multiLENS: Recent Episodes
Dr. Jennifer Wheat Townsend
multiLENS is a podcast series created to help us lean into conversations with kids, at a young age, about issues in society. This podcast examines issues that impact our community and schools with a focus on equity and inclusion. Our goal is to have conversations that enable empowerment, engage listeners, and inspire change.
Our series over the past couple of months has focused on the importance of diversity and inclusion in our community and how we all play a role in making Noblesville a welcoming place. Our area businesses are essential in making Noblesville a place where others want to relocate, work and raise their families. Listen in to learn from members of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce about the work being done in the business community.
Guests:
Bob Dubois, President & CEO, Noblesville Chamber of Commerce
Amy Waninger, Founder & CEO, Lead at Any Level
Lauren Weaver, HR Director, Axiom Human Resource Solutions
Dr. Joseph Smedley, President & Founder, Smedley & Smedley Consulting & Training
Christine Castille, HR Manager, SMC Corporation of America
Last month we discussed the importance of a collective effort in a community to put humanity at the core of all we do. Faith based organizations are an important part of this work as they often anchor communities in many ways. They are a space where people come together to find a sense of belonging and to grow spiritually. Listen in as several faith based leaders share insight about their diversity and inclusion efforts within their organization and the role they play in making our community a place where everyone wants to come and can thrive.
Guests:
- Patrick Propst, Pastor Faith Community Church
- Mindy Mayes, Pastor, Bethel AME Church
- Jim Farrer, Pastor, Emmanuel United Methodist Church
- Corinne Gunter, Associate Pastor, Mercy Road
Humanity is at the center of all we do. It is about accepting others, loving others, and recognizing that even though we may not agree, we should still treat each person with dignity and respect. Listen in to board members from a local organization, Noblesville Diversity Coaltion, as they share the importance of a collective effort in ways to invest in our community and positively impact where we live.
Guests
- Dana Randall, Board President
- Bryan Glover, Treasurer
- Bob Dubois, Finance & Resource Development Committee Chair
- Dwayne Thompson, Advocacy Response Team Chair
- Beth Niedermeyer, Nominating Committee
March is Women’s History Month. The late Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” This is powerful, as we think about the evolution of our history and how women have played a role in that history, often long before it was recognized that women made those contributions. It was not until March of 1980 that Congress passed Public Law 100-9 which designated the week of March 8th as Women’s History Week. Then, in 1987, March was designated as Women’s History month. Yet, many contributions have been made to our history and to our society by powerful and strong women before 1980. And now, in 2021 I think about the amazing women who are making a difference and making history. And though we have come a long way in regards to recognizing the accomplishments of women and debunking stereotypes, gender bias still exists in many facets of life. Listen in to a conversation with four amazing women about their celebrations and challenges in life and their advice for others.
Guests
- Melanie Kendrick, Magistrate Judge, Marion Co
- Dr. Beth Niedermeyer, Superintendent, Noblesville Schools
- Delcia Rawlins Mendez, Teacher, Noblesville Schools
- Tamara Winfrey Harris, VP Community Leadership & Effective Philanthropy, Central Indiana Community Foundation and Writer
Resources Mentioned
- Dear Black Girl: Letters from your Sisters on Stepping into your Power by Tamara Winfrey Harris
- Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
- Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
During Black History Month it is important that we each learn about racism and the role we each play in changing systems so the system does not perpetuate status quo. Our podcast guests share personal experiences along with what they have learned over the years in advocating for the lives of black Americans and for advocating for their space within a country that was founded on racism. They begin the conversation with the importance of truly listening to one another and end with suggestions on how we can all be part of the solution to having a more just society.
Guests:
- Jill Walls, Professor, Ball State University
- Mindy Mayes, Reverend, Bethel AME Church
- Jerry Rairdon, Pastor, Noblesville First United Methodist Church
- Norm Williams, Business Owner
Resources Mentioned:
- White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, Robin DiAngelo
- White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide, Carol Anderson
- How to Be an Anti-Racist, Ibram X. Kendi
- Brene with Emmanuel Acho on Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
We are living in history now, what has happened today will be studied in years to come yet as a country, how have we learned from our history as we create new history? What is our responsibility to know our history so that we can continue to move forward? We will explore this today with our panelists along with ideas of what it means to live in a democracy.
Panelists:
- Stan Abell, History Teacher, Noblesville High School
- Shelley Bethel, Equity and Inclusion Integration Coach, Noblesville Schools
- Cornelius Minor, Brooklyn-Based Educator
- Patrick Propst, Pastor, Faith Community Church
- Wendy Nelson, Bilingual Family Liaison, Noblesville Schools
Resources:
Picture Book
- She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton
Books
- The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
- Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A Blackmon
- The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Documentary
- 13th Directed by Ava DuVernay
The holiday season is a time to celebrate. It is a time that brings connection and being in relation with others. For many it is a joyous time, yet for some it is not. Listen in to this conversation as community members share about their celebrations at this time of year and throughout the year as well as sharing how celebration may look different this year.
Panelists:
- Host: Dr. Jennifer Wheat Townsend, Noblesville Diversity Coalition Learning Officer and Noblesville Schools, Director of Learning
- Abdullah Aljund, Noblesville Community Member and Parent
- Sidney Glantzman, Noblesville High School Student
- Seemah Kumrah, Noblesville Schools, Behavior Specialist
- Mieke Kendrick, Noblesville Schools, EL Collaborative Teacher
- Courtney Hampton, Noblesville Schools, EL Collaborative Teacher
- Kara Pulley, Noblesville Schools, EL Collaborative Teacher
This episode focuses on celebrating and honoring Hispanic/LatinX voices in the community. Hispanic/LatinX Heritage month is from Sept 15 - Oct 15. It originated as a week long celebration that changed to a month about 20 years later. It starts Sept 15 which is independence day for 5 latin American countries. The 16th is Mexico’s Independence Day, Chile on the 18th and Belize on the 21st. We have three Hispanic/LatinX panelists today joining us to share about their background and ways we can celebrate, honor, and learn not just during this month long celebration, yet all year.
Panelists:
- Host: Dr. Jennifer Wheat Townsend, Noblesville Diversity Coalition Learning Officer and Noblesville Schools, Director of Learning
- Wendy Nelson, Noblesville Schools, Bilingual Family Liaison
- Tania Stultz, Noblesville Schools, EL Collaborative Teacher
- Alyssa Peters, Indianapolis Public Schools, ESL Teacher
Resource List
Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month Padlet
Westside Indianapolis Restaurants
Hispanic/LatinX Books/Resource List
Books Mentioned in Podcast
- Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving
- The Person You Mean To Be: How Good People Fight Bias by Dolly Chugh
- The Poetry of Pablo Neruda by Pablo Neruda
- Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
- The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
Other Mentions in Podcast
- Music by Celia Cruz
- Disney/PIXAR Movie: Coco
This episode focuses on conversations about race. In the past few months, with the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, other racist incidents occurring, and protests on the rise, racism has been on the minds of many in the country and we are having what some are calling a White Awakening. With this white awakening, there is a need to learn quickly and take action on the feelings that so many have. The topic of race has been a part of many conversations nationally, including a recent CNN & Sesame Street Town Hall on Race. Our episode today will talk about the importance of us all talking about race and also share ways we can talk about race with kids at an early age. We will focus on what racism is and the learning we all need to do- even our kids. Our episode in August will focus more on how to respond to racism.
Panelists:
- Host: Dr. Jennifer Wheat Townsend, Noblesville Diversity Coalition Learning Officer and Noblesville Schools, Director of Learning
- Mindy Mayes, Bethel AME Church, Pastor
- Norman Williams, Local Business Owner, ANKLAB Business Solutions
- Jerry Rairdon, Pastor, Noblesville First United Methodist
- Wendy Nelson, Noblesville Schools, Bilingual Family Liaison
- Dr. Jill Walls, Ball State University, Associate Professor
- Kennedy Winfrey, 2020 Noblesville High School Graduate
Resource List:
Books
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Race by Robin DiAngelo
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X Kendi
- How to Be an Anti-racist by Ibram X Kendi
Movies/Documentaries
- Miss Evers' Boys, Movie
- Thirteenth, Documentary, Netflix
- 12 Years of Slave, Movie
Children's Books
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman
- We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
- Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship by Irene Latham & Charles Waters
- Something Happened in our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
- Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester
In this episode, we hear from seven different members of the Noblesville Community who share their perspectives on having conversations with our kids about social issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, poverty and more. This introductory episode sets the stage for why we should have these conversations. Subsequent episodes will tackle specific social issues.
Panelists:
- Host: Dr. Jennifer Wheat Townsend, Noblesville Diversity Coalition (NDC)Learning Officer & Noblesville Schools, Director of Learning
- Dr. Jill Walls, Ball State University, Associate Professor
- Shelley Bethel, Noblesville Schools, Learning Specialist
- Stan Abell, Noblesville Schools, History & Social Justice Teacher
- Esmeralda Schill, Noblesville Schools, Art Teacher
- Wendy Nelson, Noblesville Schools, Bilingual Family Liaison
- Ara Nelson-Mercer, Noblesville Schools, Administrator
- Kaley Billick, Noblesville Schools, Counselor
Resource List
Children's Books:
- All Because You Matter by Tami Charles
- I am Enough by Grace Byers
- I am Every Good Thing by Derrick B. Barnes and Gordon C. James
- Sulwe by Lupita Nyongo
- M is for Melanin: A Celebration of the Black Child by Tiffany Rose
- Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
ABC Sitcom
- Blackish: Juneteenth (Season 4, Episode 1)
Documentaries:
- Ages 4+: Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins story; Motown Magic available on Netflix
- Ages 8+: Mira, Royal Detective; Liberty Kids; Hidden Figures
- Ages 13+: The Secret Life of Bees; On The Way To School; The Hate U Give Us
- Ages 17+: Dear White People; 13th; When They See Us
Other Texts Mentioned:
- White Fragility by Robin DeAngelo
- We Want to Do More than Survive by Bettina Love
- Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum
- Not Light, But Fire: How to Have Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom by Matthew R. Kay
- I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Stay updated:
- childrenscommunityschool.org/social-justice-resources/
- Anti-racism for kids 101: Starting to Talk About Race
- 100 Race-Conscious things you can say to your child to advance racial justice
- 4 Things We should all teach kids about racism right now
- Toys: Sugarfoot Rag Dolls, Pattycake Doll Company, People Colors Crayon Pack