The Thread Collectors - go get it from our Bookshop.org page for the Dear White Women podcast - and it was written by two friends, a Black woman, and a White Jewish woman. Think about how much weight there is just in that partnership alone.

This conversation takes us deep into belonging, the lessons we learn from history that are SO relevant today, and the hope we all still have for where we can go from here.

What to listen for:

Where the authors, who weave a graceful tale of hope through war, find inspiration and hope today
How the authors’ own family histories inspired their characters, writing, and perspectives
The authors explain their opening epigraph, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you should know where you came from,” how they selected the stories and histories they featured, and why understanding this history is relevant to where we are in society now
What it was like, and what it took, for a Black woman and a White Jewish woman to write a novel together about the Civil War

About the book: THE THREAD COLLECTORS is set in 1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier, and a brilliant musician. Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him. As the two women risk everything for love and freedom during a brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: ALYSON RICHMAN is the USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels, including The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, and The Lost Wife, which is currently in development for a major motion picture. Alyson graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies. She is an accomplished painter and her novels combine her deep love of art, historical research, and travel. Alyson's novels have been published in twenty-five languages and have reached bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children, where she is currently at work on her next novel. Find her on Instagram, @alysonrichman.

SHAUNNA J. EDWARDS has a BA in literature from Harvard College and a JD from NYU School of Law. A former corporate lawyer, she now works in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a native Louisianian, raised in New Orleans, and currently lives in Harlem with her husband. The Thread Collectors is her first novel. Find her on Instagram, @shaunnajedwards.

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When you think of physical education, or PE, or gym class - what do you remember? Probably the physical side of it, like jump rope or pull-ups or dodgeball or kickball. But what blew our mind in today’s conversation is all of the seemingly invisible, yet intentional, ways PE class teaches us about social interactions, our own capabilities, deconstructing perfectionism, and more - and frighteningly, how so many schools in the US now don’t mandate PE, as it’s a class that’s having to fight for its right to exist in the education system.

As we kick off the new 2022-2023 school year, listen to what we’ll be missing out on in our next generation if we don’t start thinking about what and how we teach our children.

What to listen for:

Why PE is important - especially when it goes beyond the measurements and into being a social laboratory
How resistance shows up in physical education, and how to address it
Helping children navigate the difficult or uncomfortable conversations that play out in spaces of play
The privilege Sherri feels of being a Black American woman living in Europe

About Sherri: Sherri Spelic teaches elementary physical education at an international school in Vienna, Austria. She has written extensively on topics related to education, identity, and power and among other things publishes a monthly social justice newsletter for educators: Bending The Arc. Check out her book of essays, Care At The Core or find her on Twitter @edifiedlistener.

Feed title: From A Slight Change of Plans: Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges

Feed description:

I’m sharing a special episode from another podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, from Pushkin Industries. In this preview, civil rights icon Ruby Bridges shares what it was like to be the first African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. Ruby was just six years old at the time, and it would be years before she fully appreciated her role in advancing civil rights in America. Hear the full episode, and more from A Slight Change of Plans.

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Nothing to kick off this next episode like a fiery title, right? But in case it makes you question whether you’ll hit play, please know that this isn’t your typical economics podcast, nor is it going to be so dry that you turn this off 5 minutes into listening.

That said, it IS crucial for you to listen if you want to understand how policies that were made now 40 years ago are still directly affecting us to this day – plus, it gives you a sense of just how important it is to consider who our representatives are, and how you’re going to vote in the midterm elections coming up in 2022.

So buckle up - economics may never have been so interesting.

What to listen for:

Our cyclical history: power being consolidated in the hands of a few rich White folks, and then being redistributed, and then consolidated again
Challenging the myth of the cowboy who was painted as a hardworking White man who wanted nothing of the government but to be left alone to work out his own future
The clearly racist things President Reagan said and believed - and how that played into his (in)famous economic policies
The dissolution of social safety nets, and how that plays into the recent student debt relief - and society’s reactions - from the Biden administration

For more on the GI Bill, listen to Episode 88: Fighting Both Hitler and Jim Crow: Honor Our BIPOC Veterans

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The 2022 Republican Party would have never been able to back Abraham Lincoln as their presidential candidate - except for one tiny detail: Lincoln was a Republican, and espoused the original beliefs of the Republican Party (down to the anti-slavery, committed to equality part).

So how did we get from Lincoln’s Republican Party to today’s Trump political base?

Who were the Whigs?

What do we mean when we say Southern Democrats?

Why does this cycle of money and power keep reappearing on the political stage, over and over again?

If those are some of the questions you have - or even if those are questions you’ve never thought of asking yourself, but you realize that somewhere, someone made some changes to how we define political parties in this country, and it’s important to understand just how far the 2022 Republican party is from those original Republican ideals - then this is the episode for you.

It’s like US History all over again, except more engaging, more relevant, and it includes stuff you’ll actually remember… hopefully long enough to go vote.

What to listen for:

What the two original American political parties were (hint: Republican wasn’t one of them)
Why the Republican Party was formed, and the two ideals that held it together
How the Republican Party and Democrat Party switched ideologies over time, but how it was really Truman and Johnson, two Southern Democrat Presidents, who pushed that ideological change through their pro-civil rights stances (which weren’t even that extreme at times)
What we can do with this information from a practical perspective: go vote, and get loud.

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Someone very smart sent me an article just today that talks about the role of humor when we deal with stressful situations/anxiety-creating moments. And on that front: have any of you (and in this moment, I think we’re specifically talking to White people) ever felt weighed down by how heavy anti-racism work can be? You maybe noticed that sometimes we’re pretty serious on this show…

Though I’m a serious, overthinking person sometimes, in real life I’m goofy and I actually make fun of myself quite a lot, texting photos of myself in awful workout outfits to you, you have the driest sense of humor of all the people I know except for your husband like we’re not that dry.

So what do you all think about listening to about 15 minutes of one of the funniest activist-comedians out there today - hearing how HE, a funny guy, might explain what might be great for White women to do in this work, how to process how tired we all are, and what crocheting has to do with it.

What to listen for:

Why understanding the history of the United States is important to understanding where we are today
What Kamau Bell would tell White women on the whole - including how if we had the same energy for anti-racism that we had for coordinating our kids' summer camps, we would be there by the end of the summer, maybe?
There’s no issue of oppression in this country that hurts White people that doesn’t connect back to really really hurting the Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and Latinx populations

W. KAMAU BELL is a dad, husband, and comedian. He directed and executive-produced the four-part Showtime documentary We Need To Talk About Cosby, which premiered at Sundance. He famously met with the KKK on his Emmy-Award-winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, where he serves as host and executive producer. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Mornings, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Comedy Central, HBO, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, The Breakfast Club, and This American Life. He has two stand-up comedy specials, Private School Negro (Netflix) and Semi-Prominent Negro (Showtime). Kamau’s writing has been featured in Time, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN.com, Salon, and The LA Review of Books. Kamau’s first book has an easy-to-remember title, The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian. He is the ACLU Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice and serves on the board of directors of Donors Choose and the advisory board of Hollaback! Along with Kate Schatz, he’s the co-author of Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book. For more information, please visit: http://www.wkamaubell.com/, or follow W. Kamau on Twitter here and Instagram here.

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In all of this anti-racism work, have you ever had a time when the fear of making a mistake kept you from speaking up? It’s not every day we get to interview a NYT bestselling author who’s willing to share how she’s made mistakes so that you know we ALL mess up from time to time.

A huge hello and welcome to author Kate Schatz - author, activist, educator, and queer feminist mama who’s been talking, writing, and teaching about race, gender, social justice, and equity for many years. She’s also an incredible person who wrote a blurb in support of our book and showed up IN PERSON to host our Dear White Women book launch tour in San Francisco!

If you’ve got kids, go buy her Rad Women book series, and now, go buy the workbook she co-authored with next week’s guest, Kamau Bell - it’s called Do the work: An AntiRacist Activity Book. Which I just found in the library too! But it’s much better to buy your own copy so you can write all throughout it. Listen in to learn about what she’s hearing from White women, what sorts of mistakes she’s made - especially White women, listen up, we all make mistakes! So get over it and GO DO THE WORK - and listen to how you can use this workbook in your own life.

What to listen for:

What pushbacks Kate hears from White women
Some mistakes Kate has made in “the work” of anti-racism
Why it was important to include dialogue between the co-authors in each section of the book
Kate’s thoughts on what people can start doing immediately after buying the workbook

KATE SCHATZ is an author, activist, educator, and queer feminist mama who's been talking, writing and teaching about race, gender, social justice, and equity for many years. She's the New York Times-bestselling author of the "Rad Women" book series, (Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, Rad Girls Can, and Rad American History A-Z), and her book of fiction Rid of Me: A Story is part of the cult-favorite 33 ⅓ series. Along with W. Kamau Bell, she’s the co-author of Do the Work: An AntiRacist Activity Book. For more information, please visit: https://www.kateschatz.com/, or follow Kate on Twitter here and Instagram here.

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Over the last 3.5 years, we’ve had this weekly podcast (now on episode 182!), we’ve written a book (Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism), and we’ve spoken with many different people at many different organizations. Meaning, we’ve heard and learned a lot of things.

With a few exceptions, our sense is that people want to be seen as good people; they say they want to be more anti-racist. But despite their best intentions, some things get in the way of you actually doing something to make positive change: You don’t feel like you know enough, you don’t want to make a mistake, and so you don’t feel like you know what to actually do.

So this episode is meant as a kick in the pants at the end of our summer of action, to give you a LOT of ideas. Listen through and if something sparks your interest or speaks to you, write it down; remember it; come back to it and DO it.

Listen for tips on what you can do at your kitchen table, your workplace, the voting booth, with your money, at your kids’ schools if you have kids, and more.

And then the best thing you can do? Share this episode with a friend - and let us know what you think!

Related episodes:

Episode 139: Vote for Humanity

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You might be tired of hearing about the Supreme Court taking away people’s rights - but the process behind how SCOTUS does that is important, as depending on the results of the midterms, we may be seeing this more, and with a much wider scope.

For example, do you know what SCOTUS did about immigration in July? And if your response was “Wait, what?” then this episode is for you. Tune in to hear about that decision (which stemmed from a Texas judicial challenge to the Biden administration), what that means for immigration policy in general, and how you can take action.

What to listen for:

That the Executive Branch (i.e. President) is meant to control immigration policy - and how people who were mad at the Biden administration's shift in policy got back at him by suing and letting a Texas judge curtail their ability to direct their Department of Homeland Security staff
How SCOTUS’s decision goes against decades of precedent around immigration policy in our country, which balances enforcement with mercy
What you can do about this - including learning the history of our immigration policy; voting; telling people about what SCOTUS is doing ahead of the decision in 2023; supporting organizations that do the work at the border to uphold humanitarian efforts.

Related Episodes:

Episode 36: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend - about Miller

Episode 27: Recognizing the Humanity in Everyone - about Hispanic Heritage Month and immigration

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In our book, we talk about the federal boarding schools that were just for Native American children - and by boarding schools, we mean that the U.S. government rounded up Native children over the course of 150 years (!!), separated them from their parents and often took them hundreds of miles away… and often times, those kids never came home.

If you haven’t heard that story (which is fairly common, given the erasure of the Native narrative in this country), this episode is for you, because without understanding this history, you won’t understand how we are where we are now with over 570 federally recognized Native American Nations within the United States - while most people we hear say they’re not sure they’ve ever spoken with a person of Native descent.

For more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and make sure you’re following this podcast for more!

What to listen for:

How last year, Deb Haaland, who is the first Native American woman to hold a Cabinet office position in the US government (she’s Secretary of the Interior), commissioned the first ever report on the Federal Indian Boarding School System
How the government coerced Native families into sending their kids (it really wasn’t a choice), and the (horrific) conditions the children experienced in the schools - including the discovery of many unmarked graves
What questions have yet to be answered, what you can do about sharing history like this including in your kid’s schools, how you can respect the Native lands you currently live on, and participate in reparations.

Click here for the full report.

Listen to our episode with Crystal Echohawk here.

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Have you ever been that kid who tugged at the corner of your eyes, pretending to be Asian, or maybe even mocked people of Asian descent? In today’s episode, Sara shares the story of when a little neighborhood boy did that to her.

Sure, there might be some sweeping generalizations you can make about Asian people - a lot tend to have dark hair, more almond-shaped eyes - but the truth is, in America, people who fall into the broad bucket of “Asian” have among the largest differences of all the large groupings like White, or Black, or Hispanic. Asians are NOT all the same.

So today, we’ll discuss all the basic things you need to know about the model minority myth - NO we are not all good at math nor do we all play the violin - and what you can do differently to make sure you’re not that person.

For more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and make sure you’re following this podcast for more!

What to listen for:

When and how the concept of a model minority was created
The things that are wrong about the model minority myth
Three things you can do differently: catch yourself if you make assumptions about Asian people; don’t ask “where are you really from?” and know why that’s not okay; learn more about the many different narratives of Asian countries and people.

Related episodes:

Episode 107: We have a White accountability problem

Episode 112: Asians at (Public) School, with Alan Mak

Episode 113: Anti-Asian Racism Ain’t New, People

Episode 115: Asians at Work, with Jerry Won

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In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, many of us heard the phrase “qualified immunity” for the first time in a new light - but what does the phrase even mean? And why is it so important when we think about police, driving (or existing) while Black, and civil rights in this country? We’ll talk about all of this in today’s episode, so we can help set some context for a major conversation happening in our country - one about abolition.

Listen in, and if you want more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and make sure you’re following this podcast for more!

What to listen for:

What it is - Qualified immunity is a defense that law enforcement and other government officials can use in defense against lawsuits that ask for monetary damages for alleged civil rights violations. In other words, it’s a way that officers can avoid being held liable for his or her actions.
Examples of when qualified immunity has been called into action, to make it easier to understand
Information about how qualified immunity is not actually a law; it was a judicial doctrine that was created and then restated by the Supreme Court through Section 1983
Why we still have qualified immunity - fear, not based in fact - and what we as a society might do differently to give victims a means of seeking justice

More information on qualified immunity through the Equal Justice Initiative and Public Justice.

Related Episodes:

Episode 67: How the US Police System has Failed Black People Since Inception Link to episodes on Black Codes

Episode 140: Becoming Abolitionists, with Derecka Purnell

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This episode was recorded before the Dobbs decision came out, but it highlights what we know to be true - there is a disparate impact on Black and brown women when it comes to reproductive justice in this country. And for all of you who have told us, “I’d really like to be friends with Black women, but I don’t understand their experiences,” you’ll want to listen extra carefully.

This episode highlights all of the extra things that Black women go through when it comes to things that should be safe in our country for all women: pregnancy, childbirth, maternal mortality, and so much more. We hope you listen, and then take action in your own communities to protect the rights of all people with the capacity for pregnancy.

What to listen for:

How our politicians still seem to want to separate race from maternal health statistics, and why that couldn’t be farther from the truth
Why historic inequity plays a role into not only maternal health, but fetal health, pregnancy care, and so much more
What we can do right now to be allies in this struggle that impacts all of us, including resources you’ll want to bookmark

Other episodes to listen to:

Episode 13, on Racial Disparities in the US Healthcare System with Dr. Monique Rainford

Episode 68, on Why Repro Justice is Racial Justice with Mariko Miki

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One question that comes up frequently enough from White, or non-Black, people to cause us to write not only a whole chapter in our book trying to answer it, but also record this podcast episode, is short but impactful: “Can I say the N-word?”

The short answer is no. Absolutely not. The longer answer? Listen to this episode to hear not only why you should never be saying the n-word, but also why it’s so important to educate our kids to never say it either.

What to listen for:

The history of how the n-word came to be, and how it never had any other meaning besides a hateful one
Who has used the n-word throughout history (and that still never makes it okay for White people to say it)
Sara’s advice for non-Black parents of non-Black kids with regard to how to teach our kids about this word

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So our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism is broken into three sections: On Being White in America; On Being Black in America; On Being a Non-Black Person of Color in America.

And here’s the question we get when people see that structure: Why do we need to focus on the experiences of Black people in this country?

In this episode, we tell you why - including sharing some things we all need to (re)learn, since it’s not all taught in our schools.

What to listen for:

Establishing that slavery was part of the founding of this country
Why we are still talking about this, two years after the murder of George Floyd (including Misasha’s personal feelings about her family’s safety - and how that fear hasn’t changed AT ALL over the last couple of years)
Book recommendations to learn more of the history we weren’t taught in schools, including The New Jim Crow, The Sum of Us, How the Word Was Passed, and our book

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For the past 3+ years, we’ve been getting loud on this podcast, where our stated mission is to help White women use their privilege to uproot systemic racism without centering themselves in the process. This summer, we’ve been specifically focused on answering the question we often get, “what can we do to be more anti-racist?” and have been releasing bite sized pieces of our work, especially with regard to our recent book, so that we can help White women and allies do this work.

Then, we got a gut punch last week in the form of the Dobbs v. Jackson opinion, which effectively overturned Roe v. Wade and left the regulation of abortion access up to “elected officials of the states,” which set off a number of trigger laws and leaves abortion, and reproductive justice in general, in jeopardy for anyone who has a uterus, or any birthing person, in this country.

So today, we are responding with our thoughts and suggestions.

What to listen for:

The problems we had with some of the knee-jerk reactions we saw from White women on social media
How disappointing it is to hear so many stories of senior-level White women not speaking up against this decision to remove bodily autonomy from women in the United States
Things to stop doing (stop playing the game; stop letting men control the conversation; stop resorting to performative allyship on social media,
Things to start doing (start putting being a woman first before being White; start learning from people who’ve been in this fight for a long time, as in, Black, brown, and other marginalized identities; start using your voice in your own spheres of influence

Sign up for our emails so you get the two-parter that’s coming out with a list of the resources that we believe are going to make the most difference for the most impacted individuals: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/email-signup

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All Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, and decentering the White experience in these conversations. That’s what we’re discussing in today’s episode, because White people, you keep asking us what you can DO differently to be more anti-racist. And while we won’t offer a checklist, we do have an incredible, level-setting book Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism that you can buy to learn more!

What to listen for:

What Black Lives Matter really means
Alicia Garza’s quote: “Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean your life isn’t important - it means that Black lives, which are seen as without value within White supremacy, are important to your liberation.”
The two analogies we use in reply, when someone says, “but All Lives Matter…”
An explanation for why “Blue Lives Matter” is not a valid comparison or rebuttal to Black Lives Matter

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White people, you keep asking us what you can DO differently to be more anti-racist. So this summer, we’re answering that question in bite-sized ways. This isn’t a checklist; this is simply a primer. If you want more, go buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism.

Today, we’re talking about what the real differences are between performative allyship and real allyship. What does it take to actually be an ally, as opposed to just calling yourself one? Listen in and share this episode with a friend you think might be able to talk with you about all of this!

What to listen for:

What performative allyship looks like, especially when it comes to social media
How to be a better White friend
What you need to DO to be a real ally (key word being DO), and concrete ways that you can make change in your own spheres of influence

Other episodes to listen to:

Episode 87, on how to be an ally when you feel overwhelmed

Episode 129, on how to have conversations past performative allyship with Jeff Harry

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As biracial - Japanese and White - hosts of a long-running weekly podcast, we are very aware that, given how we look, we have, at times, benefited from White privilege. We are also very clear that this is a privilege that Misasha’s Black husband will never once benefit from.

Today’s short episode dives into defining what White privilege is, explaining common misconceptions of the term, and what to do when we (or others) push back against accepting the truth about our privilege. Listen in and share this episode with a friend you think might be able to talk with you about all of this!

What to listen for:

What is White privilege? It means the privilege White people have of NOT getting knocked down a peg based on their skin color
Explaining common misperceptions - including making it clear that White privilege is NOT financial privilege (though governmental policy has been biased against the financial success of people of color)
How do we help ourselves when we want to deny our own privilege? What do we say when other people say they don’t have White privilege?

More resources: Chapter 2 of our book, Dear White Women, Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism.

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Today, we’re hitting up some of the most common points of push-back or questions we get when we talk with White people. Because let’s be honest - talking about race and racism is uncomfortable… for everyone. Listen in and share this episode with a friend you think might be able to talk with you about all of this!

What to listen for:

The shift we all need to take from being “not racist” to anti-racist
Why you should never say you’re colorblind
Common points of pushback, including fear of cancel culture and perfectionism
What do we say or do with our (White) kids?
The huge amount of power women have in America to make a difference

Other episodes to listen to:

Episode 71 with Colin Seale on critical thinking for kids
Episode 100 with Ervin Staub, who survived the Nazi invasion

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This summer, instead of spending 50-60 minutes sharing some of the most amazingly honest and thought provoking conversations that we’ve been personally privileged to have (the listen), or doing a deep dive into some part of our collective history that we may have never learned about in school (the learn), or sometimes getting up on our soapbox to get loud and angry about what’s going on in current events and what we can do about it (the act), we’re shaking things up a bit. (Don’t worry - we’ll definitely do all of those things in the fall…).

But in the summer, we’re doing shorter, focused episodes that lean into the practical tips that we dive into in our book, get very personal with us and our work, and aim to leave you with action items and agency to keep making a difference in your own spheres of influence, even in a summer that may be less structured or busier in different ways. And this episode includes a special AMA about being biracial and the most common questions we’re often asked about this part of our identities in America.

What to listen for:

How addressing both of our identities (Japanese and White) has impacted our perspectives about racism, and how that’s shifted since having kids
What we think about our own racial identities
Why we believe cultivating a strong grounding in your own identities is key for biracial individuals in America

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In 2003, Misasha drove across the country from New York to Los Angeles with two of her law school girlfriends. In her words: “We were all Asian, and this was the time of SARS, so while they felt a LOT of eyes on us (and repeatedly joked, to ourselves, “no one cough, or we’re never getting out of here”, which wasn’t so much of a joke as us trying to make light of a painful reality), we never felt like we couldn’t stop at a gas station, or that we couldn’t find a place to stay at night, or that we couldn’t find a public restroom to use.” However, those restrictions were reality for generations of Black Americans, and the legacy of those restrictions continues to reverberate today, and that’s why our conversation is so important.

Today, we speak with Candacy Taylor about her carefully researched book about the Green Book, called the Overground Railroad (doesn’t the title alone make you want to hear more)? We not only discuss the immense hurdles and realities for Black people who were just trying to go somewhere by car, but we also discuss topics like sundown towns (you may be surprised to hear that you might be living in one, historically), how institutionalized racism appears through overpasses, and what we all can do to make change right now.

What to listen for:

What it was like for a Black family to drive Route 66
A primer to sundown towns - the towns in the US in the 1900s that clearly did not allow people of color to stay after dark; towns that weren’t researched and discussed until the 2000s!
All about Victor Green, and the Green Book he created to help Black people safely navigate road trips, and more over time
The shocking truths about how racist the Northern United States was/is, how sneaky people got in creating systems to keep Black people away, even without the Jim Crow signs of the South
The parallels between the mid-1900s and today, and what Candacy wants more White women to do

Items of interest from today’s conversation:

Truths about the US Prison System, with Marcus Bullock: Episodes 83 & 84

See if the Smithsonian’s Negro Motorist Green Book exhibit is coming to your city!

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If you’ve ever heard about Ancestry.com and thought that this wasn’t something for you due to your own family’s immigration story, or alternately if you love nothing more than to have centuries of your family’s history in the United States documented for you, then this episode is for you. Or, if you’ve never heard of Ancestry before, but you work in corporate America and know you want to help make change for the better, or you’re a parent who wants to talk about origin stories with your own kids - you’ll still want to listen. This isn’t just about tracing your roots. This is about belonging, which is something that impacts all of us every day.

We had the amazing privilege of sitting down with Ashlee Davis, who is the Global Head of DEI at Ancestry, to talk not only about her road to her current position, but also really everything related to inclusion and belonging and psychological safety in so many spheres, and not just in her professional roles. After this conversation, we left wanting so much more - and hopefully you will as well. Don’t sleep on this episode - you may want to listen to it a second time, and DEFINITELY share it with your friends.

What to listen for:

Major inspiration for getting involved in public service, based on Ashlee’s experience working in the White House during the Obama administration (hello, Air Force One?!)
What role DEI programs play in corporate America - and what to do to make them more successful
Honesty about what allyship is, particularly from White women
The role belonging has played in Ashlee’s life

About Ashlee:

Ashlee Davis, J.D. (she/her/hers) – Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

“One of the strongest and most important threads that unites all of us is the importance of family.”

Ashlee Davis brings 15 years of diversity and civil rights experience to lead Ancestry’s global end-to-end Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategy. Her professional experience spans the industries of private, nonprofit, and the Executive branch of the federal government, where she held roles in agriculture, finance, banking, and social services. Ashlee served six years in the Obama administration in positions including the Senior Advisor for Civil Rights and Director of the National LGBT Rural Summer Series, a national initiative to connect LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities with resources to address food insecurity, housing, and youth empowerment.

In her role, Ashlee heads policies and programs to foster an inclusive and equitable work environment where there are diverse voices and backgrounds at the table. She also partners with product and marketing leaders to create inclusive product experiences to help everyone easily discover, craft, and connect around their family story.

Ashlee is a native of Nashville, TN, a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Howard University School of Law, an avid sports fan, and someone with wanderlust who is always planning her next adventure with her life partner.

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When we’ve talked about intersectionality in the past, we’ve often talked about it with regard to race and gender, or gender and gender identity - but never quite like this. Our guest today is a queer British Chinese woman who also is a Brazilian Jujitsu competitor, an entrepreneur who raised over $10 million in venture capital financing, and the co-founder of an intentional, beautifully designed clothing company called ADAY.

If we were totally into perfectly performative scheduling, we might have had Meg on the show just as May turned into June, where we moved from AANHPI History month to LGBTQ Pride month, but we aren’t - because these stories are needed and valid all year round.

What to listen for:

The importance of intentionality - and how ADAY leans into sustainable fashion and away from the capitalistic chase that so many fast fashion companies perpetuate right now
Why it’s not always something new, but a new way to say or discuss something, that resonates with people
How jiu-jitsu has helped Meg get more comfortable with being uncomfortable
The main messages Meg has been using her voice to speak out against, when it comes to her many intersectional identities
Fertility as it relates to the queer couple experience

About Meg, from Meg:

I’m Meg, the co-founder and co-CEO of Aday, a sustainable capsule clothing brand, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete and a business coach for athletes and gyms. I’m queer, British-Chinese and a digital nomad. Some of my Personal beliefs are as follows:

Don't be bored: do things that make your heart beat faster by figuring out what you're really optimizing for. The intersection of what matters to you, what you're great at and what you love is a beautiful space.
Be your best self: know what inspires you to create your best work, find flow and through introspection, learn how to create and re-create an environment to best enable you to do this.
Remember to teach: investing in those around you is one of the most valuable things you can do. It takes patience and kindness, two things I work on every day.

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You know around here we love a good “Dear…” title, especially when it starts with “Dear White Women.” That’s why we were excited to sit down with this week’s guests because Kimberlee’s book title alone had us at “Dear White Women” (for obvious reasons, friends). Her full book title is “Dear White Women, Please Come Home: Hand Me Your Bias and I’ll Show You Our Connection” and once we started reading it, we couldn’t put it down, due to its unique format and powerful message.

And this week, we have not only Kimberlee Williams, who is the author of the book we’ll be talking about, but we also have Debby Irving, the author of Waking Up White, which was one of the first books Sara read when we started this podcast - and who is also Kimberlee’s forward writer and publisher. Together, we unpack why the title (of course), reactions to this book, cross-racial friendships, and so much more.

What to listen for:

What makes interracial friendships between women possible?
Why Debby, as a White woman, offered her partnership and platform to help get Kimberlee’s message out to the world
All about the unique structure of Kimberlee’s book

About the Author, Kimberlee Williams:

Hailing from the nation’s capital with huge hair, a million-watt smile, and contagious laughter, Kimberlee Yolanda Williams has had a heart for the perceived underdog for as long as she can remember. From her earliest years, Kimberlee’s experiences unfolded in communities filled with diversity of every kind, where gatherings around topics of equity and inclusion were explored with courageous authenticity. She grew up thinking engaging across differences was something everyone wanted to do and knew how to do. So why didn’t they do it?

As an educator, DEI administrator, consultant, workshop leader, speaker, and certified life and health coach, she has found herself in a variety of U.S. cities. With each new context she increasingly understood what held people back from crossing social divisions. Kimberlee found herself able to consciously place herself in the center of these divisions, in particular racial dynamics, and support people across the racial spectrum in stepping closer to one another.

Kimberlee is first and foremost a humanist, a deep believer in what is possible when humanity is centered. Her mix of authenticity and raw truth gives permission for those around her to choose progress over perfection and bring their full selves into the room. She is known for finding humor and challenge at just the right moments, and like the best of coaches, leaning in and pushing audiences just enough to believe in the potential she sees. Her approach of connection and compassion is what makes a consultation feel like a conversation with your best friend, a workshop feel like a workout with your favorite trainer, and a presentation feel like a present from your closest confidant.

Kimberlee received a B.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Maryland (go Terps!) and an M.S. in Education from Dominican University. She currently lives in Seattle with her partner, where they refuel by being in community (with other folks of color), reading and reading some more, and relaxing near any body of water. In addition to all of the above, Kimberlee is a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a cousin, an aunt, a niece, a dancer, an avid learner of languages (five to date), a free spirit, an empath, and now a writer.

Dear White Woman, Please Come Home is Kimberlee's attempt to share with readers what her clients, workshop attendees, and audience members have felt for years. She always brings her full self, her DC flare, her sass, and her humor. She’s the best friend you didn’t know you had.

About Debby Irving:

Debby Irving brings to racial justice the perspective of working in non-profit organizations and education for 25 years before understanding racism as systemic or her own whiteness as an obstacle to grappling with it. Despite attending diversity workshops and even heading a diversity committee during these years, she struggled to make sense of racial dynamics she could feel but not explain. At the age of 48, a Wheelock College graduate school course titled Racial and Cultural Identities finally gave her the answers she’d been looking for, launching her on a journey of discovery. Debby now devotes herself to working with people exploring the impact whiteness can have on perception, problem solving, system design, culture shifting, creating racially diverse work teams and communities, and individual and collective human development. Her New York Times bestseller, Waking Up White, tells the story of how she went from well-meaning to well-doing. Her book, workshops, keynotes, community dialogs, TED Talk, online videos, blog, and frequent media commentary have become staples in the national discourse on the role of “good” white people in perpetuating racism. A graduate of the Winsor School in Boston, she holds a BA in History from Kenyon College and an MBA from Simmons College. For more on Debby, visit: https://www.debbyirving.com/about/

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race

Dear White Woman, Please Come Home: Hand Me Your Bias, and I'll Show You Our Connection

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Our platform is called Dear White Women - and through it, we have this podcast, we have a book, we do talks - and a lot of our work, as biracial women, is to welcome more White women into the conversation. As part of that work, we run into people saying that they’re tired of talking about race, worry about saying or doing the wrong thing, and are very concerned about cancel culture, which is why this next conversation is an incredibly important one for all of us to listen to.

Dr. Dome is the author of the book, Let’s Talk About Race, and Other Hard things. And in it, she lays out a structure of Compassionate Dialogue, the idea to Recognize Interrupt Repair hurts and leans into the idea that every single one of us can use to talk more about not just race, but also all sorts of other hard things. Given the divide we see in our country, the retrenching, the idea of staunch individualism trumping community, we need these tools. Plus, in it, we learned how this structure is really a form of self-care, growth, and such a powerful way to approach so many things in our lives. Listen in to learn more, as this conversation really builds on the one that we had with Andre Brown in last week’s episode.

What to listen for:

The details of the Recognize-Interrupt-Repair protocol - and how the repair is so critical for us to maintain relationships and community, and yet is often the one most overlooked
How this protocol is good for our self-care overall
The four communication styles (functional, intuitive, personal, analytical) - which one are you!?- and how knowing this can play a role in how you communicate better

About Dr. Dome: Renowned speaker, author, and equity consultant Dr. Nancy Dome co-founded Epoch Education in 2014 to provide leaders in education and business with accessible professional development in diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity. As an educator for nearly three decades, Dr. Dome taught in the juvenile court and community schools teaching our most vulnerable students, and has served as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence and faculty member at California State University-San Marcos. Her transformative approach helps school districts and educational agencies throughout the country navigate complex topics, build bridges, and work together for inclusive, impactful change. For more information, visit www.epocheducation.com.

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Sometimes we meet people completely new to the conversations about race and racism - and one of the things we say is important to do is to start with introspection. Andre Brown stood out to us because of his very practical approach to DEI work - in particular, to help us address the question that we think is critical at the very beginning of starting to do this work, which is how to establish that personal baseline. For example: how has race and racism shaped my life? What are the things we can do to establish what lens we’re looking at the world through right now? What do I know, what have I absorbed, and what are things that I might need to start unpacking and unraveling and unlearning and re-learning? And also continuing to ask why in all of the spheres of influence that we all hold, and not taking “well, because it’s always been this way” as an acceptable answer.

What to listen for:

Ways that each of us can establish a personal baseline to start from when choosing to be more anti-racist
The importance of understanding how race and racism have shaped your actual community, state, and more
That there is no room for shaming and blaming in these conversations; it’s a commitment to continuously question why things are the way they are, and how you can make change

About Andre:

André M. Brown is an African American male who has had a lifetime of personally experiencing individual, institutional and structural racism. He earned an MS degree in Human Development and Family Studies and is also an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach who provides diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focused coaching on the BetterUp coaching platform.

He spent over two decades working multiple roles within the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families (RIDCYF). Most recently André served as a Clinical Training Specialist where he trained new hires and veteran Social Caseworkers and Child Protective Investigators to effectively serve children and families opened to the department. In his role, He developed and facilitated several trainings including Cultural Competency in Child Welfare Through Self-Awareness I: The Impact of Implicit Bias and Understanding and Implementing Cultural Competence. In addition, André developed and coordinated a Child Protective Investigators’ team coaching program.

In late 2019, he left DCYF and relocated to Miami, Florida. In 2020, He founded Racial Just Us, an agency whose primary mission is to provide DEI-focused coaching, consulting, training, and facilitation services. André developed the Coaching for Community Antiracism Series as a way to help participants create individualized antiracism action plans.

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This episode’s topic was inspired by a webinar about banned books that featured Nikole Hannah-Jones, Nic Stone, and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, in conversation with Dr. Emily Knox. IT. WAS. FIRE. But it also got us thinking about CRT, banned books, and the link between the two.

So in today’s episode, we answer several questions: first, what is CRT and what is it not (hint: it’s not being taught in K-12 schools); second, where are we seeing the most restrictions around school curriculum, including banned books; and third, why banning books and being anti-history hurts ALL of us. AND importantly, we’ll be discussing some practical ways you can help stem this harmful tide, so you’ll want to listen until the end.

What to listen for:
What IS critical race theory, actually?
How CRT been misused to discuss culturally relevant teaching
We think anti-CRT should just be called anti-history
The (frightening) increase in book bans recently - even when polls are showing the majority of American voters and parents are opposed to book bans
What you can do right now to get loud

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April marks THREE YEARS since we started the Dear White Women podcast, so it’s only fitting that we run this back to talk about one of the issues that we get asked about (and challenged on) the most: affirmative action. Maybe even hearing those words brings up emotions for you, as it does for us.

But today we’re going to talk about all things affirmative action, including where it came from, who the biggest beneficiaries of it have been (and if you know a White woman in this country, you’ll want to listen) if we still need it, and what you’ll really need to know about the upcoming Supreme Court case this / next year.

Bottom line: affirmative action actually affects all of us. Listen in to hear why.

What to listen for:

How the term “affirmative action” came to be - originally about race
When sex/gender was included in the plans, leading to White women were the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action
How affirmative action turned into a zero-sum game by twisting it to position White people (women) as victims
Reminders of the affirmative action program that supported White people first - the GI Bill
The SCOTUS case coming up might undermine the benefits - given the composition of the court - of keeping policies in place that enforce diversity

Other episodes to listen to:

Why White People should care

Why White Women should care

John Tateishi’s conversation about living in an internment camp

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This episode follows the same thread that we started in last week’s episode: namely, how do we create inclusive workplaces, especially for women of color? And this week’s guest knows all about that and more, especially when it’s related to women of color in STEM.

This week we get the pleasure of sitting down with Michele Heyward, who’s not only an engineer herself but the founder of PositiveHire (and we’ll let her tell you more about that), to talk about diverse women in STEM, her own podcast Dear Corner Office, why unconscious bias training often don’t work, if there’s really a “pipeline problem,” and so much more. Get ready to take some notes (and add a new podcast to your list!).

What to listen for:

Understanding the mismatch between how so many White women think they’re being allies in the workplace, while so many women of color don’t think they have allies
Why unconscious bias training doesn’t work, and what to do instead
Deconstructing the “pipeline problem” - and why we have such a problem with that thinking

About Michele:

Michele Heyward is the founder and CEO of PositiveHire, a tech company engineered to bridge the gap between enterprises and underrepresented women in STEM professions. Michele is a civil engineer who is an experienced project manager in the energy sector armed with technical sales and technology transfer experience.

Michele’s vision is to not only help black, Latina and indigenous women find inclusive workplaces, but to prepare enterprises to receive them, and help those enterprises recruit them. This approach makes PositiveHire the premiere recruiting platform for black, Latina, and indigenous women professionals.

Michele has a B.S. degree in civil engineering and an M.S. degree in industrial management, both from Clemson University. A South Carolina native, Michele enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, Toastmasters, and making connections personally and professionally. Michele has a passion for engaging with others on social media.

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While some things have changed in the 18 years since Sara was in corporate America, a lot of things - namely, DEI work, how we talk about DEI, what words we use, and the urgency with which (White) people view this - have remained the same. And while Misasha’s first official role in DE&I was in 2007, she’s spent a number of years living the reality of what it’s like to not be 100% White in legal America. The conversations may have become more inclusive recently, but it seems like mindsets have not.

This episode is for all of you out there who’ve worked in a corporation, professional services firm, or anything that’s structured as a company, and want to know what you might be doing wrong, and what you definitely can be doing better to advance equity and make your workplace better. Today, we’re speaking with journalist, founder, and speaker Ruchika Tulshyan, author of an incredibly practical book Inclusion on Purpose which felt fully in line with our informative, practical approach in our book Dear White Women: Let’s Get Uncomfortable Talking About Racism.

What to listen for:

Why White women should care about helping women of color
Specific things that people can do to use their privilege - in particular, practicing __- and active listening
The “flip it to test it” methodology, to uncover and understand our own biases
Thoughts on imposter syndrome

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruchika Tulshyan is the founder of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. As a keynote speaker, Ruchika has addressed audiences at organizations like NASA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and U.S. Congress. Ruchika is the author of “The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality in the Workplace,” and most recently, "Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work" (MIT Press, March 2022.) Ruchika is on the Thinkers50 Radar list and named among Hive Learning's Most Influential D&I Professionals for the past two years. She is a former international business journalist who is now regularly quoted as a media expert in outlets like NPR, The New York Times and Bloomberg. Her interview on Brene Brown’s “Dare to Lead” podcast was among the most-played Spotify podcast episodes of 2021, and her article Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome is among HBR’s top 100 articles.

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For those of you who grew up not seeing yourself in books, or for those of you who did, but want to understand what that may be like for others - this next episode is one you don’t want to miss.

Today, we’re so excited to speak with Abigail Hing Wen, the author of both the New York Times bestselling book Loveboat Taipei and her newest book, Loveboat Reunion, and hear all about her writing journey, why she writes YA books, more about the characters in Loveboat Reunion, and why it’s so important to have more Asian voices and characters, or really, diverse characters doing very normal things, in the books that we read and those that we share with others.

What to listen for:

Abigail’s journey to writing - including when she and MIsasha intersected at law school!
How Abigail wants to move the needle on representation, and what representation even means
The decision to write an Asian character with a learning difference - and the reaction from her audience about it
Writing from experience vs writing from research, and the tenacity required to get a book of this quality out. 26 drafts!!!!!

About Abigail:

"Abigail Hing Wen has a knack for trying and succeeding at new things." Forbes 2021

Abigail is a New York Times Best Selling Author, a rare woman-in-tech leader specializing in artificial intelligence, a new filmmaker as well as a wife and mother of two. She writes and speaks about tech, AI ethics, women's leadership, implicit bias, equity, and transforming culture.

Abigail penned the New York Times best-selling novel, Loveboat, Taipei (sequel, HarperCollins 2022). She is executive producing the book-to-film adaptation with ACE Entertainment, creators of the Netflix franchise, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. She and her work have been profiled in Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Fortune, Cosmopolitan, NBCNews, Bloomberg, Google Talk, and the World Journal, among others.

Abigail holds a BA from Harvard, where she took coursework in film, ethnic studies, and government. She also holds a JD from Columbia and MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. In her career in tech, she has negotiated multibillion-dollar deals on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley, worked in venture capital, and hosted Intel’s Artificial Intelligence podcast featuring leading industry experts including Andrew Ng, Facebook's Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, and US Congresswoman Robin Kelly. She also serves with the Partnership on AI. “One of the most respected voices in fairness and AI.” Forbes.

Abigail lives with her husband and two sons in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her third novel (2023) explores cognitive differences in Silicon Valley and she is writing her fourth novel and a feature film script based in Silicon Valley, as well as producing a girls-in-tech animated series.

For more information: www.abigailhingwen.com

Follow IG/Twi: @abigailhingwen

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Today is International Women’s Day, which is 8 days into Women’s History Month. So it’s no surprise that we are here with Sybil Amuti, the founder of The Great Girlfriends platform, to talk about friendships, community, and so much more, especially as it relates to women.

This conversation was also a great reminder of two things: (1) we have women in our lives 365 days out of the year, not just 31; and (2) it’s important to include ALL women when we talk about women, as sometimes (and you might have caught this from the title of our show) that definition of women seems to include only White women. So let’s jump in.

What to listen for:

The need for there to be groups that support women of color - like Great Girlfriends!
How to process the impact that the pandemic has had on relationships, and how we can all begin rebuilding friendships as we navigate through a rebuild
What White women should think about as they develop cross-racial friendships
Trends Sybil has seen in corporations and their commitments (or not) to DEI

About Sybil:

Sybil Clark Amuti is an executive brand strategist, podcast producer, host, philanthropist, wife, and mother. She holds a B.S. in urban studies from Dillard University and an M.S.in urban planning from Columbia University. For over 15 years, Sybil has delivered world-class strategy and brand direction to some of the world’s most renown personal, corporate, and philanthropic brands, such as Scholastic, Nike, Sony Entertainment, Target, Nascar, Conde Nast, Tony Robbins, Feeding America, Red Table Talk and more. Her company, Legacy Row, is focused on legacy brand building and creating an alliance of like missioned brands who seek to create an impact on a local to a global level.

Sybil also serves as the creator and co-host of The Great Girlfriends Show, a podcast conversation series created to connect women with daily tips and solutions for living a passionate everyday life and building a thriving business. Under her direction, The Great Girlfriends has served over 700,00 women with content and experiences that support their growth journey. She is also the creator and executive producer of The Grace Podcast, which is dedicated to providing practical spiritual development for Christian women.

As a philanthropist, Sybil is passionate about youth mentorship, eradicating hunger, and educational equality for girls around the world. She extends financial support, personal time, and attention to Covenant House and Feeding America.

Sybil is a wife of 15yrs and a mother to 13-year-old old Sam and 10-year-old old Dylan. She resides in California.

For more on Sybil:

https://sybilamuti.com/about-sybil/

About Great Girlfriends:

https://thegreatgirlfriends.com

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Community. Gentrification. Generational wealth. Low status. Brain drain. When you read those terms, what comes to mind for you? If you know what those words mean, have you thought about how they play out in your own neighborhoods? Because even if you haven’t seen these dynamics at play yourself, they are definitely happening where you live. And we’re going to tell you why that matters - not only to you but to the future of your neighborhoods and communities, regardless of whether you’re in a big city or a small town.

Today we are so fortunate to be able to sit down with Majora Carter and discuss her new book, Reclaiming Your Community. She not only talks to us about all of those terms we mentioned but also about the non-profit industrial complex - which, if you’ve ever supported or are part of a non-profit, you want to understand - and poverty level economic maintenance, which may be one of those things you saw but didn’t understand until it’s pointed out to you. So get ready to think more broadly about the communities you know in ways that you never expected.

What to listen for:

The role that “well-meaning” non-profits play in low-status (to be differentiated from low-income!) communities
Understanding poverty-level economic maintenance - you know it when you see it
Envisioning a world where reinvestment in the community can lead to talent-retention in low-status communities - a powerful alternative to gentrification
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable

About the author: MAJORA CARTER is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow, and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster. She is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic developments, technology & green infrastructure projects, policies, and job training & placement systems. Carter applies her corporate consulting practice focused on talent-retention to reduce Brain Drain in American low-status communities. She has firsthand experience pioneering sustainable economic development in one of America's most storied low-status communities: the South Bronx. Majora is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture in DC: "Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one”. She has served on the boards of the US Green Building Council, Ceres, The Wilderness Society, and the Andrew Goodman Foundation. Carter has helped connect tech industry pioneers such as Etsy, Gust, FreshDirect, Google, and Cisco to diverse communities at all levels.

Website: http://www.majoracartergroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/majora-carter-8649529/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/majoracarter/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/majoracarter

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If you’re listening to this episode at the time of release, we’re three days past a momentous anniversary in United States history - and one that you may have never heard of. On February 19th, 1942, 80 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 into law. This was the law that effectively incarcerated over 120,000 American citizens on US soil during World War II. Their offense? Being ethnically Japanese.

Think about your own ethnic heritage. Where were your ancestors from, before they came to America? Then imagine, that country does something against America, and your government rounds you up, strips you of most of your possessions, and throws you into an incarceration camp for years. Some kids who grew up there didn’t even realize they were still on US soil, wondering, when can we go back to America?

And that’s the title of the book, When Can We Go Back to America? written by Susan Kamei whom we are speaking with today. In it, she pulled together history, and strikingly, many, many first-person narratives that illuminate this horrific period in American history - one period that isn’t taught or, if it’s taught, taught well in our country. But it’s a storyline that we need to be well aware of if we don’t want our country to repeat these atrocities again. Because we’ve come close. And we may be close yet again.

What to listen for:

What Executive Order 9066 did, led to the forced removal of persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast and detained them in internment camps for the duration of World War II.
Susan’s experience as a sansei - third-generation Japanese American - and how incarceration impacted her family
How Susan used personal narrative and history to tell this story that had not been woven together in such detail before
Why we all need to be talking about this part of our country’s history and the importance and power of standing up together against injustice

If you want to hear more about life in and after the internment camps, listen to Episode 138 of Dear White Women: Who Do We Call Americans? With John Tateishi by clicking here

If you want to read more Asian American narratives with your children:

Baseball Saved Us
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
I Am An American

ABOUT THE BOOK:

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which put in motion the forced removal of persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast and their detention in desolate interior locations for the duration of World War II. Approximately 120,000 men, women, and children were detained in hastily constructed government facilities rimmed with barbed wire and armed guards. Two-thirds of those incarcerated were American-born citizens. The US government justified wresting the Japanese Americans from their homes, educations, and livelihoods under extreme duress and imprisoning them as a “military necessity.” From the elderly to babies, all those with even “a drop of Japanese blood” were presumed to be disloyal and potential saboteurs, simply because they shared the race of a wartime enemy.

Through first-person accounts of individuals who lived through this harrowing time as young people, When Can We Go Back to America? delves into the real reasons for the incarceration and reveals the falseness of the “military necessity” narrative that has been perpetuated in the decades since World War II. Their stories tell of the profound consequences that the incarceration had on their lives and of the long-term social, economic, and psychological harm they have suffered as a result of the government’s unconstitutional actions. Yet their voices and biographies also share moving accounts of their resilience, bravery, and enduring belief in democratic principles. They speak to us over the passage of time to provide perspective on issues of racial identity, immigration, and the meaning of citizenship today

ABOUT SUSAN:

SUSAN H. KAMEI is the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants. Her maternal grandparents were part of the Japanese classical music community in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, and her paternal grandparents were vegetable farmers in Orange County.

During World War II, her mother and her parents were incarcerated at the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California, and at the War Relocation Authority camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Her father, together with his grandparents, parents, and siblings, were detained at the WRA camp known as Poston II in Arizona.

Susan graduated from the University of California, Irvine with B.A. degrees in Russian and Linguistics, summa cum laude, and received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she was an editor of the Georgetown law journal Law and Policy in International Business.

From the time she was in law school in Washington, DC and while she practiced corporate law, Susan was a member of the legislative strategy team for the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in the successful passage of federal legislation that provided redress to Japanese Americans for their wartime incarceration. She has been recognized for her service in the redress campaign, which included volunteering as National Deputy Legal Counsel for the JACL Legislative Education Committee.

She now teaches undergraduate students at the University of Southern California (USC) in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences about the constitutional, historical, and political issues of Japanese American incarceration and the importance of those issues today. She also serves as the managing director of the USC Spatial Sciences Institute.

For her contributions to the USC community and for enriching the educations of students of color and LGBTQ students, she received the 2018 USC Undergraduate Student Government Community Achievement Award. She also was recognized for her leadership and service in business, academia, and the community with the “Woman of Courage” Award in 2000 from the Friends of the Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women.

I am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internment: (ALA Notable Children's Book, Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book) (American History Classics)

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There are those moments when you watch something, or learn something, that changes how you see not only yourself, but our history, along with the future, completely differently. That’s how we felt about Who We Are, a new documentary featuring Jeffrey Robinson, produced by Robinson and our two guests: Emily and Sarah Kunstler. I feel fortunate to have first met both of these amazing women when Sarah and I were in law school together and have only this to say about the film: everyone should see it. Everyone.

In this episode, we talk to Emily and Sarah about the impetus for this amazing documentary, why this conversation is so important, and additionally why it’s imperative that EVERYONE understand our country's foundational struggles, as we move forward collectively. This isn’t just a film about Black history. This is a film about our American history. We can’t wait for you to hear more in their own words.

What to listen for:

The inspiration for Who We Are, stemming from Jeffrey Robinson’s long-standing presentation - and what it was like for two White women to partner with a Black man to share his story and work
Thoughts on cancel culture as it stands in society today
How you can watch this eye-opening, accessible introduction to the true history of the United States

About our guests:

Emily Kunstler (Producer/Director/Editor) and Sarah Kunstler (Producer/Director) are the founders of Off Center Media, a documentary production company dedicated to racial justice and social change. Their film, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Sundance '09, POV/PBS), was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Academy Award. The film is an examination of their father’s life and choices, tracing his career as a civil rights lawyer and fighter for racial justice, as well his representation of society’s most despised. Other Off Center Media films have contributed to campaigns to stay executions, convince decision makers to reopen cases, and exonerate the wrongfully convicted. For more on their work, please visit www.off-center.com.

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At the time that A Kids Book About Racism was published, there was no other book like this. There was no other book written FOR kids talking directly about racism, let alone a book that was written by someone who looked like Misasha’s mixed-race kids. She still has that copy; they’ve read it as a family countless times, and the kids have read it themselves a ton since then. Since then, she’s added about ten more A Kids Book About books to her family library.

Today we have the true honor of talking with Jelani Memory, the founder of A Kids Co, who sits down with us to talk about something that’s close to our hearts: talking to our kids.

How do we talk to them? What do we talk to them about? And what do kids REALLY want to talk about?

We dive into these questions, and so many more, on this episode, which is a must-listen for parents - or really, anyone who has an interest in how this generation of kids are going to show up in the world as adults.

What to listen for:

What prompted the move from a single A Kids Book About Racism to an entire company, A Kids Co, which aims to empower your kids to be their best selves
How the publishing industry received this brand new, intentional, diverse book publishing model
Jelani’s tips for how parents can have uncomfortable conversations with their children about race, and more
The positive impact open conversations have - and the effect shutting them down can have - on the long-term parent-child relationship

About Jelani:

Jelani Memory is a constantly curious writer, entrepreneur, and storyteller. He lives in his hometown of Portland, OR, with his wife and six kids.

Related Links:

A Kids Co – buy one or an entire series of books for your kids and you to open up conversation!

You Are Not Alone – the new children’s book from the Alphabet Rockers

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Middle age. What comes to mind? Next question: When you think of a woman who’s aged somewhere between her early 40s and mid 60s, who do you picture? And if you’re not one of then, when you’re thinking about women in this age range, how do they show up in your daily life? Do they show up? And, what race is the woman you pictured?

Depending on your answers, and your own stage of life, you’ll process the conversation with our next guest in different ways; something personal to you, or something that you might need to open your eyes to, especially if you’re in any sort of people-facing business. No matter what, it’s a conversation that we should all be having more frequently. For us, our big takeaway was that there is more than just the maiden-mother-sage concept to the trajectory of womanhood: there is also the queen phase. That’s midlife. And that’s what Valerie Albarda talks with us about, to make sure midlife women are not made to feel invisible - with the extra layer of what it’s like to be a midlife woman of color.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The definition of midlife
What is the invisibility trifecta, and why is it important for society to be aware of it?
What are the things we can all do to open our eyes to the value that midlife women - in particular midlife women of color - can bring to the table?

About Valerie: In 2015, Valerie Albarda decided to take off her blinders and go through life with her midlife eyes wide open by embracing this dynamic and opportunistic time in her life. That same year, she created the website, Midlife-A-Go-Go, to help women navigate this pivotal time in their lives and to understand that they can enjoy the midlife and skip the crisis. In 2018, she added “Midlife-A-Go-Go the podcast!” to her roster. Her podcast meets women where they live – in the second spring of life – and has candid conversations on the ups, the downs and the “everything in between” of midlife.

Valerie is a recent TEDx speaker with her Talk, “The Invisibility Trifecta: Coming Out of the Shadows.” In her Talk, she focuses on one of society’s forgotten demographic: midlife women of color. She takes the idea of the ‘invisible woman syndrome’ one step further and sets out to disrupt the mindset that midlife women of color are disposable.

Valerie is a writer, author, podcaster, and speaker. Her writings have appeared across the web, including on HuffPost, Find UR Cool, Kindra and Midlife Boulevard.

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

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Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking about Racism

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Have you ever felt like you don’t belong somewhere simply because of one or more of your identities? Being biracial, we’ve felt that way in various settings - sometimes all White crowds, sometimes Asian affinity groups. And sometimes in rooms full of men… anyway, you get the picture. And what we can say is that growing up that way leads to a lot of introspection, learning to tune into our own intuition to listen to the messages it’s trying to tell us, and working to stop prioritizing our brains - which, if we’re honest, can justify and try to explain away a lot and make us feel like we’re not “enough” and need to keep going - and listen our body’s messages instead. It’s something we are still working on. I don’t know if we can say it enough - we think the inner work of self awareness is the foundation of being able to do the outer work of tackling racism. And it’s work that people of all races can be part of.

That’s why we’re so grateful that Kim Thai of Ganesh Space was willing to take the time to speak with us today about her experiences as a queer Asian woman, a person who brings mindfulness to her spaces in order to help dismantle internalized oppression.

Warning that today’s episode does drop a few explicit words in it, so mind those ears.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The power of influence that parents can have, and how Kim was led to meditation and mindfulness - and ultimately, the creation of Ganesh Space
What is internalized oppression?
Looking at the small things, like when we say “I’m sorry” as a way to make change
The importance of having separate spaces for marginalized community members to heal, and how many people who point out the segregation tend to be in the dominant culture
How to think about self-care, joy, and mindfulness to incorporate more of them in our daily lives

About Kim Thai: Kim Thai is an Emmy-award winning producer, writer, activist, and mindfulness teacher.

She is the founder of GaneshSpace, a community organization dedicated to creating spaces to dismantle internalized oppression and explore identity through the lens of intersectionality. She also served as the Assistant Director of Heights Meditation, a non-profit offering free meditation to Upper Manhattan in NYC and is currently and advisor at YAP Media, an upcoming podcast production company.

She has produced video series for TED, MTV, Discovery, TLC and Animal Planet; and written for FORTUNE, Newsweek, USA Today and the Associated Press, among others. (More of her professional history here.) And is currently creating issue-based campaigns for SEIU, the world’s second largest labor union in the world.

She believes fiercely in the power of storytelling, understanding your body and being unapologetically yourself. She also loves to take a #yolopilgrimmage (™) as often as possible.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas (like Beyoncé), she is the proud daughter of two Vietnamese War refugees and has 5 nephews, all of whom she loves equally. She moved to NYC more than a decade ago to attend J-School at Columbia University, after applying 48 hours before the deadline. She currently lives in Washington Heights with her partner and two cat-sons, Watson and Charlie, who have a larger Instagram following than her. Follow Ganesh Space on Instagram here!

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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We had a different episode planned for this week, but in light of the fight that is going down in the Senate right now, we needed to re-release this episode on the filibuster, with a special introduction as to why we should all care about the Freedom to Vote Act and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and encourage you to call your Senators to act on the filibuster.*

If you’re part of the Trump-backed forces of authoritarianism, you probably don’t care. But if you truly want America to be a democracy in its current state (and if you love parts of the Constitution, you should probably be all about this too) - you should be really loudly vocally supporting both bills.

The problem with bills like these though is that, much like a theory like CRT, people make judgments about what they THINK are in those bills rather than actually sitting down and reading them. And, as a great email from Heather Cox Richardson pointed out, “It’s worth reading what’s actually in the bills because, to my mind, it is bananas that they are in any way controversial.” We break this down, and then tell you all about the filibuster, so that you’re empowered to use your voice to protect democracy.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

A brief history of voter suppression and the role of the filibuster in legislative action
An explanation of what the filibuster is and how it has been employed and changed
What the filibuster has been used for (to block progressive legislation)
How we can and should address the future of the filibuster
A reminder to call the US Capitol Switchboard a 202-224-3121 to call your Senator and tell them you want the voting rights protection bills to pass

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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If you’ve been on LinkedIn recently, it’s likely that someone you know has liked something that our next guest has written - because her posts are just THAT GOOD. But it wasn’t just her LinkedIn activism that made us want to sit down with her today - it was some impactful articles that she wrote, including one for Cosmopolitan in 2019 and one for the Harvard Business Review in 2021, that made us excited to talk about something that we haven’t really touched on, on the podcast to date: colorism.

If you’re sitting there asking yourself, what is colorism, or what does that have to do with race, systemic racism, and how we look at people - then marketing and advertising, as we’ve known it to always exist in the United States, has largely been doing its job. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right job - in fact, today, we’re going to talk all about why it’s so important to understand colorism as a fundamental piece of our systems that affect us all (like racism), and also the very personal impact that it can have on people. We’re here to learn in 2022, and to keep asking those questions that make us think deeper and challenge what we’ve always been told.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What is colorism?
How colorism has impacted Mita personally, as she shares in her piece in Cosmopolitan
The clear ways that the marketing industry still has a problem, as she writes in Harvard Business Review
Other industries that need to be aware of the impact of our bias towards lighter skin

About Mita: Mita Mallick is a corporate change-maker with a track record of transforming businesses. She gives innovative ideas a voice and serves customers and communities with purpose. She is currently the Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta. She was formerly the Head of Inclusion and Cross Cultural Marketing at Unilever. She has had an extensive career as a marketer in the beauty and consumer product goods space. Mallick is a LinkedIn Top Voice, a contributor for Entrepreneur and Harvard Business Review, and her writing has been published in Adweek, Fast Company and Business Insider.

She is also the cohost of the recently launched The Brown Table Talk Podcast, where she and Dee Marshall share stories and tips on how to help Women of Color win at work, and advice for allies on how they can show up.

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! Or, in English, Happy New Year!

We kick off this first episode of 2022 by reintroducing ourselves, so you know who we are and where we’re coming from as you listen to all the episodes to come (because you’re following our show on your favorite podcast app, right?). But we also did that so we can begin engaging a skill that is urgent to focus on this year - namely, critical thinking.

In today’s episode, we dive into the booming economic statistics from the US and how that stands in stark contrast to the majority of Americans who disapprove of the state of the economy, and how our news sources may be playing an outsized role in our perception of reality. There are psychological trends we want to steel ourselves against, because this applies to the Big Lie, or the January 6th insurrection, or COVID vaccines, or racism, or basically any topic that you’ve read about or heard about or discussed that’s been in the news lately.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How to say Happy New Year in Japanese! Plus, Sara & Misasha’s personal backgrounds
Factual statistics about the out-performance of the US economy in 2021, in stark contrast to polling data showing American disappointment with the economy
What psychological forces are at play when we take in negative news, what we can know and do to keep ourselves from falling into common traps, and why we think critical thinking is the biggest tool we need to sharpen in 2022

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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Well, we made it to the end of 2021. As we think back on this year, we’re sharing not only a little bit about the podcast and Dear White Women platform (along with our favorite episodes and guests), but also looking back at some key events of 2021, and what we did for self-care and community. Our hope for you is to listen, reflect, and think about what you’re going to do to make change going into 2022.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Dear White Women achievements from the year, including our most memorable episodes and conversations
What the world went through in 2021 that leads us to say we’re at a major turning point of our country’s democracy
What we can each commit to doing in 2022

Buy our book, Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and leave us a review on Amazon!

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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We’re finally done with 2021… but if 2020-2021 taught us anything, it’s that this period of time we are living through will be examined in the history books. Our grandkids will be asking us what life was like during the global pandemic, where we were during the January 6 insurrection, and what we did to stand up against the racial and social injustices that were made so painfully clear during this time.

So, as we re-cast this first episode of the year with you as a recap, consider what YOU did this year to make change - and what side of history you ended up finding yourself on. Then, think about how you want to show up in 2022!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Anger - how white anger is viewed differently than anger expressed by people of color, and where white anger can be expressed without repercussion (hint: it’s pretty much everywhere)
The power of White women and some reasons why concepts that many believe should be central to all women are not supported by a large portion of this voting bloc
Conspiracy theories - what makes people vulnerable to them, and what to do about them
Empathy - how and why White liberals sought legal equality in the Civil Rights Era without believing Black people to be their equals, and what true empathy might look like

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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One thing that we’ve found to be true, from discussions around the book, to how to have uncomfortable conversations around the dinner or holiday tables, to sharing the stories that we are so lucky to be able to get to do on this podcast - it all comes back to how this work, the hard work of inclusion, anti-racism, and how to make lasting change, has to start first from within. We have to see each other as humans first, and find those commonalities so that we can then address our differences. Cancel culture isn’t working out. We need bridges in order to be able to see that new world.

This skill of looking within - it’s something that we talk about so much with our kids and their learning but something that we, as adults, largely brush to the side as one of those nebulous “nice to haves”. But that’s where we go wrong. We need empathy now more than ever, and today’s guest, Syah, is here to show us how to approach conversations - and indeed, all the spheres of influence that we each hold - with that empathy that we need to make intentional, lasting change. There were light bulb moments for both of us throughout this podcast, and we’d love to hear if any came up for you all as well.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The power of empathy, and the role it plays in anti-racism work
What resistance Syah sees in talking about empathy in the workplace
Specific exercises we can do to boost our empathy skills - these were BRILLIANT

About Syah:

Syah is a creative strategist, able to design and facilitate transformative experiences that expand one’s awareness of themselves, other cultures, and oppressive systems. Their goal is to shift our standards for workplace culture to be more sustainable and empowering for marginalized communities. A seasoned social justice educator, Syah is able to use their counseling psychology background to unveil hard truths in intentional ways that can be received, processed, and acted upon. Syah also serves as a proud board member of two LGBTQ+ led nonprofit organizations. Joy as Resistance which is dedicated to promoting the hope and joy of LGBTQIA2+ youth through comprehensive mental health and wellness services. And Envision: You who Supports LGBTQ+ folks struggling with mental and behavioral health challenges.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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One of the questions that often has come up around our recent publication of our book (leave us a review on Amazon!) is what it was like to write the book during the end of 2020. And one of the things that always sticks out to us is that the problems, the racism, the treatment of non White people in this country that we wrote about in great detail throughout the book, didn’t get fixed in 2020, or 2021. In fact, every single chapter that we wrote in the second and third sections of the book has reoccurred numerous times over since we wrote the book. We’re not in some post racial world here. We didn’t fix racism because people suddenly realized that it was still happening sometime in the summer of 2020.

And our next guest knows that all too well. Tamara Winfrey-Harris wrote The Sisters Are Alright in 2015, and just released a second edition to this book this year. Not because racism is over, or we figured out intersectional feminism, or that we’re even all on the same page - not at all. The second edition includes so much more information about the stereotypes and experiences of Black women in America, what we need to know when it comes to intersectional feminism, interracial friendships, and simply co-existing with and respecting everyone. In the end, the sisters are alright. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a ton of work to do - so start by listening in and reflecting on your own perceptions, experiences, and things YOU can do differently.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The four stereotypes of Black women, and how they play out in our society today (and take a moment to reflect - do you see any of these yourself?)
Tamara’s thoughts on if White women can be allies (spoiler alert: YES!), and what allyship really means
Ways to combat our tendency to lump people into stereotypes, and instead, challenge ourselves to see people’s intersectionalities and identities - their humanity

About Tamara Winfrey-Harris

Tamara Winfrey-Harris is a writer who specializes in race and gender and their intersection with politics, popular culture, and current events. She is the author of Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters on Stepping into Your Power, and she has been called to share her analyses in media outlets such as NPR's Weekend Edition and Janet Mock's So POPular! on MSNBC.com. Her work has also appeared in countless outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, Bitch Magazine, Ms. and other media. Winfrey-Harris is Vice President of Community Leadership and Effective Philanthropy at the Central Indiana Community Foundation, and she speaks at university campuses nationwide. She has dedicated her life's work to advocating for Black women and girls and defying destructive social narratives that limit their potential. She is co-founder of Centering Sisters, LLC, which unapologetically addresses the needs and issues of Black women, girls, and femmes. Learn more at TamaraWinfreyHarris.com.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Our next guest is not only the author of a book we both can’t wait to read - Decolonizing Wellness - but also talks specifically to those individuals who are at the intersection of BIPOC and LGBTQ identities. When you think about bodies, beauty, and self-care, that’s often a group that gets lost, not only in popular consciousness but also in media portrayals of what is considered desirable or attractive. And, when you’re struggling to be seen, or fit in, or even survive - this can be devastating.

This was yet again one of those conversations that we didn’t want to end, and each of us walked away with different ways to think about not only our own bodies, but what we put in them, how we interact with those around us with regard to wellness - especially kids, and ways in which we can better support and understand the struggle of marginalized individuals when it comes to preconceived notions of health and beauty.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How cisgender, heteronomative, Eurocentric standards of beauty that we see in mass media add to the body image concerns of queer people
Additional challenges to body positivity when it comes to people who are both BIPOC and LGBTQ+
Knowing and listening to our own bodies better, including what we put into them
Kids, nutrition, and diet culture

About Dalia:

Dalia Kinsey is a Registered Dietitian and Inclusive Wellness coach with over 10 years of experience working at the intersection of holistic wellness and social justice in public and private sectors. Dalia rejects diet culture and teaches people to use nutrition as a self-care and personal empowerment tool to counter the damage of systemic oppression. On a mission to spread joy, reduce suffering, and eliminate health disparities in the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community, Dalia leverages years of experience creating safer spaces for clients to help teams build communication skills that create a solid foundation for inclusion and belonging. Host of the Body Liberation for All podcast and author of Decolonizing Wellness: How to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve Body Liberation; A QTBIPOC-Centered Guide to Self-Love, Dalia continually creates wellness tools and resources that center the most vulnerable, individuals that hold multiple marginalized identities. Dalia’s work can be found at https://www.daliakinsey.com/

Connect with Dalia:

Instagram

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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While there is no official checklist for success, we DO have quite a number of tips to help guide you and your group into more meaningful, engaging conversations around your holiday table.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Tips for before, during, and after your holiday gatherings
A selection of these tips include:
- knowing yourself and your why,
- setting healthy boundaries,
- using our favorite question “what do you mean by that?”
- using “I statements,”
- questions you can use to reflect on what worked/didn’t work after the event.
You’ll want to listen to the short episode to get the whole range of how to use these tips and more!

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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When we sat down to talk with our next two guests, we were already big fans. They had presented as part of the Embodied Social Justice certificate course that we had taken together this summer, and their theme was clear: how we end racism. In one generation.

So, if your immediate reaction is one of incredulity, then maybe you need to hear this episode more than you think. Because their method is not one of hammering hard facts into people’s heads - it’s an approach based primarily on love, compassion, and our shared humanity. We talk in-depth about the conversations that can bring seemingly opposite people together, even when issues of politics and race would normally divide them. (And - if you’re looking for more tips on how to HAVE those uncomfortable conversations that may be happening in the next couple of weeks around your own holiday tables, we’ve got those details in depth next week!). At the end of our chat, we realized that this was the conversation we all, collectively, need to have, if we’re really serious about moving the needle when it comes to racism.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The importance of processing a timeline for ending racism - running TO a goal, instead of running AWAY from a goal
How self-care plays into dismantling racism
What happens when people focus on the humanity in each other versus constructs such as political or racial divides
A specific method - if only for today - that focuses on the intentions we can all bring to our daily lives to begin the process of ending racism

ABOUT JUSTIN:

From growing up with gunshot holes outside of his bedroom window, to sharing the stage with Deepak Chopra, Justin Michael Williams knows the power of healing to overcome. He is an author, top 20 recording artist, and transformational speaker who is using music and meditation to wake up the world.

When he was younger, Justin always wanted to be a singer, but a lifetime of being bullied, teased, and abused, made him give up his dream. Then after a seminal moment with his dying grandmother, Justin woke up—and his debut album premiered in the top 20 of the iTunes charts next to Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. He has since been featured by Billboard, Grammy.com, SXSW®, and shared on stages alongside some of the most compelling leaders of our time, including Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, and Chaka Khan.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Justin has become a pioneering voice of color for the new healing movement—between his podcast, keynotes, and motivational online platforms, Justin’s teachings have now spread to more than 40 countries around the globe.

Justin is dedicated to using his voice to serve. To being a beacon of hope for those who are lost, and to making sure all people, of all backgrounds, have access to the information they need to change their lives.

“When people wake up to their own brilliance—it’s like magic," says Williams. 'If my work and art can inspire people to do that, then I’ve fulfilled my mission.”

His first book, Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us, was released nationwide February 11, 2020.

ABOUT SHELLY:

Shelly Tygielski is the author of the book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self- Care Can Change the World, which launched on October 26, 2021 from New World Library. She is also the founder of Pandemic of Love, a global, grass-roots, volunteer-led mutual aid community that has directly matched over 1.7 million people since the beginning of the COVID- 19 pandemic, accounting for over $57 million in direct transactions. Her work has been featured in over 100 media outlets including CNN Heroes of 2020, Forbes, Upworthy, The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, the New York Times and Washington Post.

Shelly has been hailed by individuals from President Joe Biden to Arianna Huffington, and Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn to Maria Shriver. Shelly is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher named one of the “12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement” by Mindful Magazine in 2019. She teaches formalized self-care and resilience practices at organizations around the world, and is widely regarded as a self-care activist. She is happily married to her husband, Jason, and is an adoring mother to her son, Liam. As part of her own self-care, Shelly makes time for skateboarding, playing guitar and making craft cocktails. Since mid-2020, Shelly and Jason have been relocating every few months, exploring and adapting to a modern nomadic lifestyle.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World

Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us

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We first heard about our guest today when we were all participating in the Edelweiss Book Fest as Editors’ Picks and couldn’t get her, or her book, out of our heads. While “abolition” has been a word largely associated with slavery, it has taken on a new meaning when it comes to the police in America. Yes, we know - this word is scary. Police reform can seem daunting. But Derecka Purnell not only understands that, but she has a framework for how we need to be thinking about this process, and what new structures can be built in its place.

Listen in to hear more about becoming abolitionists, the lack of history of White resistance, Derecka’s own personal thought journey, and so much more. We really enjoyed this conversation - and learned so much - and hope you do too.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How Derecka’s views of the role of the police changed from her childhood to her organizer days
Why police reform is something that affects all of us, not just BIPOC individuals
Why the history of White resistance is missing in our history books, and what that means for abolishing the police or other similar movements

About Derecka: DERECKA PURNELL received her JD from Harvard Law School and works to end police and prison violence by providing legal assistance, research, and training to community-based organizations through an abolitionist framework. Her work and writing has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, the Boston Globe, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, The Appeal, Truthout, Slate, and many other publications. She is the co-creator of the COVID19 Policing Project at the Community Resource Hub for Safety Accountability.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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If you’re listening to this episode on the day it’s released, this is Election Day in the United States. So, if you haven’t gone to vote yet, and you’re not in a mail-in ballot state, go do that and come back and listen - or, if you’re not sure if you’re going to vote, you may want to listen right now and make time to get out and cast your ballot.

Because this Election Day is really important, especially if you’re in states like Virginia.

Why? Well, according to Heather Cox Richardson: “We are in an existential fight to defend our democracy from those who would destroy it. People seem to hark back to films from the 1930s and 1940s and think that so long as we don’t have tanks in our streets, our government is secure. But in this era, democracies die more often through the ballot box than at gunpoint.”

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why voting at this particular juncture in history is actually part of an existential fight to preserve our democracy - and we’re not exaggerating
The real-life revelations about people who tried to overturn the election - and who barely failed; still, the 33 new election laws we’ve seen passed in 19 states will not fail.
Resources you want to have, like the Hotline to the Election Protection network: https://866ourvote.org/ or 866-OUR-VOTE, if you see something or have a question.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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When we first thought about talking to our guest John Tateishi today, we thought about diving into the reparations process that he helped lead for Japanese survivors of the internment camps on American soil - especially as a great follow-up to our conversation with cameron whitten about reparations for slavery. Being biracial Japanese/White women, growing up in the United States meant that the history of internment camps, reparations, and the treatment of Japanese Americans as the “other” were things that we didn’t necessarily learn about in school, but knew through our communities. We thought we couldn’t speak to a better person about this than someone who had been deeply and critically involved in the Japanese American reparations process from the start.

What we didn’t expect, however, was the personal history lesson that we got - from what it was like in Manzanar, to coming back to postwar Los Angeles, to what it means to be an American. You won’t want to miss this conversation - in fact, we had to cut it short when we wanted to talk to John for several more hours. Get ready to learn everything you didn’t learn in school today.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

John’s personal experience as a young person incarcerated at Manzanar - and what it was like returning to society
The makeup of Los Angeles in the post-war period - and how different communities banded together
What John sees as the differences between the successful campaign he helped lead for Japanese American reparations, and what hurdles are facing Black Americans, starting with HR40

About John Tateishi: Incarcerated as a child in one of America’s WWII concentration camp, John Tateishi carried that memory with him when he launched the Japanese American reparations campaign in 1978. He directed the public affairs and legislative strategies of the campaign until 1986, two years before the campaign ultimately culminated with the signing of the Civil Liberties Act. Ten years later, he led the JACL’s challenge against the Bush administration’s policies that targeted Arab and Muslim communities and undermined the civil liberties of all Americans. He is the author of Redress: The Inside Story of the Successful Campaign for Japanese American Reparations (2020).

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Redress: The Inside Story of the Successful Campaign for Japanese American Reparations

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When you hear the word “reparations” - what do you think? If you’re like us, it’s probably something you sort of thought about in theory, but realize there’s so much to understand that you want to hide. It’s not an easy word with an easy answer or a clear path forward, nor is it uncomplicated.

Fortunately, we love to get complicated AND messy on this podcast, and so that’s why we’re thrilled today to have cameron whitten, the CEO of the racial justice nonprofit Brown Hope and Co-Founder of the Black Resilience Fund on today to talk about reparations, H.R. 40, Portland, and answer all of the questions you may have thought of - or even some that you have not - about reparations.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What the word “reparations” really means when we talk about healing the legacy of slavery
How reparations can actually show up - is it only cash? Who should the recipients be? And how should they be paid for?
What the bill HR 40 entails
The history of Portland and Oregon when it comes to slavery and racism

About cameron:

At the age of eighteen, cameron whitten (all pronouns) worked themself out of youth homelessness in Portland and has spent the past decade giving back to the same community that was here when they needed it most. cameron has been a leader in several movements for social change, served as the Executive Director of Q Center, and is currently the CEO of racial justice nonprofit Brown Hope and Co-Founder of the Black Resilience Fund. They serve on the board of REACH CDC and Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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It’s book launch day! And if you haven’t already pre-ordered, it’s time that you get your order in for Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism!

And then tell your friends and family today about it so they order, too.

Will make for some good conversations – plus, we’ll be opening up a book club conversation with you in November!

What to listen for, in celebration of our book launch, are the answers to a few questions we whittled down from an “Ask Us Anything” 24-hour callout we made on social media and our email list – so you’ll get our real, authentic selves in response to YOUR questions.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Questions were:

What were your initial impressions of each other? Was it friend love at first sight?

How do your kids feel about your podcast and your book?

What was your hardest interview and/or episode to record? Why?

Are there any episodes where you wish you had a do-over? Why?

Where do each of you record your podcast? Where are your families then?

How do you envision your work evolving going forward?

Where to order your copy of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Remember the Titans has the specific scene that happens part of the way through the movie, when Coach Boone gets everyone out of bed in the middle of the night and tells them they’re going for a run in the woods. They run to the location of the Battle of Gettysburg. And Coach Boone stands there and he tells them:

“Anybody know what this place is? This is Gettysburg. This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fightin’ the same fight that we’re still fightin’ amongst ourselves today. This green field right here was painted red, bubblin’ with the blood of young boys, smoke and hot lead pourin’ right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men: “I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.” You listen. And you take a lesson from the dead. If we don’t come together right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed - just like they were. I don’t care if you like each other or not. But you will respect each other.”

That’s a movie, but we’re in this same place right now. We’ve been here throughout the past 5 years and while people have chosen to look away, believing that things are better in 2021 - they’re not. Listen to this episode to hear just how bad things have become - and what we can do about it, because while we are in a constitutional crisis, it’s not too late to push for change and get loud.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why the 2020 election and January 6 was so much worse than we believed, with the release of the Eastman memo
What is the election reform that certain Republicans are pushing, and why we’re investigating election results when no fraud has been established
What’s at stake if we don’t abolish the filibuster - because right now, it’s progress, or the destruction of our democracy
The numbers to call Congress and the White House - and other ways to demand that we remove the filibuster

More resources:

DWW Ep 110: Why we should all care about the filibuster

Kagan’s Op/Ed in the Washington Post

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121, the White House at (202) 456-1111, or your Senators or Representatives to abolish the filibuster. Discuss what’s at stake (Immigration reform, The For the People Act, The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, Reproductive rights, Gun control, Medicare for All, A Green New Deal, A $15 minimum wage, and the foundations of our democracy).

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Sometimes there are those books that are so hauntingly beautiful, disturbing, or touching (or all three) that you can’t stop thinking about them for days after you finally put them down after binge reading them. Some of those for us are The Handmaid’s Tale, or Americanah, or Song of Solomon. But recently, we found another book that we’ve been thinking about ever since putting it down - Beautiful Country.

In her debut memoir, which she started writing in 2016 while on the subway on her iPhone, Qian Julie Wang tells her story of being an undocumented seven-year-old who arrives in New York City in 1994 with her parents from northern China - and all of the wonders and heartbreak and LIFE that happens as you come of age in a country that has expressly shown you that you don’t belong, in so many ways. Talking to her was like seeing this book come to life - but we didn’t just stop with the book. Listen in to hear about Beautiful Country, but also so much more, in this conversation that we didn’t want to end.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What it felt like to risk everything and write openly about their move away from China
Experiences growing up living in fear and poverty in New York, and how that’s shaped her current career as a lawyer
Her thoughts on Afghani refugees, anti-Asian hate, and what we can all do to better understand the people in our communities

About the book: In Chinese, the word for America, “Mei Guo,” translates directly to “Beautiful Country.” Yet when 7-year-old Qian is plucked from her comfortable life in China where she’s surrounded by friends and family and arrives in New York City in 1994, she finds the roads paved not with gold, but instead crushing fear and scarcity. Her professor parents now work in Chinatown sweatshops and sushi factories. Instead of laughing at her jokes, they fight constantly. She no longer loves school because she’s too hungry to pay attention. Her mother, her sole confidante, is too sick to get out of bed, but going to the doctor isn't an option. And most distressing of all: the number one rule in America is that she must go unnoticed—or risk losing everything. It’s under this perpetual specter of deportation that we watch Qian Julie come of age. Yet, while Qian Julie’s is a story of hopes dashed, it’s also one of life lived tenaciously in their stead, with small, vital joys and glimmers of hope: a dollar slice of pizza, Rockefeller Center at Christmastime, a bedroom with her own door, or her very own Tamagotchi digital pet.

About the author: Although the book ends when Qian Julie Wang’s family leaves the US 5 years later, her remarkable true story did not end there. She attended Swarthmore College and Yale Law School and, until recently, worked as a high-powered corporate litigator in Manhattan—in fact, she wrote the book almost entirely on her iPhone during her daily subway commute. She is now pursuing her advocacy work full-time and is managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, a firm dedicated to advocating for education and discrimination rights. She regularly speaks and writes on these issues, including recent op-eds for the New York Times and Washington Post.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Americanah: A novel (ALA Notable Books for Adults)

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Last week’s episode was all about QAnon and how conspiracy theories can divide us as a nation. One of the things we think we can do to bridge the divide is bring mindfulness and skills around living with mindfulness into conversations about race, racism, identity, and beliefs - and to do that, we got to speak with an incredible law professor named Rhonda McGee.

In speaking with Rhonda, we learned not only about the role of law in helping - and hurting - racial divides, but we also discussed the role of mindfulness in helping people come into a grounded space to do this work in the first place. Once we added in her own brand of racial awareness called ColorInsight, we left this conversation with not only some reframed concepts but a deeper understanding of why we all need to be doing this work.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How her background in law drew her into mindfulness - this part will blow your mind
For those who are new to mindfulness and new to meditation, Professor McGee leading us through an actual few minutes of meditation!
ColorInsight and what it means to hold race in our bodies
How we can all navigate criticism - from Black people about catering to Whiteness, from White people about being racist for naming White as a race - in a more mindful way

About Rhonda: RHONDA V. MAGEE is a professor of law at the University of San Francisco. Also trained in sociology and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), she is a highly practiced facilitator of trauma-sensitive, restorative MBSR interventions for lawyers and law students, and for minimizing the effects of social-identity-based bias. Magee has been a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Law and Society and a visiting professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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This fall we’re focused on hot-button topics. If you remember, we kicked off the fall with a conversation about the census and representation, which then moved into representation in the media and movies with Kamala Avila-Salmon, the head of inclusive content at Lionsgate Films. Today, we’re here to talk about another hot button topic that we’ve all heard about the last couple of years but we’ve never touched yet on the show: QAnon.

This conversation we’re about to share gave us some perspective on what really was happening with the development of the conspiracy theory, what risks we face as a country if we let this fester (it’s not good), and what we can each do differently that we weren't doing beforehand.

ALSO - we have one month until our book launch! For those of you who are at all interested in joining our book launch team, email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com for details on what’s involved. We’d love to have you be a part of our book community!

What to listen for:

The basic beliefs of QAnon, and what our guests think the harm is from letting the reported 17% of the US adult population who believes in this (baseless) conspiracy theory continue
The influence of women - White women - in the growth and depth of QAnon
What psychological needs QAnon fills for those who have fallen down the rabbit hole
Importantly - what can each of us say or do for those people in our lives who believe in QAnon?

About the authors:

Mia Bloom is the International Security Fellow at New America, professor at Georgia State University, and member of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group. She has authored several books on violent extremism including Small Arms: Children and Terrorism (2019), Bombshell: Women and Terrorism (2011), and Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror (2005).

Sophia Moskalenko is a psychologist studying mass identity, inter-group conflict, and conspiracy theories. She has written several books, including the award-winning Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us (2011) and The Marvel of Martyrdom: The Power of Self-Sacrifice in the Selfish World (2019).

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror

The Marvel of Martyrdom: The Power of Self-Sacrifice in a Selfish World

Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us

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We promised last week in our intro to fall and census conversation that we’d be focusing on some hot button topics that we’ve seen trending of late.

And representation is a huge one - especially with the recent release of the mostly Asian cast of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - and the question of how people in the entertainment field can get “diverse” movies totally right, or totally wrong.

Today we’re talking with the fantastic Kamala Avila-Salmon, head of inclusive content at Lionsgate, about some hard truths around media, entertainment and diversity. In this episode, there’s a lot for us to think about as consumers, and as people in our own fields who might want to make change - things to think about to make sure we’re not being performative and missing the mark, but instead, digging deep and thinking holistically about changing the narrative.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The state of the entertainment industry when it comes to “diverse” films - how much money is being left on the table right now, who the target audience of these films are, and how to think about casting
The day to day life and specific challenges of someone who brings integrity-filled diversity to the movies we see on our screens
Kamala’s theory of change when it comes to racial awareness and racial justice
What we can do as audience members to demand more diversity in films
Kamala’s favorite movies!

About Kamala:

Kamala Avila-Salmon is the Head of Inclusive Content at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. She joined Lionsgate from Facebook, where she launched the Marketing Inclusion strategy within their Consumer Marketing team. Kamala began her career in the marketing department of RCA Records, then joined Bad Boy Records; she also worked at Universal Pictures and then moved to NBC Entertainment in TV. Kamala joined Google Play as an executive responsible for marketing campaigns to promote Google Play Music and Google Play Movies, then transitioned to the launch team for YouTube TV.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Hello and welcome to Fall! What we’re really excited about - besides our book coming out in mid October! - is our fall lineup of episodes. Now that we’re done with our Summer of Action, we’re focused on issues that have not only been in our consciousness, but ones that we’ve been hearing about throughout 2021 and ones that we’d like to highlight for the fall.

In September, we’ll be focusing on current events and topics that you may have heard about in the news - including representation in the media, Qanon, and so much more. October will be devoted to all things voting and our political systems as we look at the practical things we all need to be aware of when we vote this November, or in 2022 - or as we read or listen to the news. Finally, in November, we’ll be talking to people who are working on transformative change in their own spheres of influence, and see how they got involved in doing this impactful work.

And to kick this off - let’s talk about the Census. Because we’ve learned a lot about who we are and our own communities with the news that’s been coming out over these last few weeks.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Our summer recap and what it’s like to have some kids back in school!
The overview of our fall lineup
Breaking down the latest census information - how the census impacts policies and elections not just for the next ten years, but for potentially the next hundred
How lawmakers froze the number of members in the House of Representatives at a max - even though that cap is not mandated in the Constitution
And yes, of course, how the demographics appear to be showing a marked decline in the White population of this country - and how that can be both reality and a question of more accurate data

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Let’s talk about workplace safety. No, not that kind of workplace safety - we’re here to talk about building psychologically safe workspaces, which in our opinion is a crucial conversation especially as we’re reimagining workspaces in this era of COVID. And you’ll want to hear this WHOLE conversation, because there are knowledge bombs just being tossed around by our guest throughout this entire episode.

Today we’re talking to Jeff Harry, who is the founder of Rediscover Your Play, and who works with companies and individuals to help lift their veil of BS in order to make their work more fulfilling and rediscover their joyful purpose, all the while removing what is getting in the way of their success. This conversation got us thinking, and we hope it gets you thinking too.

After this episode, which sadly is the very last in our Summer of Action, our ask is this: tell all your friends to listen to this episode, especially those with workplaces. And take a good hard look at your own workplace. How can you make it more psychologically safe for EVERYONE who works there?

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What constitutes a psychologically safe workplace
How people can navigate toxic situations and have important challenging conversations in a way that gets past performative allyship
Why and how Jeff addresses toxic masculinity in his work
How broad of a concept play really can be, and what are some of the necessary steps to be able to truly play - both at work and in all the other spheres of our lives

About Jeff:

Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by playing. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

Jeff is an international speaker who has presented at conferences such as INBOUND, SXSW, and Australia’s Pausefest, showing audiences how major issues in the workplace can be solved using play. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 for his organizational development work around dealing with toxic people in the workplace. His play work has most recently been featured in the Upworthy, Mashable, Shondaland, and the NY Times. He has also been featured on AJ+, SoulPancake, the SF Chronicle, and CNN.

While we spend most of our time pretending to be important, serious grownups, it's when we let go of that facade and just play, that the real magic happens. Fully embracing your own nerdy genius — whatever that is — gives you the power to make a difference and change lives. Jeff believes that we already have many of the answers we seek, and by simply unleashing our inner child, we can find our purpose and, in turn, help to create a better world.

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

Website: RediscoverYourPlay.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jeffharryplays

Instagram: @jeffharryplays

TikTok: @jeffharryplays

Medium: @jeffharryplays

Twitter: @jeffharryplays

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-harry-6991a94/

RESOURCES TO INSPIRE YOU TO PLAY MORE

How To Stop Wasting Time Scrolling And Start Finding Joy In Play - Mashable
Adults Need Playtime Just As Must As Kids - Shondaland
How Do You Add Play To Grown-Up Life - Even Now - NY Times
These People Who Took Risks And Found Their Purpose Through Passion - Upworthy

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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If you’re listening to this episode at the time that it’s being released, and you’re thinking about work, you’re probably thinking about returning to a physical office in this new land of the Delta variant, or perhaps you’re looking for a job, or you’re figuring out how to get a new job because you’re done with the one that you have. Or maybe you don’t want to talk or think about work at all. But the reality is - we all understand work dynamics and most of us cannot escape the reality that we do need to belong to a group that provides us with money to make a living.

So here’s our question: what happens when you make a mistake at work?

What if we told you that there’s another way to do business - one that focuses on love?

We were convinced that this might work after we spoke with our guests today - and read their book. Mohammed Anwar and Jeff Ma are executives at Softway, a company whose mission is to bring humanity back to the workplace. In their book, Love as a Business Strategy, they break down how this is possible. After you’ve heard what they have to say, here’s what we’d like you to do: tell all your friends to listen (you knew that was coming!). Then buy their book from their website, and download the free resources too. Read it, and share it with your teams - both at work, and in other spheres. And then let us know what most resonated with you by emailing us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

Let’s put humanity first at work and see where that gets us.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The major dysfunction in Softway’s company culture that led them to make a shift
The biggest resistance to the idea of love in the workplace
What it takes for leadership to lead a massive shift in workplace culture
How using love as a business strategy affected their relationships outside the workplace

About our guests:

Jeff Ma

Jeff spent the first decade of his career working in the video game industry, from game testing to project management. He continues to bring his love for games into everything he does, from playing with his kids to training and coaching leaders.

Jeff has a burning passion for board games, magic tricks, Agile, and growth mindsets. He was born and raised in Texas, where he and his beautiful wife, Maggie, dote heavily on their wonderful children, Cody and Penelope.

Mohammad Anwar

Mohammad is the youngest of five children and was born and raised in Saudi Arabia by Indian parents from Bengaluru. He graduated from the University of Houston (Go Coogs) with a BS in Computer Science and started Softway at twenty, where he still serves as the President and CEO.

Mohammad lives in Sugar Land, Texas, with his amazing wife Yulia, a Russian diver and five-time Olympic medalist, and his beautiful children, Sufia and Moshin. In his spare time, he enjoys fitness, watching college sports, and butchering American idioms.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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Love as a Business Strategy: Resilience, Belonging & Success

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After last week’s episode with Christine Platt (aka the Afrominimalist), this scenario may sound familiar: You look around your house. It’s full of stuff - stuff that you don’t wear, stuff that you don’t use, stuff that you don’t need. You gather everything up in bags and boxes and, once the Donate pile is big enough, you move it to the garage or outside, ready for the next step. But then you pause. What IS the next step? Where do you take what you don’t need anymore, that can provide the most help for people who really do need these things?

We sat down with Sable Schultz, the Director of Transgender Services at the Center on Colfax in Denver, Colorado, to talk about a very different - and important - way in which your donations can make not only an impact, but really show someone that they matter.

After you tell all your friends about this episode, look up the organizations that Sable mentions. Do the Google search for your own city. Think twice about where your donations go, because sometimes, even if it’s not the easiest option, it’s the most impactful. And remember that small things, like adding your pronouns to your email or asking someone for theirs, can make all the difference.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Small things you can do to make a difference, including ways you can choose to direct your clothing donations
Gender identity vs gender expression
What it means to transgender individuals to have clothing that matches their identity

About Sable: Sable Schultz (she/her/hers) is the Director of Transgender Services at The Center on Colfax, where her work includes inclusivity and awareness trainings, providing resources support services for the trans community in the Denver metro area, and programming to assist in developing community awareness and engagement. Sable is a queer, poly, trans woman; social justice warrior; and witch and has been engaged in inclusivity and advocacy work for over 15 years. She has worked with the Mental Health Center of Denver, University of Denver’s Center for Multicultural Excellence, the Movement Advancement Project, and the LGBTQ Student Resource Center on Auraria campus. Sable enjoys computer, console, and tabletop gaming and is active in the Leather and pagan communities.

About The Center on Colfax: The Center on Colfax opened in 1976 and over the years has grown to become the largest community center in the Rocky Mountain region, giving voice to Colorado’s LGBT community and playing a pivotal role in statewide initiatives to reduce harassment and discrimination. Today the Center is focused on fulfilling its mission – to engage, empower, enrich and advance the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of Colorado – by ensuring that every member of the LGBT community has access to the programs and resources they need to live happy, healthy, and productive lives.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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When you think about liberation, what comes to mind: Intentional action? Physical protests? Thoughtful contemplation? One thing we didn’t really think about was minimalism as a form of liberation. We didn’t see the connection then between liberation and simplifying until after we spoke with our guest, and read her book. Now we believe: less can be liberation.

Today we interview Christine Platt, who is also known as the Afrominimalist. And in preparation, ask yourself: what is a minimalist space? Once you’ve got that vision, the next question is: whose aesthetic is this? After you listen to this episode, we challenge you to tell five people about this episode - and then start examining how minimalism can be liberation in YOUR life and other ways to view minimalism that aren’t part of the mainstream narrative. And then go and buy her book, The Afrominimalist.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why minimalism is so difficult to begin to embrace in the first place
What Afrominimalism does that makes it stand out from decluttering and following the Instagram vision of minimalism and Marie Kondo-ing your spaces
How your energy shifts once as you transition to your own aesthetic, and how YOU can get started making changes in your own life right now

About Christine:

Christine Platt is a modern-day Renaissance woman. From serving as an advocate for policy reform to using the power of storytelling as a tool for social change, Christine’s work reflects her practice of living with intention. She holds a BA in Africana Studies, an MA in African-American Studies, and a JD in General Law. Christine has written over two dozen literary works for people of all ages. When she’s not writing, Christine spends her time curating The Afrominimalist—a creative platform chronicling her journey to minimalism. Visit her online at TheAfrominimalist or on Instagram @afrominimalist.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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After what seemed like five years rolled into one in 2020, it’s hard to believe that we are now approximately halfway through 2021. We hope that our earlier summer episodes have given you all some ways to practically and intentionally think differently about small, yet impactful, decisions that we make as part of our everyday lives.

But as we think of summer, we also think about the Summer Olympics. In general, we love everything about them - the athletics, the camaraderie, the national pride, the international nature. Really, we love it all.

But what we don’t love about the Olympics this year (besides holding it during a global pandemic) is how Black athletes, and in particular, Black female athletes, have been treated even prior to a single Olympic event happening (and, at the time that we recorded this, it’s still unsure how and if events will happen as planned). We’re breaking down that disparate treatment in today’s episode, along with our thoughts about how best to show your support (the title is probably a spoiler alert there).

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The stories of Sha’Carri Richardson, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia, the Soul Cap, and other stories from this year’s Olympics that make it clear that Black athletes are being treated differently
How the Olympics isn’t really about humanity and celebration of achievement, but about chasing dollars (or whatever currency you use!).
Our view of what you can do to make change: consider not watching the Olympics this year.

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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As we’re still in our summer of action, we had a conversation lately behind the scenes to ask ourselves: are these episodes actionable enough? And we really believe that to make all of this work sustainable, sometimes it has to be in the little things. It has to be in which link you send to your friend about a book you’re recommending - Amazon or Bookshop? - and it has to be in looking deep within yourself and looking around to build a more diverse community. But sometimes it’s also about doing work - social activism, DEI work in your organizations, and the groups you’re a part of.

We’re back with Part 2 of our fabulous conversation with Kelly and Aurora of The Opt-In to look at all different forms of activism, ways to think about where we’ve collectively been and where we are in this realm, and suggestions for courses and people to look at. And fundamentally the message is: we can do hard things. This isn’t even one of the hardest things we’ll do in our lives, but it may be what has the most lasting impact - not only for ourselves but for our kids. Remember: it’s seemingly little things and little choices that make lasting, much larger changes in our communities and our world.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How The Opt-In thinks about social activism, in both corporate and social spheres
Why and how women have been doing tough things all along, and how women have the innate ability to do hard things
Small ways in which we can shift our mindset and our actions to lead to bigger change
Organizations and people Kelly and Aurora suggest we look at to do this work

About Aurora:

Aurora Archer, an Afro-Latina, hustled up the corporate ladder to the executive suite, and yet still experienced the same implicit bias, microaggressions, and overt racism as her parents, who spent their lives working as domestic help while raising Aurora in Texas. After 25 years of marketing awards and promotions, Aurora realized there had to be a better way to use her talents without sacrificing her true self and health. She wisely identified the white supremacist cultural conditioning at the center of the problem, and Aurora set her sights on transforming our culture, from the inside out, one tough conversation at a time. In 2018, Aurora partnered with her white best friend Kelly Croce Sorg to form The Opt-In, and continued the journey of intentionally supporting Kelly and their white podcast listeners, learning community, corporate clients and others to learn with accountability the racial literacy, stamina, and introspective skills they need to help dismantle white supremacy within themselves and all aspects of their lives.

About Kelly:

Kelly Croce Sorg, an expert in white womanhood, grew up über-privileged as the daughter of an NBA team owner. Her father lived the rags-to-riches story of the white American Dream, and her mom, a homemaker, raised the kids while her dad focused on numerous entrepreneurial ventures. After college, Kelly’s adult life looked a lot like those of her white friends and family. Ask most white women her age, and they would tell you Kelly had it all yet she constantly sought self-improvement. It wasn’t until her bestie, Aurora Archer, gifted Kelly the book White Fragility she realized she wasn’t as “woke” as she thought she was, and after numerous heart-to-hearts with Aurora, Kelly opted into examining her white identity as a way to claim her own humanity. She is now co-founder of The Opt-In, where she continues to learn while engaging in the uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations about race with her co-host Aurora, in what she calls a love letter to her white friends and family, advocating that they can all do better, herself included.

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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

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We’re continuing our summer of action and diving deeper. And as we’re releasing this episode, we’re also in the midst of a summer that’s been filled with more friends and family and conversation and ability to BE TOGETHER in a way that we haven’t been able to be since March of 2020. #vaccines

It makes us think of friendship, community, and how much we learn from each other - not only through our similarities, which is how we often create friendships, but also our differences, which can be particularly true when we think about cross-racial friendships and communities.

Today we’re excited to have Kelly and Aurora from The Opt-In, two of our very favorites, to discuss community, cross-racial friendships, and so much more. What we love about these women is that they are real - real about the good parts of their friendships and identities, and also the tough parts. And because we loved them so much, we split our conversation with them into two parts. Part I is this episode. Part II - well, you’ll have to stay tuned. But it centers around what we can all do in terms of social activism and moving the needle - and spoiler alert, it starts from within.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Who Kelly and Aurora are, and what community means to each of them
How community can be hard to find for White people, and some of the ways in which that physically appears
How we can create more inclusive communities for ourselves and our families
The true strengths - and challenges - of cross-racial friendships

About Aurora:

Aurora Archer, an Afro-Latina, hustled up the corporate ladder to the executive suite, and yet still experienced the same implicit bias, microaggressions, and overt racism as her parents, who spent their lives working as domestic help while raising Aurora in Texas. After 25 years of marketing awards and promotions, Aurora realized there had to be a better way to use her talents without sacrificing her true self and health. She wisely identified the white supremacist cultural conditioning at the center of the problem, and Aurora set her sights on transforming our culture, from the inside out, one tough conversation at a time. In 2018, Aurora partnered with her white best friend Kelly Croce Sorg to form The Opt-In and continued the journey of intentionally supporting Kelly and their white podcast listeners, learning community, corporate clients, and others to learn with accountability the racial literacy, stamina, and introspective skills they need to help dismantle white supremacy within themselves and all aspects of their lives.

About Kelly:

Kelly Croce Sorg, an expert in white womanhood, grew up über-privileged as the daughter of an NBA team owner. Her father lived the rags-to-riches story of the white American Dream, and her mom, a homemaker, raised the kids while her dad focused on numerous entrepreneurial ventures. After college, Kelly’s adult life looked a lot like those of her white friends and family. Ask most white women her age, and they would tell you Kelly had it all yet she constantly sought self-improvement. It wasn’t until her bestie, Aurora Archer, gifted Kelly the book White Fragility she realized she wasn’t as “woke” as she thought she was, and after numerous heart-to-hearts with Aurora, Kelly opted in to examining her white identity as a way to claim her own humanity. She is now co-founder of The Opt-In, where she continues to learn while engaging in the uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations about race with her co-host Aurora, in what she calls a love letter to her white friends and family, advocating that they can all do better, herself included.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

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If you’ve been listening to our episodes in order, you know we’ve been focused on the role of community, as well as small business in community - and how we can show up for one another when we support the amazing people who run these.

Today we have Bunnie Hilliard, the owner of an Atlanta-based bookstore called Brave+Kind, on the podcast. She talks about her move from corporate America to opening Brave+Kind, the intentionality that comes into all of her decisions about the physical space of her store as well as how that showed up online during the pandemic, and what she’d like us all to know not only about children’s books but how we can take those conversations into our own homes, and have our buying patterns reflect what we truly believe in.

Our ask for you after you listen: Take those books out of your Amazon cart and find them in an independent bookstore - online, or in your community. Tell all your friends to do the same thing. And if you’re looking for recommendations - shoot us an email at hello at dearwhitewomen dot com. We’ve got you.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What got Bunnie from corporate American to a small business owner with Brave + Kind Bookshop
The role of community in supporting her store, and her own intentionality behind how people can see themselves in Brave+Kind
Some of her must-read books (some of which are new to us as well!)
Her thoughts about Amazon vs. buying from small businesses

About Bunnie:

In her own words, Bunnie Hilliard is a mother, wife, serial entrepreneur, former podcaster, and a believer. She is the owner of Brave+Kind Books, which is a thoughtfully curated little neighborhood kids bookshop with a unique selection of inclusive, classic, artful stories, story clubs, and special gifts in Decatur, Georgia.

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Let’s face it: we are an app-based, “easy button” based, instant gratification kind of society. One click of a button and we get something brought to our house: food, alcohol, flowers - basically anything you can ask for. If it’s not instant, you can get it for free shipping and in two days if you’re an Amazon Prime member. But, as we’ve often asked on this podcast, what is the true cost of your purchases when you’re getting them through these apps, and not through your community and local store owners?

Today we talk to one of those businesses - and the women behind it. Nirvana Soul isn’t only about providing amazing coffee to the people of San Jose, California - it’s about creating community through shared spaces, carefully curated art, and so much more. Be’Anka and Jeronica opened their doors during a pandemic, but in so doing they brought community to their own community - and that’s priceless. Our ask for you after you listen: go find one of these spaces in your own community, go support them (and for real - not in a performative way), and then tell all your friends to do the same. We rise by lifting others, and we need each other right now more than ever.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The journey and process behind opening Nirvana Soul, including the importance of the name
What the role of coffee shops is in communities (hint: it’s not just about coffee)
What Jeronica and Be’Anka want to share with White women about Nirvana Soul, and supporting local Black-owned businesses
The intentionality that they bring into creating community for their staff, and where they see Nirvana Soul going in five and ten years into the future

About Be’Anka and Jeronica:

Jeronica has been in the coffee game for nearly two decades as a barista, manager, and consultant. She knows her sht. And Be’Anka is not just a marketer. She’s a methodical, systematic, demand generation marketer who knows a thing or two about successful retail. Their combined experience of coffee and marketing operations is just as much a unique value as their sisterhood itself. Together, they are Nirvana Soul. Using the power of coffee and tea to bring people together. Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism*: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

Support us through Patreon! Learn about our virtual community – and you’re welcome to join.

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Every once in a while, we both read a book that makes us immediately text the other to say: have you read this? Isn’t it amazing? That’s what happened when we read A Radical Awakening.

We were blown away by the revolutionary way of thinking and being that is suggested for women in this book, and were so deeply grateful to find that Dr. Shefali’s energy and authenticity match her reputation.

There’s little else left for us to say, other than this is a can’t-miss episode, and that you should go to Bookshop to order this book immediately.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How women have been taught to be self-sacrificial, and are afraid to speak up for themselves and each other
What the process of Radical Awakening entails, and how that shows up differently for people of different skin tones
When Dr. Shefali calls Sara out for believing that the “we” culture is on equal footing with the “me” culture in the United States - when in reality, it’s the minority
How doing the inner work translates into women supporting the greater good

About Dr. Shefali:

Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, she brings together the best of both worlds for her clients. She is an expert in family dynamics and personal development, teaching courses around the globe. Dr. Shefali has written four books, including the award-winning, New York Times bestsellers The Conscious Parent and The Awakened Family. She's been featured prominently on Oprah Winfrey's platforms, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Hoda & Jenna, among many others. Dr. Shefali lives in New York City. More at: www.aradicalawakening.com

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The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children

The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting

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Mamas, here’s a real question for you: How Whyte are your spaces?

We write that word that way because the censors seem to be limiting our ability to write it as w-h-i-t-e without being hurt by the algorithms.

But really, when we talk about a summer of action, we mean starting within your very own spheres of influence. And as moms, we have a lot of influence. So let’s start by looking at our own circles!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What Larisa’s experiences of being a woman of color in mothering circles have been like
How Heymama, a fantastic international network of moms, has made a point to embrace inclusivity - and what they’ve done to make these changes
Advice for mom communities on what to think about when you’re considering being more inclusive

About Larisa and HeyMama:

Larisa Courtien is the Senior Director of Partnerships and Experiences at Heymama, a private, inclusive community for working moms who are building their careers and families. #HeyMama

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If you’ve been listening to our podcast for a while, you know that we lean into heart-led action to create change - and today we get to interview an expert on where that heart-led action comes from. Terri Givens is a woman of many talents, but one of them is author, and we’re talking to her about her book Radical Empathy, which provides a framework as to how we reach radical empathy for ourselves, and where radical empathy can be used to make change and bridge racial divides (hint: it’s pretty much everywhere).

We’re also super excited to announce that Terri is the one who wrote the foreword for our forthcoming book Dear White Women: Let’s Get Uncomfortable Talking About Racism - which is now available for preorder!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The six steps to radical empathy - and how it’s tied into action
How Terri’s personal story, including race, contributed to her analysis that outlines this path to bridge racial divides
What role does our empathy towards ourselves play into our ability to extend empathy to others, with regards to “invisible” health issues?

About Terri: Terri Givens is the CEO and Founder of Brighter Higher Ed. She is also a political scientist with more than 30 years of success in higher education, politics, international affairs, and non-profits. She is an accomplished speaker and uses her platform to develop leaders with an understanding of the importance of diversity and encourages personal growth through empathy.

Terri has held leadership positions as Vice Provost at University of Texas at Austin and Provost of Menlo College (first African American and woman); professorships at University of Texas at Austin, and University of Washington. She was the founding director at the Center for European Studies at the University of Texas and led the university’s efforts in Mexico and Latin America as Vice Provost for International Activities. At Menlo College she has led faculty and staff in developing programs for first-generation students, updating curriculum and infrastructure for evidence-based assessment.

Terri is the author/editor of books and articles on immigration policy, European politics, and security. Her most recent book is the memoir, Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides.

Where to buy Radical Empathy: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/radical-empathy

Where to pre-order Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism: https://thecollectivebook.studio/dear-white-women

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We’re here, just over one year after the murder of George Floyd, with a question: now that we’ve spent a year in discussions centered on being more open about racism, systemic racism, and how we can be more anti-racist, what have we actually done about it? How do we feel? Where do we go from here, and more importantly - where should we collectively be moving as a country?

Today’s episode is a conversation - a reflection of what we’ve experienced last year collectively and personally, and most importantly, an introduction to our summer of action. Let’s move past “muted and listening” and onto action, because that’s how we’re actually going to make change, together.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The biggest shifts that Misasha & Sara have seen, both personally, and as a collective in our culture, in the one year since George Floyd was murdered
Why we need to move beyond “muted and listening,” and into concrete action
Introducing our summer of action series of episodes designed to push you to take steps to move the needle on anti-racism, in your own spheres of influence
So tell your friends to follow Dear White Women wherever they listen to podcasts!

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This episode is personal, as we’re both Japanese women. We’ve been called exotic. We’ve had White men visibly change their reactions to us when they find out we’re Japanese. We’ve then had to hear about their “other Asian girlfriends”. For the record? That’s disgusting.

But we need to talk. We need to talk about what we’ve personally experienced, what our Asian female friends have experienced, and the history that we, as a country, don’t want to talk about - namely, how Asian women are seen by Americans, and in particular, White men. Because, more often than not, we’re seen as invisible, exotic, sexual toys. And we’re done with that B.S., to be quite clear.

Because what happens when we don’t talk about it? Atlanta, and the further perpetuation of historical inaccuracies, untruths, and stereotypes that we need to change right now.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The role the US government and military played in the creating the hypersexualized steroetypes of Asian women
Two harmful female Asian stereotypes: The Lotus Flower and Dragon Lady
How our history, unaddressed, leads to false and damaging notions of Asian women - and leads to killings like in Atlanta

For more reading:

How a Long History of Intertwined Racism and Misogyny Leaves Asian Women in America Vulnerable to Violence

A Sociologist's View On The Hyper-Sexualization Of Asian Women In American Society

Fetishized, sexualized and marginalized, Asian women are uniquely vulnerable to violence

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When’s the last time you had a conversation with someone of Asian descent? Not just a transactional conversation, or a “hi how are you” mumbled in passing, but one where you saw them as a product of their history and experiences and asked them something perhaps more sensitive and interesting than “where are YOU from?” Something about their goals, their passions, and how their identities may have played into shaping who they are, rather than relying on the stereotypes that are so pervasive in American culture?

Our guest today, Jerry Won, is the host of Dear Asian Americans, a podcast featured by Apple Podcasts at the TOP of the list of podcasts to listen to for Asian American Pacific Islander Month this May. His podcast growth has more than quadrupled since the latest slew of anti-Asian hate - and he’s used it as an opportunity for personal and professional growth to get more narratives of the often under-celebrated Asian community in America out into the world.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How Asian cultural norms might shape how vocal Asian people in America might be
What Jerry thinks about the model minority myth, and how it places an artificial divide between Asians in America and other minoritized communities
The hypocrisy of people who stand against immigrants, when most of us are descendants of immigrants - even if you look White
How making assumptions about your Asian colleagues may be harming them

About Jerry:

Jerry Won is a storyteller, brand builder, and community leader. He is the Founder & CEO of Just Like Media, an Asian American storytelling company whose podcast brands include Dear Asian Americans, recently featured as the top podcast for APAHM by Apple, and currently working with McDonald’s on the #WeAreAPA campaign.

He is a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator and has worked with organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, LEK Consulting, Horizon Media, and Pepsi. Jerry speaks on a variety of topics including authentic storytelling and the Asian American experience in the workplace.

Prior, he was a Senior Strategy Consultant at Accenture and sales leader at start-ups and F500 companies. Jerry has a BS from USC Marshall and an MBA from Michigan Ross, where he served as President of the Student Government Association. He has served in board and leadership roles of alumni organizations and community non-profits.

Along with his wife Kyung and his two children, Jerry lives in Southern California.

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Continuing with this focus on our Asian stories during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, we want to dismantle one of the most harmful stereotypes of Asian Americans: that of the “model minority.” But what is it, exactly?

It’s many things - we’ve got tons of examples. But fundamentally, it’s the thing that has us believe that all Asians are subservient, meek, and inherently successful - and ignores the complicated history of Asian immigration, the fact that Asians aren’t a monolith, and why this label hurts all of us.

But, other people might argue - as stereotypes go, it seems like a great thing to be called, right? We disagree. And today, we’re going to talk about why we stand against this idea of Asian people being thought of as a model minority.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What is the model minority myth, and where did it originate?
The immigration policies that limited and shaped the influx of people of Asian descent into the United States until the mid-1900s.
The tremendous disparities between the incomes and “success” of Indians in America compared to say Burmese in America - and yet we are all lumped together as “Asian”
Why we firmly stand against the idea of the model minority

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In your elementary, middle, and high school years - what did you learn about Asian American history? Can you name even one specific thing that you learned about the role of Asians in American history? If you can’t name many, you aren’t alone - these weren’t generally taught in schools when we were growing up. And given how things are slow to change, there’s a high chance your children aren’t learning these in school now either. The importance of representation in curriculum is a favorite topic of ours, and today we’re turning this focus on the history of Asian Americans in the United States.

Because if you know the history, you’ll know that anti-Asian racism ain’t new, people. In fact, it’s basically been built into American society for as long as Asians have been in this country. So get ready, because today we’re going to anti-racism school.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Things to listen for:

Specific histories of hate against Asians in American - including Yellow Peril, periods of disease-blaming, Japanese Incarceration, Vincent Chin, and more.
The institutional responses to anti-Asian hate (hint: it wasn’t supportive of the Asian experience)
The erasure of Larry Itliong from the history of the Delano Grape Strike and the United Farm Workers foundation - especially in contrast with Cesar Chavez
What teachers, parents, and really everyone can do to make sure Asian American history gets taught in schools

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We’re kicking off a five-episode series that takes a deeper look into what it means to be Asian/Asian-American in this country - looking at the history behind anti-Asian discrimination, but also really talking about what being Asian means for us, and for our guests. Today we talk about all of that, and more, with Sara’s dear old friend Alan Mak, who is the co-founder and CEO of Version Tomorrow as well as the managing partner of the well-known fashion brand Public School.

This is a conversation not to be missed.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What it was like growing up visibly Asian, in a predominantly White community
The story in the NY city restaurant and what it says about White adjacency
What both Misasha and Alan think about as they stand on the sidelines of their kids’ sports games - being one of the only non-White people there
Race consciousness in the fashion industry
What Alan wishes more White people knew about his Asian experience

About Alan Mak

Co-Founder & CEO – Version Tomorrow Managing Partner – Public School Alan Mak is Co-Founder and CEO of Version Tomorrow and Managing Partner of CFDA award-winning fashion brand Public School.

With nearly 20 years in the fashion industry, as a founder of multiple apparel brands and managing sourcing and production for numerous Advanced Contemporary fashion brands, Alan is currently transforming supply chains and pushing boundaries in material innovation, sustainability and circularity within the fashion industry.

Alan began his career as an Equity Research Analyst covering the Retail and Ecommerce sectors and was also a Competitive Intelligence Analyst in the Enterprise Software industry. Alan is a graduate of Duke University and his current interests lie at the intersection of fashion, consumer and technology.

IG: @alancmak

About Version Tomorrow

VERSION TOMORROW is the first of its kind ultra-premium basics and “blanks” platform that was built from the ground up with the idea that quality needn’t be sacrificed in order for the product to be sustainable. VERSION TOMORROW makes the highest quality, sustainable basics using our own blend of recycled cotton and organic cotton that enables creators of all kinds to easily make sustainable “merch”. VERSION TOMORROW won the 3.0 CFDA + LEXUS FASHION* INITIATIVE.

About Public School

PUBLIC SCHOOL is a New York story. Founded in 2008, PUBLIC SCHOOL continues to evolve the landscape for menswear and women’s wear. The brand blends high and low references from music, art and culture to create a platform that transcends fashion and promotes the ideas of social consciousness and justice. PUBLIC SCHOOL has received numerous industry accolades including winning the CFDA Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent - Menswear, the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, the CFDA American Designer of the Year - Menswear, and the International Woolmark Prize.

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If you’re listening to this episode while scrolling through your phone, we want you to stop and pay attention. This episode, after all, will be all about attention - how we use it, where we spend it, and why some people are so good at pulling attention towards them, good OR bad.

We want to thank Charlie Warzel at the NY Times for bringing this week’s guest, Michael Goldhaber, to our attention. After all, how often do you get to connect with a visionary human being who predicted the destructive forces of social media and the fight for people’s attention - all the way back in the 1980s and 1990s (in other words, before social media even existed)?

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What is the attention economy?
The role of positive vs negative attention - and the role that social media now plays in our human need to matter
How does the attention economy deepen inequality?
Can an attention economy and a democracy coexist?

Want to read more?

NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/opinion/michael-goldhaber-internet.html

Michael Goldhaber from 1997: https://www.wired.com/1997/12/es-attention/

About Michael Goldhaber:

Michael H. Goldhaber, though a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, has spent much of his life looking at the social impacts of technology, the nature of human thought, and related issues. (A.B., Physics, Harvard, 1963, Ph.D., Physics, Stanford, 1968)

In 1968, he cofounded Scientists and Engineers for Social and Political Action, which soon became “Science for the People.”

In about 1982, working at the Institute for Policy Studies, in Washington, DC, he first realized that what was known at the time as “The Information Revolution” actually amounted to a move into a quite new kind of economy, which he labeled “the Attention Economy.” He has been writing and speaking about that on and off since, continually re-evaluating what it means. Some of his articles about it are to be found on the online journal about the Internet, First Monday.

He has recently re-activated his blog, www.goldhaber.org which is mostly on the subject. Recently, Charlie Warzel in The New York Times called him “the Cassandra of the Internet Age” for his predicting the many of the problems caused by the Internet and social media, largely before social media even existed.

In 1986, he published a book Reinventing Technology: Policies for Democratic Values. (Routlege)

He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, Karen Weinstein, and dog, Charlie. He has also pursued abstract painting, novel writing, gardening, and progressive politics.

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The filibuster is a political tool that we’ve been hearing more about in the media - but what is it really, and what role does it play in not only stalling political agendas but importantly, in keeping Black and Brown people suppressed? If we’re going to see it stay - or possibly go away - we need to know more. We’re talking about this today on why we should all care about the filibuster.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

A brief history of voter suppression and the role of the filibuster in legislative action
An explanation of what the filibuster is and how it has been employed and changed
What the filibuster has been used for (to block progressive legislation)
How we can and should address the future of the filibuster

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While “socialism” has often been the catchphrase used to instantly dismiss any talk of building social safety nets, people in a society do need some fundamental assurances of safety in order to function - and function well.

Particularly if you’re a woman, love a woman, or are a person of childbearing age, one specific angle of social safety nets is going to be considered before the Supreme Court. That is to say, access to decisions about women’s reproductive rights: abortion.

Take a listen to learn about the upcoming court cases that may reduce both the role of the government in general and delegate decision-making about important topics like pregnancy to various states instead. Think about who might be in charge of making decisions for you, if that happens…

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What happened to the makeup of the Supreme Court during the Trump presidency, and why that’s important right now
The nondelegation doctrine and its impact on the role of Congress in providing social safety nets, as well as the current thinking around it
Two specific challenges to Roe v. Wade from Alabama and Mississippi that may be heard - and considered - by the Court soon
What the impact of these reproductive rights cases - or, more broadly, social safety net cases - may have on everyone

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2020 was a record-setting year for voting. As Politico noted, the United States saw the largest raw turnout ever, with 81 million voters backing Biden over Trump, whose 74 million votes are the second-most in U.S. history.

But as many news sources noted recently, states nationwide are about to make it harder to vote.

Acting partly in response to widespread false allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election (aka the Big Lie, namely that Trump won the election and there’s widespread voter fraud), state legislatures have introduced about 250 bills this year that would limit access to voting.

We should all be concerned about this. Here’s why.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The specific attacks on voter rights that are happening in states across the country
Why some of this is reminiscent of Jim Crow laws
A legal dive into what’s happening, what’s at stake, and what cases are coming up that we need to pay attention to.
How as voters we can make a difference: who we support, who we talk to, and how hard we fight to keep certain bills from passing.

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We are two Asian American women sitting here, shaken, devastated, and ANGRY about the senseless loss of life in Atlanta. Yet at the same time that we heard that eight people, including six Asian women, had been murdered in their place of business by a sole white male shooter - we were waiting for the excuses. For the lone shooter story. And for the lack of white accountability. And we weren’t disappointed.

Regardless of the shooter’s story, to Asians, this is a hate crime. The problem is that we have a long history in the United States of not being able to call hate crimes what they are - and to not see hate, especially when it’s directed against the model minority.

Ultimately, we need to unify against White supremacy, and call a spade a spade - we must hold people accountable when they commit acts of White supremacy.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The disparate treatment different-looking perpetrators of violence receive in the media
Why the lone shooter theory, or focusing on the shooter’s characteristics and excuses, continues to perpetuate White supremacy
The long history of anti-Asian hate in this country, and the recent spike since 2020 due to racist language from our former President
Why the model minority myth and the perceived “closeness” to White people have made Asian hate crimes invisible and harder to be classified as actual hate crimes

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Love and Logic is a parenting philosophy that’s taken the parenting world by storm, showing adults how to discipline their children without losing their love and respect. Yet in the “real world,” we continue to use a punitive (carceral) system to discipline juveniles and adults alike - a system that disproportionately impacts people of color.

Given our recent conversations on intersectionality and the importance of considering policies that are structured to be good for ALL Americans, how do we want to think about a system of accountability that protects ALL children?

We bring you a conversation with Hari Ziyad, author of Black Boy Out of Time, to talk about their own experiences growing up Black and queer in America, and the necessity of prison abolition - not just physical prison, but the mindset of punishment as a method of control.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The pressures put on Black children
The psychological constructs of imprisonment
What the concept of abolition might look like and start from
How each of us might examine how punishment manifests in our own lives

About Hari:

Hari Ziyad is a cultural critic, a screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr. They are a 2021 Lambda Literary Fellow, and their writing has been featured in BuzzFeed, Out, the Guardian, Paste magazine, and the academic journal Critical Ethnic Studies, among other publications. Previously they were the managing editor of the Black Youth Project and a script consultant on the television series David Makes Man. Hari spends their all-too-rare free time trying to get their friends to give the latest generation of R & B starlets a chance and attempting to entertain their always very unbothered pit bull mix, Khione.

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It’s time we talk about the power that women have - and to be clear, we mean anybody who identifies as a woman. We need to talk about the state of womanhood today, the power we don’t even realize we have, and the division and self-hate we need to step away from so we can embrace our whole selves and each other. Why? Because we can MAKE CHANGE TOGETHER.

Let’s lean into intersectionality, look for ways to support each other through our communities, and reflect internally on how we show up for all women. We’re the majority. Let’s act like it.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The problems with Women’s History Month
The need for intersectionality - because if we aren’t willing to “bring race into it,” are we really united as women?
Practical ways to support each other through our communities (and it starts from within)

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Learning about the Black Panther Party and its grassroots community programs informs not only our understanding of history but how the modern-day Black Lives Matter movement has been treated. The Black Panther Party put many of its community programs in place in a remarkably short time, which also caused the FBI to sit up and take notice. But the key point we keep coming back to is that these programs worked, and more importantly, they were so crucial for the communities that they served.

It leads us to ask: wouldn’t we ALL be better off with those social safety nets, especially for those who most need them to survive?

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Some of the community programs created by the Black Panther Party, which continue to inspire and inform needed programs today.
The role of the FBI and its COINTELPRO campaign in causing the implosion of the Black Panther Party
Two common critiques of the party, and what the truth is around them
Why an understanding of history and self is so important to create similar grassroots change going forward

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If you ask many current activists fighting anti-Black racism and inequity today, they’ll tell you that the influence of the Black Panthers is immeasurable.

But as TIME magazine pointed out in February of 2021, for the past half-century, depictions of the Black Panther Party in mainstream media have largely glossed over their ideas or their community activism. “They’ve been reduced to leather peacoats and shotguns,” Shaka King, the director of the new Black Panther-focused film Judas and the Black Messiah says. “They’ve been called terrorists, fringe separatists, “wild beasts” and “the civil rights movement’s evil twin.”

So here is what you need to know about the Black Panther Party - the peacoats and shotguns part, about their policing of the police. We’ll talk about their powerful work supporting communities next week.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why and how the Black Panther Party was founded
The name you didn’t hear before: Matthew Johnson
Why owning and operating guns was so crucial to the Black
Panther Party’s work in their communities
How the NRA supported gun control regulations designed to take guns out of Black hands - despite their modern-day stance against regulations

Support us through Patreon! Learn about our virtual community – and you’re welcome to join.

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Have you heard the term fake news? It’s been around for a while, but it was popularized by Trump who continues to dismiss all checks to his Big Lie and tries to continue muddying the waters around truth, facts, and reality.

We bring you a conversation with Professor Emily Bell of Columbia University School of Journalism. In it, you’ll get the tools to fight for reality, for facts, for science, and be on the factually correct side of history.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The history of fake news, and how technology has exacerbated its spread
The roles of “traditional” journalism vs social media
How to spot fake news
What to do if you’re suspicious about something a friend shares on social media - how to push back in a productive way
What role critical thinking plays, along with psychological influences as to why people share and believe fake news

About Professor Emily Bell:

Emily Bell is the founding director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism (link is external) at Columbia Journalism School and a leading thinker, commentator, and strategist on digital journalism.

Established in 2010, the Tow Center has rapidly built an international reputation for research into the intersection of technology and journalism. The majority of Bell’s career was spent at Guardian News and Media in London working as an award-winning writer and editor both in print and online. As editor-in-chief across Guardian websites and director of digital content for Guardian News and Media, Bell led the web team in pioneering live blogging, multimedia formats, data, and social media, making the Guardian a recognized pioneer in the field.

She is co-author of “Post Industrial Journalism: Adapting to the Present” (2012) with CW Anderson and Clay Shirky. Bell is a trustee on the board of the Scott Trust, the owners of The Guardian, a member of Columbia Journalism Review’s board of overseers, an adviser to Tamedia Group in Switzerland, has served as chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Advisory Council on social media, and has served as a member of Poynter’s National Advisory Board.

She delivered the Reuters Memorial Lecture in 2014, the Hugh Cudlipp Lecture in 2015, and was the 2016 Humanitas Visiting Professor in Media at the University of Cambridge.

She lives in New York City with her husband and children

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If the fuming, seething feeling we sat with for weeks after the Capitol was stormed is any indication, feeling anger stinks and is bad for our bodies. But we as women have not been taught how to handle this feeling; in fact, we’re often taught to shove anger down and away, while going on with our day, taking care of others.

This is why we’re thrilled to be having a conversation with Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her, to talk about how women have been conditioned by our society, what our biology actually indicates, and what on earth to do when we feel the steam coming out of our ears, so we can make positive change around us.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Statistics on the hormonal shifts our bodies exhibit when we experience anger
The relationship between “I’m so tired” and “I’m so angry”
Society’s devaluation of the important work of caring, and how women bear the brunt of that
How anger is perceived differently depending on how you look - gender, and race
Top tips on how to get better at processing and expressing anger, to make change

About Soraya Chemaly: Soraya Chemaly is currently the Executive Director of The Representation Project. An award-winning author and activist, she writes and speaks frequently on topics related to gender norms, inclusivity, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, and technology. The former director and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, she has long been committed to expanding women’s civic and political participation.

Soraya is also the author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, which was recognized as a Best Book of 2018 by the Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Autostraddle, and NPR and has been translated into several languages. She is a contributor to multiple anthologies, most recently Free Speech in the Digital Age and Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change The World. Her work as a writer, activist, and organizer is featured widely in media, books, and academic research.

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Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger

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The United States has been divided, and as shown with the storming of the Capitol Building in early 2021, the threat of violence is real. However, there is also the potential for a lot of good if we lean into our humanity. What do we do to help ourselves and our country?

There was no better person to talk about this issue than Professor Ervin Staub, a professor emeritus of psychology and founding director of the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who survived Nazism as a young child and has dedicated decades of his life to the study of good and evil.

In celebration of this, our 100th episode, and in honor of one of the best conversations we’ve had in our lives, please share this with your closest friend today!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The difference between blind patriotism and constructive patriotism. (Hint: you want to have the latter)
The key points in understanding the roots of good vs the roots of evil
How America’s trajectory over the last few years has looked a lot like fascism in Europe leading to World War II
What can we do on an individual level each day to contribute to the building of community, and what does it take for people to help other people?
How should we be raising our children to be helpers and better bystanders?

About Professor Staub:

Ervin Staub is originally from Hungary, received a Ph.D. at Stanford, taught at Harvard, and is Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of the doctoral program in the Psychology of Peace and Violence at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is past President of the International Society for Political Psychology and of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence. His best-known book is The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence. His last two books are the award-winning Overcoming Evil: Genocide, Violent Conflict and Terrorism, and The Roots of Goodness and Resistance to Evil: Inclusive Caring, Moral Courage, Altruism Born of Suffering, Active Bystandership and Heroism. He engaged with varied “real world” projects, including work with teachers/schools and parents to promote altruism in children, projects in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Congo to promote reconciliation, in Amsterdam to promote positive Dutch-Muslim relations. He created a training for police to develop active bystandership by officers to stop other officers from doing unnecessary harm, which is now expanding around the country, and for students to stop harmful actions by fellow students. He received awards from the International Society for Political Psychology, from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, for lifelong contributions to peace psychology from the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence, and from other organizations. For awards and downloads of articles, see his detailed biography here.

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The Roots of Goodness and Resistance to Evil: Inclusive Caring, Moral Courage, Altruism Born of Suffering, Active Bystandership, and Heroism

Overcoming Evil: Genocide, Violent Conflict, and Terrorism

The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence

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Uncomfortable question: Why can’t we as women get behind policies that strengthen all women - not just the ones who are White - especially when the only ones who really benefit from White supremacy and the status quo are rich White men?

We bring you a conversation with one of the founders of the original Women’s March and author of Raising Our Hands, Jenna Arnold, who spent years speaking with White women in their homes about just these very topics.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The power that White women have, that they don’t even realize.
What Jenna learned from the listening circles she conducted with White women from around the country for her book.
What happened and didn’t happen in the 2020 election? What’s next for this country?

About Jenna:

Jenna Arnold is listed as one of Oprah’s “100 awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity” because she doesn’t have much patience for the status quo. She has been called a “disruptor” in every industry in which she has dabbled from elementary school classrooms to halls of the United Nations, MTV, and the White House.

Her recent book, Raising Our Hands, was released on a number of Best Seller lists in the summer of 2020. She is the Chief Impact Officer for Rethink Capital Partners, a diversified investment platform with sector-specific vehicles focused on both financial & social returns for our investors.

For her work as one of the organizers of the Women’s March, Jenna was recognized with a Glamour Women of the Year award. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, and Fast Company, to name a few, have recognized Jenna’s work as “shaking up long-standing assumptions” and being one of “the biggest ideas in social change” for the work of ORGANIZE, a non-profit she co-founded focused on ending the waitlist for organ transplants in America, for which she was also named one of Inc. magazine’s “35 Under 35” list.

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Raising Our Hands: How White Women Can Stop Avoiding Hard Conversations, Start Accepting Responsibility, and Find Our Place on the New Frontlines

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We finally made it to the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This day is about a break with Trumpism, a break from the direction that our country has steadily been heading for the past nearly five years, and the fact that the majority (it’s a small one, but still a majority) of our country rejected that ideal in November.

What this day is NOT though, is the end of Trumpism. It is not the end of hard work. We have seen violence that we could never imagine in the halls of our nation’s Capitol building, and a staggering display of White power and White privilege that wasn’t shocking or surprising, but disgusting and a reminder that this is, no matter how we twist things around, who we are.

This is who we are, for the fact that Misasha’s sons will still be called the N-word for simply being Black, for the fact that we still have no justice for George Floyd or Breonna Taylor and that what happened to Jacob Blake was not justice. For the fact that Tamir Rice was killed at 12 for carrying a cap gun and that in early January a whole White mob brought zip ties and guns and 2500 rounds of ammo (and that’s just one guy) into the Capitol building and actually beat a police officer with the American flag and THEY WALKED OUT OF THERE. This is who we are, in whispered conversations, in slanderous campaigns, in voter suppression, in dirty looks and false facts based on systemic racism that we choose to look away from because we think white supremacy helps us. It doesn’t. It hurts us all.

So on this historic day, we want you to take it in. Breathe it in. But then - don’t look away. Don’t think that you wrote some voter postcards and you’re good until 2024. Because today is not the end of the past four years. Today is the beginning of the next four years. And we think it’ll be an uphill battle - and we need you with us. Let’s go to work.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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In case you didn’t see the news, our US Capitol was overrun by a mob of insurgents at the beginning of 2021, largely spurred on by a conspiracy theory led by the American president that the 2020 US Election was rigged.

We figured now was a good time to talk about conspiracy theories - with an expert. Today, we bring you an enlightening conversation with Professor Karen Douglas, a social psychologist specializing in the study of conspiracy theories.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What are conspiracy theories? How are they different from critical thinking?
Who are the people who are most vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories - and do they even know that they’re being influenced?
What’s the danger in conspiracy theories?
How do we check ourselves and others to make sure we don’t spread misinformation?

About Professor Douglas:

Karen Douglas is a Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent, United Kingdom. She studies the antecedents and consequences of belief in conspiracy theories. She serves on the Executive Committee of the European Association of Social Psychology and is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science.

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We’re finally done with 2020… but if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that this period of time we are living through will be examined in the history books. Our grandkids will be asking us what life was like during the global pandemic, how strict our lockdowns were, and what we did to stand up against the racial and social injustices that were made so painfully clear during 2020.

So, as you’re thinking about New Year’s resolutions, which, if you’re anything like us, may include more workout time, less drinking, and more green juices, we’ve got the most important question for you: What side of history do you want to be able to say you were on this year?

We are devoting our first theme of the New Year to answering this question, focusing on why (and how) people should care about others. In doing our research around this topic - and talking to some amazingly smart thought leaders in the process - we’ve come up with some central themes that resonated with us.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Anger - how white anger is viewed differently than anger expressed by people of color, and where white anger can be expressed without repercussion (hint: it’s pretty much everywhere)
The power of White women and some reasons why concepts that many believe should be central to all women are not supported by a large portion of this voting bloc
Conspiracy theories - what makes people vulnerable to them, and what to do about them
Empathy - how and why White liberals sought legal equality in the Civil Rights Era without believing Black people to be their equals, and what true empathy might look like

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We’ve been waiting to record this episode . . . basically the whole year, or at least since early March. It’s our annual wrap-up episode, except that just like everything else in 2020, it’s not like how it was last year. Let’s let this year go in style - prepare to reflect, laugh, and cheer the New Year along with us.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Some highlights of our year (which included you as listeners!) and why we aren’t picking a word of the year for 2021 (learned THAT lesson, thankyouverymuch).
Podcast plans for 2021, including our book, new episodes, and more.
Misasha trying not to laugh so hard she cries while Sara plays select quotes from the 2019 wrap-up episode that we did.
One lesson that we each learned from 2020, and will carry with us into 2021.

Links:

Word of the Year (WaPo)

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We recently read a great piece on Medium called “Finally an Answer to Why So Many People Voted For Trump” -- which is a question we’ve been asking ourselves, too.

The author notes: “Trump is definitely not virtuous - but he doesn’t pretend to be. He never claims to be morally superior to other people; he’s shameless in all of his flaws, and it gives comfort to people in a world that’s constantly telling them they’re not good enough.” That stands in contrast to the anti-Trumpers who say you’re either with us or against us - that if you aren’t with us, you must be racist or homophobic or bigoted or sexist.

Basically, each side is driving the other side crazy. What we need to do instead is TO LISTEN.

With that in mind, we bring you a repeat of last year’s episode on having these sorts of confrontational, difficult conversations with your family - only this time, it’s not an option. We’ve seen the pain, the horror, the murder, the mistreatment of so many people during 2020, and now we have to speak up. And before then, we must listen to the human beings we sit across from - whether it’s over a real table or through a virtual screen.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Addressing different beliefs begins with us talking to our families, educating them, and showing them kindness and compassion in the process.
How having uncomfortable conversations with respect can lead to better communication and understanding.
Starting conversations regarding these hard issues can seem daunting but gives us the opportunity for a host of other meaningful interactions about prejudices and inequality.
How do we even get these conversations started? We provide a question that helps to address the “white elephant” in the room.

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There are people among us who elevate art to something beyond imitating life - to something that makes us think deeply, find the beauty in those moments both trivial and profound, and challenge the meaning in things that seem obvious.

Enter our guest today. We speak with internationally renowned poet and inspirational human being jessica Care moore about her latest collection, We Want Our Bodies Back, which is dedicated to Black Lives Matter activist Sandra Bland, who died in jail under suspicious circumstances following a pretextual traffic stop in 2015.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for?

The poet’s live reading of “I Can’t Breathe.”
Her inspiration for the poems from this anthology, but also why she writes about specific topics and the intersection between those topics and her lived experiences.
Why she’s a womanist, and the ways in which she was raised to be a strong Black woman that reflect on how she’s raising her son today.
How she manages to find inspiration AND take care of herself in 2020.

About the author:

JESSICA CARE MOORE is the founder and 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 2019 and 2017 Knight Arts Award Winner, 2016 Kresge Arts Fellow, NAACP Great Expectations Awardee, and an 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, Sunlight Through Bullet Holes, and the critically acclaimed Techno Choreopoem, Salt City. Her work has been published in numerous literary collections and she has performed on stages all over the world, including, The Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the London Institute for Contemporary Arts. Jessica lives and writes in an historic Detroit neighborhood with her son King Thomas. https://jessicacaremoore.com/

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We spoke with lawyer Melissa Torres-Montoya of If/When/How last week about the legal landscape for women’s reproductive rights with the appointment of Justice Barrett to the supreme court, the continued assault on Roe v. Wade, and all the other circumstances that add up to shape a woman’s ability to have a child (affordable healthcare, housing, and more).

But those are big issues that sometimes are passed off or pushed aside as issues that don’t affect us. That’s not true. To make sure that we continue to recognize that reproductive rights are an issue that affects every single person in our country (you’re here because of reproduction, and you’ll likely have choices in your life to make about reproduction, or your children, or someone you know will) we bring you back the conversation with abortion provider Dr. Jenn, who puts real stories of real people into context.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Who performs abortions in the U.S. (hint: it’s only a small portion of OBGYNs, and although more are trained, admin or policy issues may prohibit them from doing so)
How Dr. Jenn went from anti-choice to an abortion provider
When the vast majority of abortions happen (hint: it’s not late-term), and how doctors feel as they’re performing them
Real stories of women who have been through abortions, and who they are (80% of women who have abortions are mothers already, racial disparity plays a huge issue)
How harmful legislation doesn’t actually stop abortions from happening

About Dr. Jenn: Dr. Jenn Conti is an internationally recognized health expert, medical journalist, and Ob/Gyn physician. She received her M.D. from the University of California San Francisco, completed residency at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, and a fellowship in Family Planning at Stanford University. She also holds Master's degrees in both Journalism from the Columbia Journalism School and Epidemiology & Clinical Research from Stanford University.

She is the Co-Author of The Vagina Book: An Owner's Manual for Taking Care of Your Down There, and Co-Host of The V Word Podcast, which was featured on the iTunes New & Noteworthy podcasts list. She serves as a Medical Advisor for Modern Fertility.

Identifiers: proud wife, mother, and Latina. She/Her.

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The Vagina Book: An Owner's Manual for Taking Care of Your Down There

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Abortion.

Whether you’re pro-choice or anti-choice, you’re likely to have some emotions jolt through you when you hear the word. However, with the appointment of conservative Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and Roe v Wade related decisions on the docket, we want to make sure we all know about the abortion and reproductive rights landscape, which is way broader when you consider what it takes to bring a child into the world - affordable housing, healthcare, and living wages - along with a new program for any lawyers out there who want to get involved.

Promise, it’ll be relevant if you know any women at all.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How we are past fighting Roe v Wade and need to look at mobilization strategies for state-led protections
The importance of considering reproductive justice as a whole - including affordable housing, healthcare access, and the need for living wages - when considering something as specific as abortion
How lawyers, as well as non-lawyers, can join the fight to protect accessibility to reproductive justice
The need for all genders to have more open conversations about our sexuality, sex, and reproduction.

About If/When/How:

If/When/How is a national network of law students and legal professionals working together for reproductive justice.

We transform the law and policy landscape through advocacy, support, and organizing so all people have the power to determine if, when, and how to define, create, and sustain families with dignity and to actualize sexual and reproductive wellbeing on their own terms. We invite you to join our nationwide network of lawyers, law students, legal professionals, and movement organizers who are working to make reproductive freedom a reality for all.

About Melissa

Melissa Torres-Montoya, J.D., M.P.H. is the Lawyer Engagement Manager at If/When/How. Melissa is a reproductive justice and sexual health advocate who has worked at nonprofit organizations shaping policies at every level of government. She has dedicated her professional career to addressing the lack of affordable quality healthcare in the United States and advancing sexual and reproductive autonomy.

Ms. Torres-Montoya earned a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and received a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Melissa spent the year following her graduate education as an If/When/How public policy and legal fellow at the National Women’s Health Network. She also attended the University of California, Davis where she earned her A.B. in History and Political Science. Melissa is admitted to practice law in the state of Maryland.

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When’s the last time you had a Toni Morrison book read to you? Like, by Margaret Atwood, Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half), and more?

We are beyond thrilled to highlight a fantastic event put on by Literacy Partners - a Thanksgiving weekend reading of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, which is just as relevant now as it was back in 1977.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

How do you log in?

Visit ticketing page: https://litpartners2020.org/toni-morrison/
Click GET TICKETS NOW
Pop-Up page Click Link: PROMO CODE (Upper Left/ Light blue)
Enter Code DWW2020 and the price should zero-out.
Page down to: Suggested Donation Options: $5.00 or $20.00 w/ book bundle or $0.00

What to listen for:

Why Literacy Partners chose Song of Solomon as the book to read
How the authors reacted when they were asked to take the time to read a chapter aloud
Who they hope to reach, and what they hope to see come out of this project

About Literacy Partners:

Literacy Partners strengthens families through a two-generation approach to education. With our free classes, community workshops, and educational media, low-income and immigrant parents and caregivers develop literacy and language skills they need to succeed in today’s world. Our research-based programs incorporate child development and parenting support to help parents and caregivers boost children’s early reading, social-emotional growth, and school readiness. Designed to arm every parent and caregiver with the necessary tools they need to create success for themselves and a better future for the children in their care, Literacy Partners’ programs break the cycle of poverty, improve job prospects, and close the achievement gap for children before they even begin school.

About our interviewees:

Jordan Pavlin is Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at Knopf. Authors with whom she is currently working include Susan Minot, Dinaw Mengestu, Ethan Hawke, Karen Russell, Maggie Shipstead, Ayana Mathis, Julie Orringer, Nathan Englander, Yaa Gyasi, Tommy Orange, Megha Majumdar, Amity Gaige, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Allison Sciplin, Director of Special Events and Annual Giving. From an early age, Allison has possessed a great love for reading and books. She often travels to small towns and scours used bookstores, looking for unique and little-known books by African American authors. It is a fitting pastime for Allison, who still owns her first picture book, by Langston Hughes. Allison grew up immersed in a world of the arts and books in her home state of Ohio. A former educator and dancer with an MFA in theater, she transitioned into fundraising after a first career in arts programming. Prior to Literacy Partners, she worked for the Primary Care Development Corporation and Bank Street College of Education. Through her work at Literacy Partners, Allison says, she hopes others will fall in love with reading and books, just as she did.

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Here’s something we’ve never thought about before, because we’ve taken privacy law HIPAA at face value. What happens with my private medical information if I’m in an emergency room of the hospital, and there is a police presence in that same emergency room?

And importantly, how is this situation even worse for people who aren’t as rich or White as some of us listening to this podcast?

Today we’re excited to have Ji Seon Song return to the podcast to talk about her new research (and soon to be published note in the Harvard Law Review!) regarding the problematic role and presence of police in emergency rooms, and what medical providers - and laypeople - may want to consider about how patients’ information is handled in that setting.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The gutting, real-life experience of a teen who was shot in the head which got Ji Seon Song interested in this topic.
How police interact with medical providers - and patients - in the emergency room, often on their own authority.
How ERs are used differently in different communities, and which citizens are most at risk of violations.
Why patient privacy in the emergency room is an issue that should concern all of us.

About Ji Seon Song:

Ji Seon Song’s scholarship focuses on criminal law, criminal procedure, and juvenile law. Her current project examines policing in hospitals. She teaches Federal Litigation in a Global Context and Legal Research and Writing.

Ji Seon has been active in local, regional, and national juvenile justice reform. As the current president of the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, she leads policy, litigation, training, and community outreach efforts focused on improving the juvenile justice system in California. Before joining Stanford, Ji Seon was a public defender in California where she represented youth and adults in delinquency and criminal proceedings. During her time at the public defender’s office, she expanded the officer’s capacity for its holistic representation of clients and spearheaded a county-level multi-stakeholder initiative to improve conditions of confinement and reentry for youth. Previously, Ji Seon worked as a senior policy advocate at the National Juvenile Defender Center and as an E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center’s Juvenile Justice Clinic. Ji Seon clerked for the Hon. Deborah A. Batts of the Southern District of New York.

Ji Seon received her JD from Columbia Law School and an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center. Ji Seon holds a BA in East Asian Language and Cultures with a Minor in Music from Columbia College, Columbia University. Ji Seon was a founding member of the Asian American Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and the Bay Area Public Defenders for Racial Justice.

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Who do you picture when you hear the word “veteran”? If you picture someone white, you’re not alone.

Today we spend some time sharing the military history and stories of marginalized groups, including Black Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. These groups often were the most decorated in combat but faced segregation and disparate treatment while part of the active military, and, upon returning home, found themselves the target of racism, persecution, or worse.

If these stories are new to you too, we invite you to listen, so we can stop history from continuing to repeat itself.

Help us celebrate all of our veterans on this Veterans Day. Thank you for your service.

What to listen for:

Specific stories of Black veterans being persecuted, even after fighting to secure freedoms that they did not benefit from – from post-Civil War, during the Red Summer, and through World War II
How the G.I. Bill, which was meant to help all veterans, specifically excluded Black Americans from many of its provisions.
The forming of the 442nd Regiment of Japanese-Americans during World War II (spoiler alert: started from a PR perspective).
How Latinos and Native Americans fought in non-segregated units, and their different military experiences as a result.

Want to learn more?

PDF: Lynching in America - Targeting Black Veterans

Fighting for Democracy - Japanese Americans

Fighting for Democracy - Latino & Native Americans

Red Summer of 1919: How Black WWI Vets Fought Back Against Racist Mobs

Neglected at Home After Serving Abroad: The Story of Black Women Veterans

The Tragic Forgotten History of Black Military Veterans

The Struggle of Black Veterans

How the GI Bill's Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veterans

442nd Regimental Combat Team

PLUS, support us through Patreon! Learn about our virtual community – and you’re welcome to join.

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Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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It’s the day after the election if you’re listening to this as we roll episodes out. It’s been One Heck Of A Year, and we want to give you this gift of breathwork and a reminder of how to be an ally when we are all still feeling overwhelmed by it all.

This episode is dedicated to pushing through the discomfort, committing to the fight, and includes a special bonus at the end: an anti-racism breathwork experience from Jenny Peni, to help you process and feel a little more grounded and able to do what you need to do.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

White fatigue. It’s what we’re calling the effect of the incredible yet overwhelming amount of resources, suggestions, and places to support that are emerging now.
How people in a position of influence can undermine the effort by deflecting. Hear our thoughts on Drew Brees, and why we agree this was never about the flag.
What we might be doing that can help, or hurt, the people we run into in the supermarket.
The difference between an ally and a co-conspirator – and which we want to be.
A few tips and our resources on how to move from “not racist” to being anti-racist, including how to talk to your kids about race.

PLUS, support us through Patreon! Learn about our virtual community – and you’re welcome to join.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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Are any of you feeling like we are - maybe a little anxious now seven months into COVID with various degrees of lockdown, with a very uncertain election layered on top of that?

If you’re listening to this live, we have one week until Nov 3 election day; we may have a week or several weeks more until we find out the results of that presidential election.

We are bringing you a few tools to cope with election anxiety.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

A set of tips from Dr Sue Varma
- Guidelines on when and how to take in the news
- Permission to stop talking politics to preserve our sanity
- How to address these times of anxiety with our children
A special meditation with Lisa Guyman, giving you a sense of who you are, and how you can center and ground yourself during these times.

About Sue: Dr. Sue Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Varma was the medical director to the 9/11 mental health program at NYU Langone. She has been a national mental health contributor over the last 13 years on all the major networks. Dr. Varma has recently participated in over 100 media interviews on national trauma during quarantine. She is the recipient of the inaugural Sharecare Emmy in 2019 for her creation of a digital series on depression. She is now sharing mental health awareness and education on Instagram.

About Lisa: Lisa Guyman is a spiritual educator, Certified Chopra Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor and Reiki Master who helps her clients and students recognize their personal power and their ability to heal themselves. Also a published author and recording artist, Lisa uses her spiritual knowledge to assist her clients and students in reconnecting with spirit and returning to themselves.

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

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If we want sponsorship, we must remain non-partisan and can’t talk about political affiliation. We’re here to say that we aren’t seeking sponsorship on those terms, and we don’t believe talking about voting for Biden in 2020 means we are partisan – we believe we are voting FOR HUMANITY.

This may be an explicit episode, so if you’ve got kids who can’t hear the f-bomb, maybe put your headphones on.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

RESOURCES YOU NEED TO HAVE:

Hotline to the Election Protection network: https://866ourvote.org/ or call 866-OUR-VOTE if you see something or have a question.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

Why we don’t think this is a partisan episode - we aren’t voting against someone, we are voting FOR humanity
Our thoughts on key issues to remember while voting
Technical tips relating to the act of voting

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In Episode 83, we met and heard the story of Marcus Bullock, who is currently a CEO, and a formerly incarcerated individual. The first part of the conversation painted the picture of his time entering and spent in prison - something we bet most of you hadn’t heard firsthand about before.

But here’s the thing. 95% of incarcerated individuals DO make it out of prison, so how is the American system setting people up for success - or for failure, as the case may be?

These are citizens we’re talking about, even though some of their basic rights are stripped away from them as a result of their time in prison. But these missing rights along with the stigma and societal setup make it very, very difficult to ever fully re-integrate into society. Should we really all be defined by our worst mistake, forever?

Listen in to the conclusion of our two-part interview with Marcus Bullock to hear more truths about the US prison system - and so much more.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for in Part Two:

The medical care within prison, and how our society’s linkage of medical insurance to jobs inherently prevents returning citizens from getting the care they need
What it takes to get a job, when so many people ask you if you’ve been convicted of a felony in the last few years
The work that Flikshop is doing to restore connection and hope to those who are in prison
The humanity that continues to link us together, regardless of what bad decisions we’ve made

About Marcus Bullock:

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and TED speaker. Following his 2004 release from prison, he launched a construction business that grew to employ other returning citizens. Bullock is the Founder and CEO of Flikshop, Inc., a software company that builds tools to help incarcerated people stay connected to their families and build community. He also founded the Flikshop School of Business, a program that teaches returning citizens life skills and entrepreneurship via computer coding and software development.

Marcus is an inaugural cohort member of Techstars Anywhere 2018 and John Legend's Unlocked Futures business accelerators. He was selected as one of The Root's 2019 100 Most Influential African Americans in the U.S. He is also a member of the Justice Policy Institute's board of directors, Advisory Board member for Princeton University's Prison Teaching Initiative, and serves as an advisor to the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. Married with two children, Marcus' story has received coverage from Forbes, CNN, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and NPR.

Venture: Flikshop is the tech platform that allows family members to connect easily with their incarcerated loved ones. The Flikshop app is famously known as the Instagram for prisons, allowing users the ability to send personalized pictures and messages delivered as postcards to any person in any cell in the US.

Website: http://www.flikshop.com/

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Have you ever had someone who has been incarcerated over for dinner, to learn about their story? Or, if you knew that someone was in prison, does that frighten you enough to stay away?

Whatever you think about “law & order,” 95% of incarcerated people do leave prison and rejoin society. What is being done to help support them, instead of making it more difficult to succeed post-incarceration?

If any of these questions have intrigued you - at any level - we encourage you to take some time to listen to this special two-part series, where we interview someone who helps us answer all of these questions and more. Introducing Marcus Bullock, the CEO of Flikshop.

What to listen for in Part One:

The proper terminology to refer to someone who has spent time in prison
What does it feel like to stand in front of a judge, and end up going to adult maximum-security prison as a 15-year-old boy?
The connections that kept Marcus going through eight years of incarceration, and which inspired the creation of his current company
His interactions with other prisoners and the misconceptions people have of the motivation to get out and succeed
… and subscribe to the show to make sure you don’t miss Part Two, where we will talk about life after prison.

About Marcus Bullock:

Website: http://ww.flikshop.com/

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

Don’t miss another episode and subscribe to the podcast!

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With conversations about race being at the front of our minds, and being aware of the incredibly difficult and dangerous reality of being a Black transgender individual, we wanted to bring you a conversation with two people who live this reality.

Jaime Jara is an old friend who is very public about the work she and her transgender daughter do for advocacy and normalizing identity, so we get to include her as a White parent’s perspective.

Nikole Parker is a Black transgender woman, who is the TransAction Florida Project Coordinator, assisting with Equality Florida's statewide Transgender Inclusion Initiative, and a stakeholder and community relations manager for the onePULSE Foundation, so not only speaks from personal experience but also from all she sees in her work community.

We have a bunch of resources listed below. And, do you want books you can read with your kids with transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive characters? We have a list of titles for elementary and middle-school aged children, so drop us an email and we’ll send it to you!

Questions or comments? Email hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Words NOT to use when referring to transgender individuals
What it’s like going through the transition process.
Distressing statistics, including that 40% of homeless kids are LGBTQ - and 58% of trans kids in unsupportive households die by suicide vs 4% in supportive homes.
The growth that comes with being the parent of a transgender child.
Specific challenges facing Black transgender individuals, both in society and within the Black community.

About Nikole:

Nikole Parker is a transgender woman of Black, Puerto Rican & Italian descent. She was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and at the age of 19, left her job and home to begin her transition. After 3 years of black-market hormones, and unsafe lifestyle practices she came back to Orlando to restart her life. Nikole’s passion is advocating for the rights and dignity of the transgender and gender-nonconforming community.

Nikole is currently with the onePULSE Foundation as the Director of Stakeholder & Community Relations. Nikole also works for Equality Florida's TransAction Program as a Project Coordinator. She also is the Co-Founder, Director of Operations for Gender Advancement Project(GAP).

She has sat on various non-profit boards within the community, including the LGBT+ Center Board of Directors, the Orlando United Assistance Center Advisory Board, TransAction Advisory Council, Spektrum Health Board of Directors and Peer Support Space Board of Directors. In addition to her work with the onePULSE Foundation, Nikole co-leads the work of the Orlando Trans Collective, a collaborative group of transgender and gender non-conforming leaders of color who focus on community building and advocacy efforts for the Central Florida transgender community. In 2018, Nikole was honored with the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Miss Glamorous Pageant. Nikole was also was recognized as one of Watermark's Most Remarkable People of 2018 for her work with the onePULSE Foundation and her ongoing advocacy and empowerment of the transgender community. In 2019, Nikole was recognized by Congressman Darren Soto for LGBT+ Pride Month and her biography was read into the Congressional Record.

She hopes to encourage open dialogue on transgender issues and educate individuals from the community on healthy and safe ways to undergo a transition, finding self-care practices and providing resources so black-market hormones and unsafe lifestyles can be avoided.

About Jaime:

Jaime Jara is a woman who wears many hats. A native New Yorker, she navigates daily life in Florida with her husband, 3 kids, and a plethora of furbabies. She lends her voice and perspective as a parent of a transgender child to shed light on the challenges faced by the trans community. Jaime is an active member of the national LGBTQ organizations, Mama Dragons and PFLAG, who aim to empower and support parents of LGBTQ children. After a long stint in corporate America, Jaime is putting her graduate degree to good use by starting her second career as an educator. She has been a guest speaker in schools, participated on panels and in research studies, and has appeared on television to advocate for transgender acceptance and inclusion. She has penned numerous essays about her journey with her trans child. Jaime aspires to be signing copies of her bestselling novel one day when she finally slows down enough to write it.

You can follow her journey with her family on Instagram @ Jaidonna19.

Resources:

PFLAG National

Mama Dragons

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)

Trans Lifeline - 1-877-565-8860

Human Rights Campaign

Stand With Trans

Black Trans Advocacy Coalition

Trevor Project Lifeline - 1-866-488-7386

GLAAD

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Pop quiz: you’re reading an article, and someone refers to “a stereotypical mother.” What image comes to mind? We are betting that the answer is NOT a Black, single, adoptive mother of two young children - which is why we are grateful to bring you a conversation WITH someone who is exactly that.

We are both mothers, and given that our show is called Dear White Women, chances are there are a number of you who are or would think about becoming a mother, so given our way of highlighting narratives you might not have considered before, here it is clearly: motherhood in the United States is intrinsically linked with Whiteness.

And it’s time we confront that stereotype and break it down because there are MANY models of motherhood that are normal - and especially given how much this country is in desperate need of love, nurturing, and the willingness to fight for our children, we need to celebrate all of the mother figures in this country.

Listen in for some concrete takeaways and action items to implement right now, regardless of who you are.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

What to listen for:

Specific things that White parents can do within the school system to build equity
The difference between Black adoption and “traditional” adoption as White parents often understand it
Breaking down stereotypes around the foster care system, babies born to addicts, and perhaps the biggest stereotypes of all-around Black parenthood in the United States.
Why it’s important to learn about culture in cross-race adoptions, as it will enable you to be the best parent you can be while addressing the race and culturally specific needs of your children.

About Nefertiti Austin:

Author and memoirist, Nefertiti Austin writes about the erasure of diverse voices in motherhood in the critically acclaimed Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender and Parenting in America. Her work around this topic has appeared in the "New York Times", "Washington Post", “Huffington Post”, "MUTHA", “Gen Medium”, and many other publications. She was the subject of an article on race and adoption in “The Atlantic” and appeared on numerous shows/podcasts and radio programs, including "The Today Show", "1A with Joshua Johnson", and NPR. Nefertiti is the proud adoptive mother of two children and lives in Los Angeles, CA. Find her at https://nefertitiaustin.com/

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Have you ever followed someone on Instagram just because of how their feed looks?

And when you look at social media, and how people portray themselves, do you judge? Even quietly, to yourself?

My dad always said not to get a facial piercing because people would judge; now imagine people of color who are judged by the color of their skin, their appearance, before they even have a chance to say a word.

Today we are talking about what’s happening in the fashion industry with regards to Black Lives Matter. Even if you aren’t yourself into high fashion, you’ll appreciate what our conversation partner, fellow biracial woman - half Black half White Hope McGrath has to say about labels - both fashion labels and the ones we put on ourselves and each other when we ask “what ARE you?”- and how we can make choices that will help shift the tide when it comes to providing role models and access points for little girls and boys who don’t look like the leggy skinny White models that used to be the only thing we’d see.

What to listen for:

Why Hope is both optimistic and sad about fashion’s newfound focus on #blacklivesmatter
Some of the organizations that are instrumental in pushing for change in fashion’s approach to diversity, including the Fifteen Percent Pledge, and the Kelly Initiative
Which companies have launched offensive products or inappropriate campaigns, and what we think we as individuals can do about them. Boycott H&M, for example.
How this country is not used to seeing the biracial identity beyond Black and White, and is completely confused about how to handle people like Kamala Harris. Who, in our opinion, should be able to identify herself however she damn well pleases.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

About Hope:

Hope McGrath is a creative entrepreneur & coach who is a catalyst for positive change. As a two-decade fashion industry veteran, throughout her career Hope as worked with top designers and artists producing cover 150+ fashion shows and cutting-edge art exhibitions in New York City. Hope McGrath is a Certified Transformational Coach and the host of the Radiant Mix podcast, which celebrated the mixed experience, where she combines her love of fashion, wellness, arts & culture, psychology, spirituality, and social consciousness into her work. As a biracial woman, Hope McGrath aims to use her voice to elevate, educate and spread unity through her own unique form of creative social activism. She is the co-founder of the Tropical Transformation Wellness Retreats and is a proud Brooklyn mom and wife of a visionary artist.

Where to find Hope:

Hope McGrath

Radiant Mix

Instagram:

@hopemcgrath

@radiantmix

And importantly, here is the information for her new digital course!

Hope is launching a new digital course for multiracial women and feminine allies that embrace diversity, heal from toxic relationships, loneliness and deep sense of unfulfillment. She will be offering sacred tools and teachings so they can love themselves, live life with purpose, passion and style while opening themselves up for authentic love. To inquire about this course, email her at hope@hopemcgrath.com.

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We are tired. You are tired. We see it in the stats, we hear it in your stories.

This wasn’t necessarily the episode we planned to air this week, but it’s one we hope you listen to - especially when you tell yourself that things feel too hard.

We’ll be interviewing the current reigning Miss Hawaii USA® 2020 - Samantha Neyland - about her Juneteenth activism and what it was like being the first Black Teen Hawaii and Black Ms. Hawaii.

We’ll also talk way more personally about the impact Chadwick Boseman had on Misasha’s family, and on so many other Black individuals who needed inspiration, about the disappointing though expected decline in interest in Black Lives Matter, and about performative allyship vs real change.

Misasha makes Sara cry in this one. You’ll want to listen.

Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

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Today we’re chatting with Mia Birdsong, a woman whose TED talk has been viewed over 2 million times, and who can best be described as a bright light. She’s also one of those people who shows you how to believe in true change, and what role you can play in doing that within your own spheres.

Listen in to hear us talk about white supremacy, capitalism, trust circles, the role of community (hint: it’s pretty much everything), and so much more. We can’t wait to hear what part most resonates with you.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The title of her new book, How We Show Up, and what she thinks it means to truly show up for one another.
How tenets of white supremacy show up in the values and aspirations we have for ourselves. Enter perfectionism.
The fallacy behind the American Dream.
How we can’t have safety without community, what it means to be each other’s first responders, and how we need to ask for help.

Twitter @miabirdsong

ABOUT MIA BIRDSONG:

Mia is a pathfinder, community curator, and storyteller who steadily engages the leadership and wisdom of people experiencing injustice to chart new visions of American life. She has a gift for making visible and leveraging the brilliance of everyday people so that our collective gifts reach larger spheres of influence, cultural and political change, and create wellbeing for everyone.

In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community (Hachette, June 2020), Mia charts swaths of community life and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality. In “More Than Enough,” her podcast miniseries from The Nation, she expands the current guaranteed income movement by tapping into the voices and visions of low-income people. Previously, as founding Co-Director of Family Story, Mia lifted up a new national story about what makes a good family. As Vice President of the Family Independence Initiative, she leveraged the power of data and stories to illuminate and accelerate the initiative low-income families take to improve their lives.

Believing that, taken collectively, we are the guides we most need, Mia has made an art out of inviting people into rich explorations of how we map paths forward. Her public conversations, like the New America series centering Black women as agents of change and her 2015 TED talk “The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn’t True,” draw targeted attention to the stories of people who are finding their way into leadership roles despite myriad barriers, while also highlighting the vibrant terrain of all marginalized people who are leading on the ground and solving for tomorrow.

Mia is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project. She was an inaugural Ascend Fellow and faculty member with The Aspen Institute, a New American California Fellow, and Advocate-in-Residence with University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Mia lives and dreams big on the occupied land of the Chochenyo Ohlone people (AKA Oakland, CA).

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When you work on Kanye’s first album, then for Calvin Klein, and then in ethical kids’ fashion, what’s your natural next step?

If you said designing your own (amazing) dresses, you’d be talking about the owner and creator of mrs. jones, Nichole Moss. This powerhouse woman thinks about EVERY detail of the clothes that she’s designing, from who manufactures them, to the quality of the fabrics that she uses, to the fact that she has POCKETS IN HER DRESSES, people.

But more importantly, she’s changing the viewpoint that Black designers have to either be creating super high fashion or “urban” street style and dropping pearls of wisdom along the way.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

A ton of philosophical advice about social media, being a fabric snob, the stretch within the oval of life, quality over quantity, and how being a mother at 18 catapulted her forward instead of pulling her down. She’s amazingly inspiring.
Her journey from seemingly unrelated careers into a consciously crafted fashion label for women, by women, to fill a gap in the market that she wanted to see for herself.
The intentionality behind every part of mrs. jones, including employing women from women-owned factories, and offsetting the waste problem we see in fashion.

Where can you shop mrs. jones? www.shopmrsjones.com/

Instagram @mrsjones.thelabel

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Here on the podcast, we’ve been focusing on the intentionality of this sustainable lifestyle shift. It can’t be just reading an anti-racism book once to your child and - suddenly - your child is an anti-racist forever. It has to be more than that, and it has to last longer than a month.

That’s where Barbershop Books comes in.

For those of you who may be wondering why this organization exists, it came out of an idea that its founder, Alvin Irby, had while he was getting his hair cut at his local barbershop in New York, and noticed one of his young students there. What Alvin has done is nothing short of amazing in terms of changing the trajectory of Black boys and their relationship with reading - all stemming from the barbershop, which is a Black cultural center in American neighborhoods.

We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did - and we hope you get involved with this amazing organization.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The importance of helping young children identify as readers - in particular, helping young Black boys identify as readers.
Why children’s books need to have diverse children doing diverse things that interest children themselves (i.e. why they shouldn’t all be about slavery or civil rights icons).
How interest from White families spiked after George Floyd’s murder - and then leveled out over the last few months - and what White parents can do differently.

How to support Barbershop Books: https://barbershopbooks.org/about-us/

Twitter @barbershopbooks

Alvin Irby @alvinirby

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What sort of impact can one person (or two people) have on an existing health crisis that’s largely been ignored for years - and that crisis is happening in the United States, to its citizens?

If you’re Ali Rose VanOverbeke or Brytanie Killebrew, the answer is: you create a product that builds a circular economy - it’s a needed product that employs returning citizens to make it, and resources for the community of Flint, Michigan to get better access to fundamental resources - like WATER - that they should be receiving anyway as a basic right of just being human.

We had so much fun in this conversation because these women are so intentional in their commitment to giving back to their community. You don’t want to miss this one.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why these women are doing what they’re doing at Genusee, and how they got there
The circular economy that they built through their sustainable eyewear brand.
Being mindful of the “white savior” complex, living in the community that you’re doing the work in, and the future of this amazing company.
Reasons why you’d never buy glasses anywhere else ever again.

Where can you shop Genusee? https://genusee.com/

https://twitter.com/genusee_tweets

https://www.instagram.com/genusee_official

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When you think about luxury shoe designers, who comes to mind? We’re fairly sure you’re not thinking about Natasha Standard from Norie Shoes - but you should be.

This military veteran not only makes amazing shoes that are stylish but walkable, but she also travels to Italy regularly to design and manufacture her shoes.

She met the challenge of COVID by pivoting her shoe design to make military-grade combat boots for women (because, shockingly, those haven’t been made to fit women’s bodies to date - and Natasha’s an expert on that).

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

How you can rock a military career and still come back to create your personal dream job
What it takes to have a strong family foundation, and how each of us defines fashion and femininity differently
The important skill of being able to size somebody up in an instant
Her pivot from luxury shoes to military-grade combat boots - something done out of necessity as COVID has hit the bottom line, because who’s buying cute shoes to go out in anymore?

How can I shop Norie Shoes? https://www.norieshoes.com/

Twitter @norieshoesnyc

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If every person in the U.S. spent just $20 at a woman-owned business, it would drive more than five billion dollars towards female-led companies each month.

You’ve heard us talking on the show about how strongly we believe in the power of voting - both voting voting, which we’ll talk about on a later episode, and with your wallet. And we REALLY believe in women supporting women, all around.

This is where Dough comes in.

Motivated by the tremendous wallet power of female shoppers, and the fact that women influence 80% of consumer spending, Anna Palmer and Vanessa Bruce founded Dough, an online curated marketplace, to make it easy for women-led brands to connect with like-minded shoppers, and for wallet feminists to easily find and support women-owned businesses. And these women-led brands include a whole range of women, all shades, and identities.

Talk about powerful. AND where we should all be planning to do our holiday shopping.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The why behind the founding of Dough
How the company has had to pivot during COVID
The variety of hashtags on Dough supporting a variety of women in business, including #Blackgirlmagic, #Browngirlmagic, #Asiangirlmagic, and #notonAmazon
Dough’s vision for the future

Where can you shop Dough? www.joindough.com

Twitter: @atjoindough

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Parents, we are right there with you with the stress, uncertainty, and fear about how this next school year is going to look. Teachers and administrators, we know you are doing your best. But what should we be thinking about when we look at the fall with regard to our own families, as well as our communities as a whole?

Today we riff.

And we bring you, at the end, a special bonus - a meditation by Lisa Guyman to bring you peace, calm, a sense of healing and insight. Because what we’re all going through right now, and are about to jump into with online schooling, is an absolute cluster. Take this gift and run with it.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What we should be thinking about when it comes to pandemic pods and inequality.
Things every parent can do - now or in a few months when things settle down a little (maybe) - to ensure that everyone in the community has access to education.
The importance of early childhood education in development, and what happens when access is restricted.
Challenges around actual access to working technology, as evidenced literally in this episode, midway through.
Oh, and that meditation with spiritual instructor Lisa Guyman - and her YouTube channel is full of AMAZING resources!

Relevant episodes:

Ep 70 talking with Caylin Moore, who has lived through all sorts of educational systems
Ep 57 - it all starts here, talking about educational inequality
Ep 71 and what if we radically reimagine education with Colin Seale
Ep 58 and the school to prison pipeline

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As we think about the kids of this country going back to school (or not) in the fall, we can’t help think about how the educational inequality that was already in place is being further exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19.

However, if you take it back before internet connectivity problems and the lack of computer devices to learn from home on, there has always been a problem with equal and easy access to quality education.

We bring you a conversation with Colin Seale, whose biggest mission centers around providing equal access to critical thinking skills by working with teachers, administrators, and parents alike. Hear how every single one of us can make a difference, and how educational opportunities are so intricately linked to racial justice.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Colin’s story of success is based on because of, rather than despite, his upbringing.
How creating schools within schools - regardless of private or public - create separate but unequal access to educational opportunities.
The skills that are necessary to go beyond fixing a broken system, but to re-imagine education as it should be.
How White parents and adults can make a difference today.

For this episode, we spoke with Colin Seale, the founder, and CEO of thinkLaw. Tackling inequity hands-on has always been personal to Colin because the amazing educational opportunities he received in gifted and talented courses and an exclusive specialized high school despite his underprivileged background growing up in Brooklyn, NY made him an exception to a painfully unjust rule. So whether Colin was teaching middle and high school math in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV, applying his computer science degree and Master’s in Public Administration to fight for child safety at Nevada’s largest child welfare agency, or practicing as a business attorney at one of Las Vegas’ top law firms while representing children in foster care, Colin has always dreamed of a world where stories like his were no longer the exception, but instead, all students had an equal shot at being exceptional. Colin created thinkLaw to give all students access to the type of game-changing critical thinking education they need to not only fully understand the way the world is, but to question it and imagine the way the world ought to be. When he’s not serving as the world’s greatest critical thinking evangelist, Colin proudly serves as the world’s greatest entertainer for his two little kiddos and loving husband to his wife Carrie. His new book Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students came out in April of 2020.

Relevant episodes:

Ep. 57: It all starts here - educational inequality.
Ep. 58: The school to prison pipeline - six year old’s don’t belong in handcuffs.
Ep. 70: From Compton to Oxford, talking with the exceptional Caylin Moore.

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

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Just because one person manages to make it out of a really tough neighborhood does NOT mean that if everybody applies the same level of grit, they should be able to make it out, too. We need to use their story as what it is - an exception - and learn from what worked to help them make it out, and change the environment and reality of all the other kids who are having to fight to just exist, let alone thrive every day.

Today we bring to you a conversation with an exceptional young man, Caylin Moore, who went from growing up in Compton, CA to being a Rhodes scholar on his way to earning a Ph.D. from Stanford so he can be a college professor and continue to focus on educating himself and others.

We learned SO MUCH from his experiences moving from a predominantly White area to one where going to and coming from school was an issue of physical safety, and how he made it back out. Listen in.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The power of teachers - as he recites the names of those who helped nurture him with such fondness.
How some kids exit school to find needles and bullet shells on the sidewalk.
What community fixtures you won’t find in areas that are predominantly Black or Brown.
The experience of being labeled a lower-tier student (“the dummy track”) and being given a dictionary so old it didn't have the word “computer” even in it - how can you get ahead?
What being a Rhode Scholar taught him about focusing on your own 1/11th.
What he thinks White privileged families can do to begin making change - moving from sound bytes to sound analysis.

Relevant episodes:

Ep. 57: It all starts here - educational inequality.
Ep. 58: The school to prison pipeline - six year old’s don’t belong in handcuffs.

More information on Caylin:

To read Caylin’s book A Dream Too Big, visit here.
To follow him on social media, check out Twitter and Instagram.

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

Don’t miss another episode and subscribe to the podcast!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and don’t miss our new anti-racism action calendar by joining our email list.

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Since the influx of new listenership and followers ever since that awful weekend when Amy Cooper was exposed and George Floyd was murdered, we wanted to take this opportunity to re-introduce ourselves.

We are Sara & Misasha, co-hosts of the podcast Dear White Women - where we aim to make it easy to enter uncomfortable conversations about racial and social justice.

We’re both daughters of a Japanese immigrant and White American, and we met over 20 years ago walking out of a racial identity meeting when we were undergraduates at Harvard. We’ve been great friends ever since, though we’ve only lived in the same city for one year since college.

Where we differ is here: Misasha is married to a Black man from the South, and has two very mixed-race sons; Sara is married to a White Canadian man and has two White-presenting daughters. Misasha is a lawyer, fitness instructor, and amateur historian; Sara is a life coach, author, and facilitator who loves positive psychology.

All of these come together in our conversations that aim to expose the humanity and history of our country so that Misasha doesn’t have to worry that one day, her family might walk out the door and never come back, based purely on the color of their skin.

Huge thank you to humorist Debbie Scheer for taking the time to ask us all the questions on this episode!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

What to listen for:

Why is this show called Dear White Women?
Do we consider ourselves “people of color”?
That story when we experienced racism … in Japan.
What we think of the term “passing” and whether we think we do.
Ugly truth revelation: What we have done, felt or thought that might be racist.
What do we want to have come out of this podcast?

Relevant episodes:

Episode 17: Debbie Scheer and raising Black or biracial children as a White mom
Episode 1: Starting Challenging Conversations

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

Don’t miss another episode and subscribe to the podcast!

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When we think about abortion, we tend to imagine Planned Parenthood and/or providers who offer women’s healthcare in their doctor’s offices. We don’t really think about people who are choosing to self-manage the termination of their pregnancy.

(Side note: what comes to mind when you hear the term “self-managed abortion?” Our jaws dropped when we heard it because we hadn’t considered it outside of coat hangers and back alleys.)

Unfortunately, people who manage their own abortions fall into a legal grey zone, and often, because of the way systemic racism works in this country, they are BIPOC who have a higher chance of being criminally prosecuted for doing something that is, while legal according to Roe v. Wade, sometimes challenged outside of the expected medical setting.

Reproductive justice is racial justice. Listen in to learn more.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What is a self-managed abortion anyway?
What are some of the issues when it comes to criminalizing reproductive decision making? Sign a petition here.
How we need to destigmatize abortion and decriminalize women’s reproductive lives.
The groundbreaking work If/When/How is doing in spearheading a legal defense fund for reproductive justice.
Resources people can use, including:
- a Reproductive Legal Helpline for anybody thinking about a self-managed abortion,
- and the latest state-by-state information on what’s happening in the legal landscape of women’s reproductive rights (with a quick escape button if you need to close the browser immediately).

For this episode, we spoke with Mariko Miki, who is the Managing Director and General Counsel at If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, where she oversees the organization’s programs, people, and policies. Joining If/When/How in 2010, Mariko designed, launched, and directed the Reproductive Justice Fellowship Program, now in its 10th year, and worked to expand reproductive rights and justice course offerings in legal academia. Mariko has served on the Advisory Board of TEACH (Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare) and the Board of Directors for Exhale Pro-Voice, and was a 2019 Rockwood Leadership Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Fellow. Mariko graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School.

Relevant episodes:

Ep. 46: Our conversation with abortion provider Dr Jenn.
Ep. 47: The bridge between reproductive rights and health care.
Ep. 13: Racial disparities in the U.S. healthcare system when it comes to Black moms.

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

Don’t miss another episode and subscribe to the podcast!

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We’ve been hearing a LOT about #DefundThePolice, which doesn’t mean exactly what it sounds like; we’re not here at this point to argue the pros or cons of defunding the police, but what we love to do is to unpack the why behind things, the history of things, so we can better understand what is really happening right NOW.

Today we’re looking at a big historical question that’s central to this whole argument about the police. Why were police formed in the United States? For some of us, we may assume that policing in the United States is as old as this country itself. And that’s not really the truth.

So what is the truth? Glad you asked…

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

The colonial form of policing, and how informal it was at the very beginning.
Who funded the police force in 19th century America - and what they wanted the police to focus on protecting. Hint: motivations split between Northern and Southern lines.
How the structure and funding of the police had to change as cities, and the country, grew, and yet how they served to reinforce hierarchies in society.
Given this, what do YOU think? Can an organization with roots like this be race-blind in its policies and actions? If not, what would it take to change?
We offer some personal histories as we reflect on policing, and how ordinary people can make a difference.

Relevant episodes:

If you want more, we mention this episode of NPR’s THROUGHLINE a lot here.
We put out a 3-episode arc on the history of domestic terrorism in the United States, including the different forms of the KKK. Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon!

Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

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According to Feeding America, African American households face hunger at a rate more than twice that of white, non-Hispanic households. And getting enough to eat is a consistent struggle for 1 in 4 African American children.

COVID-19 has exacerbated these disparities with many BIPOC communities experiencing higher death rates, food insecurity, and loss of employment. The clear connections between race, wealth, and health have been highlighted, with the fact that school-aged children, being unable to get access to the food that they would otherwise have, shows just how hunger disproportionately affects kids of color in the United States.

Even if summer hunger is temporary, its impact can last a lifetime. Children who miss breakfast and lunch are more likely to be sick, inattentive, and disruptive when they return to the classroom. And 25% of children in households at risk of hunger may be forced to rely exclusively on hunger relief charities like Feeding America to make ends meet.

We can’t wait for the government to put policies in place to help address wage gaps and minimum wages and food accessibility, because millions of children are going hungry RIGHT NOW. This summer.

Listen in to learn what’s happening, and how you can help.

What to listen for:

Blessings in a Backpack, which focuses on feeding kids during weekends when there is no school, has been working on a national level to make sure that this extended period of “no school” doesn’t leave millions of kids hungry.
But neighborhood meals sites aren't much good if families don't know about them. That's why No Kid Hungry runs a summer meals texting service. Parents, grandparents, and caregivers can text ‘FOOD’ to 877-877 to find free summer meal sites in their neighborhoods.
Additionally, Feeding America has some easy ways to fight hunger as a family:
- Read and reflect on hunger: Tell your child a story about someone who struggles with hunger. You can use the story within the Family Action Plan, watch one of our videos, or read a book together. Then discuss what that person might be feeling.
- Start a donation jar: Collect donations for your local food bank or pantry. Involve your child in the process by having them decorate the jar and choose where it should be placed in your home. Find your local Food Bank.
- Host a lemonade stand or birthday party: Raise funds by hosting an online event where proceeds go to Feeding America or your local food bank. Set up a personal fundraiser.
- Plant a family garden: Extend your existing family garden and donate the excess produce to your local food bank or plant a new one.
- Volunteer as a family: Volunteering as a family is a great way to spend time together while also giving back. The Feeding America network of food banks serves virtually every community across the country. Connect with your food bank for local ways to get involved.

If your family is involved in a community group—such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or 4H—see if the group can volunteer together, virtually, or perhaps in person if there are those opportunities.

And - one thing that we love to do as a family over here - if someone in your family has a big day coming up, consider a donation in their name instead of a physical gift. We know it’s not for everyone, but we do this for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and major gift holidays - to make sure that we are able to share some of what we have and are so grateful for with others.

What else can you do?

If you or someone you know is hungry - the USDA National Hunger Hotline remains a helpful resource for people seeking food assistance. The hotline, operated by Hunger Free America, can be reached Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (for Spanish).

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

PLUS, support us through Patreon! You’ll have the opportunity to join our virtual community, which we’ve just launched.

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

Suggested Episodes Related to This Topic:

Ep 25: Why Kids Are Going Hungry

Ep 49: Why Are We Talking About Income Inequality?

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Dismantling police forces and committing ourselves to education and activism is important for #blacklivesmatter – SO, we can’t lose sight of the critical thing happening in the U.S. in November. The outcome of our presidential election will impact not only us as a country but the dynamics of our world.

You’ll hear that mail-in ballots alone aren’t the answer, but they are part of the solution. Action is not just committing to vote but making sure that everybody has access to the ability to vote. It’s time to start mobilizing now.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Why, especially given COVID19, the November elections may be at risk.
Three myths and facts about mail-in ballots.
Organizations to support and things you can do, including:
- Checking out state-by-state status on mail-in ballots,
- Helping people get IDs so they can register to vote,
- Joining When We All Vote to make sure every eligible voter is registered,
- Supporting LaBron James’ new More Than a Vote which aims to take on voter suppression efforts currently aimed at Black voters,
- Using great digital organizing tools as you write letters to voters.

What else can you do?

Call your members of Congress to tell them to support expanded voting options by passing the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 and to provide more funding for fair and safe elections. Call 202-224-3121.

And tell three friends - those who’ve moved, or who’ve just turned 18, in particular!

PLUS, support us through Patreon! You’ll have the opportunity to join our virtual community, which we’ve just launched.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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We had to postpone our pre-scheduled episode on the importance of voting to bring you this critically-timed conversation on President Trump’s decision to return to the campaign trail on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Without knowing the history and significance of both of these things, you might just think, oh well, he’s hoping 300,000 people gather without masks to support his next bid for Presidency - that’s not so smart.

But if you know the history, you realize it is way worse than that.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

What is the significance of Juneteenth? The freeing of slaves in Texas.
How we were not taught the full truth about President Abraham Lincoln’s motivation for ending slavery.
How the history of the Tulsa Massacre was erased.
And... how President Trump “coincidentally” picked both Juneteenth AND Tulsa as the site of his return to the campaign trail.
Can you think critically about this choice, and what it might mean for propagating hate?

PLUS, support us through Patreon! At that link, you’ll learn about the virtual community we are launching – and you’re welcome to join.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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Right now, during COVID, as #blacklivesmatter has (finally) picked up steam among white people, there is a lot to process – both intellectually and emotionally.

The anti-racism resources that are flooding our social media streams and filling our inboxes are so powerful, so well-intentioned, and helpful. Yet if this is anything like what we’re expecting to happen, soon, what we’re calling White Fatigue might set in for some people out there.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

White fatigue. It’s what we’re calling the effect of the incredible yet overwhelming amount of resources, suggestions, and places to support that are emerging now.
How people in a position of influence can undermine the effort by deflecting. Hear our thoughts on Drew Brees, and why we agree this was never about the flag.
What we might be doing that can help, or hurt, the people we run into in the supermarket.
The difference between an ally and a co-conspirator – and which we want to be.
A few tips and our resources on how to move from “not racist” to being anti-racist, including how to talk to your kids about race.
Want to make this sustainable? Weigh in on whether it would help if we created a weekly calendar of short things to do or read or watch, so you don’t have to weed through the overwhelm all by yourself.

PLUS, support us through Patreon! At that link, you’ll learn about the virtual community we are launching – and you’re welcome to join.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.

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Unless you’ve tuned out of the news altogether, you will have noted that our President has used language referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as “the China virus.”

How do you think that has impacted the Asian-American population in our country? The stats of hate crimes and discrimination are clear - 1700 incidents reported within six weeks of tracking. It’s happening. If you’re not Asian but want to do something, where do you even begin to be an ally?

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Misasha’s personal story of being uncomfortable in the South
Examples of racism - sometimes deadly - against Asian individuals during the COVID-19 era
Various administration and senator’s words and actions, both encouraging discrimination and against discrimination
Organizations that are here to help, including Stop AAPI Hate and Act to Change including their AAPI giving campaign
What you can do as an ally or helpful bystander
Best tips to maintain your mental health if you’re subject to discrimination

If you’d like to educate yourself on how to combat Asian American racism via the 24-minute video we referenced in the episode, here it is.

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Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - or sign up for our email list.

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Aunt Flo, shark week, that time of the month, your red-headed friend: whatever you call your period, menstruation is a natural bodily function that happens to 50% of the population.

For the majority of us, we take our monthly supplies for granted. But what happens if you’re homeless, or if you have to choose each month between purchasing groceries or paying for your feminine hygiene supplies?

On today’s show, Sara chats with Geoff Davis, Executive Director of Period Kits, who is helping to solve that dilemma by providing period kits and dignity to that vulnerable segment of our population who need them the most. Misasha joins Sara to discuss ways to get involved on a local level.

Listen in to this inspiring story and learn how you can make a difference!

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

What to listen for:

Geoff provides an overview of the founding of Period Kits.
Each kit contains a 3-month supply of these products:
- 40 tampons
- 20 pads
- 20 liners
- 1 pack of personal wipes
- 6 pairs of underwear
Geoff describes how women deal with menstruation when they can’t afford products.
Each year in January, Denver organizations go out with food and blankets and do a “point in time” survey to capture the number of people who are unstably housed.
These numbers are not exact, but the survey captures about one in two people for various reasons.
Geoff explains how they build the kits and the number of kits they provide each month.
They are not able to keep with the demand from organizations and schools that are requesting Period Kits.
Geoff is using Period Kits as a way to campaign for broader change in our society.
The city of Denver removed menstrual products from the city sales tax because they’re classified as medically necessary, but the state tax still applies because it would cost them to lose about big money out of their budget.
Sara shares the costs of feminine hygiene products over the course of a woman’s life.

Like what you hear? Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!

Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - or sign up for our email list.

Resources:

Period Kits - Denver

Blossom Project - San Francisco

Helping Women Period - Michigan

The Homeless Period Project - South Carolina

Shanicia Boswell of Black Moms Blog brought it to our attention that you can donate period products to your local homeless shelters as well.

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PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded after Ahmaud Arbery's killing but before George Floyd's murder.

Sara and Misasha are excited to welcome Antonio Wint to the show.

Antonio is a neighbor, father, and black man in a position of leadership with a diverse employee base who happens to enjoy running. In light of everything, Sara and Misasha wanted to hear his personal experiences and thoughts on how to talk with kids about a sport that has potentially dangerous consequences for the black population.

Listen in to this thoughtful conversation for tips on encouraging age-appropriate conversation, respect, and tolerance for all.

Show Highlights:

Antonio describes how he has had age-appropriate conversations about discipline and respecting authority with his son, who is now 10, over the years.
As a black male, he is raising his son to respect authority, and respecting authority starts in the home first.
The older his son has gotten, Antonio has been explaining relationships, and how the respect he shows to his parents at home must translate to law officers outside of the home.
Shows that have helped facilitate some of their conversations are “Black-ish” and “Mixed-ish”.
It’s emotional and tough to tell your child that some people will find your very presence threatening.
How to talk about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery.
Antonio discusses ways for us all to be more mindful of discrimination and teach tolerance.
Antonio describes his experiences with running and what he does to mitigate any potential problems.
Antonio shares how he handled a tense situation with a lurker in his neighborhood.
The differences between growing up in a black neighborhood and choosing to live in a white neighborhood as a black.
How using the COVID-19 event can have a positive impact on the health of the black community going forward.
Let your neighbors know that they are not in this alone.

Resources / Links:

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW US!

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Antonio’s Company Website: www.GetSimpleIT.com

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Sara and Misasha are pleased to welcome their special guest, Dr. Sue Varma, to the show to discuss the importance of mental health in these very challenging times.

Listen in to this conversation that dives deeply into the psychological and physical effects that we're experiencing from the coronavirus pandemic, from many different perspectives.

Dr. Sue Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist and practicing cognitive-behavioral therapist in New York City. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. She is the recipient of the inaugural Sharecare Emmy Award in 2019 and now has been nominated again for her role in CBS This Morning’s ‘Stop the Stigma’ campaign in 2020. Dr. Varma is a keynote speaker and has been a regular national media contributor to all the major networks over the last 13 years (Today Show, CBS This Morning, Dr. Oz show, Tamron Hall etc) and is now a mental health contributor for CBS News. She won a Mayoral Proclamation in 2019 and a public sector award in 2020 from the Indo American Psychiatric Association. She won the “Best in Manhattan” for psychiatry in 2019 and 2020.

Her integrative approach to mental health includes cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, mindfulness, yoga, and nutrition. She is the former medical director to the 9/11 mental health program at NYU. Through her work in trauma and resilience, she became interested in positive psychiatry and is now studying the role of optimism to not only treat mental health disorders but also to prevent them. She believes that physicians have a duty to not only take their patients from a state of dysfunction to function- but also from functional to optimal.

She is a native New Yorker but considers herself a universal citizen with travels to fifty countries and counting. Sue is a self-proclaimed foodie who also enjoys swimming in oceans around the world and sometimes with sharks!

Show Highlights:

Dr. Sue is fascinated by how the pandemic is affecting different segments of the population.
Dr. Sue shares some of her concerns for the disproportionate number of blacks hospitalized from the coronavirus in Georgia, and the elderly and minority women on the front lines.
We take so many things for granted, when in some parts of the world, there may be one working toilet for 1,400 people in the slums and no running water for washing hands.
There’s trauma when you’re on the frontlines seeing your colleagues getting sick, yet you’re still expected to show up for work.
Medical workers are feeling dispensable and unheard. Feeling like you don’t matter has severe consequences and puts you at a higher risk for trauma.
The US may rank as one of the wealthiest nations in the world but it ranks #14 in happiness.
Unemployment and financial loss, fear, and uncertainty increases the risk of trauma.
Being given access to information that is clear, accurate, scientific, and credible helps in trauma prevention or recovery.
Dr. Sue’s suggestions on how to check on others during this time and how to respond to somebody who says they’re not doing well.
In depression, rumination is what’s going to take you down the deep, dark path.
Some things will return to normal, and other things won’t.
Let’s make meaning out of this time.
Dr. Sue's advice: Be compassionate to yourself, be gentle, be forgiving. Be grateful for anything you’ve accomplished and anything you have. Keep a journal. Be patient. Recognize that what we’re going through is a temporary thing. Accept and understand that what we’re going through is hard and we’re going to have different emotions at different times.
Dr. Sue details the four M’s of mental health: mindfulness, mastery, meaningful engagement, movement.

Resources / Links:

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW US!

Dear White Women Podcast

GET ON OUR INSIDER’S LIST! Sign up for our weekly emails!

Dear White Women Website

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Please Give Us a Like on Facebook!

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Twitter Follow Us!

Connect with Dr. Sue Varma!

You can follow her on social media for all things mental health and wellness related - @doctorsuevarma:

Dr. Sue Varma’s Instagram

Dr. Sue Varma’s Twitter

Suggested Episode:

Episode 57: It All Starts Here: Educational Inequality

Book Mentioned:

The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (purchase includes audio CD narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn)

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Have you ever stopped to think about what the phrase, “school to prison pipeline” really means? What about who it affects? Chances are unless an issue affects you or your loved ones personally, it’s not at the top of your priority list of concerns.

Sara and Misasha have been tackling election issues, and this particular one took center stage during the first round at the Democratic Presidential Debates last July.

If we fix our school system, we have a better chance of fixing the current prison pipeline. Listen in to this heart-wrenching exploration of the link between education and incarceration.

Show Highlights:

According to a 2003 report by the Bureau of Justice:
68% of state prison inmates in Colorado did not receive a high school diploma.
41% of inmates in the nation’s state and federal prisons and local jails had dropped out of school.
This is the last report filed but these numbers continue to be referenced by the government.
Most studies estimate the rate of incarcerated people who have not received a high school diploma at 65% - 74%. For many, prison is replacing higher education.
‘School to prison pipeline’ is “a term that describes how American kids get pushed out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems”, according to a 2015 report by AJ+ and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on the criminal justice system.
The ‘push out’ often starts with zero-tolerance policies that result in harsh punishments like out-of-school suspensions.
Sara and Misasha discuss the long-term negative impacts that a student experiences upon being suspended.
Getting an education reduces the chances of imprisonment and also reduces the chance for repeat offenses.
African Americans and Latinos are disproportionately caught up in the criminal justice system. Together, they made up half of the US prisoners in 2017 but represent a combined 32% of the general population.
Reducing suspensions must be a key part of disrupting the school to prison pipeline.
Research shows that being suspended just once in 9th grade doubles the likelihood that a student will drop out of high school.
Many want to blame the schools for the problem, but we’re not giving schools the money, resources, and training to create and enforce policies.
Homelife and parent involvement are crucial to addressing student behavior and recidivism.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the US Department of Justice report that more than 230,000 children aged 14 and under were arrested in 2017.
The disproportionately harsh discipline that black children encounter often begins when children are literally in or just transitioning out of diapers.
Data indicates that preschoolers (ages 2-4) are being expelled from their learning setting at three or four times the rate of children in grades K-12.
Black preschoolers are three times more likely to be suspended than their peers.
Black children are disproportionately the victims of exclusionary discipline.
There is no evidence that black children have worse behavior than their peers.
Studies reveal that black children are more often disciplined for subjective behaviors and white children are more likely to be disciplined for objective behaviors.
Misasha shares the meaning of ‘consent decree’ and how it applies to the US Department of Justice and communities regarding disparity in school discipline.
An astounding 33 states don’t have a minimum age for criminal liability. This makes it legal to prosecute a 5-year old in juvenile court.
South Carolina has a minimum age of 6.
In another five states, the minimum age is 7.
Examples of the outrageous handcuffing and zip-tying of our children.
The Trump administration rescinded Obama-era school discipline guidance, misleadingly citing school safety concerns. This effort came after the US Department of Education made clear that civil rights enforcement isn’t a priority.
How do we protect more 1st and 2nd graders from being criminalized? Sara shares some ideas about where we need to start.
Familiar yourself with your school’s policies on discipline.

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Suggested Episodes Related to Income Inequality:

47: The Changing Face of Insurance: Why You Should Care

49: Why Are We Talking About Income Inequality When The Economy Is Strong?

50: Why Aren't Black Kids Playing Baseball?

52: What Happens When You're Sick and Poor: Healthcare in the United States

57: It All Starts Here: Educational Inequality

Suggested Episodes Related to Criminal Justice:

37: Criminal Justice: Jaw-Dropping Stats You Should Know About

38: Criminal Justice: 15 Going on 28

41: Ji Seon Song: Understanding and Navigating the Juvenile Legal System

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In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha continue the election arc with studies involving the root causes of educational inequality.

Join them to hear about educational inequality’s inextricable link to income inequality, why it should matter to us all, what needs to be resolved first, best practices, and more!

Show Highlights:

Harvard Gazette profiled former Presidential candidate and popular two-term governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, a Harvard undergrad who also graduated from the Law School in 1982, grew up a poor black school child in the housing projects of Chicago’s South Side.
The odds of escaping a life of poverty despite being highly intelligent and driven were against Patrick.
In the article, Patrick addresses how, through education, he was able to triumph over the poverty-ridden life that may have, at one time, seemed to be his destiny.
“Public school” is defined as a federally-funded school administered to some extent by the government and charged with educating all citizens.
The government has struggled to answer these rather difficult questions since the inception of public education:
What is the primary purpose of public education?
Who should be able to receive the educational services provided to the general public?
How does the government ensure consistently high quality in the educational services it provides?
The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) ranked the United States 20th among the 34 market-based democracy-leading countries grade-wise in reading, science, and math.
By 8th grade, only 44% of American students are proficient in reading and math.
The proficiency of African-American students, many of whom are in under-performing schools, is even lower.
The matter of educational inequality must be solved first before other types of inequality resolution follow.
The gap is not due to the color of the skin, but rather to the access to quality education and the host of other systemic issues with which they’re faced.
According to researchers, the key gaps are poverty rates, diminished teacher and school quality, unsettled neighborhoods, ineffective parenting, personal trauma, and peer group influence.
“Talk, Sing, Point” in early childhood: the difference in life experiences begins at home.
What is the LENA vest and what is its importance?
With the help of Faculty Co-Chair and Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Charles J. Ogletree, The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard is analyzing the factors that make educational inequality such a complex puzzle.
Best practices to create strong schools will matter the most.
The surprising difference between private and public school outcomes.
Research suggests that poverty in the United States tends to be deeper and more difficult to escape than in other countries.
Please consider voting for initiatives that help the education system!

Resources / Links:

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Colorado’s House of Pod

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Applications Are Open Until May 8

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Email Becca@houseofpod.org

Suggested Episodes:

25: School Lunches: Why Kids Are Going Hungry

49: Why Are We Talking About Income Inequality When The Economy Is Strong?

Mentioned Book:

Five Miles Away, A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, And The Story Of Educational Opportunity In Modern America by James E. Ryan

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam

Five Miles Away, A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America

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When you think of a disabled person, what image comes to mind? For example, do you think of a particular gender? Do you picture how they get around? How about their skin color?

In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha take on the subject of how both physical and mental disabilities impact people of color and everyone else who isn’t white, cisgender, and economically advantaged. You’ll also learn about #disabililtytoowhite and what you can do to support the work of disabled people of color who often do extraordinary work for very little pay.

Don’t miss this eye-opening and thought-provoking dialogue in Part 2 of the Ableism series!

Show Highlights:

Misasha provides an overview of the history behind #disabililtytoowhite and how it started a meaningful conversation about race and intersectionality in the disabled community.
The resulting conversation was witness to disabled people of color publicly sharing their plight at feeling invisible in the disabled community and finally feeling validated by having these conversations in a public space.
The hashtag was also a wakeup call and a call to action for white disabled people to become better allies.
There’s still a gap where mental health is concerned, and mental health continues to focus on middle-class whites.
Disabilities are not just physical but can be invisible, as well. Mental health disabilities are no less valid than physical health disabilities.
Sara shares the list of questions that the U.S. Department of Health and Human asks to help people navigate the support they would receive through the Affordable Care Act.
Sobering statistics, as of 2016:
- 1/2 of all people killed by police are disabled.
- At least 30% of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in the U.S. are disabled.
- Examples of police officers misinterpreting autistic behavior as non-compliant or disrespect were found.
People with disabilities have much lower employment rates than people without disabilities. Geography and demography reveal some surprising information!
Young black and Latinx people in the U.S. have a very different relationship with mental illness than their white peers, including higher rates of attempted suicide.
The subject of mental illness is still largely taboo in communities of color.
Insurance can be a roadblock to receiving mental health treatment for those who have lower-tiered plans.
Social Security is highly valued by those with disabilities but the social security program is way past due for reform.
Disability issues make up some of the hot topics to keep in mind during this election year!

Resources / Links:

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Suggested Episode:

Episode 54: Ableism Part 1: How Just Being Aware Isn't Enough Anymore

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We, Sara & Misasha, were honored to be featured on the podcast of a dear friend, Running Life: A Fitness Protection Production run by host Coach MK - and the content was so important and relevant that we are co-launching the show on both of our platforms today.

We entered the conversation because as a running coach who isn’t ever really “just” talking about the running, MK’s social media feeds had been covered with call-outs, shaming anyone who violates the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control recommending that everyone cover their faces every time they leave the house.

But the truth is, people of color think about safety more than any of us ever will. From running with hoodies to walking into convenience stores with red bandanas serving as make-shift face coverings, people with darker skin will be judged differently - potentially fatally - even if they’re in the same scenarios that white people are in.

Enter Dear White Women.

We were asked to moderate this incredible roundtable discussion with Fitness Protection Sponsored Athlete Nikkia Young, ReBuild Coach Lovey Roundtree Oliff, and Dalia Kinsey of The School Nutrition Dietitian Podcast and the Body Liberation RD Instagram account - all of whom identify as black women.

Nobody has the same experience as someone else, and this is why conversations about different experiences are vital. To be clear, these are three college-educated, skilled women with considerable economic privilege; all three live in predominantly white neighborhoods – so keep in mind, some people of color face even more challenges. We invite you to listen, in spite of any discomfort you may feel because that is where real, lasting change begins.

For more on the Running Life, the Fitness Protection Program, and to get on their lists, visit https://www.fitnessprotection.com/

OTHER RESOURCES:

@fitnessprotectionllc

@bodyliberationrd

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There’s a lot of consequences out there for people who are fully functional but there are even more consequences for people who have disabilities right now. In today’s conversation, Sara and Misasha bring you an enlightening and timely discourse on ableism, and how just being aware of it isn’t enough anymore.

They’ll also be touching on the current COVID-19 pandemic, and what happens when you have a child with special needs when everyone is expected to stay home and you're not prepared for that.

Get ready to look at the world in a whole new way without making assumptions, while reaching out to offer help.

Show Highlights:

Misasha shares her own story of wearing a brace as a teenager, the impact it has had on her life, the spinal fusion surgeries she’s had to endure, and the gratefulness she feels for the ways in which she can now experience movement.
Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue or discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities. Ableism often rests on the assumption that people need to be “fixed”, in one form or another.
Ableism projects the idea that people with disabilities are somehow “lesser than” others. This is similar to sexism, which projects the idea that women are somehow “lesser than” a man.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, including those with disabilities.
A disabled person’s preference for what they would like to be called should always be honored.
Ableism usually derives from non-disabled people with good intentions.
The medical model of disability may be at the root of ableism because this is where we first learn about disability. But just because something is different, does not mean it’s bad.
From a young age, we are taught to treat people with disabilities with helpful politeness, but this can actually come across as pity that they’re not able to do anything independently and might be one more root cause of ableism.
“Learning Difference” is the term that is currently favored over “Learning Disability”.
If you slip and say something offensive to a person with a disability, it doesn’t mean you’re an ableist. Even those with disabilities can sometimes make these mistakes!
Attitudes, actions, and phrases that might not seem discriminatory, but are harmful to those with disabilities:
- Announcing someone else’s disability in an introduction
- Apologizing to the person for their disability
- Forgetting that disability is also a type of identity
- Ignoring the disability
- Assuming that people with disabilities want to talk about it all the time
- Insulting their medical equipment
- Insisting on helping out
Many special needs kids rely on schools as more than just a learning experience. As the vast majority of schools in the US have transitioned from the classroom to online schooling, teachers and administrators have struggled with how to offer learning to special needs students.
Routine is very important to students, and those differently-abled have all of a sudden found themselves not only without routine but without the services of a behavioralist, speech-language pathologist, counselor, etc.
Parents that have weighed in on the situation have offered ideas such as an illustrated storyboard to explain what’s happening; offering access to your stash of food supplies in case kids need specific brands because of allergy needs, consistency needs, or sensory issues; and just asking the parent what their needs are, which may be money or just the opportunity to talk.

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Suggested COVID-19 Episodes:

53: COVID-19: Not Exactly Making Things Better on the Immigration Front, Either!

51: Coronavirus: How Sheltering in Place Can Make Us Better Humans

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In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha share how COVID-19 has had a much bigger impact on the rights of immigrants in the United States and detainees at the border than what they originally thought.

Listen in to learn more about immigration, as it a key issue in this election year. Sara and Misasha bring you compelling information on those that are being held at our border, discuss the alarming public charge rule and other legislation that may be making its way down the pipeline.

Show Highlights:

In early March, the Trump Administration announced that they were going to start taking DNA from immigrant detainees at the border.
Thankfully, there are organizations who have team members still working alongside asylum-seekers and immigrants to achieve justice in the ICE detention centers and courtrooms.
At some detention facilities, there’s a lack of soap and hand sanitizer for those who are detained there.
The decision to close immigration courts has been left to individual judges.
The Justice Department has quietly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without a trial during emergencies.
President Trump has cited the recent pandemic as a reason for heightening border restrictions and restricting asylum claims.
The Department also asked Congress to pause the statute of limitations for criminal investigations and civil proceedings during national emergencies and for one year following the end of national emergencies.
President Trump recently declared the Corona Virus a national emergency.
“Immigrants face a very tough choice during this crisis: risk exposure or risk homelessness”, states Louise McCarthy is the President & CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC).
The public charge rule “enforces a long-standing law requiring aliens to be self-sufficient, reaffirming the American ideals of hard work, perseverance, and determination” is the official DHS definition. Misasha delves further into the rule.
Since the new rules announcement, there has been a nationwide uproar from civil rights groups.
Immigrants and low-wage workers will not fare well in the recently-passed Stimulus Package.
Suggestions from Sara and Misasha on ways to help the collective community.

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Sara and Misasha continue with their income inequality arc in today’s episode, with a special focus on what happens when you’re sick and poor.

Their recent exploration into income inequality issues is part of their deep dive into election issues. If you haven’t yet listened to the last couple of episodes, links are provided so that you can have a greater understanding of the bigger picture.

Join Sara and Misasha in this journey into the lives of those who are unable to take sick days when sick due to financial or logistical hardships, and the potential fallout of working during an illness.

Show Highlights:

Misasha shares a discussion from the “Neighborhood” app about an obviously sick woman wearing a mask while working at a pharmacy counter.
There is no federal law that ensures all workers are able to earn paid sick days in the United States.
Sick days can be incredibly costly to those who become sick or whose families depend on them to provide care in the event of an illness.
Taking needed sick time often means that workers have to choose between going without pay to stay home, or must show up at work sick and delay treatment for themselves or a dependent.
Statistics show that if you’re earning more money, you are better able to get paid sick days. Conversely, if you’re in a low-wage position, you are less likely to receive paid sick days.
For the average worker who does not have access to paid sick days, the cost of taking unpaid sick time can make a painful dent in the monthly budget for the worker’s household:
Losing a half-day of work due to illness, the lost wages could be equivalent to the household’s monthly budget for fruits and vegetables.
Losing 2 days of work due to illness, the lost wages could be equivalent to a month’s worth of gas, thereby making getting to work more difficult.
Losing 3 days of work due to illness, the lost wages could be equivalent to the entire grocery budget for the month or their monthly utility budget.
In the event of a lengthier illness, such as 7 days of unpaid sick time, a worker could lose the equivalent of a monthly rent or mortgage payment.
Research shows that state laws providing the right to paid sick days appear to be having a small but meaningful effect as the share of workers who have access to paid sick time has increased, particularly at the low end of the wage spectrum.
Access to paid sick time for low-wage workers has increased since 2012.
Unequal access to paid sick days is just one part of the bigger healthcare problem, as it highlights the problems of income inequality.
Sara and Misasha discuss cancer treatment and the devastating financial impact with or without health insurance.
As the gap between the rich and poor grow, so does the gap in their health.
Possible solutions for managing health and equalizing the playing field.
Some Democratic candidates are pushing for “Medicare for All”, which is a way to get rid of the private insurance market and offer insurance for everyone through a single-payer system.
Two important questions to consider for the upcoming Presidential election regarding “Medicare for All”: 1) How will we pay for it? 2) How will it work?
Sara and Misasha cover other considerations regarding “Medicare for All” and what would happen to the private insurance market.
Please vote!

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Suggested Episodes:

Episode 50: Why Aren't Black Kids Playing Baseball?

Episode 49: Why Are We Talking About Income Inequality When The Economy Is Strong?

Episode 10: Equal Pay Day: The Reality of Gender Parity

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This episode addresses our mental well-being in the face of the dramatic changes that have taken place over the last week.

Join Sara and Misasha as they offer encouragement during this time of “social distancing” and the fear that is developing around it.

Show Highlights:

Sara leads a brief meditation and mindfulness exercise on gratitude.
Shifting your mindset to “I get to do this” instead of “I have to do this” can make a big difference in the way you feel.
Pointers from Dr. Sue Varma:
- Limit your news sources.
- We need something to do.
- Buy only what you need for a defined period of time.
- Think about how to separate emotion from fact.
- Make regular phone or video calls to people you love or who are in your immediate community.
- Think about how you can help those who need food, medicine, or basics, especially if they’re elderly or immunocompromised.
Consider the nextdoor app to get updates on your neighborhood
Remember to exercise! Get plenty of sleep, and eat as healthy as you can.
Music is a great tool to change up the energy.
Re-organize or catch up on other tasks you’ve been putting off.
Nearly 22 million low-income kids from across the country rely on the free and reduced-price meals they receive from school, and for many of them that is the only nutritious food they might receive on any given day.
“No Kid Hungry” helps to bridge the gap during the summertime for these kids. They are now shifting the focus to helping fill the current needs.
“Blessings in a Backpack” helps ensure kids have what they need to be successful at school and are taking steps to make sure these kids are taken care of, even if the schools are closed.
Some school districts are planning to hand out food.
If you’re at the store and you see food labeled with “WIC” (it has a red circle), and you are not part of the “Women, Infants, and Children” program, please leave those foods for those who receive federal assistance with their groceries and have a limited selection of items from which to choose.
Misasha discusses the “Coronavirus Aid Package” that the House of Representatives recently passed.
Some cities are stepping up to help the homeless in various ways during this outbreak.
More great ideas from Ellen McGirt:
- Be a good bystander.
- Consider over-tipping.
- Remember those socially isolated by default.
- Understand how COVID-19 interacts with public policy.
- Not everyone is safe in their home. Reach out and assist those if you can.
This affects us ALL, and we need to look out for one another.

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Welcome to the 50th episode of the Dear White Women Podcast!! Thank you for all your comments, feedback, and support. Please continue sharing this podcast with your friends and family members, especially those with whom you need to have these uncomfortable conversations.

On today’s episode, Sara and Misasha continue the income inequality arc with the topic of kid’s sports.

Have you ever paused to consider the racial makeup of the athletes that we watch on TV? And in what sports? Furthermore, have you ever taken a look at why it is the way it is, other than simple demographics?

If your answer is “no” to any of the above, you’ll want to join Sara and Misasha for their investigative insight into this area of concern.

Show Highlights:

Youth sports in the United States has long been an important part of growing up.
Youth sports is a nearly 17-billion dollar industry, which makes it larger than the business of professional baseball and the same size industry as the NFL.
The share of children ages 6-12 who play a team sport on a regular basis has declined from 41.5% in 2011 to 37% in 2017.
In 2008, participation was lower across categories, including baseball, basketball, flag football, and soccer.
Baseball itself is down around 20%.
According to CBS News, “the rising costs of playing sports, coupled with rising economic inequality, are increasingly leading poor and even middle-class families to hang up their cleats”.
Pay-to-play sports is making organized athletics too expensive for many households.
Misasha provides a breakdown of household incomes and the percentage of children participating in sports.
The typical American family spends about $700 per year on their child’s sports activities. However, some parents pay out as much as $35,000 annually to pay for lessons, camps, school sports fees, equipment, and travel.
Due to budget cuts, public schools are increasingly charging for sports.
Sara addresses the pressures that college-minded parents feel to help get their kids athletic scholarships at elite colleges.
Only 1 in 10 young people who play sports ever get a sports scholarship.
Today, Division I and Division II colleges distribute 3 billion dollars a year in full and partial scholarships to student-athletes.
The scholarship jackpots give some children from lower-income families the chance to attend schools they might not otherwise afford.
In addition to affordability issues, sometimes lack of participation has to do with lack of transportation or safety concerns.
Kids who get pushed out of sports by the age of 12 are unlikely to get back into sports at a later time.
Europe not only offers alternative models for balancing equality inefficiency and the overall economy, but it also offers alternative models for youth sports.
Norwegian youth leagues value participation over competition and scores are not allowed to be posted.
So, why aren’t black kids playing baseball? Listen in for the reason why many young athletes are not picking up the sport.
Sara shares trends in the sports industry.
Misasha discusses race and the downsides of playing football, and the disparity between who’s playing the violent sport and who’s making the most money off of it.

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Suggested Episode:

49: Why Are We Talking About Income Inequality When The Economy Is Strong?

Wealth Inequality in America - YouTube Video

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You may have not thought about income inequality but it is definitely a big issue heading into this election season.

A new survey released in January by the Pew Research Center found that economic inequality is a concern with voters and not just liberals.

Americans across the board today see income inequality as a bigger problem than illegal immigration, which is the issue that Donald Trump rode to the White House in 2016.

On today’s episode, Sara and Misasha cover the good, the bad, and the ugly on this topic that has the power to impact us all.

Show Highlights:

61% of adult Americans told Pew that there is “too much income inequality in the US”.
42% said reducing income inequality should be a major priority for the federal government. This is 3 percentage points more than those who said the same thing about reducing illegal immigration.
This figure rose to 78% when only accounting for those who lean politically to the left.
Income inequality and wealth inequality is most pronounced when the stock market is doing well.
Almost half of those in the economic middle class earning between $35,000 - $99,000 per year report having issues paying medical and dental bills, and prescription drug costs.
The poor and the middle class were about as likely as the very rich to say that hard work was the key component to success in modern America.
56% of the poor or 82% of the middle class thought that they had either achieved the “American dream” or were on their way to achieving it.
Political observers agree that it will take far more than a Presidential election to reverse a trend that has been in the works since the 1970s, which is when the gap really starting widening in this country.
Advocates see hopeful signs coming from candidates willing to talk about making major changes to an often-undemocratic political system as well as ambitious, economic plans.
We’re making more money than we ever have, but the gap is bigger than it’s ever been.
The recovery from the great recession has been slow and uneven with lower-income Americans, many of them Latino or African-American, experiencing fewer of the benefits.
Misasha addresses rising infant mortality rates, lowered life expectancy rates, rising suicide rates and an epidemic of drug overdoses and their relevance to income inequality.
Steph Sterling, Vice President for Advocacy and Policy at the Roosevelt Institute, has some ideas to tackle income inequality and its potential lethal effects, as Misasha shares.
Surprising common ground between liberals and conservatives, according to research.

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Wealth Inequality in America - YouTube Video

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We’re less than one week away from Super Tuesday!

In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha talk about why the primaries are so important and why your vote matters, especially this election year! They will also cover what the deal is with Super Tuesday, what happened in Iowa and why that matters, and take a look at what the primaries really mean for our Presidential election.

Listen and learn during this informative Q&A session laced with Sara and Misasha’s punchy commentary!

Show Highlights:

Q: When does primary season begin and how long is it?
A: Voting began February 3rd with the Iowa caucuses. The last states vote in early June. Primary season lasts approximately 4 months.
Q: Who will I be voting for in the primaries?
A: The primaries are the main event. Candidates for the Democratic and Republican 2020 Presidential nominations, but voters will find all manner of down-ballot elections to consider on primary day. Down ballot means everything that is not the Presidential nomination, including house and senate races, and seats on the state legislature.
Q: What’s the difference between primaries and caucuses?
A: Primaries are relatively straight-forward. Voters vote and their vote goes to candidates who hope they get more votes than the other candidates. Caucuses, like Iowa, are similar. Generally, supporters for various candidates sit or stand together in groups. A headcount is conducted, and if a candidate doesn’t reach a certain threshold of support, the group is deemed non-viable and its members re-align with other clusters before a final count is made.
Q: Can states actually cancel their primaries?
A: Yes, they can and some states did this year. Alaska, Nevada, Kansas, Virginia, Arizona, South Carolina, and Hawaii canceled the Republican primaries only.
Q: Is there a Republican Presidential primary and opponents running against President Trump?
A: Yes. In most states, President Trump’s opponents include Joe Walsh, a former Illinois congressman and William F. Weld, a former Massachusetts Governor.
Q: Can you vote in both the Democratic and Republican primary?
A: It’s just one vote, per person. In some states with “Closed primaries”, you’ll need to be registered with a given party to participate.
Q: Can Trump be re-elected President even after getting impeached by the House?
A: That is his plan. President Trump is the first impeached President ever to seek re-election.
Q: Why do we keep hearing that Iowa is so important?
A: Iowa goes first and has since the 1970s. There’s really no great reason why Iowa goes first, although some of the Vietnam war protests and racial tensions of the 1968 Democratic convention helped set the stage.
Q: What is Super Tuesday?
A: Super Tuesday is March 3rd, and is the single most important day on the primary calendar because of how many major states will be holding their elections, including two very large states, California and Texas. About 40% of all pledged Democratic delegates will be awarded in these states. Misasha goes into greater detail here about how the delegate fight gets more serious!
Q: When did Super Tuesday become a thing?
A: Voting on that day of the week is an old tradition in the United States, but it wasn’t until the 1976 election that was credited with leading to the first recorded usage of that particular phrase. Sara shares the backstory of the when and the why!
Q: How does someone win the Democratic nomination?
A: A candidate hoping to win on the first ballot at the convention must secure a majority of pledged delegates, as dictated by the outcomes in state primaries and caucuses. In total, there are just under 4,000 pledged delegates up for grabs, as well as hundreds of super delegates, though the party prefers to call them “automatic” delegates. The official nomination will take place at the party’s convention in Milwaukee this summer.
Q: What are delegates?
A: There are two different types. Delegates, “the people”, are like political figures: activists and local leaders chosen to represent their states at the party’s convention. Delegates, “the numbers”, are the all-purpose metric of primary success. They are allocated proportionately according to the state voting results and their population.
Q: What are super delegates? Didn’t they get rid of those?
A: Democratic super delegates are political insiders. They can be sitting lawmakers to former senior party officials whose primary choices can be divorced entirely from the preference of the average voter. Super delegates can vote as they choose and their very existence in 2016 became a source of major tension in the race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. While Mrs. Clinton bested Mr. Sanders among pledged delegates in 2016, Mr. Sanders and his supporters saw the super delegates system as an affront to the democratic process. In response, the Democratic National Committee has sharply reduced the influence of super delegates, effectively preventing them from participating in a substantial way in the first ballot of a Presidential nominee process.
Q: Are there any history makers in the Presidential election?
A: Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Klobuchar, or Representative Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii would be the first woman elected President. Mr. Buttigieg would be the first openly-gay President to hold the office, and Mr. Sanders or Mr. Bloomberg would be the first Jewish President elected. A few of them would also be the oldest President ever inaugurated for a first term.
Q: Which party has done better at fund-raising so far?
A: Trump entered 2020 with more than 100 million dollars in cash on hand, and he outpaced every Democrat with 46 million in the 4th quarter of 2019. But, contenders for the Democratic nomination have accusatively surpassed Trump’s totals, suggesting pretty good enthusiasm.
Q: Does my vote in the primaries matter?
A: YES!! Although the piecemeal nature of the state-by-state calendar might make the process seem less exciting, the primaries really do resolve the nontrivial matter of choosing major party nominees and also all of the down-ballot stuff.
Q: Is it ok for me to skip voting in the primaries and just vote in the general election?
A: It’s allowed, of course. But the down-ballot primaries will be of significant consequence locally in many states and those are the feeder systems for our future. So it’s incredibly important to vote, especially all the way down the ballot and not just in the main event.
Q: Do I need to be registered to vote in the primaries?
A: Yes! 49 states require voter registration. North Dakota is the only state that does not require it. Deadlines for registering in your state can be found at the U.S. Vote Foundation.
Q: Do I need a government-issued ID?
A: These requirements can vary by state and can be found at NCSL.
Q: What if I was removed in a voter purge?
A: You can check your status at Vote.org.
Listen to the podcast for more Q&A regarding voting over the internet, those interfering Russians, Trump’s chances of re-election, how trustworthy the polls are, if we are going to be ok, and when this will be all over.
Sara and Misasha’s discourse on Iowa and what we can learn from it.
Please Vote!!

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Recent Episode on Primaries:

35: Election 101: Why Your Vote Does Matter

Books Mentioned:

Super Tuesday: Regional Politics & Presidential Primaries by Barbara Norrander

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From the recent women’s rights / reproductive issues arc, Sara and Misasha segue today into yet another big issue to consider in the upcoming election, and that’s the subject of health insurance.

Good insurance coverage is not the reality for the majority of Americans. And for those who DO have it, what would you do if you lost your coverage?

With this episode, Sara and Misasha will bridge the gap between reproductive rights and health care into the next arc of income inequality.

Recently, Trump’s administration lashed out at the state of California that touched on all three of these points.

Be sure to listen in to find out more and to stay on top of these timely issues!

Show Highlights:

Misasha gives an overview of Trump’s administration telling California that they were violating federal law by requiring private insurers in the state of California to cover abortion and threatened to withhold federal funding.
This plan was announced on the day that thousands of anti-abortion activists gathered on the National Mall for the annual March for Life rally.
Part of insurance is federally regulated, like The Affordable Care Act.
There are also mandated benefits, which are known as mandated health insurance benefits, or “mandates”, that can be issued at a federal level or a state level.
Mandates are requirements that states cover the treatments of specific health conditions, certain types of health care providers, and some categories of dependence.
Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, there were around 2,000 health insurance mandates between the states and federal government.
A key question that we need to look at is who controls who is eligible for insurance and for what?
The President has a lot of control in this area. <————-
The President needs Congress in order to act in the realm of criminal justice. The President needs the Supreme Court in order to act as regards reproductive justice. Where health care is concerned, however, the President can act nearly immediately.
Sara provides some relevant statistics regarding private and public health insurance.
Sara and Misasha discuss 5 of the biggest changes to the federal health law under President Trump, according to NPR.
The Affordable Care Act still exists and is still working, but pre-existing conditions is a barrier.

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Recent Episodes On Women’s Rights / Reproductive Issues:

46: Dr. Jenn: An Abortion Provider Answers the Hard Questions

45: Molly Ryan - Kills Enemy: Tireless Indigenous Rights Activist

44: Recorded Live: The 2020 Womxn’s March Denver

43: Let’s Talk About Rights

42: Presidential Powers and Women’s Rights

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In a continuation of the dialogue on women’s rights, Sara and Misasha sit down to have a special conversation with Dr. Jennifer Conti (“Dr. Jenn”), who is not only an obstetrician-gynecologist but also an abortion provider.

Although an uncomfortable and often contentious subject to discuss, it is an important one in the arc of women’s rights.

Listen to this informative narrative for an understanding of different perspectives as Dr. Jenn addresses misperceptions and answers questions we all have but may have been too uneasy to ask.

Show Highlights:

Dr. Jenn not only practices as an ob/gyn and as an abortion provider, but she also does a lot of media work and policy advocacy around abortion, as well.
Only a very small percentage of ob/gyns in the US actually perform abortions.
Many more are trained to do abortions than actually do them.
Administrative or policy issues may prevent them from offering this service.
Dr. Jenn grew up in a conservative family and was anti-choice until she was 18, and shares the story behind her change of heart.
Dr. Jenn describes the first abortion she ever witnessed as a medical student as a jarring experience.
Over 90% of abortions take place in the first trimester.
“If I don’t do it, who will?” An attending physician’s heartfelt plea.
What medical training and Fellowship in Family Planning looks like.
Fellowship now is morphing into science goals but heavily focused on policy as well.
“Harmful legislation” (having the women listen to the heartbeat, making her wait a certain number of hours before the procedure, etc.) doesn’t increase the safety of the procedure.
Dr. Jenn reconciles her previous anti-choice feelings she used to share with her family and friends.
What feelings a doctor may experience while performing an abortion.
A technical overview of abortion procedures.
The after-effects (physical, mental, emotional) a woman may experience post-abortion.
80% of women who have abortions are already mothers.
Dr. Jenn shares some stories of women that she has assisted.
The difference between the terms “Pro-Life” and “Anti-Choice”.
There are huge racial disparities with abortion access.

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Connect with Dr. Jenn!

Dr. Jenn’s Website

Dr. Jenn’s Twitter

Dr. Jenn’s Instagram

Dr. Jenn’s Podcast The V Word Podcast with Dr. Jenn & Dr. Erica

Dr. Jenn’s Email

Referenced Websites:

Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health ANSIRH

Non-Judgmental Support in Pregnancy: All-Options Talklilne

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TRIGGER WARNING: Abuse and addiction references.

Often times, women of color aren’t represented properly or advocated for when dealing with the justice system. They’re typically dismissed, wrongly accused, and ignored altogether. Molly Ryan - Kills Enemy not only endured severe physical, sexual, and emotional trauma but has endured years of ignorance from the justice system.

As an indigenous woman raised in a white family, Molly has a unique perspective of how culture and parenthood impact the lives of children. As a mother of children who are also trauma survivors, she’s seen how abuse drastically alters the path children take in life. Molly shares how she’s battled ending negative cycles from her own parenting experience, dealing with an abusive father and the justice system, the impacts that abuse has had in her personal life, and how adopting truth and neglecting judgment leads to healing.

Join Sara and Misasha in this insightful continuation of the 2020 Womxn’s March Denver to experience a unique narrative and impactful story that reflects true strength and tenacity through adversity.

Show Highlights:

Being raised in a white family gave Molly an empathetic understanding of both narratives – being white and indigenous.
Parenthood is reflective of how parents were parented and impacts how children evolve
Molly shares how she and her children survived an abusive home situation and the battle she experienced with the justice system
The process behind Molly’s lawsuit and how her attorney advocated for her
The torment Molly’s family endured from their abuser even after court
How abuse impacts children and trauma can put children in prison
Preconceived notions and judgments that native people face and how embracing truth can lead to healing

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Women are often dismissed or silenced when coming forward in the public eye with their pain, particularly women of color. We’ve adopted this matriarchal mindset that women’s trauma, experiences, and emotions are invalid, but we need to come together as women to break that perception, now more than ever.

Sara and Misasha dissect how the justice system has wrongfully unacknowledged women of color, along with special guest, domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual abuse survivor, Mary Ryan. Mary reveals her personal experiences as a trauma survivor, and how the justice system has consistently dismissed her case.

Tune into this conversation for unique insight on how we can shift the division between women to not only embrace one another’s pain, no matter how personal it may be, and how we can start to break down the barriers that isolated women from the beginning.

This recorded-live episode from the 2020’s Womxn’s March Denver is full of insightful and enlightening thoughts that you can reflect on and apply to your own life!

Show Highlights:

We need to align as women before anything else in order to create a safer society for women and children.
Sara and Misasha address the issues with idealizing whiteness and dismissing women of color as victims
What inhibits women of color from coming forward as victims of rape and why white women should care
There are various factors that mediate sexism and race should be acknowledged when talking about gender equality
Women’s rights are under attack and women need to create an alliance by listening to each-others pain openly
Mary Ryan shares her experiences as a domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual abuse survivor
Mary discusses how the justice system has blatantly ignored her and her families’ trauma
Mary endured multiple break-in encounters and restraining order violations from her abuser, who is a white male and has still been unacknowledged in her case
Indigenous people have been consistently dismissed in assault cases and there are barriers we need to break down and dissect in order to improve how we address these issues
In order for healing to happen as a society, we have to open ourselves up to listen to others experiences, no matter how painful it may be
Challenging public binaries and embracing women’s defiance

Links:

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Book Mentioned

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger by Soraya Chemaly

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The progress of obtaining and maintaining women’s rights is not linear. Reproductive rights in the United States are focused on efforts to get and defend the legal right to abortion, and these efforts are led by predominantly white women.

What little information is provided about women of color with regard to reproductive rights tends to center on the abuses they have suffered and represents only a partial history. Most of the reproductive health organizing done by women of color in the United States has been undocumented, unanalyzed, and unacknowledged.

They will be unpacking the book, Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice, which highlights the role of women of color in advocating for their own interests, largely because they face very different and specific issues regarding reproductive rights that are not faced by white women.

In this second part about women’s rights, Sara and Misasha are here today to challenge the narratives!

Show Highlights:

As regards reproductive rights, white women tend to focus on abortion, whereas women of color tend to look at it more broadly.
Sterilization in exchange for benefits and forced abortion are very real experiences in the lives of women of color.
Choice plays a big role in rights. Choice includes “the choice to determine whether or not to have children, the choice to terminate a pregnancy, and the ability to making informed choices about contraceptive and reproductive technologies”, according to book co-author, Jael Silliman.
Choice implies options and that a woman’s right to determine what happens to her body is legally protected. For women of color, this ignores the fact that economic and institutional constraints often restrict their choices.
It’s important for health providers to have a cultural competency, which is an understanding and respect for the cultures, traditions, and practices of a community.
Opposition to welfare and commitment to reduce welfare roles by supplying free birth control services to poor women were joined in a race and class direct social policy.
The link between coercive birth control and racism was overtly expressed by Louisiana judge, Leander Perez, in 1965 when he stated that the best way to hate a black man is to hate him before he is born.
Sara and Misasha provide some horrendous statistics regarding forced sterilizations against women of color in the 20th century.
Sara offers an exercise for white women to help them understand the differences in experience.
Stereotypes and myths: harmful and still working against women of color.
Cisgender white people have not recognized themselves as an identity group because they assume their identity to be the universal norm.
Many white women organizing for reproductive rights assume that their agenda includes all women because of their own white women experience.
In 2000 the Institute for Women & Ethnic Studies in New Orleans put forth a “Reproductive Health Bill of Rights” which, in part, reads: “All people are born free and equal with dignity and rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Historically, women of color across nations, cultures, and different religious and ethnic groups have been subject to racist exploitation, discrimination, and abuse. Manipulative, coercive, and punitive health policies and practices deprive women of color of their fundamental human rights and dignity.”

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Listen to The First Part of Sara & Misasha’s Talk About Rights Here!

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/women-rights

Books Mentioned:

Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice by Jael Silliman, Marlene Gerber Fried, Loretta Ross, and Elena Gutierrez

Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity by Samuel P. Huntington

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Particularly relevant now that we’re in the 2020 election year is the subject of rights, namely reproductive ones and others that directly affect women.

That’s what Sara and Misasha will be diving into on this episode, along with a brief coda to their recent 3-part series on the Criminal Justice System, and that is what the President has the power to change with regard to criminal justice versus what he or she needs Congress to help with.

You’ll definitely want to listen in to this food-for-thought as you reflect on the upcoming election.

Finally, this coming weekend, Sara and Misasha will be in Denver recording a live episode at the 2020 Womxn’s March! Join them, if you can!

Show Highlights:

Misasha presents a brief primer on what the President “can” do, and includes topics such as solitary confinement, police use-of-force, reinstating voting rights to felons, and immigration law.
What’s the problem with private prisons, anyway?
Sara discusses the current cash bail system, the No Money Bail Act of 2018, and the long-standing correlation between skin color and incarceration.
Whoever becomes President in this upcoming election has a direct impact on a woman’s right to control her own body.
The United States Supreme Court has been asked to consider overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that found that criminalizing abortion violates Constitutionally-protected privacy rights.
Recently, over 200 members of Congress filed an amicus brief in support of Louisiana’s so-called “Unsafe Abortion Protection Act”, which will be going before the Supreme Court in March.
If the Court rules in support of the Louisiana law restricting abortion access, it could effectively overturn abortion protection nationwide.
Misasha outlines the impact it could have on those in Louisiana and surrounding states who might need an abortion.
Misasha notes an amicus brief from major medical and legal groups in support of abortions.
In order to understand the impact and the arc of reproductive rights in this country, as well as the difference in rights when it comes to white women versus women of color, Sara provides some key milestones and highlights from 1916 and moving forward.
Misasha quotes from the book The Doctors’ Case Against The Pill by Barbara Seaman and the issue of safety.
The TRAP law and why it matters.
In the next two episodes, Sara and Misasha will explore certain ways in which white women and women of color are not similarly situated when it comes to reproductive rights and control over their own bodies. The next episode will look at the history of this divide and the impact of sterilization and abortion on both groups. We hope you join us!

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THE 2020 WOMXN'S MARCH

Saturday, January 18

Denver, CO

Sara & Misasha will be recording LIVE!

Did You Miss the 3-Part Series on The Criminal Justice System?

Listen to Part 1 Here - Criminal Justice: Jaw-Dropping Stats You Should Know About

Listen to Part 2 Here - Criminal Justice: 15 Going on 28

Listen to Part 3 Here - Understanding and Navigating the Juvenile Legal System with Ji Seon Song

To Keep Up With News Regarding the Criminal Justice System

The Marshall Project

Book Mentioned

The Doctors’ Case Against The Pill by Barbara Seaman

View Details

Sara and Misasha’s guest today is Ji Seon Song, a former juvenile public defender.

Join them in this fascinating - and often heartbreaking - journey inside the juvenile legal system.

Ji Seon Song went to Columbia as an undergrad and also to Columbia Law School. Her scholarship currently focuses on criminal and juvenile justice. Ji Seon’s research explores the intersection of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and different institutions and areas of law. Her current project examines policing and hospitals.

In addition, Ji Seon has been active in local, regional, and national justice reform. She trains practicing juvenile defenders throughout the country. She is currently at Stamford where she teaches federal litigation in a global context and legal research and writing.

Prior to joining Stamford, Ji Seon was a public defender in California where she represented youth and adults in delinquency and criminal proceedings. During her time at the public defender’s office, she expanded the juvenile unit to include education and post-disposition representation and worked with local stakeholders on improving conditions of confinement and re-entry for youth.

Before then, Ji Seon worked in a different capacity as a senior policy advocate at the National Juvenile Defender Clinic and as a Fellow at Georgetown University’s Law Center Juvenile Justice Clinic and as a federal judicial clerk in New York.

She is a founding member of the Asian-American Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and the Bay Area Public Defenders for Racial Justice. She currently serves on the executive board of the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center.

Show Highlights:

Ji Seon provides an overview of her educational and career background.
Ji Seon addresses the difference between jails and prisons, and the role of stakeholders.
Juvenile practice takes a lot of knowledge in different areas: criminal law, education law, mental illness, and collateral consequences, for example.
Ji Seon discusses the problems juveniles face with re-entry into school and the opportunities that are lost in the interim.
Racial discrimination exists at all stages in the juvenile legal system.
Ji Seon puts a vulnerable face to some of the clients that she represented and ponders boundaries within juvenile representation.
If we have the idea that the juvenile system should be rehabilitative, what we have in place right now is not.
What could we do with an alternative, re-imagined world of justice than what we have right now?

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Books Mentioned:

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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Sara and Misasha take a break from the election issues to bring you a little 2020 vision to welcome in the new year and the new decade!

Listen in as they chat about how they envision the coming year and decade will be!

In appreciation for your support of the podcast, Sara and Misasha have a gift for you!

It’s a Spotify Playlist, “DWW Podcast Best of 2019” Please enjoy it!

Show Highlights:

Sara and Misasha share their personal visions for the next decade.
Misasha’s word for 2020 is “power” and describes what that means to her.
Sara’s words for 2020 are “being present” and explains how that is relevant to her.
Sara and Misasha discuss three things they want to learn or do, or create in 2020.
Have you considered YOUR personal visions for the next decade? Have you pondered your word for the coming year? Have you envisioned what new things you might want to accomplish in 2020?
Happy New Year!!!

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Check out Sara & Misasha’s Gift to You!

Spotify Playlist: DWW Podcast Best of 2019

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Sara and Misasha bring you a special holiday episode involving how to talk about race and politics over the holidays.

When we gather as families, we tend to avoid spending our time talking about hot-button issues, especially around the holidays.

Nobody wants a heated argument, but we may be missing out on opportunities to share opinions and get people talking about topics that are not ordinarily shared by those with the same viewpoints.

Show Highlights:

Addressing different beliefs begins with us talking to our families, educating them and showing them kindness and compassion in the process.
Having uncomfortable conversations with respect can lead to better communication and understanding.
Misasha shares some tips from an article written by Jordan Uhl to help your family members better understand your co-workers, classmates, neighbors and friends of color.
Misasha and Sara share statistics on race as it regards neighborhoods and friendships.
Sara shares suggestions on how to make people feel like they matter.
Starting conversations regarding these hard issues can seem daunting but gives us the opportunity for a host of other meaningful interactions about prejudices and inequality.
Remember to support queer and transgender folks this holiday season, especially those who may not have the support of their families.
Misasha shares the one question that can address the elephant in the room without expressly doing so.
Misasha provides journalist Ellen McGirt’s ideas on how to counter bigotry.

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Dr. Ron Holt’s Coloring Book

https://www.amazon.com/Many-Shades-PRIDE-Coloring-Book

The Many Shades of PRIDE Coloring Book: Inspiring Designs and Affirmations Connecting All Identities

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Sara and Misasha bring you the second part of their Criminal Justice series and another big issue affecting the 2020 Presidential election.

This episode focuses on the juvenile.

Pause for a moment and think about someone you know that’s a juvenile. Maybe you think of your kid, or maybe you think of yourself at 13. What were you like? Did you ever make any poor choices?

Listen in for a shocking history lesson and find out how old laws are impacting our children in the court system even today.

Show Highlights:

Being 13 is a difficult age. You often think you know everything, how to do everything, hormones are raging, you encounter peer pressure. What you don’t understand when you’re 13 is the consequences of your actions.
There’s a reason why car rental companies do not rent to those under the age of 25. Your brain does not fully develop until you’re 25.
Misasha reads from an article regarding Jim Crow era laws resulting in a high rate of black kids being charged as adults in the State of Mississippi and shares her worst fears. She shares a story of a young teenager named Isaiah and his experience in the adult court system.
In the last 25 years, nearly 5,000 Mississippi children have been charged as adults. Three out of every four are black.
“Convict leasing”, where the State loaned out its prison population to work on plantations and build railroads, became popular after slavery but was outlawed at the end of the Civil War.
In the late 1880’s state laws made no distinction between punishing children and punishing adults.
By 1880, children and adolescents made up about one quarter of the prison population.
As a result of national pressure, the State of Mississippi ended convict leasing in 1890, but it gave way to the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary, better known as Parchman Farm.
Even the youngest inmates at Parchman picked cotton and cultivated other cash crops for the state’s profits while incurring lashings from “Black Annie”, the name given to a thick leather strap.
By the time the state got around to making separate jails for kids in 1916, the Governor was a well-known klansman by the name of Theodore Bilbo.
Bilbo created so-called “training schools,” where the state could jail kids charged with breaking the law, homeless kids, abandoned kids, and even kids the courts thought might one day be criminals.
More than two decades later, the 1940 Legislature created a separate court system for kids and at the same time permitted children as young as 14 to face criminal charges in adult court. Lawmakers wanted to take it even further. In 1942, the all-white body wrote a bill to permit children of any age to face criminal charges in adult court.
But then-Governor Paul Johnson, Sr., vetoed this bill, arguing that the law was redundant. He already had approved $60,000 – nearly $1 million by today’s standards – to fund a “negro reformatory at Oakley State Farm.” This basically meant that there was no need to criminally prosecute younger kids when the state had a new plan in place to send black kids to Oakley.
Laws passed in 1946 permitted kids as young as 13 to face criminal prosecution as adults. Their legacy remains seven decades later in the form of “original jurisdiction” laws. They are not unique to Mississippi: Twenty-six states automatically put children into the adult system at the moment of arrest for certain charges.
Sara shares the impact on your brain of time spent in isolation, and the states that still allow solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure for juveniles: Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Texas, and Wyoming.
Solitary confinement of juveniles is prohibited under the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
There is no evidence that solitary confinement improves behavior.
There is, however, a lot of evidence that shows that it is harmful to children.
There are approximately 67,000 prisoners placed in these conditions in the United States and Canada at any given time.
Of the kids charged as adults who have gone before a Mississippi judge in the last quarter-century, nearly 75% are black. While boys make up most of the system, the racial disparity among Mississippi girls in the system also is stunning: 60% are black.
White kids are over twice as likely to get a plea bargain that’s known as a “non-adjudication of guilt.”
The laws need to change, and we should reflect on what the President can do, what Congress needs to do, and how the court systems can address these issues.
NEXT WEEK: Sara and Misasha share their thoughts on key issues relating to the criminal justice system surrounding the 2020 election.

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Suggested Reading

Worse than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice by David M. Oshinsky

Before We Were Yours: A Novel by Lisa Wingate

View Details

Welcome to the first installment of a 3-part series where Sara and Misasha cover topics such as DWB, or driving while black, eye-popping traffic-stop statistics, and an overview of our criminal justice system. You’ll even get to hear Sara rap!

Congratulations to Dear White Women Podcast, who was recently awarded “Best Episode” for the Inaugural Colorado Podcast Awards for the Crystal Echohawk episode!

Show Highlights:

Sara and Misasha discuss the anxiety of being pulled over while driving.
If you’re driving while black, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll be stopped, asked to step out of the car, forcibly searched and have your car searched during a routine traffic stop.
You need to know your rights because if you don’t, you could be frisked, arrested, beat up, or even killed right in front of your family that is with you, as has happened recently.
Misasha covers your rights in a traffic stop, and what you should and should not do.
According to research based on 20 million traffic stops, blacks are almost twice as likely to be pulled over as whites, even though whites drive more, on average.
Blacks are more likely to be searched following a stop.
Just by getting in a car, a black driver has about twice the odds of being pulled over and about four times the odds of being searched.
They’re more likely to be searched despite the fact that they’re less likely to be found with contraband as a result of those searches.
The 2013 Justice Department study found that black and Latino drivers were more likely to be searched once they have been pulled over.
About 2% of white motorists are searched compared to 6% of black drivers and 7% of Latinos.
In 2015, the Charleston Post & Courier looked at incidences in which police stopped motorists but didn’t issue a citation. These are called pretext stops and suggest that the officer was profiling the motorist as a possible drug courier or suspected the motorist of other crimes.
After adjusting for population, blacks in nearly every part of their state were significantly more likely to be the subject of these stops.
In 2017, a study of 4 1/2 million traffic stops by the 100 largest police departments in North Carolina found that blacks and latinos were more likely to be searched than whites, even though searches of white motorists were more likely than the others to turn up contraband.
Criminal justice is a big issue in the 2020 election with several candidates talking about specific reforms.
Sara and Misasha will be talking more in future episodes on what the President and the office of the President has power to do regarding criminal justice and what they need Congress for.
Once you have a basic understanding of the criminal justice system, it’s easier to understand why this is so important for the upcoming election.
The criminal justice system has 3 components that work together to enforce the rule of law:
- Law enforcement
- The courts
- The correctional facilities
The criminal justice system operates at the local level, the state level, and the federal level.
Law enforcement works to prevent crime, courts strive to enact justice once a crime has been committed, and correction focuses on retribution and rehabilitation.
Misasha describes the hierarchy within the state and federal levels and delves into each separate branch.
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff is a scientist who studies how our minds learn to associate blackness, crime, and misperceived black children as older than they actually are. He also studies police behavior and knows that every year, one in five adults in the United States will come in contact with law enforcement. Out of this number, about a million are targeted for police use of force. If you’re black, you’re 2 to 4 times more likely to be targeted for that force than if you’re white.
The US Corrections System stands alone as the largest system of its type in the world. Though home to less than 5% of the world’s population the US holds nearly 25% of the world’s prisoners, which is the highest global per capita rate incarceration.
Parole, probation, community service, and recidivism.
Sara shares information on two organizations that are working to help people who are re-entering society from prison.
Along with corrections and our criminal justice system, it’s also important to consider tribal law.
Federally-recognized Native American tribes possess a form of sovereign rule that preserves the inherent right of each tribe to form their own government, make and enforce civil and criminal law, collect taxes, and establish and regulate tribal citizenship.
Native American reservations have more than 90 correctional facilities.

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Listen to the Award-Winning “Best Episode” of the Inaugural Colorado Podcast Awards!

Transforming Relationships with Native American Culture with Crystal Echohawk

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/crystal-echohawk

Book Mentioned:

Suspect Citizens: What 20 Million Traffic Stops Tell Us About Policing and Race, by Frank R. Baumgartner, Derek A. App, and Kelsey Shoub

Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff TED Talk

https://www.ted.com/speakers/phillip_goff

Organizations That Are Helping People Coming Out of Prison

Second Chances Farm

Forgive Everyone

Suspect Citizens: What 20 Million Traffic Stops Tell Us About Policing and Race

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You may not be familiar with the subject of today’s show, but he is a senior advisor for policy for President Donald Trump.

Sara and Misasha are going to be digging deep into Stephen Miller, who has facilitated and created a lot of the Trump administration policies, both domestic and foreign. They’re also going to be discussing his beliefs, which are largely rooted in racist and anti-immigrant ideology.

Listen in to learn more about the people who are in power in our current government.

Show Highlights:

Stephen Miller is descended from immigrants who came to this country to escape religious persecution in their own European countries.
Politico Magazine published an article written by Miller’s uncle, who calls Stephen an “immigration hypocrite”. Sara shares some highlights from the commentary and invites listeners to sign up for their weekly emails to receive the article link.
Miller is not just President Trump’s political advisor, he is also a personal friend of his.
Misasha gives an overview of Miller’s previously private 900 emails sent to the editors of the conservative website Breitbart News in 2015 and 2016 regarding anti-immigrant ideology.
More than 80% of the emails that Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) Hatewatch reviewed related to race or immigration.
In preparing for their article, Hatewatch reached out to the White House and to Stephen Miller for comment about these emails and received no response.
When discussing crime, Miller focuses on offenses committed by non-whites.
When discussing immigration, he touches on the perspective of severely limiting or ending non-white immigration to the United States.
Hatewatch was not able to find any examples of Miller writing sympathetically (or even in neutral tones) about any person who is non-white or foreign-born.
Miller has cut off regular contact with most of his allies outside of the Trump Administration to limit leaks, and now favors phone calls over emails.
Sara and Misasha discuss Katie McHugh’s part in the leak of the emails. McHugh was an editor for Breitbart who leaked the emails to Hatewatch and later got fired for anti-muslim tweets.
Misasha summarizes the content of some of the key emails to help provide an understanding of how influential Miller’s beliefs were in shaping the Trump White House domestic and foreign policies, and Sara provides feedback with statistics.
The White House recently announced the US will only accept 18,000 refugees per year going forward. This is a 50% cut from previous years.
The Camp of the Saints, by Jean Raspail, is a racist French novel that is popular amount white nationalists and neo-nazis because of the degree to which it fictionalizes the “white genocide” or “great replacement” myth into a violent and sexualized story about refugees. This book was discussed between Miller, McHugh, and Julia Hahn, another Breitbart editor.
Hahn is now an aide to President Trump.
Misasha reflects on how the data from the US Census should and should not be used.
Miller attempted to incite action against amazon.com for removing the confederate flag as a sales item.
Sara provides perspective on what shapes this country.
Keep your eye on the pool of candidates coming up for the next election.
Sara explains the three different types of leadership, how each candidate will have a style of leadership to which they default, and the authoritarian leadership we currently have.
Miller’s enemies seem to be everyone who isn’t white, Christian or Protestant, and conservative.
By 2045 our Census statistics project that the nation will become “minority white”.
There is a petition to remove Steven Miller from the White House.

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Book Mentioned:

The Camp of the Saints, by Jean Raspail

Did You Miss These Shows? Catch Them Here!

Dear White Women - Episode 34

Election Bootcamp Kickoff: How the F* Do I Make Sense of What’s Coming in 2020?

Dear White Women - Episode 35

Election 101: Why Your Vote Does Matter

If You Would Like to Sign a Petition to Remove Stephen Miller from the White House:

https://front.moveon.org

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If you’ve slept a night or two since Civics class, be sure to listen in to this part of their Election Bootcamp series as Sara and Misasha bring us all up-to-date on the electoral vote, how the voting process works, and why your vote DOES matter.

Show Highlights:

The Presidential election is less than a year away, and the primaries begin early next year.
An election for President of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The next Presidential election will be November 3rd, 2020.
The election process begins with primary elections and caucuses. These are the two methods that states use to select a potential Presidential nominee. In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting.
Primary elections are held for most public offices when there are multiple candidates, usually from the same party, seeking office.
Primaries often offer a crucial opportunity for voters to weigh in on the issues that matter to them the most.
Most primaries are held February through June. Find out when your state primary is!
In many areas, the outcome of primary elections are really important and have a huge impact on the outcome of general elections.
Very few voters actually go to the polls or use a mail-in ballot for a primary election. If few voters go but these elections are really important, then any increase in participation in the primary election can have a significant impact.
The rules for primaries are state-specific. Who can participate in the primaries varies by state.
Generally speaking, individuals designate the political party whose primaries they will vote in when they register to vote or update their voter registrations. Some states let you choose this on election day.
There are four different types of primaries:
Open: where you can cast a vote in the primary regardless of your political affiliation.
Closed: only voters who are registered members of a political party prior to the primary may participate in choosing that party’s candidates.
Semi-Closed: voters who have not previously chosen a political party have the option to choose which party primary to vote in. Voters registered with a party may only vote in that party’s primary.
Top Two: voters select their choice for nomination from a list of all candidates regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates who receive the most votes become the candidates in the general election.
A minority of states hold a nominating caucus instead of a primary. Instead of having secrets ballots a small group of party leaders or a broader group of voters choose the party’s nominee for the general election.
Nominating conventions are where political parties each select a nominee to unite behind.
In the two major political parties, Republican and Democrat, each Presidential nominee announces their Vice-Presidential running mate at that time.
For 2020 the Democratic National Convention (“DNC”) will be held in July in Milwaukee, and the Republican National Convention (“RNC”) will be held in late August in Charlotte.
General Election Day is when you go to your polling place to vote for President. The popular vote doesn’t determine the actual winner of the election.
The Electoral College: to win the election, a candidate must receive the majority of the electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives the majority, the House of Representatives chooses the President, and the Senate chooses the Vice-President.
The Constitution does not provide for the popular election of the American President. It provides for the popular election of Presidential electors. Each candidate who qualifies for a given state's ballot must designate certain individuals who will serve as his or her electors if that candidate wins the popular vote in that state.
When each state certifies a winner of its overall popular vote, that winner is entitled to send all of their electors to that state’s Capitol, where they will officially record their votes for the candidate, and all electors in all the states do this on the same day, the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December.
Maine and Nebraska have instituted a different system, whereby they have given two electoral votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each of the state’s congressional districts.
A congressional district is an electoral constituency that elects a single member of Congress. It is a physical area and based on population, so census information is important.
The Electoral College apportions votes to the states in a very specific way: each state is given a number equal to its Senate seats, which are always two, plus its seats in the House of Representatives.
The total number of Electoral College seats is 538. Since there is an equal number of electoral votes, you could have an even split.
NPR compiled a list in 2018 of many elections where ONE VOTE was the deciding factor. Join Sara and Misasha’s email list to have this mailed to you! Your vote counts!
Sara and Misasha go over a Huffington Post article from 2016 that counts the reasons why people don’t vote.
Why should you vote? Sara and Misasha cover the answers to this question, too!
Voter suppression: why are certain states working so hard to block minority votes? Sara and Misasha discuss the Southern Poverty Law Center’s exposé on this subject.
Keep listening! Sara and Misasha will unpack more key issues on future episodes!

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Dear White Women - Episode 34

Election Bootcamp Kickoff: How the F* Do I Make Sense of What’s Coming in 2020?

One-Stop-Shop for Voter Information

Brought to You by The League of Women Voters’ Education Fund

https://www.vote411.org

Federal Election Committee on Twitter!

https://twitter.com/fec

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Join Sara and Misasha in the Election Bootcamp Kickoff!

They’ve got questions, and they have some answers, and they’re not speaking as Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliateds, they’re just focusing on the issues that this country is facing.

Are you fired up yet? Listen in for some passionate, thought-provoking conversation!

Show Highlights:

Sara gets put in the hot seat with some election questions!
Misasha points out that at the time this episode was recorded, there were a lot of unknowns, such as the impeachment inquiry. It’s difficult to not know what’s going to happen next.
The most important issue, of many, in this upcoming election, is immigration and how we look at our citizens, according to Misasha.
The United States is used to being the number one power in the world, but that could tank in the near future.
Sara believes that the most important issue, of many, in this upcoming election is women’s rights.
Sara and Misasha discuss two recent cases of people being impacted by the same issue and then having opposing viewpoints with regard to supporting the President.
Tariffs, imports, and the effects it will have on consumers.
Farm bankruptcies are up this year, yet the majority of farmers support Trump.
The latest statistics on how well the President is doing.
Misasha provides an impeachment overview and modern-day inquiries.
Misasha brings up a Washington Post article about Congressional Districts, and how little people know or want to know about what’s going on. You can get this article emailed to you when you sign up for their weekly email!
How Trump has damaged the image of the Office.
42% of Republicans say there is nothing that Trump could do to lose their approval.
On Twitter, Trump referred to the impeachment proceedings as “a lynching”. This is a very offensive description, and Sara reads from Ida B. Wells's description of an actual lynching.
What are the questions we need to be asking right now in 2019 and going into 2020 to be able to make educated decisions and not just vote on party lines?
Questions to consider: 1) What matters to you? 2) What are you going to do about it?
Don’t miss next week’s episode “Election 101”!

Resources / Links:

Website: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

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Books Mentioned

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond

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On today’s episode, Sara and Misasha close out their 3-part series on Birmingham, hate in this country, and why you need to vote in 2020.

Warning: explicit content, not meant for younger ears.

Show Highlights:

Misasha provides a detailed look at an altercation after a minor accident between a white teacher and a black parent in a racially diverse school parking lot in the Upper Darby School District in Philadelphia. The teacher berates the parent and eventually lobs the n-word.
Sara points out that there’s nothing that a black person could say to a white person that is as effective and as insulting as the n-word.
Entitlement plays a huge role in what comes out of your mouth when something doesn’t go your way. There’s a psychology that runs very deep from the time of this country’s founding.
In the recent El Paso mass shooting in which a gunman killed 22 people, he claimed the shooting was in response to the “Hispanic invasion of Texas”.
From the moment Donald Trump was a Presidential candidate and he announced in his campaign some warnings about some Mexican immigrants “bringing drugs into the country” and “being rapists”, Latinos have been worried about how such characterizations would affect them as one of the nation’s fastest-growing populations.
A Pew Research Center study this year says that 58% of Hispanic adults say that they have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly because of race or ethnicity.
Across racial and ethnic groups, about 2/3 said that it had become more common for people to express racist views since Trump became President.
Researchers say that victims of racism experience negative health outcomes.
One out of six adults will have depression at some time during their life.
In this country, suicide is the second leading cause of death among those aged 10 - 34.
Worldwide, depression is the leading cause of disability.
The total economic burden for depression is estimated to be two hundred and ten billion dollars per year.
35% of adults with depression receive no treatment at all.
Long term depression means an increased risk of heart attack, heart disease, digestive issues, and a decreased immune response.
US-born Hispanics report higher rates for most psychiatric disorders than Hispanic immigrants.
Over 20% of Hispanics are uninsured, compared with 7 1/2 percent of white, non-Hispanic Americans.
The American Psychiatric Association said insurance coverage for Hispanics is likely to be a function of ethnicity, immigration status, and citizenship status.
64% of Americans said that the United States will become a majority non-white nation by 2045. While 80% of Democrats say that the growth is positive, 61% of Republicans say that’s a negative development.
From Adam Serwer’s article, “The seed of Nazism’s ultimate objective—the preservation of a pure white race, uncontaminated by foreign blood—was in fact sown with striking success in the United States. What is judged extremist today was once the consensus of a powerful cadre of the American elite, well-connected men who eagerly seized on a false doctrine of “race suicide” during the immigration scare of the early 20th century. They included wealthy patricians, intellectuals, lawmakers, even several presidents. Perhaps the most important among them was a blue blood with a very impressive mustache, Madison Grant. He was the author of a 1916 book called The Passing of the Great Race, which spread the doctrine of race purity all over the globe.”
Serwer’s article continues, “Grant’s purportedly scientific argument that the exalted “Nordic” race that had founded America was in peril, and all of modern society’s accomplishments along with it, helped catalyze nativist legislators in Congress to pass comprehensive restrictionist immigration policies in the early 1920s. His book went on to become Adolf Hitler’s “bible,” as the führer wrote to tell him.”
The Nazis didn’t understand how committed Americans were to democracy and did not want to buy into nazi Germany and live under a fascist government.
We can’t ignore that we planted that seed that led to the extermination of so many millions in Europe due to the nazis.
White extremists, both in the United States and abroad, have embraced Grant’s ideology and this isn’t likely to change with the Presidency.
Through the actions we take and what we tell our kids, every day we have the ability to coexist and thrive together. Think about what you say and how you say it. We must be better than our past.

Resources / Links:

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DID YOU MISS PART 1 & PART 2 OF THIS SPECIAL SERIES?

HERE’S WHERE TO LISTEN!

Part 1 - Episode #31

Special 3-Part Series: Domestic Terrorism: Then and Now Part 1

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/domestic-terrorism-pt1of3

Part 2 - Episode #32

Special 3-Part Series: Domestic Terrorism: Then and Now Part 2

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/domestic-terrorism-pt2of3

Referenced Article

“White Nationalism’s Deep American Roots”

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/adam-serwer-madison-grant-white-nationalism/583258/

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In Part 2 of a special series on hate and violence in the United States, Sara and Misasha continue the dialogue with Charleston, and how we normalized hate in 2015 and going forward, as seen in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, Poway, El Paso, and Gilroy.

Join Sara and Misasha as they discuss Dylann Roof and the church massacre that set off this current resurgence of hate in a way that we haven’t seen in this country since the Birmingham bombings in 1963.

Show Highlights:

Roof was caught immediately and, unlike the Birmingham bombers’ extreme delay of justice, put on trial within two years of committing the crime.
Sara and Misasha read selections from articles and discuss forgiveness from the perspectives of a survivor and family member.
In Columbia during the trial, there was a lot of gossip about what his real motivation might have been. Those who knew the Roof family said that there had been a rape of someone close to Roof at the hands of a group of black men.
A parallel is drawn to the 2016 movie, The Birth of a Nation.
The defense in court presented another twist, which was answers to Roof’s rage lay in his unique psychopathology.
Although Roof was found to have a high IQ, it was ‘compromised by a significant discrepancy between his ability to comprehend and to process information and a poor working memory’.
This was translated into some kind of OCD behavior that led him to fastidiously keep 88 friends and take 88 bullets to the church. This number reportedly has a link to Hitler and the Nazis.
The court-appointed psychiatrist found that a lack of a sensible network, how fast he was radicalized to this extreme hate level, coupled with his inability to form any known connections gave credence to a diagnosis of a schizoid personality disorder, a mixed substance abuse disorder, depression by history, and a possible autistic spectrum disorder.
Despite these disorders, he was declared competent to stand trial not once, but twice. That’s why he was allowed to excuse his legal team and handle some of his capital murder trial, himself.
The white supremacists of today, having been kicked off Twitter, often have Instagram bios that offer this “warning” to their opposition: ‘Goodnight, left side’. They’re young, white, often brag about how many guns they have because these are the guns that will save them in the coming race war.
They’re clearly armed and often under-educated, or somewhat educated but really socially awkward, or at least until they get sucked into these chat rooms in this world of white supremacy where they can find friends.
Roof was educated in a state whose educational standards from 2011 are full of lesson plans that focus on the viewpoint of slave owners and highlight the economic necessity of slave labor. When this is what you’re learning at school, it’s kind of hard to separate that when you’re on the internet in white supremacists’ chatrooms.
In the Massachusetts educational system, slavery is talked about more than 100 times in their curriculum, whereas Louisiana mentions it less than 5 times. There is a huge disparity in how we’re taught in our schools.
The rise of what has happened politically since 2015 has emboldened men and women who have always been there, to come up and say that they are being supported.
The Anti-Defamation League wrote about 4 separate examples of individuals who may have been inspired by Roof.
Lone-wolf terrorism is notoriously difficult to catch and prevent. This is terrorism that comes from within that is young, white, and armed.
Sara and Misasha discuss the “Incel” movement. This stands for “involuntary celibate”.
Next week in PART THREE of this 3-part series, Sara and Misasha will discuss the present acts that are occurring, the takeaways, and the psychology behind it.

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Join Sara and Misasha as they take a look back in time. This is the first part of a special three-part series, starting with the church bombings in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.

Just two months before President Kennedy’s assassination, the Birmingham church bombings occurred, and four young girls lost their lives. That long-ago act of terrorism has implications in what has gone on in more recent years.

What do moments like this in history do to our psyche? Listen in to find out more.

Show Highlights:

September 15, 2019, marked 56 years since these four young girls were murdered at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Ku Klux Klan was trying to intimidate Civil Rights activists who used the predominantly African-American church as a rallying point and an organizing hub.
The KKK members planted a bomb under the building’s steps and detonated at 10:22 AM on Youth Sunday, which was a day dedicated to the church’s young members. These girls were getting ready for the service in a basement lounge.
Sarah Collins Rudolph was a survivor of the bombing and often called “The Fifth Girl”. Sara recounts Ms. Rudolph’s memory of that day and its lasting effects.
Addie Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14, were killed by this bomb, and 20 others were injured.
Dr. Martin Luther King gave the eulogy at the funerals and called the attack “One of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.”
He sent a telegram to then-Alabama Governor George Wallace, who was known as the state’s top segregationist, telling him that “the blood of our little children is on your hands”. The reason for this is that ten days before the bombing, Wallace had railed against the Civil Rights Movement to the New York Times, saying, “What this country needs is a few first-class funerals.”
About 100 years before the Birmingham church bombings, there was the Dred Scott Decision. Misasha provides an overview of Dred Scott, the slave whose owner had lived in a free state and territory. When his owner died, Mr. Scott filed suit on behalf of himself and his wife to gain their freedom. The court decision said that he was not free based on his residence because he was not considered a person, but property, under the U.S. Constitution.
One person who was publicly upset over the Dred Scott decision was Abraham Lincoln, a rising figure in the newly-formed Republican party. Misasha points out that this Republican party is not the same one that exists today.
In 1858, the Dred Scott case became a focal point of the famous debate between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, the Democratic Party candidate. These debates are otherwise known as the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
This decision made the Republican party a national force and led to the division of what used to be called the Democratic party in the 1860 Presidential elections. This growing power of the Republicans, who received a lot of support from the north, directly led to fears in the south that slavery would be ended. Those fears snowballed and started the movement towards what would become the Civil War.
Dred Scott died in 1858, about a year after he and his family had gained their freedom. His owner, under pressure from her husband, sent the Scotts back to their original owners who promptly set him free.
Charles Sumner, a leading radical Republican at the time, said, “I declare that the opinion of the Chief Justice in the case of Dred Scott was more thoroughly abominable than anything of the kind in the history of the courts. Judicial-baseness reached its lowest point on that occasion.”
Charles Sumner had been brutally beaten and almost killed on the Senate floor in 1856 when he made anti-slavery remarks.
After the Civil War, the 13th Amendment and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution effectively overturned the Dred Scott Decision.
Eighteen years post-Dred Scott, Black Americans would not only have citizenship but would be guaranteed the right to vote and equal access to transportation, housing, and other facilities by the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
This was short-lived, as in 1883, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was found unconstitutional and in 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson established the Separate but Equal Doctrine.
This whole rollback and the struggle that ensued from that led to the Civil Rights Movement almost 100 years later.
Birmingham was dubbed “Bombingham” because violent attacks on the Civil Rights Movement in the city were common.
J. Edgar Hoover was FBI Director at the time and he blocked prosecution of the case, and the FBI failed to turn over thousands of files to prosecutors including audio surveillance tapes.
It wasn’t until 1977 that the first of four Klansmen behind the crime was brought to trial by the State Attorney General and convicted. In the mid-1990s two others were convicted by Federal prosecutors. The fourth person died before being charged.
The last surviving Klansmen is still in prison and one of the two convicted in the mid-1990s. Thomas Edwin Blanton is 79 and has been up for parole twice. He has not expressed any remorse nor accepted any responsibility.
Misasha explains how money matters eventually brought down the KKK and how the Birmingham church bombings galvanized the nation and pushed the movement forward, whereby ten months after the bombing Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in public accommodations.
Today, a memorial named “Four Spirits” stands across the street from the church where the bombing happened, with the description, “Love Forgives”, which was the title of the pastor’s undelivered sermon the date of the bombing.
Dr. King eulogy included these words, “This afternoon, in a real sense, the four girls have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred, and the spoiled meat of racism. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Hate is nothing new, we’ve known this for centuries, and many of us have experienced it firsthand. But it is on the rise, we are seeing a surge of white nationalism and racist violence across the country. This violence can mix anybody up into the fray. We have to all be thinking about this.”
Next week in PART TWO of this 3-part series, Sara and Misasha will discuss one of the key instances that led into this modern wave of terrorism, which is the Charleston bombing in 2015, Dylann Roof, and the internet.

Resources / Links:

Website: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Podcast: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/listen

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW US!

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Suggested Podcast

Episode #11 - Hate in America, Pt.1: The History of the Ku Klux Klan

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/hate-in-america

Suggested Movie

RBG

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7689964/

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Sara and Misasha are so excited to bring you a conversation with Crystal Echohawk on today’s podcast. Crystal is an advocate for Native American culture and respect and has a passion for building understanding and getting to know others. This episode is a perfect companion piece to Episode 29, Halloween and Cultural Appropriation, so if you missed that, please go check out the link provided.

Crystal is a member of the Kitkehahki Band of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, a mom, and Executive Director of IllumiNative, a national, native-led, non-profit organization born out of the “Reclaiming Native Truth Project“, a research project from 2016-2018, and was the largest public opinion research project ever conducted about native people.

The focus on this project was based on the desire to educate Americans and transform relationships so that Native Americans are respected, included, and seen as a vital fabric of this country.

Show Highlights:

The public opinion research project, “Reclaiming Native Truth Project” focused on the following questions: 1) What do Americans really think about Native Peoples, and why is that? 2) How does that manifest itself in terms of the ways that we are treated and the way institutions treat us? and 3) How can we map this information, understand it, and change the narrative?
The heart-wrenching results of the project were the perception that Native Americans did not exist; they were an invisible people.
78% of Americans know little to nothing about Native Peoples.
72% of Americans rarely or never encounter information about Native People in this society where we’re constantly inundated with information.
87% of schools in the United States don’t teach about Native Peoples beyond 1900.
When asked an insensitive question such as, “Do you still live in teepees?”, Crystal has begun to understand that the person asking the question is not necessarily trying to be hurtful or racist, as the last data point most people have for Native Americans is from learning in elementary school about the 1890s Wounded Knee.
27 states do not even mention Native Americans in their curriculum.
Representation in TV and film is between 0 - .04% of all representation. Within that sliver, the Native American is often shown in a stereotypical fashion. i.e. magical, mystical Indian, drunks, or savages.
One study found that when you type the words “Native American” in a search engine, 95% of those images that come up are pre-1900, and are almost always men.
This invisibility and erasure of the Native American culture creates bias and fuels racism.
There are 573 independent, sovereign nations within this country. Schools fail to teach this. Each nation has its own language, its own customs and cultures, and systems of government and elected officials.
Crystal shares with us some of her favorite traditions of the Pawnee Nation.
“Native American”, “American Indian”, and “Native Peoples” are all terms that are preferred over the word “Indian”.
Sara and Crystal discuss Christopher Columbus, Thanksgiving, etc. from the Native American perspective.
Native Peoples have made incredible contributions in this country going all the way back to the Constitution, to introducing the incredible foods that make up the American diet, to doctors, scientists, professional athletes and others who are out there doing incredible things.
Misasha and Crystal review the issue of sports, redface and the “tomahawk chop”. Some people think that this may be a way of honoring Native Americans, but to the majority of Native Americans, it is offensive.
“Indian” Halloween costumes are hurtful and tend to be an over-sexualization of Native women, who face the highest rates of sexual assault, rape, and murder. There are over 5,700 missing and murdered Indigenous women in this country.
In a recent survey, more than 90% of the women said that they had been sexually assaulted. Two-thirds of the perpetrators are non-Native people.
Traditional Native American dress is modest, but the Halloween industry pushes the myth of Native American women as being scantily-clad.
If you would like to truly honor Native Americans, Crystal suggests doing something around Joy Harjo, the first Native American poet laureate for the United States, or Wes Studi, a Cherokee actor and the first Native American in history to receive an Oscar on October 27th.
Ryan Helsley is a young Cardinals pitcher and an amazing athlete who played the Braves a few weeks ago. Right before the game, he told the media that the tomahawk chop was deeply insulting, for which he received a lot of criticism. He put his career on the line by standing up for what was right. The Atlanta Braves did take him seriously and they didn’t do the tomahawk chop the next time he was on the mound.
Vote with your dollars: supporting Native American owned businesses.
Crystal brings us up to date on some significant current events.
The power of social media has been a game-changer in the industries of fashion, media, and entertainment, in that it allows us to organize within minutes and protest against important issues.
There are more than 5 million Native Americans in the US. Take a moment to google and learn about who the traditional Native Peoples in your area were.

Resources / Links:

Website: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook!

Instagram Follow Us!

Twitter Follow Us!

Recommended Companion Podcast

Halloween and Cultural Appropriation - Episode 29

Connect with Crystal!

https://illuminatives.org

IllumiNative on Facebook

Suggested News Site:

Indian Country Today - A news organization covering American Indians and Alaska Natives

Suggested Podcasts:

All My Relations with Adrienne Keene and Matika Wilbur

While Indigenous with Sarah Sunshine Manning

Suggested Links:

IllumiNative Launches Native Now Youth Campaign

Dior Perfume Ad Featuring Johnny Depp Criticized Over Native American Tropes

Join the Campaign!! Be IllumiNative!

Join the Movement! Meet the Youth of Native Now!

MUST SEE Video:

IllumiNative’s Collaboration Video with Native Hip Hop Artists Mag 7 and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas

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On today’s episode, Sara and Misasha hash out why a sexy Pocahontas is never a good idea for a Halloween costume.

If you and/or your children are planning to participate in any school, work, or community events related to Halloween this year, you may want to take a moment and consider the concept of cultural appropriation while you’re picking out that costume. Listen in to hear their takeaway on this deeply delicate subject.

Show Highlights:

Sara and Misasha discuss the "I Am Not A Costume" campaign put together by the Laurier Students' Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG).
Most people do not pick out a costume with the intention of being racist or transphobic.
Regardless of our intentions, costumes that appropriate other cultures still perpetuate harmful stereotypes and justify more aggressive and violent situations.
Cultural appropriation is taking significant elements, such as symbols, dress, words, or practices from one culture and removing it from the original context or meaning.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wore “brownface” during an “Arabian Nights” - themed party in 2001.
Brownface and blackface are never acceptable, especially in the United States, because of the history of blackface in this country. It has historically been used as a tool by white people to mock black people, to remind them of the history, slavery, and oppression of black people.
Although Canada does not have the same history as that of the US, the context may be different, but the action is still unacceptable.
Sara shares a personal story involving an Indian headdress, and a Native American friend.
What if a white kid who loves history wants to dress up as Martin Luther King, Jr.? Misasha provides the answer!
Tips on what NOT to do for Halloween:
- Never use blackface.
- Do not wear Fulani braids. Fulani braids are more commonly known as “cornrows”.
- If you’re considering dreadlocks, ask yourself ‘why’, because it is significantly emotional for a segment of the population.
- Do not dress up as someone whose race is different than your own.
- Do not wear a hijab, niqab, or burka.
- Do not wear any other traditional costumes of an ethnicity other than your own.
- Do not wear a bindi.
- Do not wear an Indian headdress or a geisha costume.
- Do not wear a sexy version of anything mentioned above.
- Disney characters are not an exception.
- Do not dress up as anyone who has ever suffered from colonialism, oppression, or genocide. A gypsy is a good example of this.
Have a conversation with your kid about what’s acceptable and not, and why. There are many great, creative costumes that don’t involve the above-mentioned “Don'ts”.
If you’ve been guilty in the past of culture appropriation, where do you go from here?
- Most importantly, do not sit in guilt. We need to do better, by being accountable and educating ourselves
- Start the conversation with someone who is engaging in appropriation. Ask them why they chose that costume, and if they’ve considered that it might not be appropriate and may be offensive.
- If you choose to use cultural appropriation in your costume, you may be confronted with anger by others you are offending, and it’s not reasonable to think they will comfort you for their reaction. Again, don’t sit in guilt, but learn from this.
If you’re thinking twice about what you were going to wear, share your doubts with your circle of friends and open up that conversation. Share your vulnerability.
Continue to assess how you’re moving forward.
To those listeners who are on the other side of cultural appropriation, you have every right to be hurt and angry. Even if you choose not to say anything about it, just know that your feelings are valid. You are not responsible for the action of appropriators, and you are not responsible for being the spokesperson for the offended culture.
Sara and Misasha go over some tips for ensuring it’s an equitable party if you’re the one hosting this year.

Resources / Links:

Website: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Instagram Follow Us!

Twitter Follow Us!

Suggested Podcast - Episode 3, The Women’s Movement and Societal Systems

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/ep3

Suggested Reading

"I Am Not A Costume”, Plus Online Resources!

http://www.lspirg.org/costumes

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Creating a space within a space to positively replay black parenthood was the vision of today’s guest. Sara and Misasha get to chat with Shanicia Boswell about her unique perspectives as a black parent, and how there’s something for everyone on her popular blog.

Shanicia Boswell is a self-described serial entrepreneur, best known for her Black Moms Blog, where she talks about parenting, culture, and lifestyle from a black mom’s point of view. She also has a company called the Self Care Retreat, where she takes women to international retreat destinations to release, relax, and unwind. Shanicia is also an accomplished photographer.

Show Highlights:

Shanicia shares the compelling reasons that prompted her to start her Black Moms Blog.
Black Mom’s Blog content is about 70% parenting issues, including subjects such as intimacy and self-care that are relevant for any race, and around 30% issues that are more race-specific, with topics such as black hair care, how to be a stronger woman, and maternal death rates for blacks.
Caucasian moms are also part of her community. They sometimes show up to meet-ups, and for various reasons: they might have mixed children or may have adopted black children, and have questions when reading the blog articles.
Sara, Misasha, and Shanicia discuss relationships and how we connect with different races and sexes.
Having conversations can change perspectives, and changing it for one person at a time can have a domino effect and bring about change.
There’s a discrepancy between advertiser’s pay rates among white mom bloggers and black mom bloggers.
Shanicia imparts some ways she helps to create positive black experiences for her daughter, who is the only black student in her classroom.
Experiencing “Hair Day” with a white friend married to a black man with mixed children: get the food, snacks, and movies ready! Hair is such an important part of black culture.
Being labeled a single mother in any community typically carries a stigma, and even more so in the black community. Let’s dispel the myth of the single black mom. Shanicia suggests that “single woman” is a more positive narrative.
Residential Dad: Instagram’s Chronicles of Daddy has joined Black Moms Blog to speak on fatherhood!
Shanicia inspires us with her story behind becoming single and the hard work it took to successfully get back on her feet.
Self Care Retreat - you’re allowed to spend some time away from the kids to care for yourself. Without guilt!
Ways you can lead in love: great suggestions for a wonderful, yet often under-used attribute that women possess.

Resources / Links:

Website: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook!

Instagram Follow Us!

Twitter Follow Us!

Connect with Shanicia!

Blog: www.blackmomsblog.com

Website: www.shaniciaboswell.com

Instagram: @shaniciaboswell

Twitter: @blackmomsblog

Book Mentioned:

Ada Twist, Scientist, by Andrea Beaty

Suggested Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/chroniclesofdaddy/

Mentioned Website:

https://www.shinelifedesign.com

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Every year, between September 15 - October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is observed and celebrated by millions of families. Sara and Misasha unpack the history behind it, and the reason it’s a painfully awkward event this year. They will also discuss ways that this month might promote some great, yet uncomfortable, conversations around recognizing the humanity in everyone.

Show Highlights:

Hispanic Heritage Month was created back in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week from legislation sponsored by Representative Edward Roybal of Los Angeles, and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and runs from September 15 - October 15 every year.
Hispanic Heritage Month acknowledges five Latin American countries that declared their independence in 1821 from Spain. Those countries are Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The ethnic composition of the people at the border waiting for asylum or medical assistance include many from the above-mentioned countries.
Misasha provides some fascinating background on the man behind the legislation, Representative Edward Roybal. This includes Roybal being the recognized leader of Eastside minority groups, co-founded the “House Select Committee on Aging” as a Congressman, and cared about and influenced issues relating to health and citizenship for people well beyond his district. In addition, to inclusive education health programs, he was ahead of the curve on aging, mental health, and fought for the first federal funding on Alzheimer’s Disease research.
The Roybal family can trace their roots in New Mexico back some eight generations, to before the Spanish settlement of Santa Fe.
There is a long history of Hispanic and Latinx service members in the military, dating back to the Civil War, and beyond. Misasha outlines some of their notable war heroes.
The Government Accountability Office says that ICE has been deporting non-citizen Hispanic and Latinx veterans without being properly screened. Officials in the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, said they didn’t consider the veteran and non-veteran status in removal proceedings and were unaware of policies to the contrary.
ICE does not know how many veterans have been placed in removal proceedings or removed.
You can be a citizen to serve in the military, but you can also be a green cardholder. A green card holder is someone who is in the United States legally but is not a citizen. If you are not a citizen, you are not allowed to rise above a certain rank.
If you are an undocumented immigrant and wanted to enlist, they will run your name against an immigration database, which would flag you as not eligible to serve.
Mass deportations: this has happened in our country less than a hundred years ago. During the 1930’s and into the 1940’s, up to two million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were deported or expelled from cities and towns across the US and shipped to Mexico. According to some estimates, more than half of these people were American citizens, born in the United States. The true impact of this on families in Mexico and the United States is still trying to be understood.
Sara shares the story of Emilia Castaneda and her family, victims of the mass deportations.

Resources / Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook!

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National Hispanic Heritage Month - Resources for Teachers!

https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/for-teachers/

Suggested Article:

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/unmaking-hispanic-teaching-the-creation-of-hispanic-identity

Suggested Book:

Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s, by Francisco E. Balderrama and Raymond Rodríguez

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Today, we are celebrating our return from spending time with our children for the summer and so much has happened since we were last with you in real-time! So, in this show, we are going to recap some of our topics from our previous episodes, and also catch you up on our summers!

We’re also going to be sharing some of the exciting things we have in store for you this fall. So, sit back, relax and join us for this conversation so we can catch up!

Show Highlights:

There are vast discrepancies in state education standards for teaching about slavery. We discussed this in episode 18 as it relates to who controls history.
Our societal structures have been impacted by slavery, whether schools want to teach about it or not.
Texas now teaches more than 5 million students that the Civil War wasn’t just about slavery, but rather it was more about economics and sectionalism.
It doesn’t make sense that social studies is required for all students, but it doesn’t have the same national standards for what is taught as math and science do.
Kids in the US learn about slavery differently depending on where they grow up.
Most schools begin talking about African Americans in US history at the point that they are already slaves. When you begin at the point that someone is already dehumanized, you really never see them through a different lens. In order to see them as human beings, you have to start the journey before they were dehumanized.
As a country, we still struggle with issues such as kneeling athletes, criminal justice reform, birthright citizenship, and Confederate statutes because we haven’t been taught the context of how those things tie directly into slavery.
Plantation tours have taken on the task of educating the public about slavery, but the public is pushing back and saying they don’t want to have to see the impact of slavery included in the plantation tours.
We don’t need to take slavery personally and get offended that it is an ugly part of our history.
There are some books that you can use to help teach your children about equality. We’ve linked to the ones we recommend below.
In Ep 11 and 12, we shared the real history of the KKK. Those shows are definitely worth listening to if you haven’t had a chance to catch those yet.
It took Paypal six days to suspend an account raising money for a branch of the KKK. Even after it was flagged by an anti-bigotry campaigner, it still took almost a week for Paypal to take action.
Your right to freedom of speech as laid out in the US Constitution ends when it infringes on others.
Private companies, like Facebook, Paypal, Instagram, etc. have terms and conditions for the use of their platforms, but they can’t always catch everything that’s inappropriate.
Remember the discussion we had about Stapleton, CO wanting change their name because even though Stapleton was a former Mayor of the town, he was also a KKK member, and used that fact to help him get elected. The town voted overwhelmingly (65% to 35%) NOT to change the name.
Our first listener suggested guest, Caster Semenya, has lost her appeal to participate in her sport without taking drugs to alter her body’s natural hormonal state. You can learn more about her story by listening to episode 22.
We had an episode about the citizenship question possibly being added to the census, and while that did not happen, we now have the Trump administration making it more difficult to obtain birthright citizenship.
It’s been estimated that the changes to the birthright citizenship rule would affect only about 100 people annually, but for such a small impact why go down this slippery slope?
We talked about the separation of migrant children at the border, and while that issue hasn’t completely resolved, the administration is now ending protection for migrant children getting lifesaving medical treatment in the US.
It’s hard to understand how we can send sick children back to their home country and deny them medical treatment, knowing that decision will be a death sentence for them. It’s really heartbreaking.
Find out our individual lessons learned and takeaways from spending this summer with our children. This includes the impact of visiting Hiroshima and the kid’s reaction to it and how taking kids to countries where they didn’t speak the language impacted them.
This Fall, we have so many exciting plans for the show! You’ll have to listen to get a sneak peek!

Resources:

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana Rosnay

Mind Hunter, Season Two on Netflix

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Waking Up White by Debby Irving

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 15

Episode 18

Episode 22

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals

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Join Sara and Misasha as they “dish” on school lunches: affordability, why kids are going hungry, and a public comment period that’s open until September 23rd, 2019. Federal assistance may potentially be cut for 500,000 kids, so what happens to lunch if that happens? Finally, you don’t want to miss Sara and Misasha sharing their favorite childhood school lunches, as well as what their kids eat!

Show Highlights:

There are high numbers of children who rely on breakfast and lunch at school because they don’t get fed at home.
At the end of July, Pennsylvania officials came under fire for when they attempted to collect money owed for school lunches in one of the poorest districts in the state. After failing to reach families through other modes of communication, the Director of Federal Programs for the Wyoming Valley West School District sent a letter to about 1,000 families who owed an average of $28, stating that “Your child has been sent to school every day without money, and without a breakfast and/or lunch. This is a failure to provide your child with proper nutrition, and you can be sent to Dependency Court for neglecting your child’s right to food. If you are taken to Dependency Court, the result may be your child being removed from your home and placed in foster care.”
After this letter was sent, county officials dismissed the threat, stating it was empty and was not going to be acted on.
In the Wyoming Valley West School District in Pennsylvania, 1 in 5 children lives in poverty. In the coming year, free lunches will be provided to ALL students in the district because at least 60% of them meet the federal income threshold to qualify for free school meals.
For a family of 4 living in the contiguous United States, if you make $47,638 annually (or the equivalent of $917 per week), you qualify for reduced lunch.
The threshold for free school meals is $33,475 annually (or the equivalent of $644 per week). This would mean that a student would qualify for free breakfasts and lunches.
For a family of 4, you meet the federal guidelines for poverty if your annual income is less than $25,750.
As the example in Pennsylvania highlights, there’s a lot of hostility towards low-income students and families who struggle with hunger.
In Georgia, Brandy Whitehead’s 6-year-old daughter told her mother she was hungry when her mom picked her up from kindergarten in early 2018. Her lunch had only consisted of a cheese sandwich and water. The reason was that over the holiday, Whitehead had overlooked a notice from the school district saying she owed “a couple of dollars in student lunch debt”. By the time the students returned to school, the debt had risen to the $12.50 limit allowed before students are served alternative meals.
Whitehead’s daughter ate several meals of cheese sandwiches before the mom was notified of the debt. The daughter thought she was being punished for something she did, and has not forgotten this experience.
Sara and Misasha break down the national school lunch program.
Lunch programs not only feed a child’s hunger, but they also fuel a child’s mental health and physical growth.
Experiencing poverty in your early years can have long-lasting, multi-dimensional consequences.
Misasha recounts statistics involving racial disparity in hunger.
It falls on the shoulders of school administrators to commit to more equitable school lunch practices.
Misasha reviews proposals and major changes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) and the School Lunch Program.
Here’s the good news: While this rule has been proposed, it is not done. You have the ability to go online and voice your concerns, but you only have until September 23rd to do this!

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook!

Instagram Follow Us!

Twitter Follow Us!

Best Practices for Preventing or Reducing School Meal Debt

https://www.frac.org/research/resource-library/best-practices-preventing-reducing-school-meal-debt

Toolkit for Lunch Lines

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2014/toolkit-for-lunch-lines

GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE!

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: National School Lunch Program

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FNS-2019-0040-0001

(Look for the Dark Blue “Comment Now!” Button in the Upper Right-Hand Corner of the Page!)

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Sara and Misasha sit down with Kibi Anderson and explore the topic of HAIR! Growing up in a country like America, where a lot of standards of beauty are not centered around African culture and African qualities, has a profound influence in the black community. Join us as we examine and understand how significant hair is in our development.

Kibi is a black woman, which is relevant to today’s conversation, a storyteller, and has worked in the media and entertainment space for the past 20 years. Currently, Kibi is working for a show called Red Table Talk and running Red Table Talk Enterprises, which is the business behind the hit show starring Jada Pinkett Smith, and her mom and daughter, on Facebook Watch. She is an avid lover of people, and always excited to talk about conversations and topics that are influencing how we act, how we learn, and how we grow.

Show Highlights:

The rich history of black hair, as discussed in Episode 23 (“Hair & Identity: Don’t Touch the Hair”) of Dear White Women.
Misasha recounts her unsettling experiences with people touching her children’s hair on the playground.
Misasha has recently overheard her children, ages 6 and 5, state that they would like to have straight hair because they think it’s “really cool”.
Pondering what it means to tap into the natural state of our texture. Kibi references Lauryn Hill, a really popular artist from the ’90s, and how she had locks, and beautiful natural hairstyles.
Kibi relates a book on natural hair care and the tools to take care of it, and this led to her journey of realizing she did not need long or straight hair. This is the first time she cut her hair off.
There were magazines that celebrated black beauty and black hairstyles, but many young women wanted to emulate the styles that they were seeing on television and at the movies.
Reviewing different hairstyles, techniques, what it takes to take care of them, how long it takes, and more.
“Goddess Locks” - faux locks, a new trend which uses the technique of adding braids to your hair, where you add additional hair, but instead of a braid, it’s a lock.
The CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act is a California law that legally protects natural hairstyles.
Kibi recalls wrapping her hair at night, after getting her hair done in the salon, back in the day, to keep her hair looking good. She remembers sleeping sitting up in bed, so as not to mess her hair up laying it on a pillow.
Moisture for hair is so very important. Wrapping your head with silk instead of cotton is more protective to your curls.
Misasha shares a story about her roommate, who refused to go outside in the rain because of her hair. Kibi mentions swimming and working out at the gym as other deterrents, because of the expense of black hair care.
Salons become a place where people can really talk, as women gather in one space that has various perspectives, journeys, and struggles.
Kibi feels that beauty salons and barbershops have become conduits for beginning to talk about broader issues impacting black culture.
The power of barbershop books: encourages young boys (ages 4-9) to read books while they’re there, or have someone read to them. Literacy is such an important issue, and you don’t have the same access in certain communities or male figures that are present to help with reading.
Kristen Davis from “Sex and The City” adopted two black children and was recently interviewed on Red Table Talk. Hair was one of the biggest challenges that she had to deal with. During the adoption process, there are videos that show parents how to manage a child of a different culture. One of the videos featured a young lady who launched a business teaching different-culture parents how to take care of textured hair.
Tips on how to encourage self-pride in children.
Intent and imitation being the greatest form of flattery when white people wear traditionally black hairstyles. Different is good.

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook!

Instagram Follow Us!

Twitter Follow Us!

Listen to Dear White Women, Episode 23 -

“Hair & Identity: Don’t Touch the Hair”

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/hair-identity

Watch the Red Table Talk -

Kristen Davis (from “Sex and The City”) Interview

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1430912810380278

Blog Mentioned:

http://blackmomsblog.com

Book Mentioned:

Good Hair: For Colored Girls Who've Considered Weaves When the Chemicals Became Too Ruff, by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner

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Our hair is undeniably connected to our identity, but what does it mean when random people feel compelled to touch the hair of another, without asking permission? Why do we perceive this as a threat? Why must we be made to feel “other” by someone’s words and actions?

Today, we are going to be discussing hair and identity: black hair, its history in the United States, discrimination around black hair, and why you shouldn’t touch someone’s hair on the playground.

Show Highlights:

Misasha recounts the mental chatter and overwhelming emotional response at people touching her son’s hair at the playground.
Sara describes a man going out of his way to touch her daughter’s hair during a trip to Japan, and the protective feelings that ensued.
Sara asked a white friend with very curly hair if people came up and touched her hair. Sara wondered if the hair-touching was a curly-hair curiosity or a racial one.
Sara’s friend responded affirmatively that people DO touch her hair, but ask for permission every single time. Her friend also noted that she has seen people randomly touching the curly hair of a person of color without asking permission.
In this country, there has been a long history of black hair being considered inferior and the “other”.
In the 1400s, Europeans who had gone to Africa noticed the elaborate hairstyles, such as locks, plates, and twists, but when these people were brought to America as slaves, that hair became de-humanizing (for example, it was referred to as “wool” by white people), and they couldn’t retain these fantastic hairstyles.
By the 1800s, there was an obvious discrepancy related to hair: lighter-skinned, straight-haired slaves commanded higher prices at slave auctions than darker, more “kinky-haired” ones.
Internalizing this color-consciousness, even black people in that time period promoted the ideas that black with dark skin and “kinky hair” are less attractive and worth less.
In 1865. slavery technically ended, but whites looked upon black women who styled their hair as white women, as “well-adjusted”. There was a socialization and a marginalization that happened. “Good hair” became a prerequisite for entering churches, schools, social groups, and business networks. If you didn’t have hair like white women, you didn’t have access to the same acceptance.
This idea has carried over into today’s society, where natural hair is mainly viewed as unprofessional and unkempt.
In a 2016 study, an overwhelming bias towards smoother hair types and against natural hair types was found, which leaves black women vulnerable to discrimination.
In 1880, metal hot combs were readily available in the United States (although they were invented by the French in 1845) to heat, press, and temporarily straighten curly hair.
In the 1900’s, Madam CJ Walker developed a line of hair care products designed for black hair care, and she popularized the press and curl style. Some people criticize her for encouraging black women to look white.
Madam CJ Walker is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first American, female, self-made millionaire. She also happened to be black.
By 2006, black hair care is a billion-dollar industry. In Style magazine did a nation-wide survey and found that on average, black women spend $1,114 per year on hair products, and treatments, and 23% of black women get their hair relaxed.
By 2017, 9 times more was spent on ethnic hair and beauty products compared to their non-black counterparts.
Reclaiming natural hair has become a social statement. Misasha gives an overview of natural hair, the Jheri curls, and braids and beads.
Under Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are allowed to enforce dress code and appearance policies that include the regulation of hair. The EEOC, which enforces these laws, states that employers can impose rules calling for neutral hairstyles, which have to be applied to everyone, equally, regardless of race.
Misasha provides some examples of how this can sometimes be used against people of color.
Sara talks about discrimination in the workplace based solely on hair.
Workplace discrimination is terrible but is heartbreaking when it comes to school. Sara and Misasha discuss the 2013 case of 7-year-old Tiana Parker, who was banned from wearing her hair in dreadlocks at a charter school. The school later came under fire for its stand and has since updated its policies.
Please read more about this issue, and think about how you view different hairstyles and consider your own biases.
Please do not touch the hair. Always ask permission, but talk to the parent first. Please consider how your words and action might make the child and the family feel.

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/dearwhitewomenpodcast/

Mentioned Resources:

Book

Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, by Ayana Byrd

Website

http://thirstyroots.com

Documentary

Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock

Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America

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Throughout history, women have consistently faced more scrutiny in the public eye. While we’ve made tremendous progress, we’ve also made detrimentally large steps backward.

Caster Semenya, an Olympic gold medalist, is one of the many women who can attest to the direct discrimination and violation females face in sports. As an athlete, Caster has experienced years of double-standards, invasive medical examinations, and unnecessary intervention throughout her career.

Today, Sara and Misasha discuss the issues with the way gender is treated and evaluated in sports and why we should all take action. This episode is packed with educational and insightful takes on how we view gender and athletic norms.

Show Highlights:

Contrasting Caster Semenya to Michael Phelps
Who is Caster Semenya and why she’s a reoccurring controversial topic
What an Intersex condition is and how it impacts those who have it
Unpacking the issues of dividing gender with arbitrary measurements
How genetics come into play in sports
The direct discrimination Caster Semenya has faced throughout her career
The slippery slope with trying to create a metric to identify gender
Why normalizing male athletics is dismissive and discriminatory to women
How measuring hormones is a step back from recognizing women as athletes
How to take action in changing the standards for women’s athletics

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Instagram: @Dearwhitewomenpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dearwhitewomenpodcast/

Twitter: @Dwwpodcast

Resources mentioned:

Washington Post Article about Caster Semenya

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Creating an atmosphere that celebrates and encourages individuals no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, or political views is the vision we are all collectively striving to achieve. The Alphabet Rockers have taken the initiative to expand that vision and bring social and racial awareness to classrooms.

Today’s interview with band member, Kaitlin McGaw, unpacks the importance of implementing a diverse perspective at a young age and how to facilitate that as a parent and administrator. Misasha, Sara, and Kaitlin dive into what it really means to be representative of diversity and a multicultural narrative. Join us for this reflective episode to learn more about taking a stance to break cycles of oppression.

Show Highlights:

Bringing an equity lens to race in schools and bringing awareness to students
The importance of exposure and having conversations with multiethnic individuals
What influenced and inspired Kaitlin to make music that celebrates social justice
Why it’s vital to talk to children about race from an early age
The power of administrative influence and how the atmosphere reflects on students
Allowing space for compassion despite political views
Empowering children to stand up for their emotions and what they believe in
Teaching children how to be change-makers and encouraging empathy
Talking to wealthy, white communities about racism and creating a model for vulnerability
Why it’s necessary to have in-person conversations about difficult topics
How to gauge when to combat micro-aggressions and when to let them go
The Alphabet Rockers podcast and behind the scenes of their upcoming album

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Instagram: @Dearwhitewomenpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dearwhitewomenpodcast/

Twitter: @Dwwpodcast

Connect with Kaitlin:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/so-get-me-alphabet-rockers-podcast-for-families-making/id1465530776

https://alphabetrockers.com

Instagram: alphabetrockers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alphabetrockers/

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Today, we’re going to be sharing some reports with you, such as this one released just this year by the Southern Poverty Law Center, titled “Hate at School”.

Teachers told SPLC in informal surveys that in many cases, Trump’s name was being invoked or his words parroted by children who were harassing others based on race, their ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. They noted a disturbing uptake in incidence involving swastikas, derogatory language, nazi salutes, and confederate flags. Children of color reported that they were worried for themselves and for the safety of their families.

Today’s discussion involves the perpetuation of hate, when it comes to school, and why your school and others are still segregated. Hang on to your seat, this is going to be a bumpy ride!

Show Highlights:

Misasha shares a personal experience involving her young son’s questions about Trump and the dilemma, upon reflection, of trying to answer her son’s questions honestly.
Sara and Misasha discuss the Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2019 Report on “Hate at School”.
In Wisconsin, dozens of male high school students, almost all white, were seen giving a nazi salute in a prom photo.
In Idaho, elementary school staff dressed up as Mexicans and Trump’s wall on Halloween.
At an elite private school in New York City, a video went viral involving two 6th grade girls wearing black faces and swinging their arms around like apes.
In New York, a middle school student wrote in a text book that he will lynch the black husband of a white teacher.
In Illinois, white elementary students called black students apes and monkeys.
In Minnesota, a middle school student tells a Latinx child that his mother should be in jail with all the illegal immigrants.
In Massachusetts, a 10 year old Muslim girl receives a note saying, “You’re a terrorist. I will kill you.”
In Oklahoma, a 5th grader draws a swastika and writes, “White Power” on his hand.
Intention doesn’t matter, but impact does. If the things you say have an impact and hurt your targets, then it doesn’t matter whether you made the comments out of ignorance or you made them out of hatred.
It’s not always easy to recognize that what comes out of your mouth may hurt somebody, so we need to continue to educate ourselves over things that we can say to hurt others unwittingly.
When you accidentally hurt someone, you apologize, and learn from that, and you’re more careful next time.
Study by Daniel L. Ames and Susan T. Fiske illustrates the psychological impact of intent. Participants in the study read about a CEO who cost the employees part of their paychecks through a bad investment. In one scenario, it was said that the CEO intentionally wanted the employees to work harder for a profit in the future. In the second scenario, it was said that the CEO simply made a bad investment, it was an unfortunate mistake. Participants saw the paycheck cut as more damaging to employees and their families in the former scenario, even though the employees suffered the exact same objective financial loss. In a series of similar studies, it was consistently shown that people are more motivated to assign blame when a harmful act is seen as intentional.
SPLC documented 821 school-based incidents of hate that were reported to the media in 2018.
By comparison, in their study of K-12 educators who responded to a specific questionnaire that they passed out, over 3,000 such incidences were reported in 2018 alone.
More than 2/3 of the 3,000 educators who responded to the questionnaire witnessed a hate or biased incident in their school during the fall of 2018. Fewer than 5% of the incidents witnessed by educators were actually reported in the news.
Racism appeared to be the motivation behind most hate and biased incidents in school, accounting for 63% of incidents reported in the news, and 33% of incidents reported by teachers.
Out of the incidents reported by educators, those involving racism and anti-Semitism were the most likely to be reported in the news media.
Anti-Latinx and anti-LGBTQ incidents were the least likely to be reported in the news media.
Most of the hate and biased incidents witnessed by the educators were not addressed by school leaders. No-one was disciplined in 57% of the instances. 9 times out of 10, administrators failed to denounce the bias, and they failed to reaffirm school values.
To ensure that students are safe from harm, SPLC recommends that educators must take vigorous, pro-active measures to counter prejudice, and to promote equity and inclusiveness. Educators must act swiftly and decisively to address all incidents of hate and bias when they happen, with a model that emphasizes communication, empathy, reconciliation, and support to those who are harmed.
May 17th marked the 65th anniversary of the landmark Brown v Board of Education case, where the Court ruled that laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional.
Misasha provides historical details on the Brown v Board of Education case and explains “De facto” segregation - More recent forms of school segregation that are supported by alternative mechanisms, which are slightly more difficult to regulate through law: or segregation that happens as a matter of fact.
In a recent New York Times article, more than half of the nation’s school children are in racially-concentrated districts, where over 75% of students are either white or non-white.
School districts are often separated by income.
Case Study: Central High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the late 70’s was not just a renowned local high school, but it was one of the signature integration success stories. In 2000, another Federal Judge reversed the desegregation mandate that had been in place for the last 20 years didn’t need to be in place anymore because it had achieved integration success and the school could manage that going forward.
Civil Rights Project 2011 Report statistics are discussed.
What is the difference between desegregation versus sincere and internally motivated integration?
96% of major employers say it’s important to be comfortable working with colleagues, customers, and / or clients from diverse, cultural backgrounds.
How private schools have gotten around the “De facto” segregation.
Questions we need to ask ourselves and taking a closer look at our school districts.

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/dearwhitewomenpodcast/

Mentioned Resources:

https://www.bravecoalition.com

https://nces.ed.gov

https://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation

Reports and Articles:

Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2019 Report on “Hate at School”

https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/tt_2019_hate_at_school_report_final_0.pdf

Intentional Harms Are Worse, Even When They’re Not

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4470288/

Brown v Board of Education - Landmark Decision Regarding Racial Segregation in Schools

https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment

Still Separate, Still Unequal: Teaching about School Segregation and Educational Inequality

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/learning/lesson-plans/still-separate-still-unequal-teaching-about-school-segregation-and-educational-inequality.html

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Have you heard of redlining? If so, do you know what it means today? And are you aware that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), created by President Roosevelt in 1934, actually institutionalized the system of discriminatory lending in government-backed mortgages in America?

Today, we're talking about redlining. In the 1930s, government surveyors, developed by the Homeowners Loan Coalition, graded neighborhoods in 239 American cities, using color-coded maps to indicate the level of security for real estate investments. These maps were based purely on assumptions about the various communities.

Tune into this episode of Dear White Women to hear about the Federal Housing Administration and why it was created, to learn about what redlining is and how it impacted homeownership almost a century ago, and to find out how all of this ties into patterns of gentrification today.

Show Highlights:

The function of the FHA is to provide mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA approved lenders throughout the United States.
The color-coded maps were not at all about the ability of households to satisfy lending criteria because they were based on assumptions about the community.
What the different colors indicated about the neighborhoods.
The FHA publications at the time implied that different races should not share neighborhoods.
In 1941, a white developer built a concrete wall between the white and black areas so that the white people could obtain mortgages.
Statistics from the Federal Reserve show that white families now have ten times the net worth of black families and more than eight times that of Hispanic families.
Some things that people were asked to put on the mortgage loan application forms about the neighborhood.
Creating the foundation for systemic discrimination in terms of lending, mortgages, and neighborhood construction.
A National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) study found that three out of four neighborhoods that were redlined in the government maps eighty years ago, continue to struggle economically.
The problem with gentrification.
Systemic issues and the after-effects of redlining.
How architectural changes became a signal of gentrification, with white buyers, and non-whites being forced out.
What you can do to remedy the situation.

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Did you take the information in your textbooks as the be-all and end-all of everything when you were in school? Have you ever really thought about that? Have you ever wondered who actually controls history, especially in our schools, and online?

In past episodes of the podcast, we have often discussed the diversity of narratives in this country, and the importance of understanding the viewpoint of the minority. Today, we are asking a very interesting question. We would like to know what happens when the institutions that we take for granted to educate us, or the places we go to find out facts, actually control that narrative for us?

Public education is not necessarily just there to teach us how to think and how to be. Tune into this episode of the Dear White Women podcast, to learn about the real purpose of public education, and to discover what happens when institutions actively try to remove historical facts from the school curriculum.

Show Highlights:

An interesting example of a recent attempt by conservatives in Michigan, in 2018, to remove the information about climate change, Roe V. Wade, gay rights, and the KKK from the school's social studies curriculum.
Misasha's friend from Harvard, who grew up in the South, had never been taught about the Japanese internment camps in America during WW2.
It's important to acknowledge that we're getting a filter on our view of history.
The difference between a republic and democratic forms of government.
The United States of America is actually a Constitutional Democratic Republic.
In a democracy, the majority can impose its will on the minority.
There's a new movement in the current government called The Problem Solver's Caucus, started by a group called No Labels.
Climate change and the new curriculum.
Slavery was economically linked to the Civil War.
The results of the research done by the Southern Poverty Law Center about the curriculum standard in different states.
Whitewashing history to hide some of the truth about systemic issues, some of which still exist today.
Harassment often begins behind the scenes in the Wikipedia digital backrooms.

Links:

Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Raising kids can be really hard at times. And as a white mom raising black kids, it's a uniquely challenging experience.

Debbie Scheer is Sara and Misasha's guest on the show today. Debbie is a humorist, a speaker, an MC, and a woman-about-town in Denver. She has presence, intelligence, observational skills, and she's also a white mom raising two adopted boys, one black, and one bi-racial.

The Dear White Women Podcast is not just about race, identity, and discussions around who we are, and how we show up in the world. It is about having difficult conversations which make Sara, Misasha, and you, the listeners, a bit uncomfortable.

Today, Debbie brings a really cool angle to the discussion because she's really funny.

Tune into this episode of Dear White Women to learn about the difficulties of being a white mom raising black and mixed kids, and about using humor to help hard conversations.

Show Highlights:

Debbie explains why the kind of topics covered on this show are so near and dear to her heart.
Debbie talks about the latest post she made on Facebook about raising black boys.
The way that the response of society has changed towards Debbie's son as he has grown from a baby to twelve-year-old boy.
It's difficult for moms to protect their black or mixed kids from the realities of society.
Sometimes overt racism is easier to deal with than microaggressions.
The difficulties of dealing with white friends' implicit bias.
Having a conversation with friends about race and white privilege can really be tough.
Using book clubs as a platform to get people to engage in hard conversations.
Some techniques to get hard and in-depth conversations about race off the ground.
Using humor effectively to deal with touchy subjects can be tricky.
Looking at white women who are 'convenient activists'.
Moving from social media engagements to having in-person conversations.

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Are you aware of the horrors that are going on in concentration camps at our borders? And did you know that although kids are dying there and families are being separated, our government is still pushing for this under the not-so-hidden agenda of white supremacy? Be prepared to open your hearts today, because it is possible to have an impact, and to bring about some change, just by having a conversation about it. And although today's topic is a heavy one, there are ways to get involved and assist.

Fundamentally, we are all humans. Yet, sometimes, we become so numbed by stark headlines and horribly graphic visuals in movies that things feel far away and we tend to forget that we're actually talking about real people. So we really need to think about the way that we would want to be treated as human beings, should the situation ever arise that we would need to leave this country and go somewhere else. Tune into this episode of Dear White Women to find out about the history of concentration camps in America and about the humanitarian crisis that is happening currently at our borders.

Show Highlights:

Henry Wirz was the only member of the former Confederacy's military who was ever charged for war crimes.
Prisoner of war camps first started hundreds, if not thousands of years ago.
Henry Wirz was charged with conspiracy to commit murder because he gave the prisoners sub-human living conditions.
Why the Union (the North) would not commit to troop exchanges with the South unless black soldiers were included.
It was more important to the Confederacy to treat black men as property than to obtain the return of their own troops.
Concentration camps are places of forced relocations of civilians to detention, on the basis of group identity.
What is happening currently on our southern border.
The devastating effects that these border camps are having on the children.
The humanitarian crisis that we are facing right now.
The way that the Trump administration has changed the rules.
Something really has to change. We each have to think about what we can do.

Links and resources:

Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

An excerpt from an article in the Atlantic called A Crime By Any Other Name, by Adam Serwer, was used as preparation for today's discussion.

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We have a special bonus episode today, about some big news coming from the state of California.

We're talking about hair. In today's bonus episode, we will be discussing a ban on discrimination against natural hair that was recently passed in California. The act banning this discrimination was introduced by the Democratic senator, Holly Mitchell, and it is changing the course of history in America. Tune in now, to find out more.

We also have an already-recorded episode coming up, where we're talking about the history of black hair in America. That will be followed by a second part, which will come out later this summer, featuring some of the very popular first-person narratives.

Show Highlights:

On Wednesday, July 3rd, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, signed into law the Crown Act.
The Crown Act makes California the first state to ban workplace and school discrimination against black people for wearing hairstyles such as braids, twists, and locks.
The act was introduced by the Democratic senator, Holly Mitchell, a black woman from Los Angeles who wears her hair in locks.
California is the first state to explicitly state that those hairstyles are associated with race.
Hairstyles which were previously defined as professional have historically been founded on a Eurocentric model, based on straight hair.
People who don't have European features feel that they need to fit the Eurocentric model in order to be considered professional.
Professional women also sometimes feel that they have to fit the masculine norm in order to be considered professional.
What Gavin Newsom had to say about the discrimination that black Americans face.
The beauty company, Dove is part of a coalition pushing for more hairstyle protections.
Barbershop Books has just been featured in the New York Times and they are adding a layer of involvement into the importance of black barbershops in the United States, this time focusing on the literacy of black boys.
And... The US Women's National Soccer Team beat the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup! But we're still fighting for equal pay...

Links:

Barbershop Books https://barbershopbooks.org/

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Today we bring you 2 hot issues coming out of the Supreme Court, as of the end of June: 1) the citizenship question on the 2020 census and 2) gerrymandering and how voting districts are going to be drawn in the future.

The first timely topic is the inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 census and Supreme Court rule that the census will NOT be including that question, based on the grounds that the Administration had given a legitimate reason for the inclusion of that question.

The second ruling relates to gerrymandering and the control level for partisan gerrymandering, and we’ll also refresh your memory on the origin of that word.

These decisions are crucial to the future of our democracy, and matters for everyone who has the power to vote because it could effectively reduce our voting power.

Hang in there with us on this as we unpack these issues. We promise this is a lot more exciting than it sounds, plus we want you to be informed as we head into the 2020 elections.

Show Highlights:

The census asks many questions about the family. The question of citizenship status has never been asked before, for a variety of reasons. A lot of them relate to potential discrimination.
This question has been in lower courts, or Federal courts, that exist in various states. This question was most recently in federal courts in New York and Maryland, and was finally heard by the Supreme Court during their spring term.
The why: in a partly unanimous opinion, the Court said that the Trump administration’s Department of Commerce could not add this citizenship question for now. The Administration’s justification for adding the question was to enforce the Voting Rights Act.
The Voting Rights Act was signed in to law by President Lyndon B. Johnson back in 1965, and that was in order to help overcome the legal barriers of the state and local levels that prevented black Americans from exercising their right to vote, as guaranteed by the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. It was allowing the right for not just white men to vote, and it’s expanded along the way to protect the rights for non-English speaking American citizens, as well.
Although the Administration’s justification was to enforce the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court felt that the pretext was a lie, offered after the fact, to justify adding the question rather than a real reason for making that decision.
It didn’t say you could never add this question, but come back to us with a better reason and we’ll consider it.
From the President’s recent tweets, it appears that he is trying to find a “legally available path”.
“Legally available path” is lawyer-speak for ‘we are probably going to try and make up something that we are not sure we have the precedent for, but we’re gonna argue it anyway’.
Gerrymandering is not new and has been done since the founding of our nation because politicians and people in power have tried to intentionally manipulate the boundaries of election districts to stifle their opponents power and keep themselves in office.
For as long as gerrymandering has existed, there have been opponents of this practice that say it is anti-democratic and unconstitutional.
The basic explanation of gerrymandering is when voting districts are re-drawn to benefit one party over another in elections.
Some historians trace the origin of the word “gerrymandering” of partisan map-making to Patrick Henry, who was said to have drawn a Virginia house district for the First Congressional Election back in 1789 in order to ensure that he won. He wanted to defeat James Madison.
The practice takes its name from another figure from the Revolution, Elbridge Gerry, who later served as James Madison’s Vice-President. The reason is because when he was Governor of Massachusetts in 1812, Mr. Gerry signed a bill allowing his party to draw State Senate districts that were meant to favor its candidates over the rival, the Federalists.
One particular district looked like a salamander, so a Boston editorial cartoonist drew it with a head and claws, and labeled it a “Gerrymander”.
What the Supreme Court ruled at the end of June was that Federal judges have no authority to correct partisan gerrymandering.
Federal judges can’t come in and look at a district that’s being challenged, and say, ‘Mm, we don’t agree’.
This allows politicians to keep drawing electoral districts that entrench their power, unless state law or congress prevents them from doing so.
This was a very close decision, 5:4, which is why who your Justices are on the Supreme Court is crucial.
There is such disparity across state laws that there will be no uniform standard.
This decision has ramifications for the redistricting process for federal, state, and local levels.
Because this comes with the 2020 census on the horizon, the census requires maps across the US to be redrawn to reflect shifts in population. So, this census opens up the opportunity to have these districts redrawn in an even more partisan manner, because map makers now aren’t going to be checked by the Court, and because Republicans currently control most State houses, they had the most to lose had the lower court rulings been upheld, and the most to gain now that they have the ability to redraw those maps.
This is not a Republican issue, and it’s not a Democrat issue. Both parties have used gerrymandering to their advantage at one point or another.
Gerrymandering is just one piece of a much broader GOP offensive to rig the system in their favor.
Voter ID laws have created significant barriers to voting for many black and hispanic voters.
Getting felons and ex-felons eligibility to vote has been such a hot issue because of the racial makeup and largely what party they’re affiliated with, which is heavily black and Democratic.

Links and Resources:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/

Email: hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Article:

The Washington Post released a Reddit post regarding gerrymandering:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/01/this-is-the-best-explanation-of-gerrymandering-you-will-ever-see/?utm_term=.961d79bf1ce8

Magazine:

The Week

https://www.theweek.com

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Have you ever thought about why character matters? And have you ever wondered what it is that makes people influential and powerful? Today we're talking about Tiger Woods and LeBron James, two very influential people who have been in the news a lot, and they were recently named by Time Magazine as two of the 100 most influential people of the year.

The bigger question to ask is really why everyone seems to be okay with Tiger Woods now that he's won the Master's again, even though he treats women poorly and he repeatedly cheated on his wife? And why do people think Tiger is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) but not LeBron? Tune into this episode of Dear White Women to hear Sara and Misasha's conversation about why this might be.

Show Highlights:

Tiger Woods was a serial cheater who admitted to having numerous affairs while married to his wife, Elin Nordegren. There were reports of more than 120 women!
Time Magazine makes it clear that although it's often seen as an honor to appear on their list, entrants are recognized for "changing the world regardless of the consequences of their actions.
There's a huge difference in the ways that Tiger and LeBron are approaching social justice.
There was a lot of non-comment from Tiger Woods on the specific issues that he was being asked about in the media.
Staying silent about issues of social justice actually speaks volumes.
LeBron has been a very open critic about issues of social justice. He has used his voice on social media to raise consciousness about these issues.
LeBron James has referenced Muhammed Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, and Jackie Robinson as athletes who previously spoke up for equality and change with no concerns about the consequences.
LeBron's popularity has fallen as a result of him standing up for what he believes in.
LeBron has built a public school in Cleveland, called I Promise. It is operated by the school district and it reaches a wide range of diverse students.
Through the school, LeBron is leaving behind a powerful legacy which goes beyond his own skill on the court.
The difference in the superstars' characters shows up in the way that they engage with their audience on social media.

Links and Resources:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Are you aware of the racial disparity that exists in the US healthcare system? And did you know that some people are actually dying unnecessarily as a result? Today, Sara talks to Dr. Monique Rainford, an OB/GYN from Jamaica, who recently did a phenomenal TEDx talk, called America’s Maternal Nightmare, about black maternal health in America. In her talk, Dr. Rainford peeled back the layers and very clearly revealed the disparities that exist within the US healthcare system, particularly when it comes to black maternal health.

According to statistics, the health of African American women is worse than that of white American women. Dr. Rainford is an advocate for health equality and well-being for black American women.

Tune in to this episode of Dear White Women to find out about the effects of racism on women's health, and to learn why the disparity exists here in America, what can be done to overcome implicit bias, and what healthcare providers can do to enhance the kind of care that they are providing.

Show Highlights:

Some really shocking statistics that the average American might not be aware of - these really blew Dr. Rainford's mind!
How Dr. Rainford was able to gain a good understanding of why the disparity exists here in America.
Even the world-famous tennis player, Serena Williams, had a lot of difficulties when she was having her baby.
We need to uncover our implicit biases because we all have them.
People have implicit, or unconscious bias, so well-intentioned healthcare providers may give substandard care to someone because of their race, without even realizing that they are biased.
Having a good relationship with your doctor can really have a positive impact on a patient's standard of care.
Everybody delivering healthcare should be aware of and understand implicit bias, and they should deliver excellent health care to everyone, in spite of their biases.
So many African American women, who have done everything that they could have possibly done to advocate for themselves, have ended up dying because they were ignored by their healthcare providers.
African American women in America are three to four times more likely to have maternal deaths than white women, and 60% of these deaths are preventable.
Dr. Rainford discusses what individuals can do to improve their health outcomes and prevent unnecessary deaths.
The knowledge-based emergency tool kits that were introduced and implemented in California led to a 55% reduction in the maternal mortality rate.
There is hope, but it takes each one of us speaking up and participating in order to drive improvements.

Links and Resources:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

For the Harvard University implicit associations tests, go to https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Dr. Rainford’s TEDx Talk - America’s Maternal Nightmare

Dr. Monique Rainford's book, Please God Send Me A Husband, is available on her website, or from Amazon.

Contact Dr. Monique Rainford’s Website: www.moniquerainford.com

Contact Dr. Monique Rainford about speaking or coaching email: drmoniquerainford@gmail.com

Please God Send Me A Husband: Second Edition

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Today, we continue with our conversation about the Ku Klux Klan, the history of hate in America, and why we're seeing the current resurgence of hate groups. There is so much wrapped up in all of this, so it is really very important for us to understand why it happened, and also, what might be happening now.

Fraternal organization structures, like the Freemasons, started becoming very popular in the late 1800s and the first part of the 1900s. In fact, they were so popular that it was suggested that at one point as much as 40% of the adult population of America held membership to at least one organization or fraternal order. At the time, the KKK was becoming more organized as a hate group and was looking for ways to establish itself and grow its base, so it started infiltrating these organizations.

It is understandable that the KKK began to affiliate with these fraternal organization structures because this really ties into the sense of belonging that is so important to all of us as humans. And what we choose to be affiliated with is really important for us to consider, because with hate groups on the rise right now, there is clearly a gap in our collective sense of belonging and meaning in this country.

Tune into today's episode of Dear White Women to learn more about the second and third waves of the KKK being in power, to understand why and how this is showing up in today's culture, and to find out what you can do to address the hate that is currently on the rise in our society.

Show Highlights:

Why the KKK started affiliating with fraternal organizations.
How people's need for belonging translated into a way for the KKK to become monetized.
The aggressive sales pitch that the Klan used to appeal to white Protestants.
How the Klan exploited the fears of the nation with their 'mission of social vigilance'.
At the time when women were fighting for their rights, the Klan was going after women looking for independence, as they claimed to stand for pure womanhood.
Why the membership of the KKK started dropping in the 1930s.
What brought the second wave of the KKK to an end.
The Klan, as it appears today, consists of four different organizations.
How the FBI managed to infiltrate the KKK in 1965.
Along came David Duke, who founded a branch of the KKK in 1975.
The cycle of hate and the cycle of hate trying to gain more power through our political system does not stop. It's important for us to be aware of it and also to protect ourselves from it emotionally, while not becoming desensitized to it.
Mass immigration seems to precede each wave of hatred and of the KKK coming to power.
Why it's so important to address the hate that is currently arising.

Links and Resources:

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Southern Poverty Law Center

Books mentioned:

Hooded Empire: The Ku Klux Klan in Colorado by Robert Alan Goldberg

The documentary series, Eyes on the Prize

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War by Henry Lewis Gates Jr.

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War DVD

Hooded Empire: The Ku Klux Klan in Colorado

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It's interesting to know that in 2018, there was a 50% increase in the number of hate groups in America. Currently, the Southern Poverty Law Center is tracking more than 1000 hate groups, so hate is certainly not a thing of the past. In fact, it has actually increased in recent years. So, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the history of hate in America and why we are seeing the current resurgence.

Today, we're doing the first of two episodes on the topic. We will be taking a look at the history of hate through the lens of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - America’s first Terrorist organization. It's very important for us to understand how it happened in the past, and also to understand what might be happening now.

Most of us tend to associate the KKK, one of America's original hate groups, with violence, hoods, and burning crosses, and we tend not to think about them hating different religions, especially Catholics. Tune into this episode of Dear White Women, to find out about the history of the KKK - where it started, and how it came to be what it is today.

Show Highlights:

The three periods of significant strength for the KKK in American history.
The event that marked the start of the KKK in 1865.
Why it's very important to understand how the KKK came into being the very first time around.
Hate is the opposite of thriving, yet it can still create a sense of meaning for some people.
The KKK originally started out with the idea of scaring people, not harming them.
The history around the political situation that the KKK was initially fighting against.
Who the Scalawags and the Carpetbaggers really were, and how they were used in an attempt to influence Southern politics.
What caused the KKK to turn violent.
What happened during the period of Reconstruction, immediately after the Civil War.
The period of Reconstruction was actually a time of re-enslavement of black people.
Why the dominance of the KKK came to an end after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1871.
Hate organizations don't always hate what they're known for.
What hate is really about - so you can see it for what it is.
We really need to connect with people in a more holistic way, particularly around issues of fear, hurt and anger. People need to know that they are seen and heard.

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

You can find us on Facebook and Instagram @ Dear White Women Podcast, and on Twitter @ DWW Podcast.

Southern Poverty Law Center website: https://www.splcenter.org/

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As women, it’s important for us to advocate for other women, but it’s difficult for us to do that if we’re unaware of other women’s experiences. According to statistics only 62% of Americans even believe that there is a pay gap between men and women, but data shows there is. When it comes to women’s equality there seems to be a lack of awareness all across the board.

Today, Sara and Misasha discuss the current issues with equal pay, discrepancies women experience in the workplace, and the need to take collective action. To learn more about what you can do to close the gap of inequality and speak up for other women, tune into this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

What is Equal Pay Day 2019
Different subgroups that impact when their equal pay day falls
The lack of awareness America has in regards to the pay disparity
Navigating making a change when people don’t recognize the need for change
The effectiveness of recording pay data and having public accountability
Disclosing pay gaps and why social pressure is beneficial
How the “lean in” movement has defined views of women in the work place
What happens in a “lean in” circle
Being authentic in a predominantly men’s world
Professional systems that don’t recognize women’s differences
Creating a system that collectively benefits women
Recognizing discrimination in different industries

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

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We all have our own preconceived notions - it’s part of being human, but how we choose to challenge and question those biases is what’s important. Today’s episode contains interviews with three individuals with unique narratives, who have experienced the backlash of others' misperceptions. Brittany, Brandon, and Golnaz all have distinct differences in their stories but also share an array of commonalities. To hear more about Brittany, Brandon, and Golnaz’s experiences as minorities join us for this interview on Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

Most common misunderstandings people have when they meet Brittany
What wearing a scarf symbolizes in Muslim culture
The impact that being confronted with slurs and insults has made in Brittany’s life
Muslim customs that non-Muslims should know
Most common misconceptions people have when they meet Brandon
Factors that lead people to have bias against Brandon
Assumptions people make about athleticism
Dealing with backhanded compliments
Handling explicit racism and coping with the impact
Brandon and Sara discuss whether people are getting better or worse when it comes to judging before getting to know someone
What people’s initial assumptions are when they meet Golnaz
Dealing with bias as the only minority
The struggle of having immigrant parents as a minority

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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We’ve seen a major shift to becoming more accepting as a society over the years, but implicit biases and micro-aggressions still occur more often than you’d think.

Today, Misasha and Sara discuss what makes up a micro-aggression and how to identify words or actions that may be unintentionally offensive. It’s important that we all grow in our awareness and continue to reflect on our own views by acknowledging any potential biases we may have. This episode talks about the vitality of not invalidating others’ experiences and how we can help others become more aware of their own implicit biases.

Show Highlights:

Identifying micro-aggressions and the different categories of micro-aggressions
Evaluating what constitutes as a micro-aggression
The other minorities that micro-aggressions have extended to outside of race
The psychological and emotional toll that micro-aggressions have on individuals
Dealing with direct bias as a woman of color
Subconscious bias and how people can become more aware of their underlying prejudices
Things people say/do that they don’t recognize as micro-aggressions
Maintaining a level of awareness and sensitivity no matter what setting you’re in
Understanding others’ experiences and using them to reflect on your own biases
Standing up for what you believe in and against discrimination even in uncomfortable situations

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Have you ever had a thought that didn’t feel completely your own? Have you ever had to counter your initial reaction to a situation? It’s likely that those ideas were stimulated from your subconscious and they are trying to protect you. But from what?

Today, Sara and Misasha discuss the psychology behind implicit bias and the impact of our unconscious thoughts. To hear more about the role bias plays in society and how to reprogram your own subconscious tune into this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

Diversity training and overcoming unconscious bias
What constitutes as your conscious and unconscious thoughts
How emotional reactions correlate with your unconscious
What forms the basis of our unconscious
What influences implicit bias
Identifying instances in which implicit bias is present
Measuring your own implicit biases
The impact underestimating individuals has on people
How poverty and inequality effects children
How bias gets incorporated in “colorblind” sources
Deciding what you value
Creating an equal socio-economic society
Accepting and evaluating our biases
Resetting preconceived notions
Taking action to shift your subconscious

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/

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Mental illness is a topic that society is becoming more comfortable talking about, but there is still a stigma that prevents many people from getting the help they need. Individuals who don’t struggle with generalized mental illnesses may have a more difficult time empathizing or grasping the idea of mental illness.

Since May is Mental Health Month, Sara and Misasha are going to help shed some light on mental illness and how marginalized groups treated differently are more prone to experience struggles getting the treatment they need. This episode is purely acknowledging the uniqueness in everyone’s narrative and how resources can influence mental health.

Show Highlights:

Current suicide statistics
Connecting with our kids openly about mental health
Boosting mental wellness
Battling anxiety and how it differs from stress
Dealing with chronic stress and other issues that stem from it
Stress affects minorities in different ways
How substance abuse starts
The rat park experiment
Having a sense of connection and community
How mental illness impacts the LGBTQ+ community
Unique circumstances adults in the LGBTQ+ community face
How stereotypes impact treatment for mental illnesses
Struggling with stigmas and expressing emotions
The spectrum of mental illness and health

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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Today's episode includes special guest, coach and scholar, Adebisi Adebowale. Adebisi joins Sara and Misasha in a discussion regarding the college admissions scandals. They share their thoughts on what these transgressions mean in regards to white privilege, society’s definition of success, and how to approach large scale misconduct. To hear more thoughts about the impact of these scandals and how we can take affirmative action, tune into this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

Different perspectives on the college admission scandal
The problem with approaching life with a mindset of entitlement
The unlikelihood of students being unaware of the scandals
How deceitful people and institutions can be
Doing right by the system
What role punishment plays in scandals involved with high society individuals
Why it’s important for minorities to attend predominately white schools
How you see affirmative action happen today
How affirmative action functions on a university level
Addressing people who are critical about affirmative action
Being inclusive of minorities
Having humility and being teachable

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

Contact Adebisi:

https://www.upliftology.co

https://www.adebisi.co

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Practicing feminism is something most women are proud to participate in, but white women, in particular, tend to be unaware of how exclusive feminism itself can truly be. Intersectional feminism is a term that isn’t widely used, but should be widely practiced.

Today, Sara and Misasha discuss what it means to be an intersectional feminist and why practicing it is so important. To better understand the history and impact of intersectional feminism and how you can implement it into your own life, tune into this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

The history behind intersectional feminism
Recognizing white privilege without getting defensive
Finding your voice
Being aware of the words you choose to use
How white women collectively dominate feminism
The differences between radical feminism, feminism, and white feminism
Feeling invalidated by people who aren’t minorities
Fighting for the race of minimum wage
Why the white women experience is not the narrative for all women
Culture appropriation and cherry-picking traditions
How awareness can prevent potentially harmful behavior
Being inclusive of everyone, not just white women
Finding your own voice but listening to others
Advocating for other people’s issues but not speaking for them
How micro-aggressions can cause damage to people
Choosing to be aware of discrimination despite whether or not you experience it first hand
Modeling intersectional feminism for your children and others

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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While women have come a long way in regards to rights and gaining positions of influence, the fight for women’s equality is still ongoing. Although, when it comes to feminism it’s easy to dismiss the fact that it’s not only a matter of sexism, but a matter of racism.

Today Sara and Misasha discuss what it looks like to be completely bought into women’s rights, the influence women have in society, and how we can implement that into our own lives by empowering others. If you’re passionately curious about making an impact to better the lives of women, people of color, and the direction of society, tune into this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

How women can encourage and influence people around them with conversation
Becoming more aware of the system and individual racism
The importance of continuing to acknowledge the past
Keeping people educated
How racism in the past impacted sexism
How feminism can be conflated with white supremacy
Men in power disrespecting women
Addressing major issues in politics regarding women
How daily acts can shift the influence of society
Taking our power and manifesting our role as women
What makes the women of color experience different
The impact of micro-aggressions and implicit biases
Encouraging people to talk about differences
Understanding the why behind things
Using our differences to find strength and unity

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Email: Hello@dearwhitewomen.com

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The issues with race, sexism, and overall inequality are still very prominent in our current political climate and society as a whole. While it may not be the most comfortable issue to address, Sara and Misasha discuss the importance of acknowledging and combating these injustices.

They also discuss the necessity that white people should care about these issues by highlighting history, science, and current events. Tune into this episode of Dear White People to hear more about the structural imbalance we’re all experiencing societally and how you can make a difference in combating today’s racial inequalities.

Show Highlights:

Getting over hate and laws that help perpetuate inequality
Privilege associated with money and scandals
Rising by lifting others
Pillars that support psychological and overall wellness
How happiness influences success
The link between justice and well-being
How can we – as a society – link fairness and health more conclusively
Affirmative action and perspective
Why we need policies in place
The history of slavery and oppression in America
What gives women equal representation
How racism and sexism still impact colored women directly
Inherent biases
Acknowledging color blindness in America
Modifying our vocabulary and measurements of race
Combating the sense of individual ignorance
Identifying an action point
Educating yourself to make more impactful choices
Finding ways to get involved
Taking responsibility to make a difference

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

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It’s important to have conversations regarding race, gender, minorities, etc. Unless we as a society choose to acknowledge these uncomfortable but prominent issues, they will never just resolve on their own. It’s easy to blow these things off or to feel powerless, but at the core, all of these issues start with people deciding to make a difference.

Today, Sara and Misasha introduce Dear White People by starting conversations that challenge our thoughts, brings purpose, and leaves you with meaningful ideas to reflect on. To gain a deeper understanding of the influence of your role in society and work towards unifying equality join Sara and Misasha in this episode of Dear White Women.

Show Highlights:

What makes white women the largest beneficiaries to date
Growing up bi-racial in America
The fear of having a mixed-raced family in America
How different countries approach racism
The fear of being a parent to children of minority
Acknowledging white supremacy and shifting societal influence
Black feminism
Taking advantage of opportunities to learn and become more aware of societal issues

Links:

https://www.dearwhitewomen.com

Dear White Women: Recent Episodes

Sara and Misasha