Inclusive Activism: Recent Episodes
The Inclusive Activist
INCLUSIVE ACTIVISM - This is Inclusive Activism Podcast – It comes from the idea love is an action word. We don’t just want to be enlightened to the reality of “ism” we want to DO something about it. To get active in the community and to learn about how to keep our learning ongoing. We never want to stop learning
The purpose of the podcast is to learn and explore more with Diversity and Inclusion and how that relates to the concept of personal leadership. We want to learn more about how we can all be as inclusive as possible while also exploring personal leadership and how to be our best selves.
I’m your host Rowdy – for all things related to the idea of Inclusion as well as how you can make your team better through the opportunity of inclusive and transformational leadership.
This is a place and space for a deep dive into topics that are of concern to this community. Those of us who engage in the work and are staunchly Anti-“ist”
Michelle and I were interviewed by Revealing our Stories America a local nonprofit we are working with to help educators teach REAL history from the lens of the racalized groups who experienced that history. ROSAmerica strives to deliver training and resources to help educators bring these vital stories to the classroom with sensitivity and respect.
Most men I think are just at a loss of what to do or how to help - them men good enough to want to at least. So this episode is a man talking to men about what to do and how to be better. So for all the non-men in the audience if you need help calling your male-identifying friends in this episode is for you!
The major reason for this interview was to get some insights into the June 2nd Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and to learn more about Native Peoples and Indigenous ways. But of COURSE we went WAY deeper into that with talking about the idea of Indigeneity (one of my favorite topics)
Please enjoy this insight into how companies might use core concepts of Inclusive Activism in both their daily lives as humans and as institutions which seek to spread belonging and a culture of inclusion for both their companies as well as other companies benefits!
In today's podcast, we start to unpack the idea of Speciesism and how social hierarchies hurt not just all living beings but also tacitly endorses the suffering of human beings lower on the social caste. What is Speciesism - is a term used in philosophy regarding the treatment of individuals of different species.
We will talk about what Attraction is and how it works. What it is and what it isn't. The three major components are: Like Attracts Like, Nature Abhors a Vacuum, and Present is Preferred. We elaborate a bit more on what it is and what it isn't.
Martin has spent the last ten years advocating for Black lives, addressing the systemic issues that affect Black and marginalized groups through both conventional and unconventional avenues. Using his background as a mental health counselor, Martin is able to add nuance and clarity to the way we support the livelihood of Black people. Through seminars, community events, rallies, and curriculum development, Martin has worked with thousands of people around prison abolition, the fight against white supremacy, and lifting up Black communities. Martin has worked extensively with the Black Lives Matter Boston chapter, and is also a restorative justice coach working with various institutions in and around Boston.
In the podcast, we learn we must be value and principle-centered in universal valued and honest all serving value-centered. Everything else is to build your sense of identity in an idea or slice of who you are - rather than in you!
We will look at many different ways we can start to define Gratitude - 10 different definitions in fact. Then we start to better understand what Gratitude and invoke within us - Catharsis and Reciprocity. We see how Gratitude can begin to rewire our brains and help us with 9 wonderful amazing outcomes. We then unlock 4 Gratitude Practices what will help us strengthen our Gratitude - Journaling, Expressing, Celebrating Small Wins, And Meditation. Once we really can get our arms around - Gratitude we being to attract Abundance! We then look at 10 ways we can better see and develop our Abundance Mindset!
This podcast is on the concept of Being in Proper Relations with all things. It relates to inclusive activism by understanding proper relations of mutual reciprocity is where the chance to stop othering one another lies.
We will look at and examine what are the costs of being in proper relations look like? What things are needed to engage in proper ongoing relational maintenance? Is this even possible!?
Todays Podcast will look at how our family and how our background shapes how we look for and seek out intimacy in others. We need to be mindful of how our trauma from the past informs and repeats possible patterns of traumatization in the future. We will talk about the patter of High and Low […]
Well HELLO! It has been a moment – I took a bit of a summer sabbatical but I am back now. New News – going forward the podcast will update and publish monthly now to give a bit more life balance for me as your one and only in this effort. Today we talk about […]
In this podcast we learn about the work happening in Fall 21 with a series of virtual workshops on how to implement more indigenous practices in the spaces and places we work!
We look at the need for an accurate self concept - we have to own really who we are right now and stop pretending to be what we are not putting effort into being or becoming.
We look at the need for self awareness - the more self aware we are the more accurate we can be with our self as we stand today, This give us the knowledge of where we are and what gaps are keeping us for who we want to be!
Then and only then can we have a positive self esteem. We cannot have a positive self esteem from pretending to be something - because WE know we are not that thing - which makes us have to acknowledge at some dark moment we are NOT that thing.
Then we need to keep practicing self awareness to understand - we are in the process of "becoming" our best self - and the process is NEVER finished - we just get better and better with time!
Today we unpack the concept of perspective. For it is only through the lens of our own perspective that we have the ability or capacity to experience the world.
We will look at the FACT that for YOU or someone else - your perspective IS your experience of reality. That is it - its all of it you cannot experience something outside your perspective. So in effect your perspective IS your TRUTH.
In today's podcast we welcome Anti-Racism expert Daryl Davis. Mr Davis has made as a part of his life goal to prove you cannot hate someone you do know know. To this end Mr Davis has befriended many current and former self avowed white supremacists (KKK members or Neo-Nazis). And to that end he has also been gifted 20+ former Klan members robes as due those friendships they have turned from their former thinking.
In today's podcast we will look at how to set and enforce personal and relational boundaries with others. We all know about the concept of "house rules" the guides and expectations that help us get a sense what we should and should not do in a space.
Boundaries work the same way with people! For this podcast is was guided and inspired by an article by Psych Central on 10 ways to set and enforce boundaries https://psychcentral.com/lib/10-way-to-build-and-preserve-better-boundaries#1 1. Name your limits.2. Tune into your feelings.3. Be direct. 4. Give yourself permission.5. Practice self-awareness.6. Consider your past and present.7. Make self-care a priority.8. Seek support.9. Be assertive.10. Start small. and I added 11. At First your boundaries are not going to be popular with anyone, don't focus on the RIGHT NOW - focus on the why this matters later!
In this episode we will examine the idea that we literally “pay” to things with our focus, with our listening, and with our attention. This attention and our sense of focus is vied for with millions to billions of dollars as our time and attention is SO precious and valuable. We look at the hard […]
In this podcast we will look at the idea that we need to own the responsibility to be our best self. In our Heart first, then in changing what we think and believe, then speaking that belief (or Be-life) into being.
This week we have yet another interview with our good friends at the Inclusive AF podcast Jackye Claton and Katee Van Horn. Both are Diveristy Inclusion and Equity Experts! This roundtable discussion will touch on the highlights and low lights of what is is like to “do the work” day in and day out. We […]
We will talk about Indigenization, What is it? (systems of nonviolence, no harm, non-marginalization, and non-exploitation). How each of us has been helped by Indigenization and Indigenous Thinking. This podcast attempts to help us unpack what I feel the antithesis of so many issues of racism, sexism, classism, patriarchy, white supremacy, oligarchy come from and why and how they eliminate these problems.
We will talk about Colonization, What is it? (systems of violence, harm, marginalization, and exploitation). How oppressed groups have been hurt by Colonization. How each of us has been poisoned by Colonization and Colonial Thinking. This podcast attempts to help us unpack what I feel the root of so many issues of racism, sexism, classism, patriarchy, white supremacy, oligarchy come from and why and how they repeat.
Warning the S word is used in this podcast which is a very derogatory term for native women. This words rough literal translation is the very harmful curse word (the C word). I chose not to bleep it out because I wanted you to hear the pain in Souta's voice to better understand the pain associated with it for Native Women. We are not calling anyone this word but rather talk about its harmful effects much as will do at time with slurs like the N word, or in our community the R word to better understand the impact of these harmful patterns of pain.
Todays podcast looks deeply at the idea of what is the enemy. Is enemy the best word to use when working against others for the acknowledgement of humanity? Is opponent better or does that still imply the person is the problem. Does opposition work better to focus on the forces not the people.
In recognition of International Kindness Day. We look at the true earth shaking Power In Kindness. We talk about how Kindness needs some reframing as it gets a bad rap for being weak or naive. It is very strong and a powerful force for change! We talk about the vitality of Kindness due to our mirror neurons and oxytocin boost which can later lead to dopamine release when we do good for others. And lastly we talk about how Kindness is a higher goal and aspiration than Niceness as Kindness does the heaving lifting niceness won't always engage in and with.
Election Day 2020 is almost here. In this podcast I share a few thoughts on our local election. I talk about the need to get some food, and resources together in the next few days - just in case things get wonky. I talk about the need to get your ballot physically to the ballot box or vote in person (most vote my mail is not assured to get in by now!) And I talk about what is a coup, how do coups work, and how regular people have stopped coups in the past.
Deep canvassing stems from a simple idea; you can change minds through conversations. Canvassers use this method to engage voters in a conversation and get them to a mutual understanding by providing alternative perspectives.
It is a two-way conversation between canvassers and voters where voters are asked to share their personal experiences around the issue being discussed.
The strategy lays out
Share your experience and get the conversation started Listen to voters, get them thinking and sharing Highlight common humanity
We will talk about what it is, how to use it, when it goes well and when it doesn't.
The secret is we will in a society that honestly values life very little. And due to the normalization of death and that some lives matter and other lives don't means that people are subconsciously aware their life doesn't account for much in our society. We will look for these messages analysis them and then see why this statement is "seen" as provocative.
In this podcast we breakdown another parable idea on what lessons are embedded in boats, and airplanes. How can we look at the idea of difference in consideration of an items intended purpose and see its inherent value in its differences? We will look at how the pressures of a situation keep us afloat. We will look at how movement and pressure can uplift us.
We need to understand we are different. We also must embrace we each have a different purpose. These parable are lessons on learning to love ourselves and will help us see the inherent value of our differences.
We will go over - white racial privilege does exists
We will also talk about what is "assumed" as parts of being a white person in society - that really is not always the true experience
We will talk about how if you are not doing what is assumed in all parts of whiteness - how you as that white person are put down.
Imagine a world where everyone had your back and best interest at heart. Imagine a world where everyone believed there was more than enough for everyone. Imagine a world where we recognized our siblings and relations with the water, the soil, the wind, the sun, the rain and the plants.
In this podcast I welcome special guest Dr. Kelly Fitzsimmons Burton Philosophy Faculty at Paradise Valley Community College on to talk about these notions and ideas. Is truth dead? Or is it still alive and unavoidable - lets find out!
Calvin and Rowdy give you a retrospective out their lives to give you a sense of the humans behind the process. Many times either Calvin or Rowdy have been a bit too deified or seen as more than the simple humans they are - this podcast puts that notion to bed with times we made mistakes. How we learned and grow. And the simple steps we take daily to become the humans we are today - and who we hope to grow into being tomorrow.
As it so happens there have been and email here and there. A DM here and there, and lots of comments as feedback. And silly me didn't consider podcasting them all as I thought they were all just to me rather than the seeds of a dialog that are beginning to emerge from Inclusive Activism and Emerging Evolution.
Counsel Culture is more transformational than Cancel Culture. In this episode we will look at how I should have been canceled in the past with SEVERAL examples BUT we will learn how Counsel Culture made me redeemable! We examine the problematics of Cancel Culture and deconstruct it as a tool of whiteness and colonial thinking special thanks to Michelle Dew for this thought! We also look at the idea of Counsel Culture as anti-ist in nature and a form of indigenized thought (not decolonized thought thank you to Charissa Sundust) to fight for equity. We look at the notion of Counsel Culture, and why we need it, as well as how to engage in it to separate ideas from the person from with we are in counsel. We talk about steps to take to engage with Counsel Culture – we recognize that it is in fact VERY HARD. But we also see when we learn more about Counsel Culture we learn more how toxic ideas infect and hurt others and how to heal others into wholeness together with us.
Too often it appears we get caught up in the either or paradigm. It is very important to note no one on either side of a issue is actually completely right. AND too often no one on either side is really truly on the side of us as the people. And no one is really […]
In this story for today we look at some of the macro systems we are seeing with the pandemic and attempt to make a parable – a fable – an indigenous tale out of what we are seeing with the current pandemic. When I envisioned this I was trying to do a form of sense-making […]
Simply put the stories we tell and choose to add the power of our belief in create our worlds. This is why we must be clear and show where we want to go and what we want to do when we tell our stories. Think about our words Believe is so much like BE-LIVE, same […]
For today’s podcast Calvin the Drapetomanic and Rowdy the Inclusive Activist look at the Numbing Trap. Right now life is VERY hard. And it is so easy to just reach for a stiff drink or smoke up and check out. But Numbing is a lot wider than that too – its over-eating or eating food […]
You can't do a don't but the struggle with the Devil In/And I is keeping me stuck for a new Do. 32:46
Today we look at our different viewpoints or frame around constant pain. We look at others Pain from a bewildered standpoint. We look at the pain of those we have grown numb to over time. And we look at our own choice to remain in the Pain of the Same – rather than engage in […]
In this podcast - Calvin the Drapotmaniac and Rowdy the Inclusive Activist start to break down the idea of Thinking Seven Generations back and Seven Generations Forward. What does it mean to think in a more timeless frame? How can we better appreciate all of the work done for us and the shoulders of greatness we stand upon to live the lives we do?
In this podcast – Calvin the Drapotmaniac and Rowdy the Inclusive Activist start to break down the idea of Thinking Seven Generations back and Seven Generations Forward. What does it mean to think in a more timeless frame? How can we better appreciate all of the work done for us and the shoulders of greatness […]
For todays Inclusive Activism Podcast we look at the concepts of Spectrums of things. And the idea that to get where you want to go - we must embrace starting and being at the place we want to be the least first. But it is also a crucial and integral part of getting to the places we want to be the most.
Today on the Emerging Evolution Podcast Rowdy the Inclusive Activist and Calvin the Drapetomanic continue our deep dive into the impacts of Historical Trauma and look at how it effects Perpetrators! We will break up the historical trauma series looking at the Affected, the Perpetrators, and the Bystanders for this three part series. Since this […]
Today on the Emerging Evolution Podcast Rowdy the Inclusive Activist and Calvin the Drapetomanic continue our deep dive into the impacts of Historical Trauma and look at how it effects Bystanders! We will break up the historical trauma series looking at the Affected, the Perpetrators, and the Bystanders for this three part series. Since this […]
This episode examines the idea of Self Concept, Self Esteem, and the idea of the Looking Glass Self. Once we understand these ideas we can better form who we are and how we can see ourselves more accurately. Since this is a new podcast please rate us and review us to make sure we can […]
In this podcast Rowdy and Calvin look at Historical Trauma and those most afflicted and affected by the trauma. We will break up the historical trauma series looking at the Affected, the Perpetrators, and the Bystanders for this three part series.
Todays podcast attempts to look forward at the new decade of 2020 what are some predictions. How can we best prepare ourselves to be the best Inclusive Activists we can be? Hint it is going to take some radical compassion to make the world different! Please share this podcast if you enjoyed it or learned […]
Welcome to a new series of podcasts which will examine what we can do to become more of a social centric and eco-centric society. Today's podcast will look at what how we need to orient our thinking to create new possibilities of understanding, acting, and being. This podcast features Calvin Terrell - the Draptomanic, and Rowdy the Inclusive Activist. Right now the play is to post monthly podcasts as time and opportunity allow the two busy hosts to connect!
In todays podcast we talk about the challenge of being and indigenous person on Thanksgiving. We talk about the true history of the holiday the one time celebration and the remembering of the massacre. We talk about my current struggles to how the Native History Appreciation Month ends with this day. We talk about how I currently choose to navigate the day and at times my true feelings of being stuck at times. And how I am using the pain of this day to transform my life into one of Gratitude.
Today on the podcast we talk about the importance need and role of friends. How we need some who are net adds to our life, how we need those we pour into and how to find peers. We talk about how to find better friends, and how to strike up conversations. Please share this podcast […]
ay we talk about how to better LISTEN. We look at forms of ineffective listening, why we are not good at it, barriers to listening, and how to listen and respond like we care!
Today on the podcast we hear from host Rowdy Duncan on his trip to Nigeria last week and some lessons I learned about Time. Mono-chronic vs Poly-chronic time in REAL life. SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call […]
In this episode we dive into the self – who do we wish we were and invest all our time in trying to be beside ourselves. Who do others make us be that isn’t really us. And at the end of the day who are we really? And how can we be more of our […]
Hey all today is a bit something different – it is something to help you with your self care and non-reactivity. We start with 4-7-8 Breathing We do a Loving Kindness Meditation And finish with 4-7-8 Breathing SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique […]
How do we best proceed? Todays Podcast will Cover:1. What are these two concepts when we look within the context of the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 2.What does impatience look like in our practice? What does urgency look like in our practice? 3. How we can we remain urgent against the ideas of […]
So in review major points of this podcast were: If you look at your problems you will hit your problems Fixate to the path you are hoping to go to and look beyond your issues Focus on where you want to go and look beyond the current issues in your way to make target fixation […]
Stress – who needs it?! Actually we all do but knowing and understanding the different types of stress is a critical part of self growth and self-development. Today’s Podcast is on Stress Eustress and Distress and knowing the difference. Today we will review: Distress overwhelming bad stress Eustress helpful growth stress Why knowing the difference […]
Welcome in today’s podcast we talk about life, leadership, fighting to become our best selves with UFC fighter Clifford Starks. Mr. Starks know the cost of excellence, as he made it to the primer MMA fighting league the UFC after only two years of training. We talk about the pain threshold. About how to pay […]
Welcome in today’s podcast we talk about life, leadership, fighting to become our best selves with UFC fighter Clifford Starks. Mr. Starks know the cost of excellence, as he made it to the primer MMA fighting league the UFC after only two years of training. We talk about the pain threshold. About how to pay […]
Today’s Podcast features reflections from Sara our Producer and Host Rowdy Duncan as we embark on our 3rd year of the podcast. We talk about growth moments, fav podcast, most philosophical podcast topic. our low moments – and our breakthroughs and breakdowns as we manage all things Inclusive Activism! Remember to stay in touch by […]
In today’s podcast learn how in a very short time one generation shaped the other. How to speak to the values of each generation, and what makes each generation unique! Remember to stay in touch by visiting the website at www.inclusiveactivism.com email us at inclusiveactivism@cox.net and text our voicemail us your thoughts questions or ideas […]
Is – Gen Z really different than Millennieals – Yep! Let’s explore exactly how in today’s Podcast! Remember to stay in touch by visiting the website at www.inclusiveactivism.com email us at inclusiveactivism@cox.net and text our voicemail us your thoughts questions or ideas at 860-576-9393!
Learn all about what make Millennials the way they are. What are their values and what critical things happened to them to make them the way their are!
Teaser: It seems to me at time the only form of truly socially acceptable ism is ageism. Every single different generation bags on the one that is different than thay are – don’t believe me? If you have ever been distraught at snowbird season, called someone a slacker, or said someone cannot communicate without their […]
Teaser: It seems to me at time the only form of truly socially acceptable ism is ageism. Every single different generation bags on the one that is different than thay are – don’t believe me? If you have ever been distraught at snowbird season, called someone a slacker, or said someone cannot communicate without their […]
Today we will look at my predictions for 2018 and how well they fared We will look into some things to be aware of in 2019 And we will look into the idea of 2019 of Non-reactivity! SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique […]
White Fragility Workshop Definition Clarification White Supremacy – White supremacy or white supremacism is a racist supremacist belief which maintains that white people are superior in many ways to people of other races, and that therefore, white people should be dominant over other races. White Supremacist – a person who believes that the white […]
Every find yourself burnt out, exhausted from fighting fire after fire every day. Ever feel like you don’t have time for the things that really matter? A lot of that comes from not knowing and understanding what matters most to you! When you make your to do list for Today you need to consider the […]
Some real facts about the black panther party! Today we will discuss – More traditional thoughts about what we were taught about the Black Panther Party Some truths hidden from us about this organization And how they were far more progressive and future oriented than the credit they are given SO if this made you […]
Some real facts about the black panther party! Today we will discuss – More traditional thoughts about what we were taught about the Black Panther Party Some truths hidden from us about this organization And how they were far more progressive and future oriented than the credit they are given SO if this made you […]
How I am planning to vote and why: My Values On the economy she wants to invest in the everyday people which makes an economy really move Strongly for Universal Healthcare which from a small business and public servant perspective people really underestimate what it could mean for all of us if we really didn’t […]
How I am planning to vote and why: My Values On the economy she wants to invest in the everyday people which makes an economy really move Strongly for Universal Healthcare which from a small business and public servant perspective people really underestimate what it could mean for all of us if we really didn’t […]
Teaser: So I have noticed something – people love – just love love love to be the critic. They are really quick to champion a perceived winner like they did with Capernick and Nike – and at the same time they are very quick to damn all parts of John McCain. Were are you at […]
Colby Martin remains obstinately hopeful that the church can change the world. Having experienced his fair share of pain and rejection from mainstream Christianity, Colby is awake to the flaws, tragic missteps, and misplaced earnestness that too often define the direction of the church. But God’s vision for creation as revealed in Jesus still compels […]
Colby Martin remains obstinately hopeful that the church can change the world. Having experienced his fair share of pain and rejection from mainstream Christianity, Colby is awake to the flaws, tragic missteps, and misplaced earnestness that too often define the direction of the church. But God’s vision for creation as revealed in Jesus still compels […]
Today is just some storytelling from your Host Rowdy about his first visit to a Sweat Lodge. Hope you all enjoy! SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393 This space is a place to talk […]
About Dr. Poulton Dr. Dionne Wright Poulton is an Educator, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and Conflict Mediator with 20 years of experience specializing in youth and adult education, adult learning and behavior, intercultural dialogue, and addressing and mitigating bias in the workplace. A graduate of the University of Georgia where she earned a Ph.D. in Adult Education, […]
Todays Podcast is an interview with renowned Activist for the undocumented and unDACAmented Reyna Montoya from Aliento! Aliento is a arts and healing collective which advocate for the rights of all undocumented people. They hold arts and healing workshops for children. More about Aliento: Who We Are We are immigrant families including LGBTQ people, single […]
Todays Podcast is an interview with renowned Activist for the undocumented and unDACAmented Reyna Montoya from Aliento! Aliento is a arts and healing collective which advocate for the rights of all undocumented people. They hold arts and healing workshops for children. More about Aliento: Who We Are We are immigrant families including LGBTQ people, single […]
Teaser: It is going to be very interesting to watch politicians try to speak to working class people over the next few months. But what truly are some signs that someone is working class vs business class? Today’s podcast will examine the small divides between working class and business class socio-economics. Today we […]
Teaser: It sure does seem like many people in the world feel like being black in certain spaces is a crime. Or that lawyer guy from New York who was threatening to call ICE on a random employee. What a waste of time and tax payers money! Should there be a fine for Racist calls […]
Today Inclusive Activism talks with renowned Diversity Educator Paul Gorski. Paul C. Gorski is Associate Professor of Integrative Studies in New Century College at George Mason University. He is the founder of EdChange and the Multicultural Pavilion, a Web site that has won more than a dozen awards internationally for its contribution to multicultural education […]
The Native Nation project will be an immersive play experience written by playwright Larissa Fasthorse to represent several voices of the Indigenous community of Phoenix. On the podcast today is our Inclusive Activist Version of a community talking circle to learn more about the project and share stories about indigenous identity. Larissa Fasthorse will incorporate […]
The Native Nation project will be an immersive play experience written by playwright Larissa Fasthorse to represent several voices of the Indigenous community of Phoenix. On the podcast today is our Inclusive Activist Version of a community talking circle to learn more about the project and share stories about indigenous identity. Larissa Fasthorse will incorporate […]
Teaser: Did you know that many white people think that reverse racism is a bigger problem than regular racism? While technically parts of actual reverse racism could have better equity no equity exists with oppression present. Today’s podcast understanding and learning how to talk about Reverse Racism? Today we will talk about: What […]
Emotional Intelligence is considered a key factor in connecting with other people. Join Rowdy and his Partner Michelle Dew as they examine key factors which make up emotional intelligence. Factors such as Self-awareness Self-regulation Motivation (defined as “a passion for work that goes beyond money and status”) Empathy for others Social skills, such as proficiency […]
This material comes from a keynote speech given about how it is our differences which will organizationally will be the transformational synergistic difference which will make all the difference ultimately. I have gathered some lateral thinking puzzles which I will distribute to table as the small group activity (do you have a sense of […]
Teaser: You know what sucks? When people get something for nothing! When people get ahead of you but they didn’t earn it they didn’t go their fair share. Or when people are just unjustly favored just because they are part of the club which you are not. There needs to be standards, and unless you […]
Teaser: So just for you my audience I have one of the best investment tips I can think of. It’s a really hot tip and in all honesty it has the chance of really deeply changing your life! We don’t have that much time left on this world and how and what we invest in […]
Teaser: So this is the new year 2018. What do I expect to see in 2018. Well it was certain that 2017 was a doozy. But I don’t see much room for improvement unless a few things come together – Today’s podcast looking forward into 2018 Today we will talk about: Did self […]
Teaser: How do you choose to treat an enemy who just got hurt. Do you gloat? Do you laugh? Do you pile on while they are down? Do you try to make it hurt more so they learn their lesson? Or when they go low – do we go high?
Today’s podcast I think that class just Trumped Whiteness or Whiteness may have just been crucified at the altar of the rich.
Today we will talk about:
How Trump used the notion of Whiteness as being under attack and was in need of rescue to position himself for this moment
What just happened how did the White working class just Lost Hard with the Tax Reform Bill – just like I predicted it would
Now what?
Welcome back to the podcast! I actually had written two other podcasts before this one but I am so discouraged and distraught with the senate passing the GOP tax reform bill, I had to write something today and get it out for tomorrow.
As far as the podcast goes I have the ability and am awaiting the means to start advertising again a bit more. Which should be interesting, I think this will be the one I push a bit so if you are a new listener welcome. If you have been a longtime loyal listener thank you for your continued support and listens. Please remember you can email me at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or leave me a voicemail at 860-576-9393. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Also remember to rate and review us on iTunes, or Stitcher, or if you could please share the podcast on social media, All these things go a long way to making a significant difference for us here at the inclusive activism podcast. Also please subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play as these are great ways for me to show “proof of work to potential sponsors”. It would also go a long way in getting my producer Sara paid for her work someday too!
So checking in on my Activism:
Went to Aire Libre Elementary school to talk about the cost of violence and anger associated with Labels – expound
In talks with North Canyon High school to do some work with Nonviolent Communication as a means to understand with and find new avenues to dialog with others
Was the MC at a screening of More than a Word with Special Guest Amanda Blackhorse and Jacob Meders – got to meet one of my heroes in person
Also got recognized by a few different grad teacher for a good job that night and that felt good.
Closed the Month of gratitude
Saw the effects in my Emerging Leaders Students which was deeply gratifying.
Self Care:
Lift X3 a week which was great considering I have been sick all week!
Got no Cardio done this week which is a concern that is one of the areas that for some reason I am allowing to slack even knowing that I have a bit of high blood pressure already I need to get back on that again soon
And Meditated for 3X for at least 10-15 mins and will need to get another day in
I am well on the road to recovery from what I am guessing was a muted flu this past week so that is postive
So on to the podcast for today! How the white working class just got sacrifed at the altar of the rich.
First thing: So first how did we get here. Trump really played the working class white people in this country – and to me working class does NOT mean poor – it does not mean middle class, it means basically anyone below the 80% that would mean anyone making $500,000 and below. If you make below that amount these were the groups specifically targeted by Trump in his bid to get elected in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The targeting of working class whiteness was intentional and specific. There is no doubt the world is changing and changing pretty fast right now. Before it was a given that you could buy a home, that you could raise a family, and even send your children off for the opportunity for higher education with one person’s income – especially – statistically speaking if you were a white man – and even moreso a decade or two ago!
Now that is changing radically and the reason for that chance is more and more socio-economic class is creating a have and have not society. Right now the middle class is designated to make between $42K and $125K per year 50% of people fall into this area here.. That would be for a family of three. To be considered upper middle class make 100K – 150K. Upper class which is 14% would make 200K and higher. Lower Middle class would be $18,871 – $47,177 per year for a family of three. Below $18,871 is poverty level 14% of people live here.
But it is important to note 90% of us make below the top 10% which is well over a million dollars earned in a year that is 3,227,620 of us. Of that 1% of us 322,762 make 8 million a year.
That means 20% of us 6,455,240 own 83% of all total wealth in America. And the rest of us $316,306,778 fight and compete for the 17% wealth left. And we are somehow totally ok with that idea because the notion of meritocracy exists.
This notion of meritocracy means that you work for and get what you earn. So either 80% of all of us are lazy as shit – or the game is rigged.
So I think working class whites might feel the game is rigged – but because of this notion of we get what we work for exists. We think the problem comes from the fact we must be getting beat out by the rest of the 80% of us fighting over that 17% of wealth left.
So Trump used that notion of meritocracy to act like it was the immigrant, the undocumented person, the refugee, or terrorists. Or black welfare, or Free Loaders or people of Food Stamps that were the problem those assholes are why we are still poor!
How can that be you are looking at the person with NOTHING and are thinking their existence is the thing keeping you from success?!? While we are ultra aware of the rich and all their opulence being all around us all the time.
Still because we feel the rich earned it, we leave them alone – and Trump allowed us all 80% of us to turn on each other. Black, Mexican, LGBT, and Whites as long as you were working class you were a part of the problem – it is was not Trump alone where that idea came from! Deomcrats can tend to demonize “stupid”, “uneducated”, “cis”, “hetero” and “white” working people for not knowing they are being taken advantage of….
If I need help I don’t need to be blamed – I need to point to the source of the problem! Social Class!
Second: How does this tax bill sacrifice the working class for the benefit of the ultra rich top 5%?
So there are tax cuts in this bill to the tune of $32,000 per person for the richest one per cent, for the top 0.1% those – already super rich people will get a tax cut of $208K per year – now even if every one of them hire two people with those tax savings (benefits cost a ton of money so I’m guessing salary at 60K plus 40K in benefits) that would only be 6 million jobs. NOT ENOUGH FOR 326 million of us!!
This tax cut for these people will cost 1.5 trillion dollars. This is for people who are ALREADY RICH!
If you make less than 75K per year you will be seeing a tax hike. And if this is supposed to be budget neutral that means if you make less that 75K per year – well buster you are paying for this “tax cut”.
This will hurt people with retirement benefits: Because the plan proposes to add at least $1.5 trillion to the national debt, fiscal conservatives say the imbalance needs to be offset by either cuts of “entitlement” programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid or tax increases
The GOP Plan Would Really Raise Taxes for Middle Class Over Time. President Trump and his GOP allies have been crowing about how middle class families will receive a tax cut in their plan.
The truth is obscured by the fact that several tax breaks — like personal exemptions and property tax write-offs — are cut or limited
Moreover, whatever meager personal cuts are proposed now go away in the future to pay for huge rate reductions for global corporations and the ultra-wealthy. Here’s Catherine Rampell in the Washington Post:
“Republican leaders keep claiming the bill focuses on helping the middle class. But voters are already catching on to the fact that the biggest tax cuts go to the wealthiest.
Lately the public has learned that the Senate bill will actually raise taxes for households making less than $75,000 by 2027, relative to current law. Yes you read that right. And it’s true even if you don’t count the bill’s changes to Obamacare.”
Graduate students and families paying off college debt see whatever modest tax breaks vanish. That will further mushroom the outrageous cost of college.
Instead of giving families tax credits for college bills and nursing/home care bills, they pay more out of pocket while the estate and alternative minimum tax on the ultra-affluent disappear.
And on health care, the GOP tax reform template would cause millions to lose their health coverage or pay more, according to a fresh analysis from the AARP Public Policy Institute:
— People ages 50 to 64 would face average premium increases of up to $1,500 in 2019 as a result of the bill, the AARP study found.
This bill is slated to add to the deficit and it is going need to be paid for by Working Class People of all backgrounds – if you make below 200K a year this is bad news for you.
Additionally what will be the repercussion of those who NEED to spend their money for basic substance 50% of us JUST LOST MONEY. And the people who got those most – who don’t need to spend it got the most money. Where will the new spending come from, people who don’t need to spend it already?
If there is no new demand supply backs up – which is why if you want to stimulate an economy you do it with the people who need to spend it rather than waste it on who can save it.
Trump just turned of the very people he counts on to get them elected – the question is as inclusive activists can we help them notice they just got screwed with care and compassion.
Lastly – this could be a major turning point. Pretty much all working class people are going to get hurt by this bill. And as of this podcasts posting the senate bill just pass – the house is going to rubber stamp this f-er as fast as possible.
I think there is too much smoke with this Muller investigation and there are so many GOP problems with pedophiles (not that the Dems are doing much better on this issue) with Russia, with a clear misunderstanding how compling onto the problem of social class more and more and more that this is a really bad omen.
Now what? Will be blame the people who got suckered? After all they voted for the rich guy – the guy that has always been rich his whole life to help the beleaguered working class.
They turned to the guy who doesn’t pay his contractors for services delivered and jams them up in court with his high priced lawyers knowing that they cannot fight and will need to give up move on or go bankrupt.
The white working class block that voted for Trump just got hammered. Was it a stupid move to trust this guy on their part – sure it was. Did we tell them so – f yeah we did. But how will we choose to react right now in this moment of betrayal?
All of us non-cis hetero white rich citizen English speaking able bodied non-hypenated Americans know EXACTLY what it feels like to be ripped off, lied to, taken advantage of, and have been victims of an oppressive system, We know that pain and we understand that fear – really and truly.
How will be act – will we gloat, and posture. We well let them know just exactly how stupid they were, or how we tried over and over again to tell them SO – WE TOLD YOU SO
Or will we see our fellow human – ass in the dust, knocked the fuck out by their champion, turned on, betrayed, and humiliated and offer them a hand up. Will we welcome them in – knowing white is still a measure of diversity – even if overvalued by social hierarchy. And take this pivotal opportunity to make a friend.
That my friend is up to you! I know my stance – this can be an opportunity – don’t make me say I told you so
So in review major points of this podcast were:
- How Trump used working class white people to get elected by manipulating oddly enough white fragility
- How this bill just hurt non-working class people and just how bad they got screwed
- How will we act, and what will we do now?
SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393
This space is a place to talk back ask me questions, hit me with scenarios of how to react to situations real time. Depending on how good your stuff is I will give it my “first take response” or if it’s good it might be a future podcast!
Also as always if you’re interested in booking me to bring the power of inclusive activism to your organization you can always do so at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or you can learn more about this organization at www.inclusiveactivism.com
https://inclusiveactivism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Working-class-Crucified-at-the-Altar-of-the-Rich.mp3
Teaser: Do you know what I LOVE, when I feel supported, when I feel like people are behind me and believe in me, when people cheer me on to do my best. But what happens in a world of performers without an audience or fans?
Today’s podcast is on the importance of being a fan.
Today we will talk about:
Are we self obsessed?
What is a mark, and is it cool to be one?
What would the world look like with more fans?
Welcome back to the podcast! So the goal as of the writing of this was to record two podcasts today, we will need to see how that goes… But I recorded the DACA podcast and had some technical issues (of my own making I might add) So I need to re-record that and see if we can this one on Fandom in as well!
So the podcast so far is not doing anything too spectacular at the moment. No giant download days but I have not been able to promote it as much as I would like. We are sticking to the plan to get a few one hit one topics built for the next few weeks. But we are now over seven months into the inclusive activism podcast project and I am wondering how things are going? What do you like what do you not like…? Please remember you can email me at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or leave me a voicemail at 860-576-9393. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Also remember to rate and review us on iTunes, or Stitcher, or if you could please share the podcast on social media, All these things go a long way to making a significant difference for us here at the inclusive activism podcast. Also please subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play as these are great ways for me to show “proof of work to potential sponsors”. It would also go a long way in getting my producer Sara paid for her work someday too!
So checking in on my Activism:
Starting and closing Emerging Leaders and finishing COM101 respectively.
Looking at trying get a film screening at ASU West Camps about the effects of Native Mascots.
Took students to a screening of Below the Fold for Hispanic Heritage Month
And will be meeting some friends tomorrow to do some more good work around the folks from Anytown!
Self Care:
Lift X4 a week which was great
Got 1X Cardio done this week camelback mtn, but no focus other wise
And Meditated for 1X for at least 10-15 mins but that isn’t going great either
But I did get to sleep in and rest for awhile unexpectedly which was good
And did some arts and crafts for Dia De Los Muertos which was fun – although still undone
So on to the podcast for today! On Fandom and how they do the damage – and how we buy into them, and what we can do to widen our out-group connections…
First thing: Why do I think there is a scarcity of fandom.
I think it is a bit cultural right now, I think it is part of parents getting a sense of their identity as being do it all parents which has put a hyper focus on children and their developments and achievement which has made a culture of being very self-interested. Parents blog about the experience of being a parent and then measure themselves on their successes by the achievements – or secretly deficiencies of their children.
I also feel that social media rewards me centered self-sharing. With Insta’s hearts, with Facebook likes, and silly metrics like snap streaks – (side rant – don’t get it just days texted in a row – does this really mean you have a deep connection) is it public evidence of the depth of a friendship? I don’t understand it myself.
I see these things combining as a major part of our just look good culture. The focus is on looking like you have it all together – NOT on being a good or whole person. Not on helping or serving others it is mostly on looking like you are popular, knowledgeable, and successful. There is no value placed on true evidence of these things in a person’s life. A tweet doesn’t tell you about the pain of overcoming an addiction or getting out of a codependent relationship. Just like a before and after photo gives no appreciation to the follower if this was the result of a crash diet and crazy cardio or evidence of a true-life change to a happier and healthier person.
Additionally, it’s not ok to really like anything these days. Its seems like everyone is just tragically hip or too cool to get really excited about anything. Or maybe it’s a feeling of everything is just passé and that we live in a world that isn’t worth getting excited about. That idea is frightening to me. But I also grew up in the 80’s we loved getting excited about fandom. We when I was younger saw it as a badge of honor to get excited or loved the idea of being a biggest fan. Were as now I worry people are worried about getting called out for liking something.
Second: So what is it like to be a fan – a fan who isn’t worried about being judged or scrutinized for their fandom. Well I can tell you with a personal example it is WAY more fun than it used to be.
So when I was younger I was raised in young poor and frankly redneck circles. There is a certain pride that comes with being working class. And its something I think very few people know and understand about the working class pride. You came to work, you busted your ass, and you got home at a decent hour. You were not riche but you were probably at that time in the early 80s lower middle class (a social class that really doesn’t exist now)
So being a child in these circles exposed me to the really odd subculture of professional wrestling. Back in that day things were done kayfabe which meant it was all presented at real. The fights were real, the grudges were real, and the wrestling was all considered real not a work. Kayfabe was a term for keeping the behind the scenes part of professional wrestling a secret. And those who got swept up in the drama were called marks.
A mark was a fan who believes in the characters and events in pro wrestling. They were seen at times as a fan who idolizes a wrestler, promotion or style of wresting to a point others would consider excessive. The point is there were invested – shoot I was invested!
There is a new term called Smark – its stands for Smart Mark, these folks now about all the behind the scenes of wrestling but are still fans – however they derive joy from the critique of the show (how they decide who wins and who loses, who gets promoted who doesn’t, and how the production evolves)
This is the advent of an idea I will call the Meta-Fan. You are aware of more than one level of something working and attempt to enjoy things on many levels.
But that meta-ness means you are always aware of your own outward sense of displayed joy. You can’t appear to like something that is outside your own stated joys or loves. This sense of meta-analysis means it’s very hard to lose yourself in an experience.
Since we are all very aware of our own sense of being seen – we all self-monitor sense of our public selves and manage our fandom to be seen in the way we would like to be portrayed.
Do you see how this relates to what I talked about before about the worrying about how we look all the time instead of being good. Instead of being concerned about appreciating what we like, the people that we value, or what brings us life we can get worried about what people think about our liking.
Now let me point out – in our hyper critical culture we can get criticized for liking so many things: For example my stance of being an Inclusive Activist can mean that I should not or cant like: Professional Wrestling, the NFL, or even MMA. BUT I can like those things while also advocating for better ways or better practices rather than just pledging blind allegiance.
Also on a slightly different note – imagine a world without fans. None of your favorite movies, your favorite TV shows, No website, No comedians, No podcasts, No blogs – no entertainment period!! What a dull dreary world!!
Lastly – For more fun we need more Fandom! We need more fans in this world. In a hypercritical space, in a place where we are all over observed we all self inhibit ourselves from some of the things we love and appreciate the most.
I love teaching about leadership. I love showing how to create new thinkings around diversity and inclusion. I love playing flag football and I love working out. And in the spaces and places where I thrive the most I have fans.
Timo is a huge samoan guy that plays on our flag football team. He could easily be a scary or intimdaing man if it were not for his near constant smile on his face. He is as strong as can be and could easily block me with one arm if I were to pass rush against him. HOWEVER when I am playing defense and if he is resting on the sidelines I am always hearing Timo cheering me on. I think some of it is because I am older than him we are both tribal people and he does so out a bit of cultural respect, and I invited him to play with our team too. But either way I see Timo and way more skilled than me in many ways, And Sat Morning in and Sat morning out I always hear the big man saying “C’mon Rowdy, Get them Rowdy” Which is SO cool, Because how often do you hear grown men who are peers cheering for each other? Timo reminders me to cheer more often.
Jason is my workout partner, and when we lift there are times when I think I am done, when I think there is nothing left. And he will tell he I know you have one more! His confidence in me while I am in pain and doubting if I have anything left makes me push for ONE more, If I fail I know he is proud at my attempt to try, and he will keep me safe, if I get it he gets excited and pumped up at my visual effort her constantly gets more out of me.
The guy from Fry’s who is always excited to see me who exclaims, “Hey professor!” even though I am clearly not one. He sees the best in me, and it always make him want to be the best in himself.
These men in their fandom remind me I need to be that same fan of others. And with brutal honesty I will tell you I am not the best at this. I do great in situations and circumstances, when doing diversity and inclusion training, when on leadership retreats, at Anytown. But really, like day in and day out, I am not even just at ok with my words of affirmation with my fandom of the people I am blessed to send time with!
I need to be a fan. As my friend Jason said be a fan when out at dinner NOTICE the amazing service not just you but all the other people your servicer helps with thoughtful diligence throughout the night. Cheer on the checkout clerk, let them know you appreciate how hard they are working to get you and everyone else though that line. Cheer on those who are protesting for a better tomorrow.
Be a FUCKING fan of the people who are all working their ass off to make the world a better. Place be a unabashed Mark for them – Love and adore their work and their effort and let them know! One of my peer mentors this year tells people over and over all the time I appreciate you!
And please know dear listener – little fan of mine, I could never do this without you. Every day I wonder if this is worth it. Every day I think is this the best use of my time. But you here with me right now in this moment are worth it. You probably statically are the only person hearing me and I am talking to you my dear friend. Thank you so much for being a listener – subscriber, and a fan I have no idea what I am doing but I am doing it with and for you
So in review major points of this podcast were:
- Today we have a very look at me, give me feedback culture, with Facebook, with Twitter, Insta and Snapchat. The hyper focus on children made us a bit self-focused with attention
- A world without adoring fans – without people who are and are willing to mark out for things they like and care about would be a boring place
- We need to be better raving fans for things. We need to cheer on and support both the people in our lives as well as the people we don’t know. Everyone appreciates appreciations
SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393
This space is a place to talk back ask me questions, hit me with scenarios of how to react to situations real time. Depending on how good your stuff is I will give it my “first take response” or if it’s good it might be a future podcast!
Also as always if you’re interested in booking me to bring the power of inclusive activism to your organization you can always do so at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or you can learn more about this organization at www.inclusiveactivism.com
https://inclusiveactivism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/The-Importance-of-Being-a-Fan.mp3
Teaser: Is it really true that somehow we are biogenetically hardwired to not feel a sense of care and empathy for those different than us. Am I as an inclusive activist even subject to this threat? How can I be inclusive if I am hard wired to not care about the pain of others?
Today’s podcast is on The Racial Empathy Gap.
Welcome back to the podcast! The last two weeks have been really fantastic and I am very appreciative of the time I have had to spend some quality time the last few weekends with friend and family
So as far as podcast updates go, I had the podcasts first email this past week and it was very cool because I was asked to speak on activism and self care and how to avoid activist burnout sadly I had to turn down the opportunity to speak at the We the People Summitt sponsored by some great forward thinking folk who needed some different thoughts on diversity inclusion and activism. It really sounded like an amazing opportunity but sadly I am out of town for an Emerging Leaders Retreat. That is the second opportunity I am having to miss to do inclusion work but at least Emerging Leaders is a form of inclusion work as well. But if you have an opportunity to connect with me and create some synergy – Please remember you can email me at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or leave me a voicemail at 860-576-9393. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Also remember to rate and review us on iTunes, or Stitcher, or if you could please share the podcast on social media, All these things go a long way to making a significant difference for us here at the inclusive activism podcast. Also please subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play as these are great ways for me to show “proof of work to potential sponsors”. It would also go a long way in getting my producer Sara paid for her work someday too!
So checking in on my Activism:
Its been 4 meeting since I have joined the opportunity Valley Leadership Advance – it is for people who do leadership in AZ but are not yet considered pillars in the community – its been ok
I’m scheduled to get ready for my service event with VLA on 11/18 with Habitat for Humanity which should be interesting since I have never done service with that organization
Did service last night with howl-o-ween – it’s a fund-raising event with the Phx Zoo which I know causes some problematics but it overall is a good if imperfect event which does help conservation efforts across the globe and it provides a safe place for Halloween activities too
I’ll be looking doing a lot more service over Nov which will do a lot to help me cultivate gratitude and I really want to make Nov a month of appreciation.
Self Care:
Lift X4 times a week which was good but one short of my goal however I am needing to heal a nagging injury
Got 3X Cardio done this week which is very cool
And Meditated for 3X for at least 10-15 mins as well
Won my first flag football playoff game this morning which means a lot to me
Had a friend Luke Black over last week and it had been a while we are very good for each other to keep me active and keep him balanced and as joyful as we can manage!
So on to the podcast for today!
First: What is the racial empathy gap? This notion comes from a well-documented psychological phenomenon behind what I’d overheard. Morten B. sent along an essay by Jason Silverstein in which he reviews the literature on the racial empathy gap. All things being equal, if you show a person an image of a dark- and a light-skinned person being harmed, they will most likely react more strongly to the latter. Studies have found evidence of this using both self-report and measures of brain activity. Notably, both black and white people respond similarly.
Trawalter, S., Hoffman, K. M., & Waytz, A. (2012). Racial bias in perceptions of others’ pain. PloS one, 7(11), e48546.
This idea of the racial empathy gap is related to the idea that somehow the darker your skin tone is the more you can stand and deal with pain. It seems like there is this sense of they can deal with difficulty and pain much easier maybe due to their difficult lives – I’m not certain. But what makes it notable is this is not about explicit bias or any degree of racial aminosity – it doesn’t event matter if you are a part of that group or not (both white and black people display effects of that racial empathy gap.
Instead, it appears to be related to the perception that black people have already had to cope with a great deal of pain—from racism, poverty, poor health, etc—and, as a result, have a greater pain threshold. In other words, they are less sensitive to pain because they’ve been hardened.
Efforts to parse out whether this effect is due to race specifically or perceptions of whether a person has lived a hard life suggest that it might be primarily the latter. But, as Silverstein points out, we tend to homogenize the black population and assume that all black people face adversity. So, whether the phenomenon is caused by race or status gets pretty muddy pretty fast.
So again the idea is there is a differing sense of empathy for white and black people’s pain outside of race – both races experience this phenomena BOTH feel black can endure more pain
Second: What are some examples of the repercussions of the racial empathy gap?
The Crack Epidemic Vs. The Heroin Epidemic
If you want to examine how the white working class receives empathy that is never reserved for the Black working class, look no further than the heroin epidemic. Now admittedly, the heroin epidemic is a terrible health crisis that requires bipartisan solutions. But when crack cocaine disproportionately affected Black communities in the 1980s, there was no call for a public health solution. In fact, the crack epidemic was not considered a public health problem at all, instead, it was considered a criminal justice issue. Crack cocaine users in the Black community were not given clean needles or anti-overdose drugs. They were arrested, given records, and mandatory minimums. Politicians did not call for compassion and sympathy for poor Black people caught up in drugs in the 1980s. They called for harsh criminal penalties. Just look at the 100–1 mandatory sentencing ratio between crack cocaine and powdered cocaine. The law was consciously designed to more harshly impact Black people, who were more likely to use crack cocaine versus the powdered version of the drug. Millions of Black people were got records, were locked up, lost their voting rights, and were later unable to reenter the economy or get a job due to harsh state and local laws passed in the 1980s. Those poor Black people who used crack cocaine got no sympathy from the media or from politicians. But we are expected to sympathize with poor white people who use heroin, and even work overtime to help them avoid criminal penalties.
No “Economic Anxiety” Excuse For Black Workers
How many times have you turned on the local news and seen a Black person accused of committing a petty crime, such as stealing from a gas station or not paying a parking ticket? How many times have read a piece in conservative media that called Black people “lazy,” or “freeloaders,” or “welfare queens?” How many times have you seen members of the media or politicians go on some extended riff about Black on Black crime? Now think about how many times you’ve heard “economic anxiety” used as an excuse for Black people for any of these things? Zero right?
Economic anxiety isn’t an excuse that Black people (or any other minorities really) are allowed to have. Black people are supposed to be at the bottom of the social caste system, and we’re supposed to be meek and quiet about it. Even supposed leftists talk almost exclusively about the white working class, spending virtually no time speaking to the Black working class or building relationships with them. When they ask us to talk about “workers,” they are talking specifically about white workers in factories in the northeast and the rust belt. They aren’t talking about Black communities in South Carolina, in North Carolina, or in Georgia.
Despite the median Black family having 13 times less the wealth of the median white family, Black people have not turned to racial demagogues who demonize other races and call for attacking them to solve their economic problems. The Black community has not turned to the politics of hate in order to fix our much more pressing and severe economic anxiety. Why isn’t economic anxiety ever an excuse we get to use? You already know the answer. Instead, “economic anxiety” is reserved as an excuse for significantly wealthier white workers who have espoused support for racist politics. Nobody is talking about how the Black working class has very real economic anxiety. They are either ignored or told that that they deserve it.
https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/the-racial-empathy-gap-no-sympathy-for-the-black-working-class-1f8cea33b4b1
The need for Black Lives Matter! The fact that there is a movement called black lives matter shows us that we have some SERIOUS problems with the racial empathy gap.
The racial empathy gap creates: Blacks are 13% of the population and 37% of the total population locked up – that is bananas almost 3 times the rate of their own population! Think if white people we imprisoned at just their rate of 73.6% but are imprisoned at a 39% rate.
The racial empathy gap is present with OIS shootings: 73.9% of the population killed at a rate of 49%. Black are 13% shot and killed at a 24% rate.
Black people get prescribed pain meds 40% less often than their white counterparts FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.
This is a serious systemic societal problem!
Lastly: What can I personally do about it, for myself and for my country? Well first off we need to take a moment and really consider how toxic our society must be for something like this not only to exist – but for all people to feel and respond this way.
Take a moment to think of what are the narratives that must be repeated again and again. The visuals we choose on a day in and day out basis – What does this say about us as a people?
Next what I would recommend considering is giving a bit more slack in your judgement with news stories or headlines which “feature” blackness or frame blacks as deserving of their fortunes due to some crime. As we saw before there is little to no empathy in a societal sense for working class black people – especially compared with the narratives around the “struggle” of working class whites,
Also you really need to expose yourself to different people where you are the only one like you. There are some really deep internal implicit biases at work that create this problem and it is only exposure that can start to help to undue these deeply held biases.
Another strategy to overcome the racial empathy gap? One answer may be memory. In one experiment from a study examining different emotional states and how they impact the empathy gap, researchers found that participants who completed a memory task while in “pain” (holding their non-dominant hand in ice water) performed worse on the memory task than participants who were not in pain (Nordgren, van der Pligt, and van Harreveld, 2006). In addition, the ‘pain’ participants were more likely to attribute their poor performance to factors other than the fact that they had been in pain while taking the test (Nordgren, van der Pligt, & van Harreveld, 2006). This research suggests not only that people in stressful emotional states have worse memory during that time and therefore might not realize that what they are doing is not in line with their general actions, but also that the memory of the effects that such a stressful emotional state has on your actions fades extremely quickly. In other words, we forget the impact that our emotions had on what we acted and therefore try to attribute our behavior to something else. This explains why we cannot automatically empathize with anyone who is experiencing an emotion we may have experienced before: because our memory for our experience of that emotion and how it affected us may be impaired or erased. It is important to nurture these memories rather than to suppress them, and to try to understand the impact of our emotions rather than dismiss them, so that we can access those memories later and have an easier time making sense of the emotions of others (thereby avoiding some of the aforementioned negative effects of the empathy gap).
We need to try and put ourselves in some first hand experiences in order to really understand the difficulties and pains of others experiences.
How is this all relevant? We all have to deal with different emotions and emotional states at different times. We also often have to interact with people of different ages, races, genders and sexual orientations, and divides between different groups that can result in things like racism or sexism are all too common. We will never be able to experience other people’s emotions in the same way and at the same time that they experience them, or understand how it feels to be a member of a group we don’t belong to. But if being more aware of the emotions that they are experiencing could help us understand them, this could help us in our daily interactions with one another. The takeaway is this: next time you’re in an emotional situation and about to react to something, take a second to think whether what you are about to do is really something you would like to see yourself doing. In other words, is this a fair and proportionate response? Similarly, when someone else is struggling with a problem or reacting extremely to something that may be emotional for them, ask yourself if you have ever felt that way in a different context. If you can access your memories rather than suppress them and recognize the emotion a fellow person is feeling, perhaps you can help calm them down or find a better way to process it, whether they share your age, race, gender, or not. At the very least you will be able to understand what is going through their mind and why they might be reacting in a certain way. Making sure we make an active effort to relate to others rather than look at their situation solely from our own perspective could go a long way in reducing the empathy gap.
So in review major points of this podcast were:
- We defined the racial empathy gap
- Where are there some examples of this so called racial empathy gap
- We need to take time and understand the lives and experiences of other people ALL other people if we are to connect and come together to overcome our collective empathy gap.
And finally if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393
This space is a place to talk back ask me questions, hit me with scenarios of how to react to situations real time. Depending on how good your stuff is I will give it my “first take response” or if it’s good it might be a future podcast!
Also as always if you’re interested in booking me to bring the power of inclusive activism to your organization you can always do so at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or you can learn more about this organization at www.inclusiveactivism.com
Teaser: Is it really true that somehow we are biogenetically hardwired to not feel a sense of care and empathy for those different than us. Am I as an inclusive activist even subject to this threat? How can I be inclusive if I am hard wired to not care about the pain of others?
Today’s podcast is on The Racial Empathy Gap.
Welcome back to the podcast! The last two weeks have been really fantastic and I am very appreciative of the time I have had to spend some quality time the last few weekends with friend and family
So as far as podcast updates go, I had the podcasts first email this past week and it was very cool because I was asked to speak on activism and self care and how to avoid activist burnout sadly I had to turn down the opportunity to speak at the We the People Summitt sponsored by some great forward thinking folk who needed some different thoughts on diversity inclusion and activism. It really sounded like an amazing opportunity but sadly I am out of town for an Emerging Leaders Retreat. That is the second opportunity I am having to miss to do inclusion work but at least Emerging Leaders is a form of inclusion work as well. But if you have an opportunity to connect with me and create some synergy – Please remember you can email me at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or leave me a voicemail at 860-576-9393. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Also remember to rate and review us on iTunes, or Stitcher, or if you could please share the podcast on social media, All these things go a long way to making a significant difference for us here at the inclusive activism podcast. Also please subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play as these are great ways for me to show “proof of work to potential sponsors”. It would also go a long way in getting my producer Sara paid for her work someday too!
So checking in on my Activism:
Its been 4 meeting since I have joined the opportunity Valley Leadership Advance – it is for people who do leadership in AZ but are not yet considered pillars in the community – its been ok
I’m scheduled to get ready for my service event with VLA on 11/18 with Habitat for Humanity which should be interesting since I have never done service with that organization
Did service last night with howl-o-ween – it’s a fund-raising event with the Phx Zoo which I know causes some problematics but it overall is a good if imperfect event which does help conservation efforts across the globe and it provides a safe place for Halloween activities too
I’ll be looking doing a lot more service over Nov which will do a lot to help me cultivate gratitude and I really want to make Nov a month of appreciation.
Self Care:
Lift X4 times a week which was good but one short of my goal however I am needing to heal a nagging injury
Got 3X Cardio done this week which is very cool
And Meditated for 3X for at least 10-15 mins as well
Won my first flag football playoff game this morning which means a lot to me
Had a friend Luke Black over last week and it had been a while we are very good for each other to keep me active and keep him balanced and as joyful as we can manage!
So on to the podcast for today!
First: What is the racial empathy gap? This notion comes from a well-documented psychological phenomenon behind what I’d overheard. Morten B. sent along an essay by Jason Silverstein in which he reviews the literature on the racial empathy gap. All things being equal, if you show a person an image of a dark- and a light-skinned person being harmed, they will most likely react more strongly to the latter. Studies have found evidence of this using both self-report and measures of brain activity. Notably, both black and white people respond similarly.
Trawalter, S., Hoffman, K. M., & Waytz, A. (2012). Racial bias in perceptions of others’ pain. PloS one, 7(11), e48546.
This idea of the racial empathy gap is related to the idea that somehow the darker your skin tone is the more you can stand and deal with pain. It seems like there is this sense of they can deal with difficulty and pain much easier maybe due to their difficult lives – I’m not certain. But what makes it notable is this is not about explicit bias or any degree of racial aminosity – it doesn’t event matter if you are a part of that group or not (both white and black people display effects of that racial empathy gap.
Instead, it appears to be related to the perception that black people have already had to cope with a great deal of pain—from racism, poverty, poor health, etc—and, as a result, have a greater pain threshold. In other words, they are less sensitive to pain because they’ve been hardened.
Efforts to parse out whether this effect is due to race specifically or perceptions of whether a person has lived a hard life suggest that it might be primarily the latter. But, as Silverstein points out, we tend to homogenize the black population and assume that all black people face adversity. So, whether the phenomenon is caused by race or status gets pretty muddy pretty fast.
So again the idea is there is a differing sense of empathy for white and black people’s pain outside of race – both races experience this phenomena BOTH feel black can endure more pain
Second: What are some examples of the repercussions of the racial empathy gap?
The Crack Epidemic Vs. The Heroin Epidemic
If you want to examine how the white working class receives empathy that is never reserved for the Black working class, look no further than the heroin epidemic. Now admittedly, the heroin epidemic is a terrible health crisis that requires bipartisan solutions. But when crack cocaine disproportionately affected Black communities in the 1980s, there was no call for a public health solution. In fact, the crack epidemic was not considered a public health problem at all, instead, it was considered a criminal justice issue. Crack cocaine users in the Black community were not given clean needles or anti-overdose drugs. They were arrested, given records, and mandatory minimums. Politicians did not call for compassion and sympathy for poor Black people caught up in drugs in the 1980s. They called for harsh criminal penalties. Just look at the 100–1 mandatory sentencing ratio between crack cocaine and powdered cocaine. The law was consciously designed to more harshly impact Black people, who were more likely to use crack cocaine versus the powdered version of the drug. Millions of Black people were got records, were locked up, lost their voting rights, and were later unable to reenter the economy or get a job due to harsh state and local laws passed in the 1980s. Those poor Black people who used crack cocaine got no sympathy from the media or from politicians. But we are expected to sympathize with poor white people who use heroin, and even work overtime to help them avoid criminal penalties.
No “Economic Anxiety” Excuse For Black Workers
How many times have you turned on the local news and seen a Black person accused of committing a petty crime, such as stealing from a gas station or not paying a parking ticket? How many times have read a piece in conservative media that called Black people “lazy,” or “freeloaders,” or “welfare queens?” How many times have you seen members of the media or politicians go on some extended riff about Black on Black crime? Now think about how many times you’ve heard “economic anxiety” used as an excuse for Black people for any of these things? Zero right?
Economic anxiety isn’t an excuse that Black people (or any other minorities really) are allowed to have. Black people are supposed to be at the bottom of the social caste system, and we’re supposed to be meek and quiet about it. Even supposed leftists talk almost exclusively about the white working class, spending virtually no time speaking to the Black working class or building relationships with them. When they ask us to talk about “workers,” they are talking specifically about white workers in factories in the northeast and the rust belt. They aren’t talking about Black communities in South Carolina, in North Carolina, or in Georgia.
Despite the median Black family having 13 times less the wealth of the median white family, Black people have not turned to racial demagogues who demonize other races and call for attacking them to solve their economic problems. The Black community has not turned to the politics of hate in order to fix our much more pressing and severe economic anxiety. Why isn’t economic anxiety ever an excuse we get to use? You already know the answer. Instead, “economic anxiety” is reserved as an excuse for significantly wealthier white workers who have espoused support for racist politics. Nobody is talking about how the Black working class has very real economic anxiety. They are either ignored or told that that they deserve it.
https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/the-racial-empathy-gap-no-sympathy-for-the-black-working-class-1f8cea33b4b1
The need for Black Lives Matter! The fact that there is a movement called black lives matter shows us that we have some SERIOUS problems with the racial empathy gap.
The racial empathy gap creates: Blacks are 13% of the population and 37% of the total population locked up – that is bananas almost 3 times the rate of their own population! Think if white people we imprisoned at just their rate of 73.6% but are imprisoned at a 39% rate.
The racial empathy gap is present with OIS shootings: 73.9% of the population killed at a rate of 49%. Black are 13% shot and killed at a 24% rate.
Black people get prescribed pain meds 40% less often than their white counterparts FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.
This is a serious systemic societal problem!
Lastly: What can I personally do about it, for myself and for my country? Well first off we need to take a moment and really consider how toxic our society must be for something like this not only to exist – but for all people to feel and respond this way.
Take a moment to think of what are the narratives that must be repeated again and again. The visuals we choose on a day in and day out basis – What does this say about us as a people?
Next what I would recommend considering is giving a bit more slack in your judgement with news stories or headlines which “feature” blackness or frame blacks as deserving of their fortunes due to some crime. As we saw before there is little to no empathy in a societal sense for working class black people – especially compared with the narratives around the “struggle” of working class whites,
Also you really need to expose yourself to different people where you are the only one like you. There are some really deep internal implicit biases at work that create this problem and it is only exposure that can start to help to undue these deeply held biases.
Another strategy to overcome the racial empathy gap? One answer may be memory. In one experiment from a study examining different emotional states and how they impact the empathy gap, researchers found that participants who completed a memory task while in “pain” (holding their non-dominant hand in ice water) performed worse on the memory task than participants who were not in pain (Nordgren, van der Pligt, and van Harreveld, 2006). In addition, the ‘pain’ participants were more likely to attribute their poor performance to factors other than the fact that they had been in pain while taking the test (Nordgren, van der Pligt, & van Harreveld, 2006). This research suggests not only that people in stressful emotional states have worse memory during that time and therefore might not realize that what they are doing is not in line with their general actions, but also that the memory of the effects that such a stressful emotional state has on your actions fades extremely quickly. In other words, we forget the impact that our emotions had on what we acted and therefore try to attribute our behavior to something else. This explains why we cannot automatically empathize with anyone who is experiencing an emotion we may have experienced before: because our memory for our experience of that emotion and how it affected us may be impaired or erased. It is important to nurture these memories rather than to suppress them, and to try to understand the impact of our emotions rather than dismiss them, so that we can access those memories later and have an easier time making sense of the emotions of others (thereby avoiding some of the aforementioned negative effects of the empathy gap).
We need to try and put ourselves in some first hand experiences in order to really understand the difficulties and pains of others experiences.
How is this all relevant? We all have to deal with different emotions and emotional states at different times. We also often have to interact with people of different ages, races, genders and sexual orientations, and divides between different groups that can result in things like racism or sexism are all too common. We will never be able to experience other people’s emotions in the same way and at the same time that they experience them, or understand how it feels to be a member of a group we don’t belong to. But if being more aware of the emotions that they are experiencing could help us understand them, this could help us in our daily interactions with one another. The takeaway is this: next time you’re in an emotional situation and about to react to something, take a second to think whether what you are about to do is really something you would like to see yourself doing. In other words, is this a fair and proportionate response? Similarly, when someone else is struggling with a problem or reacting extremely to something that may be emotional for them, ask yourself if you have ever felt that way in a different context. If you can access your memories rather than suppress them and recognize the emotion a fellow person is feeling, perhaps you can help calm them down or find a better way to process it, whether they share your age, race, gender, or not. At the very least you will be able to understand what is going through their mind and why they might be reacting in a certain way. Making sure we make an active effort to relate to others rather than look at their situation solely from our own perspective could go a long way in reducing the empathy gap.
So in review major points of this podcast were:
- We defined the racial empathy gap
- Where are there some examples of this so called racial empathy gap
- We need to take time and understand the lives and experiences of other people ALL other people if we are to connect and come together to overcome our collective empathy gap.
And finally if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393
This space is a place to talk back ask me questions, hit me with scenarios of how to react to situations real time. Depending on how good your stuff is I will give it my “first take response” or if it’s good it might be a future podcast!
Also as always if you’re interested in booking me to bring the power of inclusive activism to your organization you can always do so at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or you can learn more about this organization at www.inclusiveactivism.com
https://inclusiveactivism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/The-Racial-Emphaty-Gap.mp3