S4 E4: Hamilton Glass on Mending Walls and Collaborative Change On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Hamilton Glass about Mending Walls RVA, the concept of project vs. process, and the many ways that creativity, connection, and collaboration can lead to change. Hamilton Glass’s career as an artist stems from his architecture and design backgr…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Rick Griffin about the ways that understanding neuroscience can transform ourselves and our relationships, the impact of community-based education, and the power of staying curious in every interaction. Rick is the Founder and CEO of the Neuro Leadership Academy, a new enterprise committed to using neurosc…

Send us a text Trad wife run-down. Where does the movement come from, how has it evolved, does it have a political agenda, are we, as feminists, wrong to criticize it? Let's talk!By Mandy & Katy

It’s National Recovery month, and in this week’s episode, we’re talking with Mandy McCarthy about the role that vulnerability plays in healing, the world’s need for storytelling, and moving upstream in prevention and wellness work. Mandy McCarthy is a Prevention and Wellness Specialist with Northwestern Community Services Board, who uses her story …

We’re kicking off Season 4, joined by Chief Wayne Sager! We’re discussing Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st, what it looks like to work collaboratively within our communities to create change, and how looking locally can help us live better for longer. Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Chief Wayne Sager has served the Town of Strasburg …

Send us a text Katy's Publishing Company!By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Debbie Reese is a Nambé Pueblo scholar and educator. Dr. Reese founded American Indians in Children's Literature, which analyzes representations of Native and Indigenous peoples in children's literature. She co-edited a young adult adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States with Jean Mendoza in 2019. American I…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Adam Starks about breaking the cycle, reaching out to help others, the need for community, and the hope of at-promise youth. Dr. Adam Starks is a motivational keynote speaker on a variety of child welfare-related topics, ranging from foster care, child mental health issues, and trauma informed care. As…

Send us a text Interview with Leah Slick-Driscoll. Leah is a member of the Meskwaki Nation of Iowa (Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa) and is also Winnebago from Nebraska. She received her B.A.s in History and Social Studies Education from the University of Iowa in 2009. She received her M.A. in Social Studies Education from the Universi…

Send us a text Weighing in on the Katie Britt response to the SOTU address and how she ties in to weaponized white motherhoodBy Katy & Mandy

Send us a text While we all realize the latest Alabama ruling on IVF is a reproductive rights issue, we may not have thought through the deeper issues of intersectional feminism that run through this controversy. Today we're discussing how white women are showing up in very white-womany ways for IVF.…

Send us a text We're back!!! Sorry we disappeared for a moment there. But don't worry, we're still here, we're still friends and we're still down for exposing white women and how we enforce and support white supremacy. We're discussing the weaponization of motherhood this season and starting with a group of modern day Daughter's of the Confederacy:…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz about healing, connection, and the journey of “traumatization to empowerment.” Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz is a psychologist, author, and mother of two. Dr. Goldberg Mintz owns a small private practice, Secure Base Psychology and holds the title of Clinical Assistant Professor at …

Send us a text Discussion of the article "It's not White Fragility, it's White Flammability" by Sun Yung Shin on Medium. Also mentions: "Is 'Imposter Syndrome' Just for White Women". Find out more about Sun Yung Shin on her website. There's a t-shirt I always see advertised to me on Instagram that says "Not fragile like a flower, fragile like a bom…

Send us a text Chat with Ruby Hamad about her best selling book, White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color. Ruby Hamad White Tears/Brown ScarsBy Katy & Mandy

We are ending the year with a revisit to our first episode of 2022 by reposting our sit down with Shanza Isom to discuss holistic well-being, mindfulness, and self-care. We think this conversation is the PERFECT way to start January, at a time when we’re all considering how we can better care for ourselves, and others, in the year ahead. Shanza Iso…

Send us a text Whew....last time we said we were back, but now we're really back. For sure. Probably. :)Join us for Part 2 of our discussion of Ruby Hamad's amazing book, White Tears/Brown Scars.By Mandy & Katy

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Jared Rowan about the tools and self-discovery found in therapy, yoga practice as a way of living, and the empowerment that can be experienced in both. Jared is a Psychotherapist on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, working with individuals across the lifespan, providing one-on-one, family, and couple's thera…

On this week’s episode, we’re flipping the script and talking with our host Casey Dwyer about the history and evolution of the Awareness 2 Action podcast, our hopes for its future, storytelling, the importance of developing community, and staying hopeful. Along with the Northwestern Community Prevention and Wellness Services team, Casey co-develope…

Send us a text Season 3 Book Club: White Tears/Brown Scars - How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color, by Ruby Hamad. Part one of Hamad's book covers "The Setup" of the white/brown binary and the creation of the "damsel in distress" from the colonial era to current times. Listen in and follow the links below to buy a copy of the book. Hamad's in d…

On this summer’s bonus episode, the Awareness 2 Action team gathers to discuss their highlights and takeaways from Season 2. Our guests are the incredible team members who bring you this show every other week! NWCSB Prevention and Wellness Services Coordinator Shannon Urum, and Prevention and Wellness Specialists Denise Wakeman, Corialise Pence, Re…

Send us a text The rise and fall of the Girl BossBy Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Katy tells us what we really want, what we really, really want...about girl power and what we can take away from pop culture activism.By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Mini-rage session and lessons to hold on to.By Katy & Mandy

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Amanda Quintana & Colleen Jones, hosts of The Hidden Addiction Podcast about their work to address problem gambling, utilizing innovation & technology in human services, and connecting individuals with care. Amanda Quintana works as a Program Manager for the Mid-Hudson Problem Gambling Resource Center in N…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Jordan Brooks about reducing the stigma associated with suicide, starting meaningful conversations, and the noteworthy resources available in our state. Jordan Brooks serves as the Regional Suicide Prevention Program Manager for DBHDS Region 1, as well as the Lock and Talk Virginia Coordinator— a comprehen…

Send us a text Katy takes us through the history of the early 90s white feminist punk rockers known as the Riot Grrl Movement. ManifestoBy Katy & Mandy

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Stephen Hill about [expansion of epi descriptors] Stephen Hill is the founder of Speak Sobriety and a renowned national speaker on substance use prevention & mental health awareness. Stephen is also an attorney, recovery coach, and bestselling author of A Journey to Recovery: Speak Sobriety. Stephen has pr…

Send us a text It was going to be a minisode, but honestly there is just too much! https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/31/is-ginni-thomas-a-threat-to-the-supreme-court https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/us/politics/trump-ginni-thomas-meeting.html https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/groundswell-rightwing-group-ginni-thomas/ https://w…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Gail Maddox Taylor about listening to and investing in communities, building coalitions, and why prevention matters. Gail Maddox Taylor is the Director of the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, also known as the NPN, where she p…

Send us a text This history of the fight for equal pay & the gender pay gap - what it encompasses and what it leaves out.By Mandy & Katy

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Dorris Walker-Taylor about Thistle Farms- a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Dorris is a Senior Ambassador and a 2012 graduate from Thistle Farms. Dorris also recently authored her first book, Hope is Always Rea…

Send us a text These women don't deserve much of our time, but the lesson that it always helps to be a white lady is reinforced in a hard core way with the stories of Anna Delvey and Elizabeth Holmes. Yet, somehow, it's seldom mentioned that their whiteness was integral to their fraud.By Mandy & Katy

On this week’s episode, we’re sitting down with Laura Cross to discuss the importance of prioritizing authenticity with ourselves, what it looks like to develop community within a profession or field, and how to encourage positive workplace culture. Laura Cross is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor and …

Send us a text The ERA finally got through Congress, with surprising ease, in 1972. It was then quickly ratified by 30 states...and then, about to cross the threshold into an adopted amendment, it died. Why? Well, that's where Phyllis comes in.By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Kate Schatz is back to bring in some examples of positive white ladies deviating from the patriarchal, white supremacist norm and how we can learn from their lives and work. When we talked to Jessie Daniels a few episodes back we noted that many of the non-shitty white women we find in history happened to be queer women. We asked Kat…

On this week’s episode, we’re revisiting a conversation from Season 1 with Keith Cartwright to discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences, where prevention and health promotion should begin, and how we can build better relationships in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities. Keith Cartwright is a Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant for the Vir…

Send us a text You're not going to be shocked, but you'll still be horrified, if you didn't know the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act had some of the same background shenanigans going on from the early suffrage days (we're looking at you Susan B). White women always watching out for white women, even when it's not about them... NYT Article: How…

Send us a text Everyone agrees that people shouldn't be discriminated against based on their sex, don't they? Maybe they do, maybe they don't, maybe they shouldn't?? Turns out it's a bit complicated as we start discussing the ERA!By Mandy & Katy

Send us a text It's Women's History Month, but have you ever wondered what the history of WHM is itself? Safe bet: white women have something to do with it!By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Interview with Jessie Daniels, Professor and author of Nice White Ladies: The Truth About White Supremacy, Our Role in It, and How We Can Help Dismantle It. Jessie Daniels is a professor at Hunter College in New York. She is an internationally recognized expert on Internet manifestatons of racism. Her work has appeared in The New Yor…

Send us a text Current day NOW controversies - Katy brings us up to date on the female fuckery happening in NOW the past several years. White liberal women have a long way to go in dismantling their own white supremacy.By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Inspired by NFL's greatest halftime (according to Mandy) - white (women) hysteria and music

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Sam Quinones to discuss the contents of his books Dreamland and Least of Us, the neuroscience of addiction, and the reasons why he feels hopeful about our future as a nation navigating an opioid epidemic. Sam is a journalist and author of four books of narrative nonfiction. Sam’s landmark book Dreamland: The…

Send us a text From the "official" organization of NOW - starting where the WW picked up...and dropped the ball, again.By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text By all prominent historical accounts, the National Organization for Women was founded in 1966 by Betty Friedan and several other women who met together in a hotel room at a women's conference that June. But there's a whole lot more to what happened before that hotel meeting (because, of course there is) that involves many foundationa…

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Rita Miller about the benefit of establishing unexpected partnerships, the importance of staying flexible, and the beauty of engagement in the field of public health. Rita Miller is the Cessation Services Coordinator for the Tobacco Control Program at the Virginia Department of Health, where she is respons…

Send us a text The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan is widely credited for initiating the "second wave" of feminism. Dissecting the problematic themes of this framework, and Friedan's writing itself, is an important beginning in tackling the overall issues with white feminism.By Katy & Mandy

Send us a text Season Three! Introducing the idea of feminist "waves" - where they came from and why they are problematic.By Mandy & Katy

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off the year by sitting down with Shanza Isom to discuss holistic well-being, mindfulness, and self-care. We think this conversation is the PERFECT way to start January, at a time when we’re all considering how we can better care for ourselves, and others, in the year ahead. Shanza Isom, MSW is an assistant professor i…