This show is a collection of real, honest, and sometimes messy conversations between two friends. We’ll explore racism, antiracism, interracial friendship, activism, books, films, and more through our different lived experiences. We’ll offer questions and actions to help you go deeper into your exploration of race & culture, find your own inner disruptor, and be a part of the solution. Occasionally, we’ll bring you interviews with others who are experts in this work so we can learn together ...
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Everyday conversations Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/houstonandscruggs/support
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8 seasons, 51 raw, awkward & brave conversations later, we've arrived at our finale. This is definitely not the end of us using our voices to speak up against injustice & work for radical change, just the end of our podcast. We are so grateful for all of you being with us in this work; listening, learning and acting. Be brave & keep it up ya’ll. Li…
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S8E7: Healing Generational Trauma & Breaking from "Stable Misery" with Dr. Lynyetta Willis
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“Neither you nor your family are broken, you just have habits that need to be.” Today we are joined by Dr. Lynyetta Willis; psychologist, family empowerment coach, speaker, and award-winning author, who helps frustrated families break free from Stable Misery® and unhelpful parenting and partnership patterns. We’re asking; what are the unhelpful sto…
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S8E6: Book Bans in Schools: The What and The Why
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Book bans are increasing at a rapid pace in school districts around the United States. What’s really going on here? Today we are unpacking the motivations for book banning, which books are being banned, and what this means for our communities moving forward. We dive into the challenges of navigating content ‘appropriateness’ as a parent, and the ro…
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“Fear and trust are the core challenges of our time” - Sage It’s time we talked about trust. Today we explore why Erica & I first decided to trust each other, and how these same principles can be applied to building trust in organisations. This is such an important topic, when we don’t feel safe it’s extremely hard to move forward and create meanin…
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“You cannot heal what you have not diagnosed. You cannot repair what you do not see.” - Isabel Wilkerson Today we’re bringing it back to basics. What do we mean when we refer to “systematic racism”, and how is this different than racism on the individual level? Join us today as we unpack the realities of ‘racism by design’, and what are we really g…
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S8E3: Using Somatics to Reclaim Our Agency. With Maria-Victoria Albina.
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Today we are joined by the outstanding María-Victoria Albina; Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide. In this lively conversation, we dive into the nature of the oppressive systems we live in, how they require us to disconnect us from our bodies and why it is such a radical act to…
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Are you finding it hard to stay optimistic lately? Our positivity has been having a beatdown too. In this episode, Sage reaches out to Erica for support and guidance through a difficult time, and we discuss strategies for restoring a sense of hope and agency amidst times that can feel quite disempowering. Listen to hear us talk about What does it t…
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Welcome back to Race, Culture & Beyond. Get ready for a whole new season of awkward, fun and courageous conversations. Today we’re sharing what we’ve been noticing and thinking about in our break from the show, and setting the scene for some of the incredible guests we’ll have on the show this season. Listen to hear us talk about Hair and race Bein…
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S7E7: Friendship Across Race with the Humanize Podcast Hosts
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And this brings Season 7 to a close! For our final episode, we are joined by Humanize Podcast hosts Courthney Russell Jr. and Emily Braucher. These two use their podcast as a platform for social justice, engaging in honest conversations about race, and not shying away from uncomfortable, vulnerable, messy terrain. What an absolute pleasure to have …
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We are vacillating between resignation and rage in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision. We recorded this episode on June 28. This is a heavy and raw conversation. You will hear us dive into uncomfortable terrain and uncover the nuances in our own belief systems. This is a harrowing time. Don’t forget to reach out and lean on your support networks,…
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S7E5: The What and Why of Truth and Reconciliation
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By Naked Conversations: Race, Culture, & Beyond
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S7E4: Amy Hunter on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Work
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“Not everything I’ve tried has worked, I just have forgotten about the things that didn’t work.” - Amy Hunter This woman will blow your mind. We are so blessed to have had this conversation with Amy Hunter, it went completely off-script in the best possible way. Amy is ‘Miss Optimism’, a relentless trier. She speaks in possibility. She motivates us…
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S7E3: Dr. Andrea Kane on Racism, Education, and Hope
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We are joined today by none other than THE Dr. Andrea M Kane, one of the most courageous & bold women we know, working tirelessly to transform the public education system. Wow, you are in for a treat. Listen to hear us talk about: - What is educational equity? - Savior complex in teaching environments is a disservice: the fine line between coddling…
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S7E2: Rita Brent: On Being a Black, Queer, Musician and Comedian from Mississippi
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Season 7 continues to bring phenomenal guests and conversations. We have an incredible guest on this episode, whom we “met” at a live comedy show in Austin, TX. She is bold and honest, unafraid to speak to injustices and is just damn funny. We are such big fans of Rita Brent and we are beyond excited that she is joining us today. Listen to hear us …
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S7E1: Bridgerton, The Oscar’s Slap, THE Kentanji Brown Jackson, and Disrupting the Construction Industry
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WELCOME to Season 7! We’re so excited to be back with all of you. There’s so much happening in the world that we want to discuss and share with you, it’s hard to know where to begin. In this episode, we’re talking about the return of Bridgerton, the Supreme Court nominee hearings for Kentanji Brown Jackson, and the Oscars slap that’s got lots of fo…
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S6E12: Duality and Paradox: A Season In Review
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Welcome to the final episode in Season 6 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are closing out the season and reflecting on our learnings in addition to celebrating our guests. We are highlighting powerful moments from each episode and our takeaways. We will be taking a break to rest and plan out the next season but we w…
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S6E11: New Year's Reflections on Paradoxical Emotions and Black Girl Hair
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 11 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are reflecting on the year and exploring the paradigms we have found ourselves in. We are sharing about the dueling experiences we have found ourselves in and the emotions and lessons surrounding them. We also encourage you to ask and answer the same qu…
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S6E10: Lived Experiences and Bi-Cultural Identity with Nadia Ali
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Today’s guest is a close friend and colleague who leads with purpose and compassion. Nadia Ali is a change-maker who isn’t afraid to call you in while exuding kindness and intention. Nadia brings her full cultural self into all of her interactions and is dedicated to inclusivity and equity as a thread throughout her life and work. Some favorite quo…
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S6E9: How to Have Hard Conversations and the Paradox of Relationships
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 9 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are delving into how to have hard conversations around the holiday table, whether it be with close friends, family, or anyone in between. Tune in as we break down the 5 C’s for having Connected Conversations. Clean Clear Courageous Compassionate Connecte…
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S6E8: Celebrating The Holidays: Culture within Culture
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 8 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today is all about the holidays and in this episode we are talking about the role culture plays within the holiday season. Tune in as we discuss: Our personal holiday traditions both growing up and now Making space and having difficult conversations during the ho…
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S6E7: The Meet Up: Experiences of A White Woman and A Black Woman
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 7 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are reflecting on our epic meetup trip this past weekend. Tune in as we discuss: The range of emotions that came up throughout our trip Navigating sightseeing in Dripping Springs, TX Our trip to the Rum Distillery and the Comedy House Experiencing our tr…
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S6E6: Comedy, Cancel Culture, and Dave Chappelle
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 6 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are finally tackling the topic of Cancel Culture and Dave Chappelle. We discuss: What Cancel Culture is and who really cares about it Dave Chappell: why we love him and why some people don’t The role of comedy is race conversations So what do we/you do w…
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S6E5: Racism on Old TV Shows and How We Keep Learning
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 5 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are going back in time and talking about Racism on old TV shows and how we use this as a catalyst and tool to continue learning. We discuss: The lessons that can still be learned from outdated shows Navigating what we watch, how we watch responsibly, wha…
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S6E4: Schools, Authentic Leadership, and Black Women Entrepreneurs with Dr. Shenelle DuBose
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Today’s guest offers so much passion, purpose, wisdom, and humor. The amazing Dr. Shenelle Dubose shows up authentically in everything she does, including her honest and open sharing on this episode. Shenelle isn’t afraid to tell you what she thinks and to do the hard work required to create real change. Some favorite quotes: “A part of the work is…
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S6E3: Great Leadership IS Inclusive Leadership
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 3 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. Today we are talking about Inclusive Leadership and asking: What does it mean to be an inclusive leader? What are some of the challenges of inclusive leadership? How do you know if you are an inclusive leader? We also delve further and share our thoughts and expe…
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S6E2: Using Theater for Social Justice: Inclusive Leadership and Beyond
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Welcome to Season 6 Episode 2 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast. On today’s episode, we are joined by Trent Norman of Affinity Arts Consulting as we discuss improving human connection and advancing Social Justice through the art of Theatre. Trent Norman (he/his/him/they/them/theirs) has a history of Diversity & Inclusion work;…
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S6E1: “I’m not racist!” Real Talk on “Me and White Supremacy”
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Welcome back! We are officially kicking off Season 6 of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast and we are beyond excited. Our break was much needed and we are back and ready to continue these important conversations. In today's episode, we delve in learning and how we learn. We talk about the proess of learning in regards to reading, …
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“One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else's survival guide”. Berney Brown Welcome to the last episode of season 5! Today's episode of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversation Podcast is a significant celebration of how much we have accomplished in 5 seasons of speaking up and contrib…
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S5E11: Exploring Poetry, Storytelling, Pain, and Race in Black Culture
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Welcome back to another episode of Race, Culture & Beyond, A Naked Conversation Podcast! In today’s episode, we have an exceptional guest with us who will share with us all about her journey towards becoming a poet and how her writing has a special connection with religion, childhood, trauma, and racism. Dr. Rochelle Robinson-Dukes is a professor a…
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S5E10: Juneteenth, Awkward Opportunities and Black Joy
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Hello everyone, and welcome to a new episode of Naked Conversations! Today’s episode will be a review of many important matters happening at the moment. As most of our episodes begin, we will be speaking about what we’re currently into: Ramy on Hulu Dave Chapelle The prophets, a novel by Robert Jones Jr. We will also be discussing awkward moments, …
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S5E9: Make Money: DIY Investing with Angela Matthews
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Welcome to the Race, Culture, and Beyond podcast! On the ninth episode of the series, we are joined by Angela Matthews. Angela is a DIY investment coach and strategist. As the founder of The Happy Investor Method, her goal is to make investing accessible and fun for all. As an experienced investor and investment trainer, she’s conducted workshops, …
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S5E8: Nikita Burks-Hale: An Imperfect Journey of Coming Out, Expressing Anger and Building a Business Empire.
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Thank you for joining another episode of Race, Culture, and Beyond! For today’s episode, we will be joined by a very inspiring, smart, and committed to making a difference guest who is also very close to our hearts, Nikita Burks-Hale! Nikita is the CEO and head creative of JourneyGirl Magic Productions which is a podcast production company that sup…
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S5E7: Mirna Valerio: Breaking Boundaries on Size, Race, and Running
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In today’s episode, we have an incredible guest who is a brilliant and brave disruptor, with a huge smile and infectious personality. Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator, and cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, author of the Amazon bestselling memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress, and antiracism educator. Although she beg…
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Welcome to the sixth episode of our fifth season of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversations Podcast! In today’s episode, we will be talking a little bit about the Derek Chauvin trial and the bitter-sweet feeling over it. Even though the verdict leaves us with relief and sweet emotion, the fact that we have so much more work to do regarding ra…
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S5E5: Equity & Education: Can Schools Fix Racism?
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Welcome to a new episode of Race, Culture & Beyond: A Naked Conversations Podcast. In today’s episode, our special guest Amy Nelson will share with us her thoughts on racism and education. Amy Nelson (she/her/hers) works full-time supporting schools and school leaders with equity-focused school improvement and developing authentic partnerships with…
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S5E4: Engaging with Issues of Race in our Daily Lives: The What and the So What
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In today's episode, we have a very particular conversation around Black-ish, an American sitcom television series created by Kenya Barris. Black-ish generates a conversation through the lens of race in daily life and makes us question if comedy is an effective way of talking about what truly matters. We share: A brief description of the scene that …
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S5E3: Fighting Fatigue: Balancing exhaust and energy in the quest to eradicate racism
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In this episode we continue our conversation around colorism in addition to balancing fatigue and exhaustion in our everyday life with doing the work to eradicate racism while practicing self care. For our culture topic today, we delve into “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Brenett and its representation of how we view color. We share: Navigating feelin…
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S5E2: Boulder Grocery Store Shootings, Solidarity and Solutions
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This episode was a tough one. Sage and Erica mourn the recent mass shooting in a Boulder grocery store, just around the corner from Sage’s home. They discuss what it means to stand in solidarity and allow space for grief, while also working toward solutions. In this episode we share: The potential racial backlash from the tragedy How to talk to kid…
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S5E1: Oprah’s Meghan & Harry Interview, Colorism and Courage
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Sage and Erica stumble through another naked conversation, reliving watching Oprah’s explosive interview with Harry and Meghan and digging into the ugly roots of colorism while throwing shade on the systems that created it. Then Sage makes a bold discovery and an apology. In this episode we share: A moment of silence for victims of the shootings an…
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S4E12: Who Gets to Be Angry and Who Doesn't?
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In this episode, we look at our unique experiences in expressing anger and explore what they have shown us about: White anger and privilege How anger is a universal emotion, but not universally acceptable to express What makes us angry, and what we choose to do about it (or not) Masking or suppressing Black anger to “make White people comfortable”,…
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S4E11: Race, Money, and Generational Wealth with Iffy Ibekwe
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On today’s show we welcome our first guest of the season - the brilliant attorney Ifeoma Ibekwe - who specializes in estate planning for women of color. We discuss: How a budding studio artist became an attorney How being the child of immigrant parents impacted her career Generational wealth, its importance, and the connection to worthiness The his…
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Welcome back! A topic we’ve been putting off because it feels daunting, but it’s showing up again and again with Covid and Vaccine distribution... Racism as a social determinant of health. If you are a person of color, your health can be impacted on a personal and institutional level. We discuss: What are social determinants of health and how does …
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S4E9: Black History Month and the NFL Super Bowl Ads
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In this episode, we discuss Black History Month and what we are into this week. We discuss: The Super Bowl ads and the NFL’s promise to contribute towards ending systemic racism… what do we think of this? Is imperfect action for antiracism better than no action at all? The story behind Black History Month observance and how it’s not the endpoint. B…
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S4E8: Microaggressions: Death by 1,000 Cuts
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In this episode we discuss microaggressions - what the term means and how they show up in real life. We share: What are microaggressions? Culture curiosity vs. causing harm through microaggressions Sage shares her role in a microaggression experience in college that broadened her awareness Erica shares how microaggressions have impacted her and how…
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S4E7: You Don’t See Color? The Problem with Color Blindness and Racism
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In this episode, we delve more into anti-racism by discussing color blindness. We also talk about the effects the inauguration had on the BIPOC community and what we did on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. In this episode we share: What does being color blind mean when it comes to race? Color blind theory myth busting What color blindness is not…
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In this episode, we honor Sage’s dad and his legacy. We also talk about the new hit series Bridgerton on Netflix and go deeper into antiracism while exploring the term allyship. We share: What we liked and didn’t like about the Bridgerton series The definition of allyship: what it is and what it is not What is considered true allyship? Being an all…
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S4E5: The mob at the Capitol, unconscious bias, and 'failing' the IAT
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There has been a lot going on these last couple of weeks in the world and we are ready to talk about it. We hone in on what happened at the Capitol and how conscious bias and unconscious lead to it In this episode we share: Discussing the difference between conscious bias and unconscious bias Unconscious bias is a powerful force Lack of security pr…
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S4E4: What Does Antiracism Mean to Us, and What is it Anyway?
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What is Antiracism about anyway? We dive into its meaning and reflect on the teachings of Ibram X. Kendi, author and director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. In this episode we share: Erica defines what anti-racism is The difference between not being racist and anti-racism How all of us can be an antiracist Eric…
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S4E3: What We're Feeling about the 2020 Election Madness
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Today we are exploring our election agony In this episode we share: Navigating the hard feelings (confusion, hurt, disgust, sadness) through this time Seeking to process the implied ideals of the voting outcome Healing, recovery, undoing harm, the power of the F word Raising kids in these political times Thank you thank you for listening to the sho…
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Erica and Sage reflect on the “I See You” episode’s most awkward and unforgettable moments. In this episode we share: How Sage struggles to balance her “whiteness” with her “just being Sage” Why it’s so hard to stay “present” when race is part of the conversation What Sage thinks about the 55% of white women who voted for Trump in 2020 What made Er…
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