Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab: Recent Episodes
Continuum
Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is an intersectional, international, and intergenerational podcast with feminist visionaries. Secrets are had and shared in conversation with revolutionaries and innovators engaged in distinctly unapologetic feminist work. The R&R Lab unearths those nuggets of truth hidden just under the surface, begging to be noticed. We dive deeply into animating questions at the center of our feminist life; exploring the complexity and nuance that emboldens our listeners to engage in new ways of seeing, defining, and being feminists.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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As a thoughtfully outspoken journalist, author, and movement leader, Rachel Hills calls on her audiences and co-collaborators to inspect narratives that work to bind us in oppressive structures. Her recent book, The Sex Myth, presents the provocative hypothesis that the sexual revolution beginning the 1960s has confined us in our own narratives. She posits that our performative speaking keeps us from actually practicing truly liberated, honest, and authentic sexualities. Rachel’s book has been adapted into a devised play where each cast conjures and creates the play anew. You can find Rachel on Twitter at @rachelhills. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Anja Tyson: a single mom and Brooklynite who works in fashion sustainability. Anja works as a Fashion Sales Manager at TIPA Compostable Packaging, which is a company that’s innovating new ways to reduce the amount of single-use plastics that are used to wrap around clothing before being thrown in the trash.
As our conversation unfolds, Anja tells me all about her childhood and her unique experiences about growing up biracial. Now, as a single mother with a biracial child, she’s seeing her own childhood experiences through a different lens. Anja shares some insights on how she’s raising her child to be socially and racially conscious.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about what kind of work you do. (1:04)
- Tell me about your childhood. (10:09)
- Have you thought about having another kid? (25:41)
- What are your feelings on dating? (40:50)
- What can people do to start making a difference and contributing to a meaningful cause? (1:12:04)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Anja got her job at Prada USA. (3:18)
- How Anja dealt with being bullied as a kid. (11:13)
- About Anja’s experience being a single mother. (26:13)
- Why Anja doesn’t feel any urgency around dating and finding a partner. (40:55)
- About Anja’s work in fashion sustainability. (46:17)
- How Anja and her 5-year-old daughter deal with the grief of losing a loved one differently. (57:06)
Connect with Anja:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This weeks’ revolutionary is Sophia Wallace, visual artist and creator of Cliteracy. Sophia grew up in Seattle, Washington and currently lives in New York City. Throughout her childhood, she was a feminist before she had the language to really say it. Now, as an adult, the art that she produces is striking, unapologetically sapphic, and groundbreaking. Her work stems from a place of authenticity, including her own body, life, history, and lived experience and aims to create freedom for language and expand the language used around the feminine body.
Throughout our conversation, Sophia dives deep into the Cliteracy project and the impact it’s had, along with also discussing how power represents and normalizes itself in the visual.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is a Clit Rodeo? (2:19)
- Who are the Guardian Angels? (6:58)
- How do you weave the messages women are told throughout their lives into your work? (31:58)
- What does the future of your work look like? (39:55)
- How can people support your work? (59:59)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About the Cliteracy project. (1:20)
- How going to an all-women college impacted Sophia. (7:51)
- How patriarchy is like a multi-level-marketing scheme. (19:37)
- How women’s pain has been denaturalized and the impact that has on society. (21:00)
- How women’s pain and experiences are dismissed in the medical field. (48:40)
Connect with Sophia:
Website
Resources:
Seattle Young People’s Project
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Nasreen Alkhateeb, a filmmaker, activist, and feminist. She was born in the United States but raised for the first 7 years of her life in Saudi Arabia. After her family moved back to the United States, Nasreen started to realize that she was different from those around her and that she would have to go above and beyond to break social barriers and form friends. This played a major role in how Nasreen learned to tell stories and design her own reality.
Now, Nasreen is a storyteller. She translates messaging and storytelling into visuals for people to immerse themselves into. She helps clients create short-form narrative, usually in video form and content that lives online. With this, Nasreen uses her skills to give voice to the marginalized. She helps others go above and beyond to break barriers, tell their stories, and participate in feminist movements.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How would you describe yourself? (1:01)
- Tell me about the documentary you made about you and your sisters. (11:49)
- Is your family still religious? (15:59)
- How has your place in society informed your feminist work? (34:43)
- What techniques do you use to remind yourself of your empowering narrative? (39:52)
- What do you think are the most pressing feminist issues today? (43:04)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why it was challenging for Nasreen to make friends in the American public school system. (5:06)
- How Nasreen’s narrative skills have become her foundation for giving voice to various causes. (10:05)
- How Nasreen designs her own reality. (20:11)
- What it was like for Nasreen to come home from Iraq after 9/11. (26:51)
- How Nasreen got comfortable with being the odd one out in all areas of her life. (41:49)
- How Nasreen pulls herself up after hitting rock bottom. (49:02)
Connect with Nasreen Alkhateeb:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contentdirector/
Website: https://allmediastorytelling.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirectorContent
Defend Yourself : http://defendyourself.org
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Dr. Anne Marie Goetz, a professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. Prior to her work as a professor, she worked at the UN as a policymaker on women, peace, and security. Currently, Dr. Goetz’s work looks at what makes states effective in addressing women’s rights and under what conditions do feminist movements succeed in patriarchal states.
Throughout our conversation, Dr. Anne Marie shares insights into what feminism looks like on a global level, including anecdotes from various cultures that demonstrate how women’s rights are changing around the world. She also shares extensively about her work with UNIFEM, around right-wing populism, and how she finds the motivation to continue persevering with her feminist work.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about the research you’re working on now. (1:09)
- Where are you from? (36:52)
- What drives you to keep going? (39:19)
- When you think about all of this work that you’ve done, who has supported you in particularly pivotal ways? (51:06)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why women-only spaces are essential for advancing women’s rights through mainstream institutions. (5:33)
- Anne Marie’s work on right-wing populism around the world. (16:36)
- How right-wing populism utilizes the term “gender ideology” to attack feminism. (27:56)
- About Anne Marie’s experience at the Beijing Conference for Women in 1995. (28:35)
- How Anne Marie’s childhood shaped her feminist views as an adult. (39:56)
- About Anne Marie’s work with the UNIFEM. (1:00:21)
Connect with Anne Marie Goetz:
Publications
Resources:
United Nations Development Fund for Women
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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If you concern yourself with world peace you either already know or should immediately come to know Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini. Before co-founding the International Civil Society Action Network, Sanam was raised in Iran, fled with her family and became a British citizen, and is now raising two daughters in the US. She is an intellectual, activist, and community builder leading a network of women peacebuilders working to prevent violent extremism by promoting peace, rights and pluralism in over 30 countries. You can find Sanam on Twitter at @sanambna. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week's revolutionary is Dr. Omolara Uwemedimo, a pediatrician, clinical researcher, and founder of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood, an organization devoted to helping Black women in the medical field thrive.
We chat about the origins of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood, the dangers of burnout for Black women in a system where their needs are largely ignored, and the journey that brought Omolara home to fight the inequities in the US healthcare system.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood (1:00)
- Was the autoimmune disorder related to the burnout? (4:10)
- How did you get started on the road to accomplishing so much? (11:33)
- How did pursuing a career in medicine impact your personal life? (22:10)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How no longer finding joy in her work was a sign of burnout (4:35)
- The dangers of weathering and allostatic load for black women (6:28)
- How Omolara’s parents drove her to excellence (12:50)
- The moment Omolara became passionate about fighting injustice (15:19)
- What drives Omolara to keep pushing the envelope in her work (26:10)
- How Omolara applies what she’s learned overseas to address the gaps in the US medical system (28:09)
- How becoming a mother changed Omolara’s entire approach to health and wellness (33:42)
- Facing the decision between making yourself smaller to fit into existing spaces, or moving into new spaces with room to grow (40:00)
Resources
Omolara's website/Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood
Follow M,M&M on Instagram
Follow Dr. Omolara on Twitter
Listen to the Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood podcast
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is the fascinating Dr. Sophia Yen,CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health: the only women-founded, women-led birth control delivery company. She's also the proud mother of two future she-heros & the wife of a feminist. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Sophia about the experience of having a period, making periods optional, and the impact this has on your health. This episode digs into that and more as Sophia shares why we are menstruating more often than women in history, the implications of level 10 blood over time, how women "syncing up" it totally a thing, and the critical distinction between emergency contraception and medication abortion. Sophia's work and this conversation debunk the myth that a woman's body's "natural state" has regular, monthly periods. Call me, beep me, if you want to reach us... we'll be at our gynecologist's office.
Connect with Sophia:
Instagram: @pandiahealth
Twitter: @pandiahealth
TikTok: @pandiahealth
YouTube
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Joanne Wilson is the powerbitch of all powerbitches. She started her career in retail, moved to the media side of the technology industry, and is now an investor following what she calls the female founder thesis; meaning, women founders tend to be great investment opportunities because they are tenacious and thorough, both asking questions and listening. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again … I want to be Joanne Wilson when I grow up. You can find Joanne on Twitter at @thegothamgal. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Xhercis Mendez. She is a scholar-activist and constantly looking for any creative strategies that allow us to create the world we want to live in. Her academic works combine women of color and decolonial feminisms, while her focus remains on transformative justice and actively combating structural inequities.
Our conversation begins with Xhercis explaining how she took control of her own life, education, and grabbed her future by the reins. She essentially maneuvered her way into attending an upper-class boarding school and found ways to navigate between that world and her working-class roots. From there, Xhercis continues to share her experiences with race, class, identity, and how to find trustworthy community throughout a constantly shifting life.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What was your childhood like? (1:17)
- What tools did you use to reintegrate into your family each time you came home from boarding school? (15:38)
- How do you navigate the apprehension around the term and concept of feminism? (27:35)
- Why do communities cling to the concept of sameness or oneness? (41:54)
- How can you be in deep connection with the community around you? (52:44)
- How do you engage in a space that lacks accountability and integrity? (1:43:57)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Xhercis’ first encounter with structural inequities. (6:56)
- How strength in a woman is valued in Caribbean cultures. (30:09)
- Why academia rewards an unhealthy individualistic approach to life. (44:52)
- About the explosion of #MeToo and what survivors need for healing. (59:42)
- How to identify your community and establish an accountable network. (1:21:14)
- About Xhercis’ main focus on decolonial feminism. (1:32:56)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Xhercis Mendez
Resources
Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective
INCITE!
Project Nia
Just Practice
Creative Interventions
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Abby Stein,an exceptional author, rabbi, educator, activist, and parent (with a particular distaste for bios). Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Abby about her explosion of educational events over the last year, involving 200+ virtual talks and an upcoming theatrical production based on her book & life. This episode digs into that and more as Abby talks about being segregated from the outside world at a young age, her second book about living out & proud, the impact of passing privilege, and her love for cooking her mother’s recipes with a modern twist. Abby’s work and this conversation is a powerful tribute to those who have experienced what it’s like to leave and mourn a fundamentalist environment in an effort to find a greater, more true existence.
Connect with Abby:
Instagram: @abbychavastein
Twitter: @abbychavastein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbbysteinAS
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week features the radical Jill Louise Busby, whose work interrogates illusions of societal progress and the ever-present need for honesty, even amongst our flaws. Join by Continuum’s Jillian Foster, Jill offers a candid perspective into her evolution as a creative and a thought leader, touching on everything from capitalism to gradualism to owning our own hypocrisy. Self-aware and revolutionary in her honesty, Jill poses challenging questions and conundrums to listeners. She leaves us with unique insight into the complexity of this moment, of celebrity, and of self-care. Be sure to check out Jill’s book, Unfollow Me, featuring a collection of essays on all of these topics coming out in September 2021.
Connect with Jill:
Jill's Website
Follow Jill on Instagram
Pre-order Jill’s book
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Koa Beck, author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Koa about her work defining and identifying white feminism - or whatever else you want to call it: bourgeois feminism, corporate feminism, girl boss feminism - and how what threads it all together is the aspiration of whiteness. This episode digs into that and more as Koa shares her thoughts on mainstream women's media, the pattern of white women dictating national conversations on gender, and how unions protect the labor, the rights, and the pay equity of people (mainly women) who are often exploited. This conversation and Koa's work remind us that white feminism has been very seductive and powerful, but it doesn't mean we can't course correct. You've just got to reframe your feminist politics by bringing it back to basic needs.
Connect with Koa:
Instagram: @koabeck
Twitter: @koalani
FB: Koa.Beck.Author
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Joumana Haddad is a passionate provocateur. She’s a journalist, poet, speaker, and activist. Born to a conservative family in Lebanon, she is a controversial figure for her unapologetic feminist activism and her critique of culturally entrenched misogyny and organized religion. Joumana is not afraid to push boundaries. She’s published countless books of poetry, co-written a movie, and is the founder of Jasad, a Beirut-based cultural magazine that focused on the literature, art, and science of the body. You can find Joumana on Twitter at @JHaddadOfficial and her work at joumanahaddad.com. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Cindy Gallop, the founder & CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, joins us. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Cindy about how MakeLoveNotPorn, the social sex video sharing platform, began & its ambitious mission to end rape culture. This episode digs into that and more as Cindy shares her adoration for being single, coining the term lick jobs, education through real-world demonstration, and the enormous operational challenges faced as the founder of a sex-tech startup. This conversation and Cindy’s work inspire us to look more closely at our relationship with sex and how we talk about sex within our communities. And you never know, you might just surprise yourself & hit “record" the next time you’re having an intimate moment.
Connect with Cindy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.gallop
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindygallop/
Instagram: @cindygallop
Twitter : @cindygallop
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Kate Bahn, the Director of Labor Market Policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. She grew up in a home with two parents and a brother, with parents who challenged traditional gender roles. Her father, who worked as a photographer, stayed home to raise Kate and her brother while her mom went out into the world every day to work.
In this episode, Kate and I discuss topics around feminist economics and why it’s such an important concept. On the more personal side, we discuss how being a feminist millennial affects mother-daughter relationship. We also talk about her childhood - including her norm-challenging parents – and about her experience pursuing a Ph.D.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is the Washington Center for Equitable Growth? (0:55)
- How did the topic of monopsony draw you in? (7:18)
- Tell me about where you were born, grew up, and what your family structure was like. (8:55)
- Your career is so dynamic. How have you navigated these different worlds? (24:37)
- As you pursued your Ph.D., how did you keep yourself going? (33:34)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Kate’s work relates to her personal mission. (2:40)
- How Kate’s feminism affects her relationship with her mother. (14:28)
- How economics influences people’s access to and perception of freedom. (24:22)
- Why Kate decided to pursue her Ph.D. (31:52)
- How Kate created a community for women within a male-dominated Ph.D. program. (39:16)
- Why feminist economics is an important concept. (45:55)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Kate Bahn
Resources:
Kate’s Twitter
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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Prisca Dorcas is a storyteller, public theologian, activist, feminist and founder of the Latina Rebels platform. She’s also someone who’s unapologetically committed to calling out injustice. Prisca was born in Managua, Nicaragua and raised in a very religiously conservative family. Despite her being taught that a woman’s place was in the home, she grew up with an understanding of a woman in power as Nicaragua had elected its first woman president when she was very young. Prisca’s grew up on a religious compound with a strong foundation of community and family. When she was 7 years old, her family immigrated to the US when her father was offered a role to lead the church’s music ministry.
We talk about her journey of awakening, finding her voice, creating space for advocacy and awareness and challenging toxic narratives, especially those that are pervasive in religion. Prisca received her Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University and speaks with such gratitude about the professor that affirmed her identify and inspired her to advocate for herself. This former introvert pushed past her boundaries when she, as she says, realized that she was being complacent by not speaking up. She’s since become an “an extrovert for la Raza.”
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Prisca Dorcas
Resources:
- Prisca Dorcas - Website
- Prisca Dorcas - Instagram
- Prisca Dorcas - Twitter
- Prisca Dorcas - Facebook
- Latina Rebels - Instagram
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Prisca’s experience growing up on a religious compound (2:12)
- The impact the 2008 financial crisis had on her and her family (22:45)
- Racism (38:41)
- Our experiences navigating the spectrum of feminism in different spaces (1:14:02)
- How Prisca found a way to honor a painful experience on her terms (1:31:54)
- Prisca’s master tips on doing this work. Also how to support her and her work (1:53:33)
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s radical is Kate Manne, a Sage School of Philosophy professor and author of two books, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny (2018) and Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women (2020). She also coined the term "himpathy."
In our conversation, we discuss Kate's newest book, how the Kavanaugh hearings and "incel" culture inspired her, the ways in which sexism and misogyny differ as tools of patriarchy, and the imbalance of gendered expectations around emotional labor. We also dive into her upbringing in Australia, the challenges of attending an all-boys school as a girl, and the commodification of women as sexual currency.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How did you choose the chapter titles in Entitled? (1:20)
- Where did you go to school? (13:10)
- Is there value in avoiding dating and relationships? (21:25)
- Is complicity a factor in himpathy? (40:52)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How misogyny works like a shock collar. (6:30)
- What it was like for Kate to be one of only three girls in her high school. (13:56)
- Why women lose male friends when they begin new relationships. (16:30)
- Why Incel culture can never truly be satisfied. (18:48)
- Why even "perfect victims" are not believed or taken seriously. (29:30)
- Kate's mantra and the importance of disobedience in fighting patriarchy. (39:11)
Resources:
Down Girl
Entitled
Kate Manne's Website
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We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s revolutionary is Glynnis MacNicol, author of No One Tells You This: A Memoir, which depicts the messy narrative of her life as well as what it’s like to be a single woman, over 40, and childfree. She pushes against the roles that society tells her to fill, creating her own narrative instead.
Throughout our conversation, Glynnis details her journey to writing this memoir, as well as discussing the cultural norms and gender roles that she refuses to be confined within. She shares her adventures from Canada to New York City, Wyoming, and England as a writer and single woman in the world.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What do you do for your job? (2:30)
- What made you want to write a memoir? (11:23)
- Tell us about your childhood. (21:00)
- How did you decide to not have children? (50:09)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What Glynnis’ memoir writing experience was like. (4:52)
- Why we need more messy stories about women’s lives in the world. (10:06)
- Why Glynnis is drawn to both New York City and rural Wyoming. (21:48)
- How Glynnis ended up living on a farm in England. (29:50)
- How Glynnis’ parents reacted to her adventurous life. (36:16)
- How society conditions us to view women on their own. (44:00)
- What deep canvassing is. (1:03:41)
Resources:
No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol
Glynnis’ Website
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week's revolutionary is Loretta Ross, co-founder of the Reproductive Justice movement. She teaches "White Supremacy in the Age of Trump" at Smith College and is the author of a number of works, including Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique (2017) and Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice (2004).
Our conversation covers decades of life experiences that led Loretta into social justice work, from growing up across the United States to "accidentally" becoming an activist; from deprogramming ex-Klansmen to becoming a college professor. And of course, we discuss the current state of activism work: why it's better to call in than call out, when to burn bridges, and how movements change and new generations create new rules.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Reproductive Justice? (4:45)
- How did the experience of being a young parent shape you? (17:07)
- Where did you study? (20:13)
- How does your history inform your new work? (30:54)
- What's the difference between calling out and calling in? (38:41)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The challenges of teaching online (2:40)
- What the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate gets wrong (7:31)
- How the army schools Loretta attended were more racially diverse than public schools (13:18)
- How experiences with sexual violence shaped Loretta (TRIGGER WARNING, 14:47)
- How Loretta became the "accidental activist" (21:48)
- The challenges of deprogramming Klansmen (29:18)
- How new generations reinvent activism (31:44)
- The line between forgiving mistakes and condemning unapologetic harm (42:15)
Resources:
Loretta's Website
Loretta J. Ross Papers, Smith College Libraries
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.
For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to ContinuumCollective.org for more.
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This week’s radical is Jamia Wilson, writer, activist, speaker, and the new Executive Editor at Random House. She’s the former director of the Feminist Press at City University of New York, and her works include Young, Gifted, and Black, Big Ideas for Young Readers, and Step into Your Power.
In our conversation we cover the complex dynamics of race vs. nationality, why it’s important to expose children to big ideas early, the power of storytelling, and more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you working on right now? What does this new role with Random House mean? (0:45)
- How does this new position empower you to open doors for others? (2:47)
- What brought you to Saudi Arabia? (13:08)
- When did you come back to the U.S.? (16:59)
- How did you choose American University? (24:46)
- How has your religious upbringing intersected with your story? (34:35)
- Has there ever been a time when you wanted to quit? (47:37)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why helping to shape the cultural landscape excites Jamia (3:33)
- What kinds of books Jamia writes—and how they affect her (7:20)
- The real reason representation matters (11:23)
- How Jamia came to embrace the identity of being an expat (14:57)
- How Jamia navigated life in the Middle East as a Black American (18:54)
- Jamia’s surreal NYU experience (31:43)
- Why Jamia puts the collective above the self in her work (44:13)
- What Jamia’s imagined future entails (51:33)
Resources:
Follow Jamia on Twitter and Instagram
Jamia’s Website
Buy Jamia’s Books
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We're taking a short break, but don't worry–we'll be back with more Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab soon. In the meantime, we have a long list of R&R Lab favorites that we want to share with you. Tune in next week for our first "Best of R&R Lab" episode.
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Joining us this week on the 100th episode of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Soraya Chemaly,a writer and feminist activist. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Soraya about what she's been writing about lately: the disillusion between public and private life that happened at the turn of the last century and how this past century has its own even more radical version of that on the internet. This episode digs into that and more as Soraya talks about her upcoming book After, the obsession with ‘what’s a real woman anyway,’ the reasoning behind withdrawing into intellectual life, and much more. Soraya’s work and this conversation remind us that while it can be profoundly uncomfortable and scary at times to inhabit our bodies, our bodies continue to talk to us and continue to learn. We just have to listen.
Connect with Soraya:
Instagram: @ragebecomesher
Twitter: @schemaly
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Indigo Mateo,an artist, abolitionist, and healer. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Indigo about her new album Single Player, which is about settling into the unknown and expressing the compilation of selves Mateo has experienced throughout the years, and most notably, through the global pandemic. This episode digs into that and more as Indigo shares the genesis of a sentimental song with friend & co-producer Richie Reseda, how over time music has enabled her to stand fully in her power, the importance of owning one’s work as a woman, her passion for advocating Question Culture, and much more. Indigo’s work and this conversation reminds us to reflect intentionally & dive deep into your inner world. You’ll be amazed by what you discover.
Connect with Indigo:
Instagram: @indigomateo
Twitter: @indigomateo
Personal Website
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin,the founder of The Gaia Project for Women’s Leadership, an author, a political commentator, and an ex-Wall Street lawyer. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Elizabeth about how the Gaia Project has sought to provide a safe place to land for women seeking to shatter glass ceilings and engage with a more unified means of making the world a better place. This episode digs into that and more as Elizabeth shares what it looks like to be authentic in every aspect of our lives, how women can overcome historical silence and fear of consequences, the negative impact of siloed living, what building safe communities looks like, and more. Elizabeth’s work and this conversation ask us to imagine what the world would look like if we create opportunity from tragedy.
Connect with Elizabeth
Instagram: @ecmclaughlin
Twitter: @ECMcLaughlin
Personal Website
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Alexis Barad-Cutler,a writer, journalist, veteran of the children’s publishing world, and founder of Not Safe For Mom Group. On this judgment-free platform, women can be honest about motherhood. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Alexis about the reasons she first started the Not Safe For Mom Group and how, at one point, the portrayal of motherhood on social media warped her sense of self. This episode digs into that and more as Alexis shares what mothers in her group are most worried about, the importance of communication and support between partners, the implications of resentment, and more. Alexis’ work and this conversation remind us that just because we believe we can do it on our own doesn’t mean we need to do it on our own. Call your mom, people. Tell her she’s doing great.
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: @alexisbaradcutler
Twitter: @alexisbcutler
NSFM Website
Personal Website
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is the fascinating Dr. Sophia Yen,CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health: the only women-founded, women-led birth control delivery company. She's also the proud mother of two future she-heros & the wife of a feminist. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Sophia about the experience of having a period, making periods optional, and the impact this has on your health. This episode digs into that and more as Sophia shares why we are menstruating more often than women in history, the implications of level 10 blood over time, how women "syncing up" it totally a thing, and the critical distinction between emergency contraception and medication abortion. Sophia's work and this conversation debunk the myth that a woman's body's "natural state" has regular, monthly periods. Call me, beep me, if you want to reach us... we'll be at our gynecologist's office.
Connect with Sophia:
Instagram: @pandiahealth
Twitter: @pandiahealth
TikTok: @pandiahealth
YouTube
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Amanda Montell,a writer, linguistics scholar, and author of Words Slut: A Feminist’s Guide to Taking Back the English Language and Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Amanda about how she found herself studying sociolinguistics–the relationship between how people speak and how they move through the world. This episode digs into that and more as Amanda talks about coming from a long line of academics, empowerment through understanding language, the balance between reclamation and internalized oppression, and the universal fascination of cults. Amanda’s work and this conversation will have you so in the weeds when it comes to language; it might just leave you speechless.
Connect with Amanda:
Instagram: @amanda_montell
Twitter: @AmandaMontell
Website: http://amandamontell.com/
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Carmen Perez-Jordan,a human and civil rights activist and a proud Chicana feminist. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Carmen about The Gathering For Justice– a national social justice organization that works to build a movement to end child incarceration while eliminating racial inequities that permeate the justice system. This episode digs into that and more as Carmen shares her passion for helping young people become strong leaders, how servant leadership is different from leadership in other forms, how growing up in Oxnard shaped her, and the great significance of strawberry fields and earthquakes. Carmen’s work and this conversation emphasizes how fulfilling it can be to be grounded in an ideology bigger than ourselves.
Connect with Carmen:
Instagram: @Msladyjustice1
Twitter: @Msladyjustice1
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Abby Stein,an exceptional author, rabbi, educator, activist, and parent (with a particular distaste for bios). Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Abby about her explosion of educational events over the last year, involving 200+ virtual talks and an upcoming theatrical production based on her book & life. This episode digs into that and more as Abby talks about being segregated from the outside world at a young age, her second book about living out & proud, the impact of passing privilege, and her love for cooking her mother’s recipes with a modern twist. Abby’s work and this conversation is a powerful tribute to those who have experienced what it’s like to leave and mourn a fundamentalist environment in an effort to find a greater, more true existence.
Connect with Abby:
Instagram: @abbychavastein
Twitter: @abbychavastein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbbysteinAS
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Nadya Okamoto,a recent Harvard graduate and co-founder of August, a lifestyle brand working to reimagine periods. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Nadya about why she created August in order to distribute more environmentally-conscious, ethically-sourced period care products. This episode digs into that and more as Nadya shares the fundamental difference between the words “period” and “menstruation”, the impact of hormonal birth control on our cycle, eliminating exclusive terms used to describe menstruation, and how period poverty stems from deeply rooted shame. Nadya’s work and this conversation highlights the systemic barriers that tower over us in regards to discussing periods and acknowledging that menstruation is, without a sliver of a doubt, a biological need.
Connect with Nadya:
Instagram: @nadyaokamoto
Twitter: @nadyaokamoto
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Ruby Hamad, journalist and author of White Tears Brown Scars. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Ruby about how her book leverages a global perspective using academic research, while turning it into a more accessible discussion.This episode digs into that and more as Ruby shares how womanhood is manipulated by power, the implications of focusing on “purity”, and what happens when white women comply to white feminism. Ruby’s work and this conversation reminds us to re-examine the notion that all of our issues matter but, at this moment, some issues matter more than others.
Connect with Ruby:
Instagram: @rubyhamadwriter
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Anna Louie Sussman, an independent journalist based in New York writing about gender, economics, and reproduction. She’s currently working on a book, with a working title of Inconceivable: Reproduction in An Age of Uncertainty, about people’s challenges starting their families. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Anna about her forthcoming book & the questions it poses: what are the constraints of work-life, what do we value, how do we leave time for doing work that doesn’t “count” as productive? This episode digs into that and more as Anna shares how uncertainty affects our decision to start a family, the importance of focusing on an individual’s life narrative over macro-aggregate data, the benefits of increased fertility awareness, and how she navigates work-life balance. Anna’s work and this conversation is a humbling reminder that there is no one right way to “do” family, to “do” work, or to “do” life.
Connect with Anna:
Website: https://www.annalouiesussman.com/
Twitter: @annalouiesuss
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Caitlin Kelly, a writing coach, career journalist, and the author of two non-fiction books: Malled and Blown Away. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Caitlin about the book she's writing for and about women in journalism to lift up women's voices worldwide. This episode digs into that and more as Caitlin shares her frustration with the phrase "Imposter Syndrome," the need for more generosity among women, dealing with rejection & failure, and the importance of saving your money. Caitlin's work reminds us that we must surround ourselves with the kind of energy we want to exude. Find your smart, ambitious, excellent, and, most important of all, kind tribe and get to work.
Connect with Caitlin:
Instagram: @caitlinkellynyc
Twitter: @caitlinkellynyc
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy and core faculty member for Women’s and Gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of a fascinating (and very accessible) book called The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Chanda about her work at the intersection of particle physics and astrophysics, and how she investigates the ways that intersects with social justice. This episode digs into that and more as Chanda shares her fascination with neutron stars (star skeletons) and dark matter. Chanda’s work gives it to us straight: as humans, we are the real cosmic weirdos.
Connect with Dr. Prescod-Weinstein:
Instagram: @chanda.prescod.weinstein
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Dr. Lina AbiRafeh, a feminist, activist, accidental academic, and Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Women. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Lina about being at the helm of the institute, working at the intersection of academia and activism. This episode digs into that and more as Lina shares her thoughts on the complexity of activism in Arab regions, what it would take to rebuild Beirut as a feminist city, the burden of our own security as women, and more. This conversation and Lina’s work leave us dreaming of the dawn of a different era– one in which women are entitled to all of the same freedoms that men have.
Connect with Dr. Lina AbiRafeh:
Instagram: @LinaAbiRafeh
Twitter: @LinaAbiRafeh
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Koa Beck, author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Koa about her work defining and identifying white feminism - or whatever else you want to call it: bourgeois feminism, corporate feminism, girl boss feminism - and how what threads it all together is the aspiration of whiteness. This episode digs into that and more as Koa shares her thoughts on mainstream women's media, the pattern of white women dictating national conversations on gender, and how unions protect the labor, the rights, and the pay equity of people (mainly women) who are often exploited. This conversation and Koa's work remind us that white feminism has been very seductive and powerful, but it doesn't mean we can't course correct. You've just got to reframe your feminist politics by bringing it back to basic needs.
Connect with Koa:
Instagram: @koabeck
Twitter: @koalani
FB: Koa.Beck.Author
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Courtney Martin, author of Learning In Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter’s School, coming out in August 2021. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Courtney about her work understanding what’s going on with elite white privilege parenting, specifically around education. This episode digs into that and more as Courtney shares her thoughts on the implications of racial color-blindness, rejecting cultural norms to feel and be your authentic self, and the power of women’s groups. This conversation and Courtney’s work remind us that feminism is also a verb and it’s important to carry our curiosity as we continue to #dothework.
Connect with Courtney
Twitter: @courtwrites
Instagram: @courtwrites
Website: www.courtneyemartin.com
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Saira Rao, co-founder of Race2Dinner and Haven Media. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Saira about her unyielding work attempting to educate white women. She created Haven Media, a community-based in abolition and liberation for BIPOC women, and Race2Dinner, a dinner event where white women talk about their complicity in upholding white supremacy and keeping Black and brown women down. This episode digs into that and more as Saira shares her thoughts on white perfectionism, intersections of substance and process, setting healthy boundaries in the face of capitalism, and critical race theory in our schools. This conversation and Saira’s work remind white women that anti-racism work can’t possibly begin until you start dismantling internal misogyny and whiteness. Anti-racism work can’t start until you love yourself.
Connect with Saira:
Twitter: @sairasameerarao
Instagram: @sairarao
Website: www.race2dinner.com, www.havenmedia.org
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Geraldine DeRuiter, author and founder of The Everywhereist, joins us. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Geraldine about her current project writing an apocalyptic fiction novel that centers around a female protagonist finding her way back to her partner during a global catastrophe. This episode digs into that and more as Geraldine shares her thoughts on the writing process (or lack thereof), what it means to be your own boss, and the complex feelings around engaging in social media and self-promotion. This conversation and Geraldine’s work will have you running to the kitchen to make a badass batch of feminist cinnamon rolls.
Connect with Geraldine:
Instagram: @everywhereist
Twitter: @everywhereist
Website: www.everywhereist.com
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Joining us this week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is Dr. Mirya Holman, an associate professor of political science at Tulane University, founder of #FeministMafia, and producer of the #MHAWS newsletter. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Mirya about emotions in politics and how gender plays a role. This episode digs into that and more as Mirya shares her thoughts on voter standards for women in office, the pressure for women to be exceptional at everything, and the realities of tenure track and hidden curriculum in academia. This conversation and Mirya's work remind us that the patriarchy wins when women hate themselves, so let’s NOT do that. Spread the love.
Connect with Mirya:
Twitter: @prof_mirya
Website: www.miryaholman.com
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Cindy Gallop, the founder & CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, joins us. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Cindy about how MakeLoveNotPorn, the social sex video sharing platform, began & its ambitious mission to end rape culture. This episode digs into that and more as Cindy shares her adoration for being single, coining the term lick jobs, education through real-world demonstration, and the enormous operational challenges faced as the founder of a sex-tech startup. This conversation and Cindy’s work inspire us to look more closely at our relationship with sex and how we talk about sex within our communities. And you never know, you might just surprise yourself & hit “record" the next time you’re having an intimate moment.
Connect with Cindy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.gallop
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindygallop/
Instagram: @cindygallop
Twitter : @cindygallop
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Mona Eltahawy, one of the most powerful feminist voices in the game, joins us. Mona’s declaration of faith? Fuck the patriarchy.Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Mona about her many ongoing projects centered around her Egyptian heritage, the political importance of profanity, and anarchist feminism. This episode digs into that and more as Mona reflects on how the patriarchy shows up in every aspect of our lives, while passionately reminding us that it is our right to liberate ourselves. This conversation and Mona’s work encourages us to imagine & deeply contemplate what a world of true liberation would like.
Connect with Mona:
Twitter: @monaeltahawy
Instagram: @monaeltahawy
Newsletter: www.feministgiant.com
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Katherine Cross, a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington School of Information, joins us. Katherine is also a freelance writer, game designer, and social critic. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Katherine about her anti-social behavior and online harassment studies. This episode digs into that and more as Katherine shares her thoughts on how platforms shape our more toxic behaviors towards each other, the importance of an intersectional approach to the history of informational technology, and how she calibrates perspective by always asking questions. This conversation and Katherine’s work will inspire you to look deeper into the impacts of our online lives & reflect on your personal relationship with social platforms at large.
Connect with Katherine:
Twitter: @Quinnae_Moon
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Clementine Ford joins us. Clementine is a feminist and a writer, and she fiercely believes that the way to dismantle patriarchy is for women to find their way back to each other. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Clementine about her current undertaking: enabling widespread cultural conversations by responding to Australia’s Married At First Sight reality television show. This episode digs into that and more as Clementine shares her thoughts on various topics, including masculinity in Australia, trappings of white privilege, and perinatal anxiety. This conversation and Clementine’s work are centered around self-reflection and will undoubtedly have you looking inward.
Connect with Clementine:
Facebook: /clementineford
Instagram: @clementine_ford
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This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Chetna Mehta, a mixed media artist and creative wellness facilitator, joins us. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Chetna about her work with Mosaiceye, an organization committed to cultivating women’s creative realization & embodied interconnection. This episode digs into that and more as Chetna shares her thoughts on where genius comes from, the pressure for productivity, and racial inequities. This conversation and Chetna’s work encourages radical introspection to find harmony & fulfillment.
Connect with Chetna:
Instagram: @mosaiceye
Website: https://www.mosaiceyeunfolding.com/
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
This week on the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab, Dr. Hannah McGregor, a fellow feminist podcaster and Assistant Professor of publishing at Simon Fraser University joins us. Her research and teaching focus on the links between publishing and social change. Our host, Jillian Foster, speaks with Dr. McGregor about how her podcast experience led her to question whether podcasts could one day be considered audio-based scholarship. This episode digs into that and more as Dr. McGregor shares her thoughts on academia's tacit hierarchies and how methods to peer review podcasts can actually work. This conversation and Dr. McGregor’s work will remind you how transformative challenging the status quo can be.
Connect with Hannah:
Follow on Twitter: @hkpmcgregor
Listen to Witch, Please!
Listen to The Secret Feminist Agenda
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
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This week our host, Jillian Foster, is joined by Dr. Whitney Pirtle, Black feminist and Professor of Sociology at the University of California Merced, where she’s also the MacArthur Foundation chair. Dr. Pirtle’s work centers on racial capitalism, which examines how structures and systems of oppression have influenced the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. Dr. Pirtle helpfully shares the ways she wrestles with her own activist tensions, how she contributes within her “own lane”, and what it really means to fight for the collective. Rooted in the need for structural change, Dr. Pirtle’s work will inspire you to pave the equitable path forward.
Connect with Whitney:
Read her article, Racial Capitalism: A Fundamental Cause of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Inequities in the United States
Follow Dr. Pirtle on Instagram
Follow Dr. Pirtle on Twitter
Join our movement for radically authentic, intentional, interconnected feminism inside Continuum Collective.
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This week features the radical Jill Louise Busby, whose work interrogates illusions of societal progress and the ever-present need for honesty, even amongst our flaws. Join by Continuum’s Jillian Foster, Jill offers a candid perspective into her evolution as a creative and a thought leader, touching on everything from capitalism to gradualism to owning our own hypocrisy. Self-aware and revolutionary in her honesty, Jill poses challenging questions and conundrums to listeners. She leaves us with unique insight into the complexity of this moment, of celebrity, and of self-care. Be sure to check out Jill’s book, Unfollow Me, featuring a collection of essays on all of these topics coming out in September 2021.
Connect with Jill:
Jill's Website
Follow Jill on Instagram
Pre-order Jill’s book
Continuum's Jillian Foster speaks with Meenakshi Menon, Chief Development Officer at Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund. After a career in global health, Meenakshi found her way to philanthropy and donor/funder organizing, leading resource mobilization efforts at some of the most important and visionary organizations working to strengthen human rights and grassroots movements. Living and working across many different communities in over 30 countries has informed her work at the intersections of race, gender, and social change.
Resources:
Groundswell Fund
Follow Meenakshi Menon on Twitter
This week's radical is Karyn Bello, a fashion designer behind the forthcoming Zhe by Karyn Elizabeth collection of lingerie designed for transgender women. After Karyn's daughter came out as trans in 2014, Karyn has sought to address the lack of inclusion in intimate garments so that her daughter—and others—will have underwear they feel good in.
During the course of our discussion we cover Karyn's transformation from hockey mom and court reporter to fashion designer, the challenges of designing complex garments, and the importance of loving your children no matter what.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What can you tell us about the Zhe collection? (1:00)
- How do you go about finding models for fitting as a fashion designer? (4:48)
- Where did you grow up, and what brought you to studying fashion? (8:40)
- What was the next step after working at New York Fashion Week? (15:54)
- What major roadblocks have you had to overcome? (32:40)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- All of the technical things that go into designing lingerie (2:56)
- Karyn’s first career as a court reporter (10:27)
- The epiphany that defined the direction of Zhe (16:42)
- How Karyn’s transformation into a fashion designer corresponded with her daughter’s transition (23:01)
- About Karyn’s “cheerleader” approach (37:07)
- How Karyn flips the script by centering trans bodies and comfort in her lingerie (42:07)
Resources:
Zhe by Karyn Elizabeth website
Follow Zhe on Instagram
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This week's revolutionary is Dr. Omolara Uwemedimo, a pediatrician, clinical researcher, and founder of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood, an organization devoted to helping Black women in the medical field thrive.
We chat about the origins of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood, the dangers of burnout for Black women in a system where their needs are largely ignored, and the journey that brought Omolara home to fight the inequities in the US healthcare system.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood (1:00)
- Was the autoimmune disorder related to the burnout? (4:10)
- How did you get started on the road to accomplishing so much? (11:33)
- How did pursuing a career in medicine impact your personal life? (22:10)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How no longer finding joy in her work was a sign of burnout (4:35)
- The dangers of weathering and allostatic load for black women (6:28)
- How Omolara’s parents drove her to excellence (12:50)
- The moment Omolara became passionate about fighting injustice (15:19)
- What drives Omolara to keep pushing the envelope in her work (26:10)
- How Omolara applies what she’s learned overseas to address the gaps in the US medical system (28:09)
- How becoming a mother changed Omolara’s entire approach to health and wellness (33:42)
- Facing the decision between making yourself smaller to fit into existing spaces, or moving into new spaces with room to grow (40:00)
Resources
Omolara's website/Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood
Follow M,M&M on Instagram
Follow Dr. Omolara on Twitter
Listen to the Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood podcast
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This week’s revolutionary is Luann Algoso, a cultural worker, digital strategist for the #MeToo movement, and creator of the web series Gabby Antonio Smashes the Imperialist, White Supremacist, Capitalist Patriarchy! (or Gabby Smashes, for short).
As we chat we cover topics from how #MeToo grew from a hashtag to a genuine movement, the struggles of finding a sense of identity, and channeling professional frustrations into art.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What kind of work are you doing with #MeToo? (1:04)
- How do you develop an online presence around something that is so sensitive? (5:22)
- What is Gabby Smashes? (7:34)
- Where did you grow up? (11:58)
- How do the performing arts factor into your work? (19:38)
- What is the process of bringing a passion project to life? (23:51)
- Where does Gabby Smashes currently stand? (29:51)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About the new programs being launched within #MeToo (3:28)
- How Luann’s experiences as a cultural worker led to the creation of Gabby Smashes (8:18)
- Luann’s struggle with questions of identity as a Filipino woman (13:23)
- How an experience in conflict mediation helped Luann find her place in Asian-American communities (15:49)
- The challenges of creating a web series on a small budget, and the lessons learned (22:28)
Resources:
Brown Girl Decolonized (Luann’s Official Website)
Follow Luann on Instagram and Twitter
Gabby Antonio Smashes the Imperialist, White Supremacist, Capitalist Patriarchy!
Follow Gabby Smashes on Instagram and Twitter
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This week’s radical is Linda Kay Klein, author of the memoir Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free, and founder of the nonprofit Break Free Together, which helps people who have left the purity movement to find closure and a sense of community by sharing their stories with others.
Over the course of our conversation, we discuss what purity is, how it impacted a generation of women (and men), the path that led Linda to a new understanding of the world, and how she’s worked to help others find the same healing she has.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What was the spark for your book, Pure? (1:21)
- What does it mean to be expected to go from no sexual contact whatsoever, to being hypersexual? (13:32)
- Tell me about your nonprofit, Break Free Together (16:44)
- What brought your family into the Evangelical church? (27:41)
- What led to you leaving the church? (34:15)
- What was the path that led you to New York? (41:29)
- How did your parents handle your shift away from the purity movement? (44:14)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The rise and fall (and transformation) of the purity movement (4:12)
- What purity culture entails (6:17)
- How pornography (poorly) fills the void left by the absence of meaningful sex education (16:04)
- How the everyday practice of purity culture is traumatizing to those who experience it (20:44)
- The factors that made the purity movement so successful (32:54)
- The events that started to chip away at the narrative of purity for Linda (36:36)
- How Linda coped with her mother’s fear that she would go to Hell (45:38)
- How the language around purity is shifting and becoming more insidious (48:47)
Resources:
Linda’s Website
Buy Pure
Break Free Together
Follow Linda on Twitter and Instagram
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This week’s revolutionary is Allison Behringer, creator and host of the podcast Bodies. Allison’s work revolves around exploring medical mysteries through a feminist lens and helping people tell their stories.
Our conversation covers Allison’s own medical mystery, how she found herself sharing people’s stories through documentary podcast-making, how her family feels about the word “feminist,” and much more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Bodies? What was the motivation behind it? (0:50)
- Do you have a favorite episode of Bodies? (9:07)
- Where did your story begin? (13:45)
- How has making this show been a growing experience for you and your mother? (16:47)
- How did you choose sociology to study What have you drawn into Bodies from your studies? (20:00)
- How do you balance the need to create with the need to promote yourself? (28:45)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The medical condition that changed Allison’s trajectory in life (2:14)
- How Allison sharing her story inspired other people to come forward (6:28)
- Allison’s mom’s reaction to the word “feminist” (15:12)
- The journey that led towards documentary podcast-making (23:08)
- The challenge of continuing to create during the pandemic (31:50)
- Allison’s imagined feminist future (38:04)
Resources:
Listen to Bodies
Follow Bodies on Twitter and Instagram
Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram
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This week’s radical is Jamia Wilson, writer, activist, speaker, and the new Executive Editor at Random House. She’s the former director of the Feminist Press at City University of New York, and her works include Young, Gifted, and Black, Big Ideas for Young Readers, and Step into Your Power.
In our conversation we cover the complex dynamics of race vs. nationality, why it’s important to expose children to big ideas early, the power of storytelling, and more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you working on right now? What does this new role with Random House mean? (0:45)
- How does this new position empower you to open doors for others? (2:47)
- What brought you to Saudi Arabia? (13:08)
- When did you come back to the U.S.? (16:59)
- How did you choose American University? (24:46)
- How has your religious upbringing intersected with your story? (34:35)
- Has there ever been a time when you wanted to quit? (47:37)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why helping to shape the cultural landscape excites Jamia (3:33)
- What kinds of books Jamia writes—and how they affect her (7:20)
- The real reason representation matters (11:23)
- How Jamia came to embrace the identity of being an expat (14:57)
- How Jamia navigated life in the Middle East as a Black American (18:54)
- Jamia’s surreal NYU experience (31:43)
- Why Jamia puts the collective above the self in her work (44:13)
- What Jamia’s imagined future entails (51:33)
Resources:
Follow Jamia on Twitter and Instagram
Jamia’s Website
Buy Jamia’s Books
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week’s radical is Dázon Dixon Diallo, founder of SisterLove, a pioneering organization focusing on women’s sexual health and reproductive justice with a special focus on HIV advocacy for women.
We discuss Dázon’s roots in Peach County as the child of scientists, her early brushes with political activism, and how the HIV/AIDS pandemic—and how women were overlooked during the early days—has shaped her career.
Some Questions I ask:
- What are you currently working on? (0:56)
- What does being “a unique and proud product of the Deep South” mean for you? (7:12)
- Did your parents’ careers plant the seed for your work in reproductive justice? (19:07)
- What does it mean to be HIV-affected? (25:09)
- Did you feel called to the urgency of the HIV/AIDS epidemic when you founded SisterLove in 1989? (27:38)
- Is it true that heterosexual women are the fastest-growing demographic in HIV/AIDS cases, or is this because they hadn’t been properly counted? (44:50)
- Tell us about the expansion of SisterLove into South Africa (51:51)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What people don’t realize about running a nonprofit (5:18)
- What it was like to be part of the first generation of integrated students (12:28)
- How Dázon’s parents nurtured a deep understanding of sexual health (14:55)
- Why the term “broken family” is outdated and incorrect (22:45)
- How losing her first job led Dázon to a career in women’s health (33:47)
- Why getting funding for black women’s health amidst the AIDS crisis was an uphill battle (36:26)
- Why women living with AIDS weren’t properly being diagnosed, and how Dázon fought to change that (42:31)
- Why medical research needs to spend more time dedicated to how infections affect people other than cis men (46:35)
Resources:
Follow Dázon on Twitter
SisterLove’s Website
Follow SisterLove on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (oh, and TikTok)
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Welcome back! We’re kicking off this season with Jill Filipovic, feminist lawyer and author of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness and OK Boomer: How My Generation Got Left Behind. Her current project revolves around abortion access in conflict zones and refugee camps.
In our conversation, we cover everything from how the United States is damaging abortion access around the globe to why it’s important to consider all the angles before taking your partner’s name, and much, much more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What can you tell me about your current project? (1:13)
- What are the reasons a woman would seek an abortion in settings where consistent medical care is not available? (6:05)
- What is the endgame for this project? (12:22)
- What motivated this at the beginning? (13:34)
- Was your family involved in advocacy? (16:21)
- What was the genesis of your first book, The H-Spot? (27:15)
- What is your imagined future? (43:31)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How the U.S. is holding back abortion rights around the world (3:25)
- Why stigma around rape victims is dangerous (8:43)
- How being in a journalism program during the Bush presidency made Jill lose faith in journalistic institutions (14:04)
- How Jill’s upbringing taught her to think critically (17:36)
- Why changing your name when you get married carries more weight than many people realize (20:12)
- Where Jill believes feminism has succeeded—and failed (32:05)
- The striking statistic Jill found in her research (33:42)
Resources:
Follow Jill on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Jill’s Blog
Buy Jill’s Books
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Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab is back next week with Season 6, featuring amazing new guests including Jill Filipovic, Dázon Dixon Diallo, Jamia Wilson, Allison Behringer, and many more. We can't wait to see you there.
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We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favourites? My interview with June Barrett from season four was one of the most powerful and affecting experiences I've had while making this show, and I thought this was the perfect time to revisit that amazing hour.
June Barrett is an organizer and leader of the We Dream in Black program within the National Domestic Workers Alliance. As a queer Jamaican immigrant, June is a grassroots feminist doing her work from an international perspective.
Throughout our conversation, June shares the ins and outs of her history, starting with how she started doing domestic work at the tender age of 16 years old. She also shares about how she’s overcome the brutal hardships of her past and why she chooses to be upbeat and happy every day. Fueled by her faith and passion for domestic workers, June shares how she continues working for the liberation of people worldwide.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Did you leave high school to do domestic work? (1:53)
- How have you been able to let your past go and be so upbeat and happy today? (11:39)
- How did you find your way to the US? (20:48)
- How did you start working with NDWA? (34:50)
- What do you spend most of your time doing as an NDWA Fellow? (46:08)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What events led up to June starting domestic work. (2:02)
- What role June’s faith plays in her life. (12:06)
- What drives June to actively work for the liberation of people. (18:58)
- What the NDWA Fellowship is and how it’s changed June’s life. (42:41)
- The ripple effects of domestic work. (51:12)
Resources:
National Domestic Workers Alliance
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We're still working on a new season of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favourites? Kate Kelly was our very first interview ever, back when this podcast was barely more than the seed of an idea. We're proud to re-air this episode, uncut and remastered, as we look back on the roots of this show.
In 2013, Ordain Women was founded to advocate for women’s ordination in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Within a few years, the group included thousands of activists, many of whom had never before taken action, and sparked a conversation that required church members as well as leadership to confront gender inequality within the institution. Kate Kelly is the woman behind it all. She grew up somewhat orthodox, served a mission for the church, and was later excommunicated in a fairly public way. In between it all, Kate became a human rights lawyer and is now a legal fellow at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights in the U.S. Project. She is fierce and outspoken about her commitment to women’s rights as human rights, which of course makes me love Kate even more.
Resources
Follow Kate Kelly on Twitter
Ordain Women
Ordinary Equality (new podcast featuring Kate Kelly)
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We're taking a short break for the holiday season, but don't worry—we'll be back with even more Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab episodes in the new year.
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org.
This week’s revolutionary is Vanessa Cuccia, creator of Chakrubs—the original crystal sex toy company—and author of Crystal Healing & Sacred Pleasure: Awaken Your Sensual Energy Using Crystals and Healing Rituals. Vanessa is currently following her lifelong passion for music and working on an album.
In our discussion we cover everything from paranormal experiences and quasi-cults to how reconnecting with the body helps to heal from trauma and how spiritualists were confused about why someone would make a sex toy out of crystals.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Can you tell me about your upcoming album? (1:10)
- Your mother had a paranormal experience. What was that like? (5:49)
- Tell me about your family? (11:11)
- What drew you to creating Chakrubs? (14:27)
- What advice do you have for people who, like you, want to bring an idea to life? (20:47)
- Did creating Chakrubs lead directly to writing your book, Crystal Healing & Sacred Pleasure? (26:44)
- What are the next steps for you moving forward? (32:58)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Vanessa came to be based in Detroit (4:59)
- How growing up made Vanessa open up to the spiritual (8:26)
- How creating Chakrubs was about healing and helping others to heal (15:56)
- How the initial idea of Chakrubs was met with surprising responses (20:04)
- The importance of working towards your goals every day (24:30)
- The philosophy behind Chakrubs (27:54)
Resources:
Chakrubs Website
Follow Vanessa on Instagram and Twitter
Follow Chakrubs on Instagram and Twitter
Buy Vanessa’s Book
Thank you so much for following R&R Lab during our fifth season! We'll be back Monday, January 25th with even more Radicals and Revolutionaries. Until then, have a safe and happy holiday season, and remember: it's a marathon, not a sprint.
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This week’s radical is Dr. Cynthia Enloe, an internationally renowned academic and thought leader on feminism, particularly in the context of militarism. She has taught generations of young minds around the globe, and is a prolific author of books including The Curious Feminist, Seriously! Investigating Crashes and Crises as if Women Mattered, and The Big Push: Exposing and Challenging Persistent Patriarchy, among many others.
Join us as we discuss everything from the gendering of labor in academic spaces, the challenges of teaching internationally, the importance of feminist curiosity, and why the literary canon in academia is fundamentally flawed.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you working on in the moment? (0:47)
- Did your parents instill these feminist values in you? (9:47)
- Where did you go to university? (19:46)
- When were the seeds of your feminist awakening planted? (23:43)
- What prompted you to write The Curious Feminist? (36:16)
- How did you find yourself investigating masculinity? (42:25
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Cynthia’s unlikely beginnings (3:50)
- How America’s social fabric is built on women’s unpaid work (7:47)
- The correlation between changing trends in divorce and changes in women’s lives (12:52)
- How #MeToo dragged patriarchal violence out of the shadows (18:13)
- How hierarchical ideas of what is to be taken seriously in the academic space keep patriarchy alive (25:27)
- Why doing gender-based audits of labor is a radical act (31:40)
- Why the idea of the academic canon is arbitrary (34:22)
Resources
Buy Cynthia's Books
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org.
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This week's revolutionary is Liz Kleinrock, an anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) educator. By day she's an elementary school teacher; outside of school hours she holds workshops for adults, is a TED speaker, and founded Teach and Transform.
We discuss the challenges of unlearning racism, growing up isolated in your own community, and why teaching empathy should start young.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What does being a teacher mean for you? (0:41)
- What are some obstacles to teaching ABAR to adults? (4:21)
- What can you tell us about being a trans-racial adoptee? (10:57)
- Did you feel equipped, as a child, to handle the conversations around racism that were thrust upon you? (15:07)
- How do you feel about the way the term “intersectional” is used today? (22:05)
- What is Teach and Transform? (29:24)
- What are some challenges around teaching consent? (35:01)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why children are easier to teach than adults (3:03)
- How fear of failure perpetuates racism and white supremacy (6:15)
- About Liz’s experience growing up and experiencing everyday racism (12:55)
- The complicated nature of living at the intersection of being Korean and being Jewish (17:49)
- How being a teacher helped Liz learn to dismantle systems of oppression (26:45)
- About Liz’s upcoming book (33:42)
- Why building empathy has to start early (40:18)
Resources
Teach and Transform
Liz's TED Talk
Follow Liz on Twitter
Follow Liz on Instagram
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week's radical is Jaclyn Friedman, a feminist activist and writer, whose mantra of "yes means yes" has set the standard for how campuses handle sexual assault. She's written and contributed to a number of books, including Unscrewed, Yes Means Yes, What You Really Really Want, and Believe Me. She also hosts the acclaimed sex podcast Unscrewed.
We dive into Jaclyn's path from attending temple under the first woman rabbi through to discovering a passion for feminism and justice, her time with IMPACT, how she kept busy during election season, and so much more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about your latest projects? (1:15)
- Where did your journey to feminism begin? (14:11)
- Did you grow up in a progressive household? (18:17)
- How did you become involved with IMPACT? (22:01)
- What did teaching self-defence to gang-affected youth entail? (26:11)
- Which came first: Unscrewed the book, or Unscrewed the podcast? (38:37)
- What defines the era of fauxpowerment? (41:52)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why women being treated as legitimate and credible is the next big push (3:17)
- How the pandemic forced a change of plans for Jaclyn (9:17)
- The impact of growing up around the first woman ordained as a Rabbi in the modern age (16:40)
- How growing up an outsider instilled a deep sense of empathy and justice in Jaclyn (19:12)
- How learning to say “no” gave Jaclyn a desire to learn how to say “yes” (24:29)
- About sexual liberation and pleasure activism, and why freedom from violence is essential to exploring pleasure (32:02)
- The questions that led to Jaclyn’s second book, What You Really Really Want (37:05)
- What Jaclyn wants to see in sex education policies (46:13)
Resources
Listen to Unscrewed
Buy Jaclyn's Books
Jaclyn's Twitter
Jaclyn's Instagram
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week's revolutionary is Amelia Hruby, author of the recent book Fifty Feminist Mantras and host of the travelling podcast Fifty Feminist States. Hruby is an academic, feminist, and advocate for body positivity and against fatphobia.
In our conversation, we cover how Hruby found the inspiration to create her mantras, feminist power anthems, the struggles of academia, why the DIY approach is rooted in a strong sense of community, and how taking selfies can teach people to love themselves.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Can you tell us about your book, Fifty Feminist Mantras? (0:48)
- How do you come up with your mantras? (3:11)
- How do you keep a positive attitude in the face of challenges? (11:45)
- What helped you get through the experience of your PhD program? (22:57)
- Tell us more about the selfie prompts and groups (34:40)
- How can people join these groups? (38:39)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why feminism has to be an action, and not just an idea, and has to serve a greater community (5:50)
- Why a DIY approach is not the same as an individualistic one (9:03)
- About attending a public boarding high school (14:43)
- How Amelia found a place for herself in feminism (16:23)
- About Amelia’s dissertation on feminist aesthetics (25:50)
- Why its important to acknowledge that, as a feminist, lived experience is different from intellectual understanding (30:31)
- Why taking selfies is a revolutionary act for Amelia (33:34)
Resources:
Amelia's Website
Fifty Feminist States
Fifty Feminist Mantras
Amelia's Instagram
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week's radical is Jade Beall, a Tuscon-based portrait photographer whose photos challenge notions of what a woman's body should or shouldn't be. Her projects center mothers, breast-feeding, and the beauty of aging in ways that defy the male gaze and strive for truthful portrayals over conforming to oppressive standards.
Our conversation traces Jade's journey from growing up in Mexico, her beginnings in photography, the projects that changed the course of her career forever, and the controversy around portraying natural bodies.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What can you tell us about your project Wise Bodies, Beautiful Elders? (0:49)
- Where did it all begin for you? (3:31)
- How did you happen upon photography? (6:59)
- How did you move from photographing yourself breastfeeding, to photographing others? (13:01)
- Do the men in your photographs also struggle with being bare? (24:23)
- What photographs or subjects were the more meaningful to you? (27:30)
Some Questions I Ask:
- Why Jade sees being bare as the truest expression of self (2:13)
- How Jade’s passion for portraiture flourished in her teen days (8:18)
- How pregnancy and motherhood created a major shift in Jade’s artistic career (9:59)
- About Jade’s time with the Zapatistas (14:58)
- About the surprise controversy around openly breast feeding (18:49)
- How women’s bodies have become acceptable as marketing tools but not as mothers (22:14)
- Why Jade no longer doctors her photos (26:40)
Resources:
Jade's Website
Jade's Instagram
Find books by your favorite R&R Lab guests—all in one place! Check out the Continuum Bookshop today, powered by Bookshop.Org!
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week's revolutionary is Jane Willenbring, geologist and cast member of the documentary Picture a Scientist. Her career has spanned from the South Pole to the North Pole, and she has risen to prominence for taking a stand against abuses of power in academia.
In our discussion we cover her beginnings in North Dakota, her first Antarctic expedition, how she continued to carve a path in academia after experiencing sexual harassment in the field, and why she finally came forward when she did. A significant portion of our conversation deals with abuse and sexual harassment, so please listen with care.
Some Questions I Ask:
What has transpired since the release of Picture a Scientist? (1:31)
Did your parents push you towards the hard sciences? (9:00)
Were your curiosity and your passion for science nurtured at North Dakota State University? (12:07)
What was the path that led you to Antarctica? (18:11)
What went down in Antarctica? (22:49)
What happened in the aftermath of the Antarctic expedition? (33:10)
Do you have advice for women dealing with workplace sexual harassment? (41:07)
Do you feel a sense of release about what happened now? (43:55)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
The path that led Jane (eventually) to geology (6:51)
How Jane became interested in Antarctica (14:10)
How the question of whether or not to report sexual harassment becomes complicated (20:13)
How sexual harassers find ways to not get caught (24:36)
How Jane ended up doing her PhD in Canada (37:18)
How Jane found the strength to stand up to her abuser (44:15)
Resources:
Picture a Scientist (2020)
Jane's Twitter
"Growing Up in Science"
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This week's radical is Juhu Thukral, a lawyer, human rights activist, and serial social justice organizer. She is a founding member of the New York Anti-Trafficking Network and an advocate for the legal rights of sex workers.
In our conversation we dive into the complex nuances surrounding sex work and human trafficking, the coercive nature of labor, and what it takes to see the mission towards protecting human rights through.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you working on during the pandemic? (0:54)
- How did you start the New York Anti-Trafficking Network, and what is the intersection between sex work and human trafficking? (6:53)
- When did you come to the US, and where in the US did you grow up? (17:43)
- What did you study at Rice University? (21:02)
- How did the NYC Women’s Salons start? (30:40)
- How is advocacy is rooted in bravery? (38:55)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About creating the world’s first legal project around the human rights of sex workers (2:09)
- Why coercion in labor is bigger than sex work, and exists in the mainstream economy too (9:01)
- How clients are allies in the fight for the rights of sex workers (13:39)
- The importance of balancing the big picture with the day-to-day operations (24:08)
- How Juhu’s early post-law school career led to working with sex workers (27:38)
- About the origins of Apsara Projects, Juhu’s newest venture 34:29)
Resources:
Juhu's Website
Juhu's Articles for HuffPost
Juhu on Twitter
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This week's revolutionary is Therese Shechter, a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, founder of Trixie Films, and occasional graphic designer. She describes her mission as challenging what society holds most sacred about womanhood, and her current film project, My So-Called Selfish Life, documents the experience of women liker herself who choose not to become mothers.
Our discussion moves from exploring the impact of feminist values in youth and leaving Canada for a career in newspaper, to discovering a passion for filmmaking and rediscovering feminist roots.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What stage are you at with your current documentary, My So-Called Selfish Life? (1:00)
- How did you come up with the idea for this film? (1:43)
- Where did you grow up? (8:35)
- How did you end up in the United States? (16:31)
- How did you make the transition from working in print media to filmmaking? (21:44)
- How did you move on from making one film to where you are now? (35:25)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Therese grew up knowing she didn’t want kids (3:46)
- About being a teenage feminist in the 1970s (5:58)
- About her time at OCAD (12:15)
- How Therese’s love of the typeface Caslon landed her first job in graphic design (14:35)
- How Therese managed to put herself through film school while working at the Chicago Tribune (22:52)
- About making big moves, being brave, and facing difficulty (26:21)
- About the first film Therese made (32:37)
- Where you can find Therese’s films (38:47)
- Why obsession is a filmmaker’s most important tool (42:51)
Connect with Therese:
Trixie Films
My So-Called Selfish Life
Downton Gabby (A Feminist Downton Abbey Podcast)
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This week's radical is Asha Dahya, founder of GirlTalkHQ.com and author of Today's Wonder Women: Everyday Superheroes Who Are Changing the World. She's also a TedX speaker and fierce advocate for reproductive rights, gender equality, and the representation of women in media.
Our conversation will take us from her beginnings on Australian TV, coming to America, and joining a fundamentalist church, to breaking free from societal expectations and discovering her own path, her own beliefs, and most importantly, her own voice.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Can you tell us about your new book, Today’s Wonder Women? (1:11)
- How did you find the women featured in your book? (3:03)
- How being a mother made Asha a better leader, and why corporations should tap into this (13:42)
- Where did you grow up? (17:04)
- Tell me about your experience with the church? (29:35)
- What can you tell me about your upcoming documentary project? (41:06)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About the challenges of interviewing women around the world (5:12)
- About creating a daily content platform centred around women (8:13)
- How Asha got her start in television (20:03)
- About coming to America, landing a job, and falling in with a new church (23:29)
- About leaving an abusive marriage and evangelicalism behind (33:56)
- About Asha’s rebirth and beginning the path to the person she is today (38:50)
- Why voting against abortion access without a clearer understanding of the bigger picture is more dangerous than you think (47:53)
Resources:
Asha's Website
GirlTalkHQ
Today's Wonder Women
Asha's TedX Appearance
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This week's revolutionary is Babita Patel, a humanitarian photographer who wears many hats. Her book Breaking Out in Prison came out earlier this year, showcasing the lives of men who changed their lives by pursuing higher education while incarcerated. She's also the founder of KIOO Project, a nonprofit that teaches kids about photography and gender equality in countries around the globe.
During our discussion we cover changing minds and hearts about incarceration, how to change the way that boys are raised to view girls, life-changing vacations, career changes, and more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you currently working on? (1:08)
- How did the book Breaking Out in Prison come about? (2:09)
- Where did you grow up? (5:55)
- How did you evolve into who you are today? (9:26)
- Did you know you wanted to switch careers from being an art director before you did it? (14:21)
- How did KIOO Project begin? (16:05)
- How has KIOO Project grown? (25:14)
- How can people support KIOO Project? (28:11)
- What do you work on when not working on KIOO Project or Breaking Out in Prison? (30:36)
- How do you feel about your book coming out during this particular political moment? (45:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About the moment that changed Babita’s outlook on incarceration and the death penalty (3:08)
- Why Babita’s younger self wouldn’t recognize her now (8:50)
- The Hindu pilgrimage that changed Babita’s life forever (11:22)
- How Babita’s family came around to her career shift (15:46)
- How KIOO Project changes gender dynamics through the arts (18:26)
- How letting girls teach boys changes how boys behave towards them (21:52)
- How seeing the work children do with KIOO Project changed the hearts and minds of parents (29:25)
- About cultural differences around the topic of female genital mutilation (33:51) (TW for sexual violence)
- About the stories behind the men in Breaking Out in Prison, and how their lived experiences position them to better their communities (37:50)
- How a high school guidance counsellor can make a huge difference (39:45)
Resources:
Babita's Website
KIOO Project
Breaking Out in Prison
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This week's radical is Dr. Raychelle Burks, an analytical chemist and self-proclaimed supervillain. She's also a science writer and educator, with articles appearing in ChemistryWorld and appearances on the Smithsonian Channel's The Curious Life and Death of... series.
We discuss everything from Hercule Poirot's sleuthing skills (and the shocking murder rates of small-town fictional England) to how scientific research is skewed by sexist and racist biases, and how understanding these biases makes you a better scientist.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is analytical chemistry? (1:37)
- How did you find your way to forensic work? (7:26)
- Where do you draw the line between sticking it out in a toxic work environment vs. leaving for something better? (15:58)
- Where did your journey begin? (25:39)
- What are the main obstacles to people acknowledging systemic bias and oppression in science? (44:20)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How a love of detective shows led to a career in science (7:53)
- Why "going with your gut" is a bad idea in science (and detective work) (10:11)
- How standup comedy mirrors the scientific method (12:10)
- How systemic issues lock marginalized people out of STEM (15:07)
- Micro-aggressions vs. more overt prejudice, and who really has the emotional outbursts (20:52)
- How history is taught dishonestly (32:41)
- How science exists in context, and biases can lead to poor data collection (and poor results) (34:51)
Connect with Raychelle
Raychelle's Twitter
Raychelle's Articles for ChemistryWorld
Curly Hair Mafia
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This week's Revolutionary is Dr. Carmen Rojas, President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation. She's also the Co-Founder and former CEO of The Workers Lab, where she dedicated herself to improving the living conditions of low-wage workers. Her mission to level the playing field and create opportunities for those who wouldn't otherwise have them is informed by decades of lived experience as a first-generation Latina American witnessing how opportunities for impoverished people and people of color have changed over the years.
Our discussion covers a wide array of topics, including her plans for the future of Marguerite Casey, how the philanthropy industry has begun to imitate the private sector, where myths around homelessness originate, and why creating enduring social change is a long-term investment without a set dollar amount return.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How are you reimagining philanthropy? (1:14)
- Where does your passion for change come from? (9:08)
- What is the connection between workers' rights, building wealth, and housing? (16:18)
- Why don't Americans see homeless people as a part of their community? (22:56)
- What sparked the idea for the Workers Lab? (25:09)
- What is your vision of the future for the Marguerite Casey Foundation? (34:06)
In The Episode, You Will Learn:
- How philanthropy in the 21st century resembles the private sector—and why this is a problem (3:50)
- How companies can make a difference by investing in their employees (10:52)
- How the myths around homelessness began to take root (19:42)
- How we sacrifice social values for the sake of the already-wealthy (28:09)
- How society gaslights the poor into believing they deserve poverty (31:41)
- Carmen's thoughts on being part of the first Latina-to-Latina leadership transition in the history of US philanthropic organizations (33:27)
- Why social change is a long-term investment (38:54)
Resources:
Carmen's Twitter
Marguerite Casey Foundation
The Workers Lab
"The Problems With Philanthropy, and What We Can Do to Fix Them" by Carmen Rojas, PhD.
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This week's Radical is Kiley May. Kiley May is Hotinonhshón:ni, Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) and turtle clan from Six Nations reserve, and is now rooted in Aterón:to (Toronto). She is a two spirit Indigenous transgender multidisciplinary artist and storyteller—a writer and author, an actor, emerging screenwriter and filmmaker. Kiley is also an activist and educator, committed to equality, representation, diversity and inclusion. She's appeared in It Chapter Two (2019) as well as a recurring role on the CBC series Coroner (2019-), and is currently working on a book (tentatively titled How to Love a Trans Girl) and a short film trilogy that she will write and direct.
In this episode we cover the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality that inform Kiley's work and outlook, her journey from journalism school to the screen, growing up in the Hotinonhshón:ni Mohawk culture on Six Nations, how she came up with her own take on the Bechdel Test, why some people think being Two-Spirit is a Toronto thing, and more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How does screenwriting work? (2:46)
- What does having a "kaleidoscope identity" mean for you? (16:38)
- What is Two-Spirit? (27:03)
- What is the May Test? (35:17)
- What can you tell me about How to Love a Trans Girl? (43:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Kiley made the transition from journalism to performing (4:38)
- About Kiley's experience growing up on Six Nations (6:46)
- Why it's important for people to be willing to take initiative to seek out information about queer identities (22:03)
- Why the term Two-Spirit is controversial among indigenous people (30:56)
- How being a filmmaker allows Kiley the opportunity to help shift narratives around trans lives (43:31)
- About Kiley's upcoming short film trilogy (46:39)
Resources:
Kiley's Twitter
"Trans Women Deserve To Be Loved Proudly. Straight Guys, I'm Looking At You." (Huffington Post article written by Kiley May.)
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This week's revolutionary is Charlie Grosso, a Chinese-American photographer and the creator of Hello Future, an educational non-profit that promotes digital literacy for refugees.
Our conversation goes from the roots of Hello Future and how a Chinese woman ended up with an Italian male name, to the beginnings of her photography career, what a theatre degree really is, and why the notion of a "digitally native" generation is a myth.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Where did your path begin? (4:02)
- Do you think you've grown into a new person by becoming Charlie Grosso? (8:34)
- How and When did the Wok the Dog photo series begin? (14:02)
- How did you hone your photography? (18:36)
- Where do you find resistance in your work? (21:43)
- How did Hello Future begin? (27:55)
- How can people support Hello Future? (45:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Charlie came to America (5:15)
- Where the name Charlie Grosso came to be (7:07)
- How a theatre degree is actually a degree in making something out of nothing, and how this relates to starting a business (12:04)
- How the challenge of identity as an Asian-American woman shaped Charlie's art (20:16)
- Why linguistic prescriptivism is stifling to creativity (23:49)
- The relationship between refugees and mobile devices (30:58)
- The need for digital literacy and how it differs from digital consumerism (37:05)
Resources
Charlie Grosso's website
Hello Future
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This week's radical is Blair Imani, historian, author, educator, activist, podcaster, social media influencer... seriously, there's not much she can't do. Her new podcast with Kate Robards, America Did What?!, tackles difficult subjects in American history through a lens of feminism and anti-racism, blending biting commentary with slapstick comedy.
In our discussion, we cover the challenges of podcasting, growing up in deeply religious households, challenging authority, exploring new religions, and the connections between Star Trek analysis and religious interpretation.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What gave you the push to start a new podcast? (3:16)
- How did you become a historian? (19:14)
- How did a Spanish immersion program in Chile factor into your college experience? (27:55)
- Do people ignore injustice to avoid reckoning with their own complicity? (34:32)
- What was it like to convert to Islam? (43:02)
- How do you feel about activism and feminism as a Muslim woman? (49:34)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- About Blair's new podcast, America Did What?!, and her forthcoming book (0:58)
- The importance of making history accessible (8:17)
- How racial dynamics differ between the eat coast and the west coast (14:12)
- The real reason Canada was a refuge for freed slaves (16:25)
- How two very different parents raised one very unique child (22:04)
- The importance of coming into a discussion prepared (24:19)
- Why it's hard to accept uncomfortable truths (35:58)
- How joining Islam was a rebellious act (48:29)
- How Gene Roddenberry's vision of a secular future in Star Trek is very low-stakes, and how this applies to religious interpretation (54:20)
Resources:
Blair's Website
America Did What?! Podcast
Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream (2020)
Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History (2018)
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This week we're revisiting our Feminism in the Age of COVID-19 online event series that took place this past June and July. On June 12th we were joined by journalist and author Fariba Nawa and by En(Gender)ed Collective founder Teri Yuan.
Together we discussed accountability for violence against women in different contexts and how this work has shifted during COVID-19. This conversation touches on how the issues surrounding domestic violence differ in the United States versus Turkey and the Middle East, and how to foster greater accountability moving forward.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How do different cultures handle the issue of sexual and gender-based violence? (10:15)
- How do faith leaders factor in the fight against domestic violence? (14:08)
- How does the concept of accountability shift in different settings? (27:33)
Audience Questions:
- Why is it important to approach this issue through a feminist lens? (40:06)
- How does the fact that for many women, the home is not a safe place, affect this discussion? (46:21)
- What is some advice for feminist allies who want to help? (52:40)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Fariba Nawa and her work (6:18)
- About Teri Yuan and her work (8:03)
- How family and support systems help women to escape from violence (10:43)
- How domestic violence is more than just physical violence (20:42)
- How sexual violence is an expression of patriarchy's values (27:06)
- How increases in overall violence lead to increases in sexual and gender-based violence (28:02)
- Teri's three levels of accountability (32:23)
- How sexism is the last socially-acceptable form of oppression (36:47)
Resources:
Fariba's Website
OnSpec Podcast
En(Gender)ed Collective
En(Gender)ed Podcast
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This week's revolutionary is Loretta Ross, co-founder of the Reproductive Justice movement. She teaches "White Supremacy in the Age of Trump" at Smith College and is the author of a number of works, including Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique (2017) and Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice (2004).
Our conversation covers decades of life experiences that led Loretta into social justice work, from growing up across the United States to "accidentally" becoming an activist; from deprogramming ex-Klansmen to becoming a college professor. And of course, we discuss the current state of activism work: why it's better to call in than call out, when to burn bridges, and how movements change and new generations create new rules.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Reproductive Justice? (4:45)
- How did the experience of being a young parent shape you? (17:07)
- Where did you study? (20:13)
- How does your history inform your new work? (30:54)
- What's the difference between calling out and calling in? (38:41)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The challenges of teaching online (2:40)
- What the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate gets wrong (7:31)
- How the army schools Loretta attended were more racially diverse than public schools (13:18)
- How experiences with sexual violence shaped Loretta (TRIGGER WARNING, 14:47)
- How Loretta became the "accidental activist" (21:48)
- The challenges of deprogramming Klansmen (29:18)
- How new generations reinvent activism (31:44)
- The line between forgiving mistakes and condemning unapologetic harm (42:15)
Resources:
Loretta's Website
Loretta J. Ross Papers, Smith College Libraries
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This week’s radical is Kate Manne, a Sage School of Philosophy professor and author of two books, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny (2018) and Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women (2020). She also coined the term "himpathy."
In our conversation, we discuss Kate's newest book, how the Kavanaugh hearings and "incel" culture inspired her, the ways in which sexism and misogyny differ as tools of patriarchy, and the imbalance of gendered expectations around emotional labor. We also dive into her upbringing in Australia, the challenges of attending an all-boys school as a girl, and the commodification of women as sexual currency.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How did you choose the chapter titles in Entitled? (1:20)
- Where did you go to school? (13:10)
- Is there value in avoiding dating and relationships? (21:25)
- Is complicity a factor in himpathy? (40:52)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How misogyny works like a shock collar. (6:30)
- What it was like for Kate to be one of only three girls in her high school. (13:56)
- Why women lose male friends when they begin new relationships. (16:30)
- Why Incel culture can never truly be satisfied. (18:48)
- Why even "perfect victims" are not believed or taken seriously. (29:30)
- Kate's mantra and the importance of disobedience in fighting patriarchy. (39:11)
Resources:
Down Girl
Entitled
Kate Manne's Website
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This is the Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab.
This is the show that explores the role of feminism in a new era.
We’ve reached out to people doing provocative and empowering work around the globe to ask them, “What drives you to wake up each day and change the world?”
Their answers will move you, inspire you, make you laugh—or even cry.
Join us as we dive into feminist awakenings and work that’s become more vital than ever in an ever-shifting world.
New season begins Monday, August 10th, 2020.
This week’s revolutionary is Glynnis MacNicol, author of No One Tells You This: A Memoir, which depicts the messy narrative of her life as well as what it’s like to be a single woman, over 40, and childfree. She pushes against the roles that society tells her to fill, creating her own narrative instead.
Throughout our conversation, Glynnis details her journey to writing this memoir, as well as discussing the cultural norms and gender roles that she refuses to be confined within. She shares her adventures from Canada to New York City, Wyoming, and England as a writer and single woman in the world.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What do you do for your job? (2:30)
- What made you want to write a memoir? (11:23)
- Tell us about your childhood. (21:00)
- How did you decide to not have children? (50:09)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What Glynnis’ memoir writing experience was like. (4:52)
- Why we need more messy stories about women’s lives in the world. (10:06)
- Why Glynnis is drawn to both New York City and rural Wyoming. (21:48)
- How Glynnis ended up living on a farm in England. (29:50)
- How Glynnis’ parents reacted to her adventurous life. (36:16)
- How society conditions us to view women on their own. (44:00)
- What deep canvassing is. (1:03:41)
Resources:
No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol
Glynnis’ Website
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This week’s radical is Marci Glass, a Presbyterian pastor in Boise, Idaho, and is also involved in a number of volunteer capacities working for LGBTQ and women’s reproductive justice.
Throughout our conversation, Marci shares about why she’s so active in various social movements, why she became a pastor, how she uses her platform, and how she maintains her political and social justice energy. Going deeper, Marci also talks about how she practically confronts racism, helps others understand the concept of privilege, and ultimately why patriarchal values are no longer electable.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about what you do for your job. (1:04)
- How did you find your way to becoming a pastor? (4:11)
- What is Add the Words? (23:33)
- What does your work look like when you tackle sticky topics, such as identity? (40:52)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How, at 19-years-old and pregnant, Marci’s church loved and took care of her. (4:56)
- What Marci’s progressive awakening was like. (9:20)
- How Marci uses her position of authority to change corrupt systems from within. (12:41)
- How Marci sustains her activism. (26:52)
- What Marci’s experience in the Middle East was like in 2006. (37:07)
- How Marci confronts racism in tense situations. (44:18)
- Why the patriarchy is no longer electable. (50:54)
Resources:
Add the Words
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This week’s radical is June Barrett, organizer and leader of the We Dream in Black program within the National Domestic Workers Alliance. As a queer Jamaican immigrant, June is a grassroots feminist doing her work from an international perspective.
Throughout our conversation, June shares the ins and outs of her history, starting with how she started doing domestic work at the tender age of 16 years old. She also shares about how she’s overcome the brutal hardships of her past and why she chooses to be upbeat and happy every day. Fueled by her faith and passion for domestic workers, June shares how she continues working for the liberation of people worldwide.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Did you leave high school to do domestic work? (1:53)
- How have you been able to let your past go and be so upbeat and happy today? (11:39)
- How did you find your way to the US? (20:48)
- How did you start working with NDWA? (34:50)
- What do you spend most of your time doing as an NDWA Fellow? (46:08)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What events led up to June starting domestic work. (2:02)
- What role June’s faith plays in her life. (12:06)
- What drives June to actively work for the liberation of people. (18:58)
- What the NDWA Fellowship is and how it’s changed June’s life. (42:41)
- The ripple effects of domestic work. (51:12)
Resources:
National Domestic Workers Alliance
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This week’s radical is Caryn Thompson, who owns an intimate wellness store in Boise, Idaho. As a 65-year-old woman, she’s broken into this male-dominated space as an independent businesswoman, asserting space for herself. Through this field, she’s become a sex and health educator by accident who creates safe spaces for everyone – especially women – to get their intimate questions answered without any judgment or shame.
Throughout our conversation, Caron shares how she ended up in this space, how she’s developed her products, and why this line of work brings her joy. She explains the importance of the use of language inside her shop, ensuring that it is inclusive, sensitive, and comfortable to anyone who may feel awkward inside the store. She also shares about her journey to beating breast cancer and developing a formula to help the healing process for other chemotherapy patients.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What do you do for work? (1:00)
- Where did you grow up? (16:03)
- What are vegan condoms made with? (26:37)
- What products do you sell that are particularly popular? (29:16)
- Do you ever give workshops? (36:28)
- Where can people find you and your work? (58:14)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Caryn started her first condom shop. (2:06)
- How Caryn connected with gynecologists to support their patients’ intimate wellness needs. (11:23)
- Why Caryn, at 50 years old, decided to leave her day job and focus purely on running her store. (21:47)
- How Caryn facilitates a safe space for women inside her store. (29:55)
- Why Caryn takes her language into careful consideration when talking about the products in her store. (38:59)
- How Caryn developed a product to help patients going through radiation therapy while fighting cancer. (50:17)
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This week’s radical is Jessie Zapo. She is a lifelong long-distance runner and coach, and creative arts therapist by trade. Jessie has been practicing art therapy for nearly 15 years in New York City in every way, from in public schools to private practice. More than anything else, she strives to serve the underserved, which she does through iterations of her personal and professional life.
Throughout our conversation, Zapo shares how she is actively redesigning the ways that women exercise and engage in fitness despite the ways that society discourages their physical activity. She explains how women are often discouraged from participating in sports starting at age 14, along with how she helps women deal with feeling disconnected from their bodies. Going deeper, Jessie shares about her art, how it’s influenced her life, and what a day in an art therapist’s life looks like.
Some Questions I Ask:
- At this point in your life, what do you spend most of your time doing? (2:25)
- Where are you originally from? (31:22)
- Were you always into art? (35:47)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What the life of an art therapist looks like. (3:42)
- How Jessie, as a running coach, deals with feeling like she’s divorced from her body. (9:05)
- How women broke into marathoning. (15:10)
- How Jessie’s work as a fitness coach helps combat the loneliness epidemic. (20:34)
- How being the eldest child influenced Jessie’s life trajectory. (32:13)
- How a teacher helped push Jessie toward investing in her artistic skills. (39:40)
Connect with Jessie Zapo:
Jessie’s Instagram
Girls Run NYC
Adidas Runners NYC
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This week’s radical is The Rev. Eboni Marshall Turman, PhD. She is an assistant professor of theology and African American religion at Yale University Divinity School. Even in academia, Eboni pushes against the boundaries of normative theological discourse, particularly around the image of God.
Throughout our conversation, Eboni shares all about how she weaves together her theological, spiritual, and academic work and applies it to society and history. She breaks down the importance of having a spiritual practice, and how she understands Christianity as both an oppressive organization and one of liberation.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What do you spend most of your time doing? (1:09)
- How do you feel about the power and necessity of a spiritual practice? (4:58)
- How did your life begin? (12:34)
- How are the emotional and social elements of dance infused into your work as a professor of theology? (23:20)
- Can you tell us more about how racial and gender injustice intersect? (38:04)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Eboni weaves together her theological work in the academic world and general society. (3:02)
- How Eboni understands Christianity as both an oppressor and liberator. (6:29)
- Why Eboni decided to stick with religious institutions, given their oppressive tendencies. (10:39)
- How Eboni’s love for dance and movement adds power to her work. (21:04)
- How Eboni learned to persevere and build endurance. (30:49)
- How Eboni incorporates apocalyptic vision into her work. (40:34)
Resources:
Website
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This week’s radical is Lisa Congdon, an illustrator in author based out of Portland, Oregon. She has always been feminist in spirit, yet also balances the serious and the playful. After the 2016 election, however, Lisa became very intentional with her work. She’s become more politically forward, refuses to hide behind the curtain, and uses her platform as a vehicle for expressing her voice.
Throughout our conversation, Lisa shares about how her upbringing influenced her art, and how her feminism continues to fuel her work today. She also shares about the challenges around finding your voice as an artist, balancing the personal and political, and overcoming passion fatigue.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How would you define your work? (0:53)
- How do you manage so many projects at once? (3:48)
- How did you find your voice as an artist? (18:42)
- How do you maintain your artistic voice through collaborations? (31:46)
- What advice do you have for those that want to be like you? (34:28)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Lisa draws boundaries around her work. (3:53)
- What drives Lisa’s motivation to help others. (7:44)
- How Lisa balances making purposeful, personal, and political work. (17:01)
- What makes Portland a hub for creativity. (28:20)
- How passion fatigue affects work. (40:57)
Resources:
Website
Lisa’s Instagram
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This week’s radical is Sara Aoun, a technologist activist. She specifically works on privacy and security with human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and different types of targeted communities around the world.
Throughout our conversation, Sarah shares all about her work and how it as a cybersecurity activist. She shares insights into how her work helps protesters whose personal information needs to be kept safe. Sarah has never been able to disassociate her identity from human rights and activism, so she uses her position as a woman of color in tech to support underserved communities worldwide.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about the work you’re doing now. (0:59)
- Where were you born? (4:58)
- Do you normally work with individuals or organizations? (16:49)
- Do you spend a lot of your time advocating for these system changes? (37:58)
- Do you ever worry about your own security? (39:44)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What Sarah’s work looks like. (1:19)
- Why sometimes taking a rest feels like too much luxury. (13:39)
- What led Sarah to work in cybersecurity. (18:17)
- What working at Human Rights Watch was like. (19:59)
- The intersection of cybersecurity and cultural sensitivities. (27:41)
- How Sarah’s work contributes to protests. (38:07)
Resources:
Website
Sarah’s Twitter
Sarah’s LinkedIn
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This week’s radical is Cherie Buckner-Webb, an Idaho state legislator and founder of Sojourner Coaching. As a 5th generation Idahoan and part of the 1% of people of color in Boise, Cherie dedicated her career to interrupt human rights violations and discriminations and advocate for all.
Throughout our conversation, Cherie shares some insight into her life, including stories about her feminist mother, facing a cross burning in her front yard, and how she’s helped empower others through her work. Cherie is a risk taker, mother, and all-around powerful feminist. You won’t want to miss this conversation.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What was it like growing up in Boise? (4:46)
- How did you get involved in the consulting work you do? (21:02)
- How did you decide to run for office? (26:04)
- Do you have any advice for women taking big risks? (31:55)
In This Episode, You Wil Learn:
- Why Cherie decided to raise her family in Boise. (3:40)
- How Cherie’s mom encouraged her to disturb the peace for the greater good. (7:12)
- How the legacy of slavery still influences society today. (17:56)
- How a black man in Idaho infiltrated the Klu Klux Klan. (21:10)
- Why coaching is so important to Cherie. (31:24)
- Why being small minded in our global society is no longer an option. (39:57)
Resources:
Sojourner Coaching
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This week’s revolutionary is Leta Hong Fincher. Leta is a journalist and scholar, focused on studying and reporting on the feminist movements inside China. She recently wrote Betraying Big Brother, which is about China’s resilient feminist movement.
Throughout our conversation, Leta explains how China has emerged as the most powerful and influential authoritarian regime in the world. She explains the population control policy, which aims to “sculpt” the general population—or, in other words, a law that incites a slow, insidious ethnic cleansing. Leta also shares about how feminism is intertwined with all revolutions throughout Chinese history.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Do you consider yourself more like a journalist or academic? (1:11)
- What do you think about the evolution of how mass media treats sexual harassment pieces? (13:35)
- What can we learn from the feminist movements in China? (44:14)
- How can people find your work? (1:07:23)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Leta’s background. (4:14)
- How Leta became disillusioned with how American mass media covers women’s issues. (7:22)
- How far China’s influence reaches around the globe. (24:20)
- How China’s population planning policy aims to increase the “population quality.” (33:17)
- How the Chinese government changed its policy to limit births by ethnic minorities. (42:18)
- How male communists throughout Chinese history welcomed feminists into revolutions. (1:02:38)
Resources:
Leta Hong Fincher’s Website
Betraying Big Brother by Leta Hong Fincher
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow
Leftover Women by Leta Hong Fincher
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This week’s revolutionary is Boise’s Bombshell: Minerva Jayne VanAllan. She’s an advice columnist, entertainer, comedian, and artist shaking up the norms in Boise, Idaho. From birth onward, the theme throughout Minerva’s life is resilience and authenticity.
Throughout our conversation, Minerva shares her story about exploring gender, drag, and her political existence. She shares about how she’s dealt with death threats starting from childhood, and how she’s found ways to empower herself in the face of adversity.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about what you spend your time doing. (1:25)
- Do you ever feel like you’re pushing boundaries and therefore being censored a bit? (4:37)
- When did you start doing entertainment? (18:09)
- How do you conceptualize drag versus gender? (41:37)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Minerva handled her first death threat at 10 years old. (7:49)
- How Minerva’s grandmother influenced her curated look. (21:10)
- Why Minerva sees competitive drag as reminiscent of toxicity. (25:11)
- Why Minerva chooses confrontation over passivism when she’s treated badly. (35:30)
- How Minerva handles parents who disapprove of Drag Queen Story Hour. (39:47)
- What’s next for Minerva Jayne VanAllen(53:59)
Resources:
Minerva Jayne’s Articles
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This is the Radicals’ and Revolutionaries Lab.
This is the show that asks, “What does feminism even look like?”
What do these power bitches do?
Where do these provocateurs come from and how can we get more of that glow?
Join us as we dive into feminist awakenings and work that refuses to obey the rules.
Season 4 starts Monday 17th February 2020
This week’s revolutionary is Arati Kreibich. Arati is a mom, immigrant, scientist, and is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th district. Arati’s platform and goals revolve largely around climate change, immigration, and women’s rights.
Throughout our conversation, Arati Kreibich shares her story about coming to live in the United States at 11 years old, and how she dealt with the culture shock of America. She also shares her views and intentions around climate change and how it’s connected with nationalism around the world.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your work. (1:12)
- How do you respond to people who have completely opposite views as you? (12:57)
- Where were you born? (15:49)
- How has being an immigrant helped you connect with people? (47:02)
- What can people do to support you? (49:35)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What Arati is passionate about as she runs for Congress. (2:08)
- How Arati responded to the 2016 election results. (5:00)
- How climate change and nationalism are related. (16:32)
- Where Arati’s feminist roots originated. (20:22)
- How the checks and balances of the Constitution are being undermined. (39:12)
- The timeline for the next primary election in New Jersey. (45:20)
- Why being a naturalized citizen still doesn’t feel like enough protection. (47:51)
Resources:
Arati for Congress
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This week’s revolutionary is Dr. Anne Marie Goetz, a professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. Prior to her work as a professor, she worked at the UN as a policymaker on women, peace, and security. Currently, Dr. Goetz’s work looks at what makes states effective in addressing women’s rights and under what conditions do feminist movements succeed in patriarchal states.
Throughout our conversation, Dr. Anne Marie shares insights into what feminism looks like on a global level, including anecdotes from various cultures that demonstrate how women’s rights are changing around the world. She also shares extensively about her work with UNIFEM, around right-wing populism, and how she finds the motivation to continue persevering with her feminist work.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell us about the research you’re working on now. (1:09)
- Where are you from? (36:52)
- What drives you to keep going? (39:19)
- When you think about all of this work that you’ve done, who has supported you in particularly pivotal ways? (51:06)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why women-only spaces are essential for advancing women’s rights through mainstream institutions. (5:33)
- Anne Marie’s work on right-wing populism around the world. (16:36)
- How right-wing populism utilizes the term “gender ideology” to attack feminism. (27:56)
- About Anne Marie’s experience at the Beijing Conference for Women in 1995. (28:35)
- How Anne Marie’s childhood shaped her feminist views as an adult. (39:56)
- About Anne Marie’s work with the UNIFEM. (1:00:21)
Connect with Anne Marie Goetz:
Publications
Resources:
United Nations Development Fund for Women
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This week’s revolutionary is Shanthony Exum, also known as Miss Eaves. On one hand, she’s a New York-based graphic designer that helps startups, non-profits, and social enterprises define their brand. On the other, she’s a rap god and paper mache queen. Shanthony’s music is based on her personal experiences and spread messages that she, as a woman, needs to hear. By default, her music is relevant to others as well.
Throughout our conversation, Shanthony shares all about her work, its inspirations, and the impact it has on her and those around her. She shares her own experiences around navigating the struggles around aging as a woman, using art as meditation, and how she continues to remain focused on her work rather than on fame.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you working on at the moment? (0:58)
- Where are you from? (9:50)
- What do your parents think about your work now? (14:30)
- What drives your work? (21:12)
- What the future looks like for Shanthony. (28:44)
- How does someone become like you? (42:21)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why Shanthony started learning French. (4:03)
- How Shanthony uses art to focus and as a form of meditation. (6:24)
- About Shanthony’s religious path and how it’s influenced the way she shares her work. (16:06)
- How Shanthony navigates the pressures around aging as a woman. (24:40)
- The origins of the song “Thunder Thighs.” (37:08)
Connect with Shanthony:
Shanthony’s Website
Miss Eaves’ Website
Miss Eaves’ Twitter
Miss Eaves YouTube
Miss Eaves Instagram
Resources:
Thunder Thighs
Bush for the Push
Paper Mache (Single AF)
April Maxey
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This week’s revolutionary is Nadje Al-Ali, a feminist activist, academic, and professor at Brown University. Nadje was born in Germany, in a small town near the border of the Netherlands, to an Iraqi father and German mother. Her main research interests revolve around feminist activism and gendered mobilization, mainly with reference to political movements in the Middle East.
Throughout our conversation, Nadje shares insights into how feminism differs across various cultures around the world, and how feminist activists and scholars can come together to make a difference worldwide. She shares how she specifically combines her academic and activist work together, and where she believes feminist scholars should be focusing their efforts nowadays to make real change.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your work. (0:53)
- Where did you grow up? (10:58)
- Why did you feel drawn to feminist activism? (15:17)
- What do you think is responsible for men’s awakening to seeing gender as the center of revolutionary change? (26:14)
- Tell me about your work around the tension around LGBT activism and queer feminism? (50:16)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How feminist activists and scholars are similar and different around the world. (4:08)
- About Nadje’s early experiences in feminist activist organizations. (14:05)
- How Nadje combines her academic and activist work. (19:09)
- What’s more effective: changing structure from the inside or from the outside. (38:14)
- Where feminists and scholars should focus their efforts. (56:33)
Resources:
Nadje Al-Ali’s Work at Brown
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This week’s revolutionary is Cleo Stiller: Emmy Award-nominated and Peabody Award-nominated reporter, and soon-to-be author of the groundbreaking book Modern Manhood. Cleo figured out that she is very good at talking to people about topics that typically make everyone uncomfortable, from money to relationships and everything in between. With this, she started her career out with finance and business reporting but quickly got bored with stories that focused on following the money. She was much more interested in telling human stories—which is where Modern Manhood begins.
Throughout our conversation, Cleo shares her experiences around how her YouTube channel turned into a series tackling “awkward” questions that people avoid asking. Taking a step further, Cleo discusses her new book, specifically about how men reconcile what it means to be “a good man” in the #MeToo era, interrogating men’s personal motivates and behaviors along the way.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Cleo’s YouTube channel turned into a series called Asking for a Friend. (9:52)
- Where the idea for Modern Manhood originated. (16:55)
- How Cleo responds to the anxieties that men have around the Me Too movement. (24:58)
- Why men feel like they can’t verbalize emotion or express love easily. (31:29)
- Why validation is essential to the healing of sexual assault survivors. (41:03)
- Why people should read Modern Manhood. (56:40)
Connect with Cleo:
Website
Resources:
Sex.Right.Now
Vaginas, as drawn by the women that own them
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This weeks’ revolutionary is Sophia Wallace, visual artist and creator of Cliteracy. Sophia grew up in Seattle, Washington and currently lives in New York City. Throughout her childhood, she was a feminist before she had the language to really say it. Now, as an adult, the art that she produces is striking, unapologetically sapphic, and groundbreaking. Her work stems from a place of authenticity, including her own body, life, history, and lived experience and aims to create freedom for language and expand the language used around the feminine body.
Throughout our conversation, Sophia dives deep into the Cliteracy project and the impact it’s had, along with also discussing how power represents and normalizes itself in the visual.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is a Clit Rodeo? (2:19)
- Who are the Guardian Angels? (6:58)
- How do you weave the messages women are told throughout their lives into your work? (31:58)
- What does the future of your work look like? (39:55)
- How can people support your work? (59:59)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About the Cliteracy project. (1:20)
- How going to an all-women college impacted Sophia. (7:51)
- How patriarchy is like a multi-level-marketing scheme. (19:37)
- How women’s pain has been denaturalized and the impact that has on society. (21:00)
- How women’s pain and experiences are dismissed in the medical field. (48:40)
Connect with Sophia:
Website
Resources:
Seattle Young People’s Project
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This week’s revolutionary is Jen Peirce, a Ph.D. candidate, and criminal justice reform activist. Having grown up in conservative Calgary, just where the prairies turn into the mountains, Jen grew up going to marches and protests, was raised around feminists, and watched her mom work within various social justice groups. Now, as a Ph.D. candidate, her research focuses on criminal justice issues, human rights issues, and prison reform throughout Latin America.
Throughout our conversation, Jen and I discuss various aspects of the criminal justice system, what parts need to be reformed, and how to get there. She points to other nations’ criminal justice systems designed as rehabilitation-oriented institutional reform processes, and how those systems seek to have its prisons comply with international human rights standards.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your work in the Dominican Republic? (1:04)
- Tell me how your life started. (8:15)
- Do you view your work as a calling? (40:16)
- What do you want to do next? (42:33)
- If someone wants to find and support your work, where can they do that? (52:50)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How to use your privilege to lose your privilege. (16:57)
- How the US government policies affect free-trade agreements. (19:47)
- How those profiting off corrupt systems are the ones controlling social and systemic change. (26:13)
- How many Americans are behind bars in the United States. (35:57)
- How to integrate criminal justice work into feminist work. (44:02)
Connect with Jen Peirce:
Website
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This week’s revolutionary is Line Langebek: screenwriter and activist for equality. She is the co-founder of organizations like Raising Films and Library of Change, and the former co-chair of the Writers’ Guild Firm Committee. She is a creative, independent, ambitious woman who effectively and strategically navigates the world in ways that uplifts others’ voices. Most of her work is around providing outlets as well as the tools for people to express themselves, tell their story, and be heard.
Throughout our discussion, Line and I discuss the nuances of the word “feminist” and how language matters in the fight for equality. We also talk extensively about her work at Raising Films, including the We Need To Talk About Caring report that explains how important it is for parents (especially women) and caretakers to have access to care on the job. With this, Line shares about her struggles as a young mom striving to move forward with her career, and how the meaning behind “it takes a village” is transforming into something new.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are you seeking after through your work? (6:53)
- Why is feminist pushback largely focused around language and labels? (10:22)
- Why don’t you call yourself a feminist? (12:23)
- Where did you grow up? (14:10)
- How did you start Raising Films? What was the impetus for starting this? (31:16)
- As a mother, how did you manage to keep your career moving forward after having children? (38:53)
- Tell me about the lifecycle of Library of Change? (43:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Line’s work to practically equalize working conditions for parents in TV and film industries. (1:18)
- How Line is reclaiming the meaning of words for social change. (9:05)
- About Line’s unique education and travel experience. (16:53)
- How Line broke into the screenwriting business. (19:30)
- What the common theme of Line’s career is, and how it impacts her storytelling. (28:23)
- How the idea of “it takes a village to raise a child” is changing. (39:59)
- About the Tiny Books Workshop and how it’s used to empower individuals. (45:10)
Connect with Line:
Raising Films
We Need To Talk About Caring Report by Raising Films
Library of Change
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This week’s revolutionary is Anja Tyson: a single mom and Brooklynite who works in fashion sustainability. Anja works as a Fashion Sales Manager at TIPA Compostable Packaging, which is a company that’s innovating new ways to reduce the amount of single-use plastics that are used to wrap around clothing before being thrown in the trash.
As our conversation unfolds, Anja tells me all about her childhood and her unique experiences about growing up biracial. Now, as a single mother with a biracial child, she’s seeing her own childhood experiences through a different lens. Anja shares some insights on how she’s raising her child to be socially and racially conscious.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about what kind of work you do. (1:04)
- Tell me about your childhood. (10:09)
- Have you thought about having another kid? (25:41)
- What are your feelings on dating? (40:50)
- What can people do to start making a difference and contributing to a meaningful cause? (1:12:04)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Anja got her job at Prada USA. (3:18)
- How Anja dealt with being bullied as a kid. (11:13)
- About Anja’s experience being a single mother. (26:13)
- Why Anja doesn’t feel any urgency around dating and finding a partner. (40:55)
- About Anja’s work in fashion sustainability. (46:17)
- How Anja and her 5-year-old daughter deal with the grief of losing a loved one differently. (57:06)
Connect with Anja:
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This week’s revolutionary is Jackie Namuya Mutere: survivor and lover of life. She’s the founder of Grace Agenda, which is an organization created in response to the vast number of women that had been violated during Kenya’s post-election violence in 2007-2008. With Grace Agenda, she’s formed a structure for survivors and supporters to engage with one another, advocate for reparation, and help one another heal.
All throughout our conversation, Jackie shares some of her most vulnerable experiences, including everything from love, loss, and experiencing terrible violence in her own life. She explores the concept of government-funded reparations in Nairobi for survivors of sexual violence. She also discusses why it’s important to both uplift the voices of fellow survivors throughout this advocation process while also holding the perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your work. (1:10)
- How do you reconnect with yourself each morning? (7:49)
- What was it like growing up in a polygamist family? (12:40)
- Have you ever had a point where you just wanted to quit? (23:45)
- How do you think we should address sexual violence? (28:14)
- What do you think survivors want and need? (39:23)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What drove Jackie to start Grace Agenda. (1:16)
- What a normal day looks like in Jackie’s life. (2:29)
- How stillness helps bring clarity to Jackie. (7:55)
- About Jackie’s childhood and life story. (11:49)
- What drives Jackie to keep pushing forward every day. (24:07)
- How to shift the burden of sexual assault from the survivor to the perpetrator. (29:07)
- Why it’s important to uplift the voices of survivors of sexual assault. (39:27)
Connect with Jackie:
Grace Agenda’s Twitter
Grace Agenda’s Facebook
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This week’s revolutionary is Jimmie Briggs, a man of multiple skills and passions, but most known for his work as a freelance journalist and for creating the Man Up Campaign. He is a documentary storyteller, writer, and human rights leader. When he was a child, his parents suddenly decided to move from a prominently black community to one that was overwhelmingly white. It was this situation where Jimmie first started to learn with racism.
In this episode, Jimmie unpacks his early experiences fighting racism and how that evolved into fighting for racial and gender equality as an adult. He also takes us on the journey of his career, how far he pushed himself, and how his health issues forced him to slow down.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What work do you do right now? (1:14)
- Let’s talk about your childhood. (18:11)
- Do you feel like you’re starting a new chapter of your life right now? (42:17)
- What is Man Up? (46:32)
- Where can people find your work? (1:05:25)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Jimmie Briggs’ connection to Rwanda. (2:11)
- How “Ferguson” has become a reference point when talking about police brutality against people of color. (11:06)
- How Jimmie dealt with racism as an 8-year-old child. (22:34)
- How Jimmie moved up from working in the Washington Post mailroom to writing for them. (35:32)
- About the health complications that Jimmie faced throughout his career and advocacy. (43:09)
- How Jimmie’s health problems made him aware of his hypocrisy. (49:24)
Resources:
Jimmie’s LinkedIn
Jimmie’s Twitter
Man Up Campaign
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This week’s revolutionary is Kate Bahn, the Director of Labor Market Policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. She grew up in a home with two parents and a brother, with parents who challenged traditional gender roles. Her father, who worked as a photographer, stayed home to raise Kate and her brother while her mom went out into the world every day to work.
In this episode, Kate and I discuss topics around feminist economics and why it’s such an important concept. On the more personal side, we discuss how being a feminist millennial affects mother-daughter relationship. We also talk about her childhood - including her norm-challenging parents – and about her experience pursuing a Ph.D.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is the Washington Center for Equitable Growth? (0:55)
- How did the topic of monopsony draw you in? (7:18)
- Tell me about where you were born, grew up, and what your family structure was like. (8:55)
- Your career is so dynamic. How have you navigated these different worlds? (24:37)
- As you pursued your Ph.D., how did you keep yourself going? (33:34)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Kate’s work relates to her personal mission. (2:40)
- How Kate’s feminism affects her relationship with her mother. (14:28)
- How economics influences people’s access to and perception of freedom. (24:22)
- Why Kate decided to pursue her Ph.D. (31:52)
- How Kate created a community for women within a male-dominated Ph.D. program. (39:16)
- Why feminist economics is an important concept. (45:55)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Kate Bahn
Resources:
Kate’s Twitter
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This week’s revolutionary is Claudine Tsongo, the founder and coordinator of Dynamique des Femmes Juristes (DFJ). Claudine is the mother of five children, a teacher, and a lawyer with the passion to give every human the hope that justice is possible. Residing in the northeastern province of the DRC, Claudine works as an agent of change to help empower people who have experienced sexual violence, give them a voice, and help them access justice. She helps them redefine their lives and combat the stigma that inevitably comes with being a survivor.
In this episode, Claudine and I discuss how she balances her heavy work with being a mother. We also discuss the role that social norms play in perpetuating violence against women and children, and how Claudine is working to transform society in the DRC to be a safer place for all.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What do you do for your work? (1:40)
- Were you ever scared to do your work? (7:51)
- How do you balance work at DFG as a lawyer with being a mom of 5 children? (18:27)
- Have you ever wanted to quit? (34:38)
- How can someone support your work? (37:52)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Claudine initially founded DFG. (6:05)
- About Claudine’s upbringing. (8:39)
- How Claudine’s is able to make ends meet as a lawyer. (11:52)
- How Claudine works to be an agent of change for survivors of sexual violence and the stigma that surrounds it. (23:47)
- How DFJ helps children. (33:17)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Claudine Tsongo
Resources:
Dynamique des Femmes Juristes (DFJ)
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This week’s revolutionary is Jennifer Dziura, the founder of the unabashedly feminist company GetBullish. Having started several businesses throughout her life, she has grown to understand what works and what doesn’t, and—most importantly—how to make money without being a jerk to others. Jennifer a talented writer and speaker, who often discusses class and gender issues in business and life.
In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss her roots as a writer and discovered the impact that her voice can have on the world. Jennifer also shares her stories around starting various businesses, seeing them fail, and continuously picking herself back up to start again. Jennifer is a strategic risk-taker and fearless leader. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your work. (0:47)
- How did you find the process of losing your first business and starting over in New York? (24:18)
- Would you rather lose a debate or get blankly stared at while doing standup? (26:01)
- How did you get into public speaking? (28:11)
- What part does risk play in your career? (34:48)
- How do you determine who to hire? (53:35)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Jennifer riled up her community as a high schooler. (1:08)
- How Jennifer started her first business as an undergraduate student. (18:33)
- About Jennifer’s early experiences as a standup comedian. (24:39)
- Why it’s important to do things without tangible application. (33:02)
- How Jennifer learned to develop a roadmap for her business and delegate repeatable tasks. (42:10)
- Why the idea of pursuing a future self’s interest is helpful for those with conflicted feelings about money. (59:14)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Jennifer Dziura
Resources:
GetBullish
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Jennifer’s Instagram
Jennifer’s LinkedIn
Jennifer’s Twitter
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This week’s revolutionary is one you may have heard of or seen before: Amy Pence-Brown. She describes herself as fat, feminist, mother, writer, artist, historian, and body image activist. She grew up in southern Idaho, within a very patriarchal family. Her parents raised their family Mormon for the first 10 years of Amy’s life. After their family broke away from that church, she began showing some feminist tendencies. As she grew up, cut her hair, and began the journey to get comfortable in her own skin, she became the body image activist she is today.
Now, Amy—the radical Idahoan she is—believes in opening her heart and her mouth. She is a storyteller who serves people in her community, always spreading a message about self-love. In this episode, she shares how she rebuilt her life after everything fell apart and how she utilizes adversity to fuel her fire
Some Questions I Ask:
- Where did you grow up? What was it like? (1:24)
- What was your feminist awakening moment? (3:57)
- Is there a gendered element related to death and dying? (21:56)
- How did you transition from death-positivity work to body positivity? (28:00)
- What books would you recommend? (38:09)
- How did the Rad Fat Collective come about? (40:19)
- What is the feminist role between health and nutrition, and body positivity? (44:14)
- Have you ever wanted to just quit? How did you climb out of that valley? (1:02:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How cutting her hair helped Amy realize how others felt ownership over her own body. (4:13)
- About Amy’s experience going to college in Charleston and experiencing white fragility. (11:14)
- About Amy’s mortician experience. (17:45)
- How motherhood made Amy an activist. (28:24)
- How Amy rebuilt her life during the recession after getting laid off. (32:42)
- Why our society is obsessed with “health.” (46:08
- About Amy’s radical act of body positivity and social experiment. (55:01)
- How Amy recovers from burnout and deals with adversity. (1:03:46)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Amy Pence-Brown
Resources:
The Curvy Fashionista
Fat Heffalump
Boise Rad Fat Collective
“A Stand For Self Love” by Amy Pence-Brown
Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
Lindy West
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Here We Are by Kelly Jensen
The Body Image Workbook for Teens by Julia V. Taylor
Amy’s Website
Amy’s Instagram
Amy’s Twitter
Amy’s Facebook Page
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This week's revolutionary is Banafsheh Violet Nazari: Oregon attorney who, until recently, was representing communities facing wage theft and workplace discrimination through her own firm. She is now the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator IRCO, where she works to support and amplify their community organising and advocacy work to affect policy and systems change. Violet was born and raised for the first 9 years of her life in Iran, shortly after the revolution and takeover of the country. In those early years of her life, Violet lived a dual life under Sharia Law, creating a brave space for her to live as freely as possible under those circumstances. Her rebellious nature and fierce determination for justice have now righteously manifested themselves into her career of advocacy.
In this episode, Violet and I discuss the knowledge gaps, struggles, and cruelty within capitalist societies and the US immigration process. Intertwined in this conversation, Violet calls out the white supremacist foundation for the “diversity and inclusion” value. This powerful and eye-opening conversation is one that you definitely won’t want to miss.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your childhood. (0:01:29)
- What was it like leaving Iran? (15:30)
- What was it like transitioning into your new life in the US as a 10-year-old? (18:03)
- How did you find your footing as a lawyer? (38:38)
- Is there ever a place for diversity and inclusion without it being in response to white supremacy? (52:56)
- What advice do you have for someone who wants to follow a similar path to yours? (1:07:38)
- What are some of the most urgent feminist issues to focus on today? (1:13:02)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Violet lived freely within the solid Islamic Republic of Iran. (5:09)
- About Violet’s experience applying for asylum in the United States. (12:07)
- How Violet’s personality manifested in adulthood. (25:55)
- How Violet figured out to translate her degree into a career. (32:09)
- About Violet’s professional law experience. (39:02)
- How diversity and inclusion is a product of white supremacy and capitalism. (48:17)
- How Violet is fucking up the legal practice world from within. (56:40)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Banafsheh Violet Nazari
Connect with Violet:
Violets Website
Violets LinkedIn
IRCO Website
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This week’s revolutionary is Nasreen Alkhateeb, a filmmaker, activist, and feminist. She was born in the United States but raised for the first 7 years of her life in Saudi Arabia. After her family moved back to the United States, Nasreen started to realize that she was different from those around her and that she would have to go above and beyond to break social barriers and form friends. This played a major role in how Nasreen learned to tell stories and design her own reality.
Now, Nasreen is a storyteller. She translates messaging and storytelling into visuals for people to immerse themselves into. She helps clients create short-form narrative, usually in video form and content that lives online. With this, Nasreen uses her skills to give voice to the marginalized. She helps others go above and beyond to break barriers, tell their stories, and participate in feminist movements.
Some Questions I Ask:
- How would you describe yourself? (1:01)
- Tell me about the documentary you made about you and your sisters. (11:49)
- Is your family still religious? (15:59)
- How has your place in society informed your feminist work? (34:43)
- What techniques do you use to remind yourself of your empowering narrative? (39:52)
- What do you think are the most pressing feminist issues today? (43:04)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why it was challenging for Nasreen to make friends in the American public school system. (5:06)
- How Nasreen’s narrative skills have become her foundation for giving voice to various causes. (10:05)
- How Nasreen designs her own reality. (20:11)
- What it was like for Nasreen to come home from Iraq after 9/11. (26:51)
- How Nasreen got comfortable with being the odd one out in all areas of her life. (41:49)
- How Nasreen pulls herself up after hitting rock bottom. (49:02)
Connect with Nasreen Alkhateeb:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contentdirector/
Website: https://allmediastorytelling.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirectorContent
Defend Yourself : http://defendyourself.org
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This week, we have two revolutionaries: Sonja Foss and Karen Foss, twin sisters and partners in the feminist revolution. Originally, they grew up in Eastern Oregon in a very traditional family with traditional parents. As twins, they modeled equality and embodied feminism before they had the language to label it. Now, both Sonja and Karen are rhetorical scholars in the communications discipline, working to tangibly create the feminist reality we envision for the future.
Karen and Sonja share stories from their childhood that exemplify their evolution into feminism today. Together, they also share their insights into how feminism functions in academia and in various spaces within society as well. Feminism, to them, means learning to deal with and transform the intersectional systems of oppression, challenging the ideology of oppression as a characteristic of culture. In addition, they share some change strategies and examples of what it looks like to cultivate a positive feminist reality and find the joy in feminism again.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about where you grew up. (1:29)
- What do you think of “women only” spaces? (13:08)
- Have you experienced the belittling of your feminist work? (27:17)
- What should we do next as individuals within the feminist movement? (48:45)
- How does rhetoric intersect with your feminist work? (53:29)
- What do you think are the most salient issues to focus on today? (55:05)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What it looks like to be feminist prior to having mainstream vocabulary for it. (6:00)
- How Sonja and Karen became feminist. (10:36)
- How feminist groupthink forces people to focus on oppression rather than solutions. (29:45)
- How reframing allows someone to operate within oppressive structures. (42:23)
- Why creating your own reality is essential to influencing the future. (49:43)
- How Sonja and Karen have evolved as feminists. (56:04)
- Tips on how to survive and transform spaces as a feminist. (58:34)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Sonja Foss & Karen Foss
Connect with Sonja & Karen:
Sonja’s Website
Sonja & Karen’s Published Works
Waveland Press Books
Resources:
The Wing
Women’s Equity Action League
Women Speak: The eloquence of Women’s Lives by Karen & Sonja Foss
Sonia Johnson’s Book List
The Sex Myth by Rachel Hills
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R&R Labs – Sara Matano – Show Notes
This week’s revolutionary is Sara Matano. Sara currently lives and works in Portland, OR and teaches high school social studies, doing all she can to bring a feminist lens to the center of her work. Originally, Sara is from Argentina; her family immigrated to the United States when she was still young. She’s spent her life straddling borders and barriers, always feeling like an outsider no matter who she was with. Even after she intentionally lost her accent, there would always be small tell-tale signs that she was “different” than those around her.
In this episode, Sara and I discuss the surge of racism post-9/11, how school systems “groom” students into nationalism via “team spirit,” and how Sara incorporates feminism into her teachings every day. She gives a powerful insight into what the future for teachers looks like, and what steps everyone needs to take to get there. This is a conversation that you won’t want to miss.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your childhood. Where did you grow up? (1:16)
- What do you carry with you from your childhood into your adulthood? (12:29)
- Did you intentionally lose your accent? (16:52)
- How has your dynamic sense of belonging and not belonging transferred to your professional life? (21:43)
- Tell me about your favorite movement that you study. (36:14)
- How do you make curriculum gendered as a high school teacher? (44:40)
- What advice do you have for someone who wants to concretely impact the world? (49:02)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Sara’s childhood experience immigrating to the U.S. (1:23)
- What Sara’s experience as an immigrant in the U.S. public school system was like. (14:57)
- How language, color, and “team spirit” contributes to social status and nationalism. (17:12)
- How Sara reacted to the racism surge as a result of 9/11. (24:40)
- How Sara brings gender as a tool of analysis into the classroom. (46:33)
- What to expect from the next generation of teachers. (1:00:13)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Sara Matano
Resources:
Women for Women
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This week’s revolutionary is Xhercis Mendez. She is a scholar-activist and constantly looking for any creative strategies that allow us to create the world we want to live in. Her academic works combine women of color and decolonial feminisms, while her focus remains on transformative justice and actively combating structural inequities.
Our conversation begins with Xhercis explaining how she took control of her own life, education, and grabbed her future by the reins. She essentially maneuvered her way into attending an upper-class boarding school and found ways to navigate between that world and her working-class roots. From there, Xhercis continues to share her experiences with race, class, identity, and how to find trustworthy community throughout a constantly shifting life.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What was your childhood like? (1:17)
- What tools did you use to reintegrate into your family each time you came home from boarding school? (15:38)
- How do you navigate the apprehension around the term and concept of feminism? (27:35)
- Why do communities cling to the concept of sameness or oneness? (41:54)
- How can you be in deep connection with the community around you? (52:44)
- How do you engage in a space that lacks accountability and integrity? (1:43:57)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Xhercis’ first encounter with structural inequities. (6:56)
- How strength in a woman is valued in Caribbean cultures. (30:09)
- Why academia rewards an unhealthy individualistic approach to life. (44:52)
- About the explosion of #MeToo and what survivors need for healing. (59:42)
- How to identify your community and establish an accountable network. (1:21:14)
- About Xhercis’ main focus on decolonial feminism. (1:32:56)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Xhercis Mendez
Resources
Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective
INCITE!
Project Nia
Just Practice
Creative Interventions
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Amy Hasinoff is this week’s revolutionary. Amy is an assistant professor within the communications department at the University of Colorado, Denver. She works on gender, sexuality, and new media. She joins us for a radical conversation about her feminist upbringing, academic prowess and privilege, and along with her work around consensual social media and sexting. Born in Winnipeg to parents with PhDs, higher education and academia are in her blood. Through years of academic success, Amy found what she was truly passionate about: communication, cultural studies, and all things feminism.
Amy shares with us some fascinating stories that led to where she is today. She takes us through her entire academic journey—from undergraduate to Ph.D. status—and how it influenced her feminist views and activism. She shares her experiences of realizing and fully acknowledging her privilege in academia, and how that’s influenced her work as a whole. In addition, Amy also shares with us her views on the development of communication methods through time, and how that impacts human connection, intimacy, and relationships overall.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me about your childhood. (1:15)
- What path did you choose after high school? (16:06)
- How was your graduate experience? (30:57)
- Do you feel like you had a feminist awakening? (37:34)
- What drew you to the concept of consensual social media? (53:44)
- Where does the male gaze fit into the conversation around sexting? (57:48)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- What microaggressions women experience in academia. (5:48)
- About the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in Colorado and how it negatively impacts state funding for higher education institutions. (9:31)
- About Amy’s own experience in college. (16:11)
- How Amy transitioned from undergraduate studies to graduate studies. (31:13)
- Why would someone sext? (42:23)
- How does communication technology influence connection and community? (45:13)
- How capitalism affects privacy rights. (54:26)
- How sexting operates within the structure versus agency structure. (59:29)
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Amy Hasinoff
Resources
Against the Romance of Community by Miranda Joseph
Amy’s Website
Amy’s Twitter
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Amy Irvin is this week’s revolutionary. Amy is the Executive Director of the New Orleans Abortion Fund. She joins us for radical conversation about her work, her journey and some of the challenges facing abortion rights today. Born in Central Ohio, Amy spent the early years of her childhood on the family farm until her parents divorce moved her, along with her mom and siblings, to a bigger city. She struggled financially growing up with her mother and into her early 20s, working to put herself through school. Amy talks to us about her experiences in college: how she felt free in the world of academia, enjoyed learning and took time off realign and travel, as well as her own personal experiences with abortion.
Amy found her way to New Orleans, by way of Turkey, and experienced first hand how limited access to abortion resources was in the city, and the state of Louisiana . More, and more, certain lawmakers are making it harder and harder for women to, not only, exercise their right to choose but to access overall reproductive health resources. This is definitely a conversation that you don’t want to miss
Some Questions I Ask:
- Where did Amy grow up? (1:21)
- What made Amy return home from abroad? (41:17)
- For Amy to explain trap laws? (46:35)
- What are the most pressing feminiest issues at the moment? (1:07:42)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About a personal story that Amy shares (14:40)
- About the IRC (International Rescue Committee), and how Amy worked with them (22:08)
- About Amy’s experience canvassing on behalf of Union Rights (31:19)
- The importance of community (1:00:29)
Host: JIllian Foster
Guest: Amy Irvin
Resources:
- New Orleans Abortion Fund (NOAF)
- New Orleans Abortion Fund Bowl-A-Thon 2019
- NOAF OutLoud
- Donate
- The Abortion Diary Podcast
- Articles
- Inside the Case-by-Case Battle Over ‘Roe v. Wade’ - Rolling Stones
- Louisiana abortions hit 10-year low, as state lawmakers continue push toward more restrictions -- The Advocate
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This week’s revolutionary is Lorelle Saxena. Lorelle is a doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and the founder of The Saxena Clinic. She’s been voted "Best Acupuncturist in Sonoma County" five years in a row in the North Bay Bohemian's annual Reader Poll. While she treats a variety of patients, her work specializes in trauma and anxiety. Lorelle enjoys writing, bicycling and spending time with her husband and their young son. She also prides herself in being a very nice person (most of the time).
Lorelle joins us to discuss her story; her experience growing up in Hawaii and how that shaped her view of race in America. She then takes us on a journey through the 12 years she spent living in New York City - where she first felt the parallelism of race, professionally transitioned from music to medicine and, through acupuncture, found her happiness and fulfillment. In the midst of her creating safe spaces for her clients and being a nice person, Lorelle is also a force to be reckoned with. She talks to us about the issues that are important to her, how she advocates for those struggling with their body image (encouraging us to feel good over being skinny) and provides us with some tips on nutrition and wellness, along with advice about healing.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Where did Lorelle grow up? (1:13)
- What are some philosophies of Chinese Nutritional Therapy? (21:43)
- About the intersectionality and challenges that arise with navigating the world as women, and the correlation with physical symptoms? (41:31)
- What advice can Lorelle offer to someone who wants to be like her? (56:24)
- What does Lorelle think are the most important issues for us to focus on? (1:10:12)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Lorelle went from music to acupuncture and medicine (16:43)
- When acupuncture is the most ideal to use (32:52)
- How acupuncture school supported Lorelle in finding her voice, leaving an abusive relationship and her journey to happiness (50:09 )
- How Lorelle built an intentional business that is feminist, navigating the world and contributing to it (1:07:36 )
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Lorelle Saxena
Resources:
- The Saxena Clinic - Website
- The Saxena Clinic - Twitter
- Lorelle Saxena - Instagram
- Lorelle Saxena - Facebook
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This week’s revolutionary is, Karen Mulhauser. Karen is the President of Mulhauser and Associates. Karen’s worked as a leader, advocate and consultant for over 30 years. She’s held various leadership roles at a number of non-profit organizations advocating for women’s rights, abortion rights, education, voting rights, peace and equality. Known for being a master of coalition building and collaboration, a space she says she works best in, she’s also the founder of America's Impact, Consulting Women, LLC, Trusted Sources and helped form the Women’s Information Network (WIN).
Karen takes on us a journey through her life, her path as a leader and her passion for this work. She’s a testament to being open to life, the power of community and, as she says, “knowing what you care about and what keeps you up at night.” Throughout her life, Karen has allowed her career to evolve with her passions and she encourages us to “take advantage of opportunity, take some risks and find the community you want to be with.” The recipe for this totally fascinating (unplanned) life.
Some Questions I Ask:
- About Karen’s experience with the disconnect of between being taught she could do anything and the reality of the substantial challenges? (2:47)
- How Karen overcame her shyness? (11:18)
- What tips did Karen share during a speech about self care, taking care of yourself in your professional life? (21:39)
- How did WIN come to be? (29:34)
- About a time when Karen felt like she experienced a failure,how she overcame that and found success? (43:40)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How Karen, and 3 other students, convinced their college to give them co-op credit for hitchhiking around the Mediterranean - an experiential learning experience (6:43)
- In 1967/68: some questions her students asked about sexuality, consent, contraception and abortion (13:02)
- That risk and failure are inherent to success (22:41)
- WIN’s 30th Anniversary and NARAL’s 50th Anniversary (33:10)
- Compelling Voter Registration Messaging (42:43)
Host: JIllian Foster
Guest: Karen Mulhauser
Resources:
- NARAL
- WIN
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Prisca Dorcas is a storyteller, public theologian, activist, feminist and founder of the Latina Rebels platform. She’s also someone who’s unapologetically committed to calling out injustice. Prisca was born in Managua, Nicaragua and raised in a very religiously conservative family. Despite her being taught that a woman’s place was in the home, she grew up with an understanding of a woman in power as Nicaragua had elected its first woman president when she was very young. Prisca’s grew up on a religious compound with a strong foundation of community and family. When she was 7 years old, her family immigrated to the US when her father was offered a role to lead the church’s music ministry.
We talk about her journey of awakening, finding her voice, creating space for advocacy and awareness and challenging toxic narratives, especially those that are pervasive in religion. Prisca received her Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University and speaks with such gratitude about the professor that affirmed her identify and inspired her to advocate for herself. This former introvert pushed past her boundaries when she, as she says, realized that she was being complacent by not speaking up. She’s since become an “an extrovert for la Raza.”
Host: Jillian Foster
Guest: Prisca Dorcas
Resources:
- Prisca Dorcas - Website
- Prisca Dorcas - Instagram
- Prisca Dorcas - Twitter
- Prisca Dorcas - Facebook
- Latina Rebels - Instagram
Some Questions I Ask:
- Where did Prisca grow up? (1:15)
- What was her experience with prosperity gospel? (26:13)
- What was her dynamic with her family as she was coming of age? (48:54)
- Does she ever wish she could go back to the “simpler time,” before her eyes were opened? (1:03:19)
- How does Prisca sit within the patriarchal structure of Christianity as a strong, empowered woman? (1:10:58)
- What does she think are the most important issues right now? (1:42:10)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Prisca’s experience growing up on a religious compound (2:12)
- The impact the 2008 financial crisis had on her and her family (22:45)
- Racism (38:41)
- Our experiences navigating the spectrum of feminism in different spaces (1:14:02)
- How Prisca found a way to honor a painful experience on her terms (1:31:54)
- Prisca’s master tips on doing this work. Also how to support her and her work (1:53:33)
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Amanda Manitach is definitely a modern day renaissance woman. Raised in rural Western Kansas and North Texas, Amanda grew up in a very religiously conservative family. The daughter of a pastor, her life was defined by the church. She and her sister were both home schooled and grew up with very deep ties to their faith.
By the age of 13 she had already completed her first mission trip to Thailand and began making trips annually in the summer. By the time she was 18 Amanda has traveled to India, Vietnam, Bolivia, Honduras, Ghana. While she’s grateful for the experience - she’s no longer in agreement with the purpose of those trips.
While growing up so close to the church had its benefits, Amanda was also exposed to other side of the coin. The not so glamorous aspects of church politics, finances and internal conflict. It was a disheartening experience that began to open her eyes to question the infallibility of what she was being taught.
After attending a religious university, located in what she described as the “Belt Buckle” of the Bible Belt and found herself very disillusioned by the end of her sophomore year. The area was filled with mega churches and there was a very intense focus the likening of money and luxury with righteousness - lessons very far removed from what she believed and was taught growing up.
Amanda eventually left the church and made her way to Seattle - what she envisioned to be the land of coffee shops and bands. It exposed her to a completely different world, new groups of people, life lessons and experiences.
After a painful loss of a loved one, she was inspired to start living the life of her dreams. She entered the Seattle art scene and hasn’t looked back. Both a visual artist and the Visual Arts Editor at City Art Magazine, Amanda and I discuss the inspiration around her work (that English Lit degree is definitely being put to use!), her various artistic platforms, how she’s grown into being an advocate for others, how she draws inspiration from her childhood. My highlight of the the conversation was learning about how she users her art to make statements, push boundaries and provide a voice from the voiceless - especially those from the early 19th century!
Some Questions I Ask:* What is Faith Healing? (3:14) * During such a transitional time in her life, how did you navigate such a loss? (15:22) * How did Amanda start making art? (19:14) * What pieces of Amanda are bought into her art? (36:10) * What nuggets of knowledge has Amanda gathered along the way? (51:24)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:* About Amanda’s experience as the Pastor’s kid (7:30) * Navigating the expectations of her parents (17:17) * A History of Stigma and Mistreatment of Women, Mental Health and Disease (21:38) * Our experiences after leaving the church (45:13) * How Amanda has learned to responsibly use her platform, power and privilege to provide opportunities for others
Host: Jillian J. Foster
Guest: Amanda Manitach
Resources:
- Amanda Manitach - Website
- @amandamanitach - Instagram
- Seattle Winston Watcher
- New York Winston Watcher
- City Arts Magazine
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Season 2 of Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab Returns Monday March 4.
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Joumana Haddad is a passionate provocateur. She’s a journalist, poet, speaker, and activist. Born to a conservative family in Lebanon, she is a controversial figure for her unapologetic feminist activism and her critique of culturally entrenched misogyny and organized religion. Joumana is not afraid to push boundaries. She’s published countless books of poetry, co-written a movie, and is the founder of Jasad, a Beirut-based cultural magazine that focused on the literature, art, and science of the body. You can find Joumana on Twitter at @JHaddadOfficial and her work at joumanahaddad.com. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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If you concern yourself with world peace you either already know or should immediately come to know Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini. Before co-founding the International Civil Society Action Network, Sanam was raised in Iran, fled with her family and became a British citizen, and is now raising two daughters in the US. She is an intellectual, activist, and community builder leading a network of women peacebuilders working to prevent violent extremism by promoting peace, rights and pluralism in over 30 countries. You can find Sanam on Twitter at @sanambna. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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With the release of her first film - Dream, Girl - Erin Bagwell launched her career as an insightful young documentarian focused on bringing forward women’s voices. Erin’s success offers a roadmap to others looking to bring dreams into reality against seemingly insurmountable odds. From a work environment riff with sexual harassment, to starting a feminist blog whose mascot is a purple beaver, and now to self-made filmmaker, Erin shares the wisdom of someone who has taken big risks and manifest big things into this world. You can find Erin on Twitter at @erinebagwelland her film at dreamgirlfilm.com. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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Kait Scalisi is the thinking woman’s sex educator - one part sexpert, two parts scientist. Her background in neuroscience drives her commitment to challenging norms and unrealistic expectations, teaching her clients to instead seek freedom in pleasure. Kait’s ability to connect with others around the pains and pleasures of sex is grounded in a true depth of knowledge and personal experience with chronic illness. She writes about sex, leads workshops, and even does one-on-one counseling. You can find Kait on Twitter at @PassionbyKait and find her writing and events at passionbykait.com. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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Naima Khan offers a unique feminist perspective as a writer and community organizer focusing on arts, Islam, feminisms, and inclusive religion. Having had the pleasure of knowing Naima for nearly a decade, our conversation reflects a rich history of deeping diving into the complexities of religious feminism together. You can find Naima on Twitter at @KhanNaima and more of her writing and organizing at naimakhan.com. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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As a thoughtfully outspoken journalist, author, and movement leader, Rachel Hills calls on her audiences and co-collaborators to inspect narratives that work to bind us in oppressive structures. Her recent book, The Sex Myth, presents the provocative hypothesis that the sexual revolution beginning the 1960s has confined us in our own narratives. She posits that our performative speaking keeps us from actually practicing truly liberated, honest, and authentic sexualities. Rachel’s book has been adapted into a devised play where each cast conjures and creates the play anew. You can find Rachel on Twitter at @rachelhills. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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In 2013, Ordain Women was founded to advocate for women’s ordination in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Within a few years, the group included thousands of activists, many of whom had never before taken action, and sparked a conversation that required church members as well as leadership to confront gender inequality within the institution. Kate Kelly is the woman behind it all. She grew up somewhat orthodox, served a mission for the church, and was later excommunicated in a fairly public way. In between it all, Kate became a human rights lawyer and is now a legal fellow at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights in the U.S. Project. She is fierce and outspoken about her commitment to women’s rights as human rights, which of course makes me love Kate even more. You can find Kate on Twitter at @Kate_Kelly_Esq. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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Joanne Wilson is the powerbitch of all powerbitches. She started her career in retail, moved to the media side of the technology industry, and is now an investor following what she calls the female founder thesis; meaning, women founders tend to be great investment opportunities because they are tenacious and thorough, both asking questions and listening. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again … I want to be Joanne Wilson when I grow up. You can find Joanne on Twitter at @thegothamgal. Learn more about Continuum at continuumcollective.org.
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