Sound of Water: Recent Episodes
David Yun
Inspired by the Taoist philosophy of "Be Like Water," Christian host David Yun interviews people from all different walks of life to better understand their perspectives on life, and how to integrate different worldviews into his own religious views. Discussions are centered around social issues, religious philosophies, mental health, current events, and exploring the possibility of crossovers between Taoist and Christian philosophies. No topics are off-limit for this podcast. Tune in to hear chill talk, hot takes, and always room temperature water.
www.soundofwater.fm @soundofwater.fm
Yo what up everyone - Happy New Year!
I've had this interview in the vault for a few months now and have finally come around to releasing it. Becoming a dad and a homeowner in the span of 2 months have really kept me away from podcasting, so I'm super pumped to finally get this one out.
For this episode, I brought on David Hayward, otherwise known as the "NakedPastor", to talk about spiritual deconstruction, spiritual abuse, and why he decided to leave the church after over 30 years serving in ministry.
David is now a full-time artist who dubs himself as a "Graffiti artist on the walls of religion", focusing his art on challenging the status quo, deconstructing dogma, and promoting spiritual independence.
He has a masters in theological studies from Gordon-Conwell theological seminary, as well as a diploma in religious studies and ministry from McGill university in Montreal. David started the NakedPastor blog in 2006, which analyses and critiques religion through his writings, art, and cartoons, and launched the Lasting Supper in 2012, an online resource site and community for the spiritually independent. His Instagram page has over 97,000 followers, and his art continues to inspire people all over the globe.
Hope y'all enjoy! Much love as always, and remember to stay hydrated.
- David
www.nakedpastor.com
thelastingsupper.com
www.instagram.com/nakedpastor
www.instagram.com/soundofwater.fm
www.soundofwater.fm
Peter Lublink, the Executive Director of BethanyKids, shares the mission and vision of BethanyKids, a Christian charity that provides pediatric surgery, rehab services, and spiritual care in 7 countries across Africa. Peter also shares his thoughts on how the healthcare system in Africa compares to that of the USA and Canada (10:50), his journey to doing mission work in the Middle East (24:49), and why there is no differentiation in being a Christian and being a missionary (37:15).
BethanyKids relies heavily on donations for their operations. Just $200 can help pay for the surgery of a child in need of care and has the potential to transform lives across the continent. If you feel compelled to donate, please visit https://bethanykids.org/donate/ and give any amount that you are able. Thank you all so much for tuning in!
Stay cool, stay hydrated, and be like water
- David Yun
BK website: www.bethanykids.org
BK Instagram: @bethanykids.ig
SOW Instagram: @soundofwater.fm
Timestamps:
3:11 Peter has travelled to how many countries?!
6:11 What exactly does BethanyKids do?
10:50 The healthcare system in Africa
16:18 Challenges of fundraising for a Christian charity
21:56 Future vision of BethanyKids
24:49 Peter's journey to mission work in the Middle East
28:49 What the church's response to the Afghanistan crisis should be
35:55 Challenges of doing mission work in the Middle East
37:15 Being a Christian and being a missionary are synonymous
47:22 International travel is optional for the church, mission is not
53:01 People should give without wanting attention
56:01 Consistency in living out the gospel will bring others to Christ
60:41 Closing remarks
Yooo what is good! Your boys David and Josh are back from their hiatus with a brand new format, where they will be discussing more pointed topics. This episode's question: "Is Capitalism Compatible with Christianity?"
Christianity has had a long and intimate relationship with capitalism, but recently, more and more people are raising their concerns whether or not capitalism is the most ethical and effective system. David was especially interested in Josh's perspective as a Christian entrepreneur, and in this episode, the two discuss whether or not capitalism is morally compatible and consistent with the Christian faith.
Hope y'all enjoy!
Yo what is good everyone! We are back momentarily, out of hiatus, to talk about the #StopAsianHate movement. David and Josh brought on a special guest, Olivia Wong, to deconstruct the movement, discuss how the movement came to fruition, and ask the question, "is this just the next media narrative?"
Olivia Wong is a Chinese-American entrepreneur, senior partner of Prototype Thinking Labs, public speaker, award-winning humanitarian, and Miss Asian Global 2020! She brought some great insight into the movement, along with providing her unique experiences as an Asian-American woman in business.
With AAPI Heritage Month coming to a close (Happy AAPI Heritage Month by the way our Asian brothers and sisters!), and the movement seeming to already lose steam with the popular discourse, the Sound of Water podcast hopes to keep the conversation going with this brand new episode! Hope y'all enjoy.
Olivia's link to "Resources for the Asian American Community"
Time Stamps: * 0:00 David bringing the HEAT with our new intro!! * 1:55 Meet Olivia Wong! * 5:29 Olivia's experiences with racism and hate as an Asian-American woman * 14:17 Deconstructing the #StopAsianHate Movement * 24:21 Was the Atlanta Spa shooting a hate crime? * 31:45 David plays devil's advocate (Are we overlooking other issues?) * 40:26 Validating the Asian American identity * 47:35 Olivia's thoughts on how both Asians and non-Asians can help
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! We are excited to bring you a surprise bonus episode featuring none other than Dr. Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe! Celebrating the anniversary edition of his classic book, “King Maker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Leadership Lessons in Working with Athletes and Entertainers, “Dr. Goodie joins David and Josh to delve into the life and legacy of the late Dr. King.
Dr. Goodie is an MLK scholar, and he drops some absolute gems in this interview. We’re proud to announce this as the closer for our second season of the Sound of Water Podcast. Hope y’all enjoy!
Purchase the Anniversary Edition of Dr. Goodie’s book, “King Maker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Leadership Lessons In Working With Athletes And Entertainers” here!
Time Stamps: * :08 Welcome back, Dr. Goodie! * 3:49 Progress made since July 2020 * 5:53 Dr. Goodie’s thoughts on Biden/Harris * 7:56 A Coalition of Conscience * 10:24 A reminder of values that MLK championed * 16:22 Lebron James’ impact on the election * 21:51 FBI Surveillance of MLK * 28:23 Does MLK’s personal life affect his legacy? * 33:23 Is Donald Trump redeemable? * 36:22 Separating faith and politics * 43:09 The Social Gospel * 47:13 History of inaction by the American church * 51:24 The Power of Sankofa * 55:39 The Power of Creativity * 59:22 The Power of Dreaming * 62:15 Closing thoughts
Our final guest of Season 2 is Jackie Faye aka "Drippy J"! Jackie is an Asian, female rapper and musician from Dallas, Texas. Jackie graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Science and Business, and is currently working as a full-time Strategy Consultant to eat and pay her bills. She started making music as early as high school, but officially debuted in 2018 with her two singles, "Right Place Wrong Time" and "Ling Ling." Jackie recently dropped a new single, "Jackie Faye Adventures", which is now streaming on all major platforms.
Tune in to hear Jackie describe her journey as a gay, Asian female navigating a black male dominated industry. Josh and David push Jackie to explore what inspires her to create music, how she finds confidence in her unique identity, how she continues to break stereotypes and barriers in her journey, and her layered views on religion in this thought-provoking season 2 finale!
*Make sure to listen to the end to hear Jackie's new single, "Jackie Faye Adventures" :)
**This interview includes explicit language
Jackie's Instagram: @gotjackie (https://www.instagram.com/gotjackie/)
Jackie's performance at USC APASA (shoutout from Dumbfoundead!): https://youtu.be/PluSxnxs3BA
Jackie's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/gotjackiee
Sound of Water website: www.soundofwater.fm
Sound of Water Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundofwater.fm/
Sound of Water Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soundofwater
Time Stamps: * 0:40 The Gift That Keeps on Giving * 0:33 David fact checks his mother * 1:39 My homeboy…my co-host…Josh * 2:40 Welcome, Jackie Faye! * 4:40 Jackie's passion for music * 9:08 Turning music into a career * 13:00 Shoutout from Dumbfoundead * 15:41 Jackie's "it" * 18:32 Building confidence through identity * 25:52 The power of community as a musical artist * 28:22 Anime and K-pop is cool now * 30:38 Inspiration for Jackie's music style * 35:23 Blending of musical genres * 39:25 Paying homage to the OG's of hip hop * 44:13 Being a lesbian, Asian female in the rap game * 49:31 Female rappers objectifying themselves? (example: WAP) * 53:30 Double standard for men and women * 57:04 Jackie's religious journey * 68:17 Josh's conversion to Christianity * 70:29 Botham Jean * 76:32 Reconciling homosexuality and religion * 80:31 Civilly agreeing to disagree * 81:52 Disagreements shouldn't affect how you love others * 85:14 We've reached the peak of Sound of Water * 90:28 Closing thoughts * 91:37 Jackie Faye Adventures.mp3
This week, the Sound of Water podcast hosts Nidhi Shastri! Nidhi is the current host and founder of her podcast, Model Minority: Uniquely American. This is the very FIRST collaboration episode from Sound of Water!
Nidhi started her podcast to explore the many layers and depths of the "model minority" myth: the good, the bad, and the invisible. She graduated from the University of Illinois with degrees in Political Science and Environmental Science and has experience working in radio, campaign organizing, and advocating for single-payer healthcare in Illinois. Nidhi also served as part of the panel for the Asian American Pacific Islanders for Biden, which hosted the @joebiden camp prior to the election!
Tune in to this week's episode to hear Josh and David dive deep into why it's important for minority groups to understand the "model minority" myth, how it originated, why it is considered a myth, the Racial Wedge, Orientalism, Andrew Yang, and much more in this highly-educational episode!
Model Minority: Uniquely American recently dropped a new episode, "One Jump Ahead of the Punchline", which discusses the issue of Asian-American media representation with the case study of Apu and Disney Channel's usage of Desi characters.
Model Minority podcast website: https://nshastr2.wixsite.com/modelminority
Model Minority podcast Instagram: @model.minority.u.a https://www.instagram.com/model.minority.u.a/
"The Two Asian Americas" By Karan Mahajan: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-two-asian-americas/amp
"We Asian Americans are not the virus, but we can be part of the cure" by Andrew Yang: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/01/andrew-yang-coronavirus-discrimination/
"Andrew Yang was wrong. Showing our ‘Americanness’ is not how Asian-Americans stop racism." by Canwen Xu: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/03/andrew-yang-was-wrong-showing-our-american-ness-is-not-how-asian-americans-stop-racism/
Sound of Water website: www.soundofwater.fm
Sound of Water Instagram: @soundofwater.fm (https://www.instagram.com/soundofwater.fm/)
Time Stamps: * 0:40 The Gift That Keeps on Giving * 1:58 My homeboy…my co-host…Josh. * 3:32 Welcome, Nidhi Shastri! * 4:50 Model Minority: Uniquely American * 8:58 What exactly is the "Model Minority" myth? * 10:34 History of the MM myth * 16:02 Elements of truth within the MM myth * 20:55 Are Asian stereotypes such a bad thing? * 25:40 The Racial Wedge * 29:42 Asian immigration patterns * 33:47 Relationship between Asians and blacks * 37:20 How should Asians process this information? * 40:18 Generational gaps in the perception of MM myth * 45:06 The American Dream Tax * 47:05 Police brutality and Asians * 50:12 Reinforcing the MM myth * 53:28 Orientalism * 54:47 Andrew Yang * 62:41 Two Asian Americas * 66:46 Nidhi's favorite episodes from her podcast * 70:23 Nidhi's powerful closing thoughts
In this week's episode, Josh and David reflect on their conversation with Sarah Kim of Liberty in North Korea. Now that we have this knowledge about our North Korean brothers and sisters, what do we do? How do we reconcile the lifestyles of the First World and the Third World? Shouldn't we all be doing more to help each other out? How does the North Korean experience compare with the black experience in America? Is it practical to live a (Christ-like) life of giving away your possessions to help the poor? Is the American way of life too comfortable?
Tune in to hear Josh and David ponder these hard-hitting questions while learning about skin moisturizing methods and Josh's favorite SpongeBob Episode. Be water, my friend.
If you'd like to donate to Liberty in North Korea: https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/donate
Sound of Water website: www.soundofwater.fm
Sound of Water Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soundofwater
Time Stamps: * 0:40 David spits fax * 0:46 Someone hurt David * 1:56 My homeboy…my co-host…Josh. * 2:41 David recalls Minnesota winters * 4:07 Josh and David feel spoiled * 6:46 We've dehumanized North Koreans * 9:05 North Koreans hustle harder than you * 11:12 Comparing North Korean oppression and the black experience in America * 14:23 American Christians are spoiled * 16:47 Complacency in America * 20:41 Viewing food as a method of survival * 23:57 SpongeBob tangent (^.^v) * 26:44 "Having a positive mindset" * 28:39 Sound of Josh debut * 29:39 First World Problems * 34:35 Does being rich make you a bad person? * 39:12 The Social Contract * 42:36 Are we helping enough? Do we care enough?? * 45:54 Reconciling our lifestyles with what we know now * 49:01 Closing thoughts
Our fourth guest for Season 2 of the Sound of Water podcast is Sarah Kim of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK)! LiNK is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) whose aim is to help every North Korean achieve freedom within our lifetime. LiNK focuses on refugee rescue, refugee resettlement, and changing the narrative around North Korean refugees.
Sarah has been serving as the Development Coordinator for LiNK for the past three years. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Masters in Public Policy. Josh and David dive deep into conversation with Sarah to discuss topics about North Korea such as LiNK's 3000-mile long underground railroad system, China's complicated relationship with North Korea, living testimonies of North Korean refugees, and more in this powerful and thought-provoking episode!
LiNK website: https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/
- If you'd like to donate to LiNK: https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/donate
LiNK youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/linkglobal (highly recommend checking out this page. Many tear-jerkers on here so get ya tissues out y'all)
LiNK instagram handle: @libertyinnorthkorea
This is a 50 minute documentary about the millennial generation that grew up during the famine and the growth of the JangMaDang 'markets'.
Time Stamps: * 0:40 - David spits fax * 2:19 - My homeboy...my co-host...Josh. * 3:00 - Welcome, Sarah Kim of LiNK! * 4:27 - Who is Sarah Kim? * 7:01 - Sarah's role as Development Coordinator * 8:15 - (Josh love's LiNK's branding) * 8:50 - What does LiNK do? * 11:46 - 3,000 mile modern-day Underground Railroad * 13:51 - Joy's testimony * 20:31 - China's relationship with North Korea * 21:40 - How North Korea became North Korea * 26:50 - Contacting North Koreans * 28:17 - North Korean government censorship * 32:47 - How North Koreans can attain freedom * 35:51 - JangMaDang: North Korea's secret economy * 40:22 - How do North Koreans assimilate to new cultures? * 43:43 - Religious persecution in North Korea * 48:06 - Media portrayal of North Korea * 51:30 - Otto Warmbier * 54:03 - Aren't dictatorships out of style? * 56:32 - Traveling to North Korea * 60:33 - Re-unification of the two Koreas * 66:12 - Misconceptions about North Korea * 71:33 - Actionable steps * 73:05 - The cost of rescuing a North Korean * 74:08 - North Korean food * 76:00 - Sarah's growth + closing thoughts
After their cathartic discussion about mental health with Cathy Kang, David and Josh inadvertently engage in an impromptu therapy session with each other. Enjoy a chill heart-to-heart about David and Josh's personal experiences with mental health, therapy, depression, and more!
Our third guest for Season 2 of the Sound of Water podcast is Cathy Shinhye Kang of Mustard Seed Generation! Mustard Seed Generation is a faith-based non-profit raising awareness around mental health, and they work specifically to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health for Korean Americans.
Cathy Kang is a Harvard School Graduate and CEO of Mustard Seed Generation. In this episode, David and Josh sat down with her (virtually of course) to discuss all sorts of issues from the mainstream acceptance of mental health, why Asian Americans struggle with talking about depression, healthy views on antidepressants and therapy, and so much more in this much needed episode!
Inspired by their discussion with Uzuhan, David and Josh jump into a discussion about Asian creativity and empowerment. Josh shares his experience with entrepreneurship with Windfall. David discusses the creative power of the Asian hustle and the need for us to support each other.
Tune in for some great conversation and hopefully even better inspiration!
Our second guest for Season 2 of the Sound of Water podcast is Asian-American rapper, Uzuhan!
Uzuhan is an independent artist hailing from Atlanta who debuted in 2010 on Youtube with his single “Never Change” which garnered 1.5 million views. In 2017, he won the national grand prize for Kollaboration which landed him a spot at SXSW in 2018. And throughout his career, he’s worked with a number of notable Korean musicians like Higher Music's pH-1 on "FILA," R&B vocalist, Jeebanoff on "Mama We Made It," I.M from Monsta X and Brother Su from Starship Ent. on their collaborative track "Madeleine," and Chai from Antenna Music, and more!
David and Josh talk with Uzuhan about independent music, Asian American storytelling, Christianity and hip hop, and more in this dope episode.
David and Josh trail off into some (maybe not so) conspiracy theories reflecting on journalism after Grace's episode. Enjoy a lighthearted conversation about a myriad of topics with your homeboys.
Time Stamps: * 1:02 Drink More Water * 3:18 David's Pee Stats (lol sorry) * 6:52 1 of 3 Times We Talk About Korea * 9:17 Journalism and News * 12:32 Let the Conspiracies Begin * 18:12 Everything is Biased * 22:26 World Press Freedom Index * 28:17 Skewed Data * 31:06 Drug Money and Honest Journalism * 33:30 Streetwear and Selling Your Soul * 38:00 Conspiracy Inception (or the Truman Show) * 40:10 Steve Jobs, Ellen, and Amy Klobuchar * 43:02 Branding * 46:30 Data is the Devil * 50:16 Credit Agencies Caused the Great Recession * 51:34 Human Design * 56:55 Don't Believe the Internet (feat. KFC Secret Recipe) * 1:02:20~ Trust Issues * 1:06:55~ Charge It to the Game * 1:10:00~ David Discriminates
Our first guest for Season 2 of the Sound of Water Podcast is Grace Soyeon Moon!
Grace is a freelance journalist, researcher, and producer based in Seoul, South Korea. Her work has been published in NBC News, BBC, VICE News, Public Radio International (PRI), NPR, and more. And her most recent project with the The Wall Street Journal was just retweeted by Andrew Yang!
Grace shares her experiences with journalism, thoughts on North Korea, South Korea sex crimes, and more on this mad interesting episode.
Connect with Grace:
- Website: https://www.gracesoyeonmoon.com/
- Email: gracesoyeonmoon@gmail.com
Graces’ Favorite Articles:
- Food52 (Seoul): “When My Grandmother Fled North Korea, She Left Behind Army Base Stew”
- VICE (Seoul): ‘Mitigating Factors: What’s Behind South Korea’s History of Giving Light Sentences For Sex Crimes?
- BBC (Mokpo): “The young Koreans pushing back on a culture of endurance”
Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) – a membership nonprofit advancing diversity in newsrooms, and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of communities of color (recommended by Grace for anyone interested in getting into journalism)
Time Stamps: * 0:53 Asians are Thirsty * 2:12 Introducing Grace Soyeon Moon! * 4:38 Getting into Journalism * 8:16 A Passion for North Korea * 11:50 Buddaejjigae is Bomb * 13:27 North Korean Issues * 16:20 Pyongyang Pub * 24:15 A Broken Korean Dream feat. Pyongneng Noodles * 27:13 South Korea First * 32:06 COVID Reporting in Daegu * 37:48 Shincheonji * 42:53 Christian Culprits * 46:00 Are Koreans More Obedient? * 51:10 Sex Sellers and the New Normal * 58:12 Korea’s History of Light Sex Crime Punishments * 1:06:40 Feminism in Korea * 1:11:12 Lessons Learned in Journalism * 1:18:23 Universal Basic Income Shout Out by Andrew Yang! * 1:22:47 Connect with Grace
Welcome to the season finale of the first season of the Sound of Water podcast. What a journey! In this episode, David and Josh wrap things up by reflecting on not only Dr. Goodie's episode, but all of the episodes in this season.
Season 1 of the Sound of Water podcast was specifically focused on black issues of racial injustice. David and Josh sought to interview black people from all different walks of life to hear their perspectives on the matter.
Featuring native Dallas rapper, Rikki Blu, academia director Melanie Johnson, global activist Mel Watkins, and best selling author and keynote speaker, Dr. Goodie Goodloe. Thank you to everyone who has followed us thus far on this journey.
Stay tuned for Season 2!
Time Stamps: * 0:48 Naming Hurricanes * 3:45 Josh's Secret * 7:29 Time Flies * 11:08 Josh is Feeling It! * 21:03 David's Newfound Convictions * 25:57 Jacob Blake and Speaking up with Family Members * 32:00 Desensitized and Polarized * 36:35 Get Your Priorities in Line * 40:03 Voting Trump 2020 is Sus * 44:19 The Gospel is Power and Truth * 48:38 Faith Fundamentals * 51:24 No Room to Mourn * 54:08 Hope * 60:48 Speaking Your Truth vs Living Your Truth * 62:18 Fruits of the Spirit * 66:10 Art of the Dragonfly * 70:38 Community Organizing Let's Go! * 72:27 Gen Z and Tik Tok * 74:17 China Talk: Understanding Trump's Appeal * 80:25 Responsibility as a Leader * 84:19 Shout out to Korean Grandmas (아줌마) * 90:22 David's Growth in Perspective * 97:31 Josh's Final Question * 98:58 Let's Make an App! (feat. Mingu Chu) * 100:04 Josh's Closing Thoughts and Reflections * 105:55 New Developments Coming Your Way
David and Josh are honored to bring on best selling author and keynote speaker, Dr. Marcus "Goodie" Goodloe, as our final guest for our first season of Sound of Water!
Born and raised in Compton California, Dr. Goodie is currently on the pastoral care team of Flourishing Church in LA. He's served as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University, has served other pastoral roles at Parkcrest Church in Long Beach and volunteered at Wave Church in LA. Now he travels around the country mentoring students, educators, business professionals, entertainers, faith communities everything. He has worked with the likes of the NFL's Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers, the University of New Mexico, University of Kansas, Southern Mississippi University. He also wrote the book, "KingMaker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Leadership Lessons in Working with Athletes and Entertainers" and co-authored the book "Habits: Six Steps to the Art of Influence."
Tune in as we speak with Dr. Goodie about the racial injustices facing black Americans today. He brings a compelling, biblically sound perspective with a convicting call to action you can’t miss!
Recommended Books by Dr. Goodie:
- "White Fragility" by Robin DeAngelo (note: Dr. Goodie accidentally refers to this book as "White Privilege" a few times)
- "The Politics of Jesus" by Obery Hendricks Jr.
- "Jesus and the Disinherited" by Howard Thurman
- "Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class" by Ian Haney López
- "Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement" by John Lewis
- "KingMaker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Leadership Lessons in Working with Athletes and Entertainers" by Dr. Marcus "Goodie" Goodloe
Time Stamps: * 0:40 Ozarka Reigns Supreme * 2:18 Introducing Dr. Marcus "Goodie" Goodloe! * 6:19 Zeitgeist of the 21st Century * 14:31 Truncated Gospel * 24:57 Coalition of Conscience feat. "White Fragility" * 38:37 No Excuses * 44:17 With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility * 58:00 Black Lives Matter's Lack of Leadership * 60:53 Harvey Cox's Three Practical Steps for Moral Courage * 72:55 We Can't Stay Here * 82:58 Eulogy Virtues vs Resume Virtues * 86:49 Where Do We Go From Here? * 92:26 A Riot is the Language of the Unheard (Oppressed) * 94:27 How Can Christians Be Leaders in Today's Age? * 103:17 We Will Do What We Have a Desire to Do
Lots to unpack with this last discussion featuring Mel Watkins! David and Josh explore a myriad of topics ranging from Korean copycat culture, the 2016 presidential election, community organizing, and more. Enjoy some lighthearted conversation about some not so lighthearted issues.
Featuring two very special (hypothetical) guests, Terry and Jim!
Time Stamps: * 2:00 David is a Fraud! * 4:56 A Chance for Redemption * 14:02 Walking in Someone Else's Shoes * 18:30 Everyone is a Sociologist Nowadays * 21:53 Dissecting Korea * 35:18 Introducing... Terry and Jim! * 43:26 Josh's Hot Take on Trump Supporters * 59:06 A Willingness to Listen * 64:50 "White Fragility" and the Role of an Ally * 80:17 Josh's Thoughts on How We Move Forward * 84:45 Our Next Guest!
In this week's episode, David and Josh bring on Mel Watkins! Mel is a black woman educator who has been working in English language and social justice education in South Korea since 2013. She has volunteered for KOTESOL, the Seoul Migrant Arts Center and Teach North Korean Refugees, among other organizations, and she is currently involved as an organizer/writer for Black Lives Matter Korea.
You can find her recent work in the Hong Kong-published anthology Black in Asia ( also available on Amazon internationally), the 2014 Canadian anthology Trailblasian: Black Women in Asia, and on her blog about subtly, naturally decentering whiteness in literature, Equal Opportunity Reader.
Mel's Recommended Books:
- "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
- "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race" by Renni Eddo-Lodge
- "Minor Feelings" by Cathy Park Hong
- "The End of Policing" by Alex S. Vitale
Korean-speaking readers can also find her interview with Yonhap News about BLM Korea here.
Time Stamps: * 2:07 Meet Mel Watkins! * 6:30 Living as a Black Woman (/Minority) in Korea * 22:33 Parallels between the South Korean and African American Experience * 31:32 Differentiating between Ignorance and Racism * 46:55 The State of Activism in Korea * 54:55 The American Response to Racial Injustice * 62:18 Deconstructing White Privilege and White Supremacy * 87:25 The Future of the Black Lives Matter Movement * 95:33 The Broader Black Experience * 106:33 Is Equality on the Horizon? * 110:51 Mel's Closing Thoughts (and Call to Action!)
David and Josh dive headfirst into a reflection off of last week's episode featuring Melanie Johnson, Director of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. Asking tough questions like: Should social justice be taught in schools? Is America actually broken? How long should a shower really last?
Tune in for some good ol' constructive conversation, and as always, let us know your thoughts!
Time Stamps: * 2:12 Josh Takes Absurdly Long Showers * 5:04 Teaching Social Justice in School * 14:35 Is America Inherently Racist and Broken? * 21:52 Defunding the Police and Allocating Funds * 34:58 Buying Black * 41:27 Feeling the Pressure to Speak Up * 46:56 Beyond the Branding of a Social Justice Activist * 60:20 Be a Nice Person
In this week's episode, David and Josh interview Melanie Johnson, Director of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. Melanie has been working in diversity and inclusion since 2012 and has worked at several universities such as Southern Methodist University (SMU), Tulane University, Tarleton State University, before settling down at UTA.
Melanie brings her unique perspective as a biracial German and black woman navigating diversity and inclusion work. She talks about her experience with organizing Black Lives Matter protests, working with anti-discrimination movements in Dallas, building social justice curriculum, and more!
Below are organizations that are mentioned in this podcast where you can continue to take strategic action for social change:
- Mothers Against Police Brutality - a Dallas-based organization that seeks to redesign the system that protects trigger-happy police officers from ever facing murder charges. Founder Collette Flanagan’s son was killed by a Dallas police officer who was never punished for his actions. MAPB ultimately hopes to restore trust between police and the citizens they serve; it calls for greater civil rights, policy reform and police accountability.
- Innocence Project of Texas - a nonprofit human service organization that provides legal and investigation assistance to low-income Texas citizens who were convicted of crimes they did not commit. They work to gain their freedom and exonerate them. Innocence Project of Texas also advocates for the adoption of laws to improve (reform) the criminal justice system and prevent wrongful convictions
- Dallas For Change - a coalition showcasing and inspiring community outreach, volunteerism, and activism with the hope that individual acts will effect collective change
- Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) - a national nonprofit organization of black youth activists working to create justice and freedom for all. Although it was originally founded in Chicago in 2013, it’s since opened a Dallas chapter. Donations to BYP100 will support the organization’s daily work as well as provide bail funds, legal support and mutual aid for black activists.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. Their mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
- Local NAACP Chapters - Arlington, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Fort Worth / Tarrant County, Texas, and more!
Time Stamps: * 3:06 Who is Melanie Johnson? * 7:00 Living German and Black * 13:16 The Savior Complex at Tulane University * 18:22 Social Justice Curriculum * 25:58 No Kung Fu! * 33:34 The Power of Social Media * 36:28 Taking Strategic Action * 46:18 The Future of the Movement * 52:20 Defund the Police? * 62:20 What Can We Do Now?
Let's talk! It takes some time to digest meaty topics, so after each guest interview David and Josh will be reflecting on the previous episode. Giving their thoughts on what they learned, agreed with, disagreed with, etc.
Join David and Josh on this week's episode as they reflect on their interview with Rikki Blu on topics like black racism, white supremacy, toppling statues, and more!
Time Stamps: * 0:56 Slam Poetry by David feat. Khalil Gibran * 2:22 Reflections and Moving Forward * 3:57 Uncomfortable Conversations * 16:02 Josh's Questionable Costco Experience * 28:33 "WhY dO tHeY hAvE tO bE sO aNgRy?" * 35:52 Leadership in Black Lives Matter * 38:38 Optimism and Pessimism * 53:00 Embracing the Dark Side of History * 68:43 David's Closing Wisdom Bomb
Our first guest interview featuring Dallas rapper, Rikki Blu! Join co-hosts David Yun and Josh Swanson as we probe Rikki's mind about his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement, the recent protests, dismantling white supremacy, and more.
Please note, this interview has some explicit language. We strive to have an open platform and dialogue for everyone to express their mind as they see fit.
Tune in at the end to listen to one of Rikki Blu's tracks, Level 2 (explicit)!
Follow Rikki Blu on all his platforms here:
- Instagram @rikkiblu
- Twitter @rikkiblu
- Soundcloud @rikkiblu
Time Stamps: * 1:10 David's Shameless Kirkland Signature Plug (feel free to skip ahead) * 1:49 Welcome Rikki Blu * 3:27 Who is Rikki Blu? (feat. Rikki Blu) * 18:30 Rikki's Experience at the George Floyd Dallas Protest * 29:16 Thoughts on Black Lives Matter * 37:06 Dismantling White Supremacy by Toppling Statues? * 51:50 A New Presidential Candidate Appears! * 54:31 Closing Thoughts by Rikki * 56:12 Level 2 by Rikki Blu
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Sound of Water podcast! This first episode is just a little intro into what the podcast is going to be about and to give you a little taste (or a sip) of who we are as people. Hope y’all enjoy!
Stay safe. Stay hydrated.
Time Stamps: * 1:44 Water Wars: Ozarka vs Kirkland * 3:43 Be Water Philosophy 101 * 7:00 What is “Sound of Water?” * 16:25 Diving Deeper * 29:13 Our Upcoming First Guest