NOT ABOUT YOU | Episode 9 Alfonso Wenker

Not About You

“When have I assumed shared experience, and when have I discovered shared experience?”

On this episode, Alfonso Wenker talks about using his own practice to be able to do the work of helping others and not making it about him. He explains the minimization mindset, re-centering experiences to preserve comfort and how folks can't get really clear about their own experiences.

Check out the Colorlines blog Alfonso suggests.

Here's where you can download the Reading List for White Folks

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Alfonso Wenker is facilitator, trainer, and philanthropic strategist. He is a total nerd about all things movement-building and philanthropy.

Alfonso fell in love with philanthropy as a nonprofit intern in 2006 and was hired by a LGBT community foundation in 2007 while still in college. He has been engaged in social change work since his early teens. His activism started in doing church-based service work followed by high school and college-campus organizing. Alfonso has a broad range of experience spanning training/facilitation, fundraising, event planning and program development.

He is a queer Latino born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. Alfonso has primarily worked with and for LGBT nonprofits in fundraising and grant-making.

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The premise of this show is simple. I wanted to ask marginalized folks to tell a white guy what question or questions they wish they never had to hear again. They did just that and I had them answer those question, hopefully for the last time. Also, I've been a comedy writer and performer my entire adult life, so this show is full of jokes. I’ve set up a voicemail line, 612-361-9261, where you can share comments, suggestions and personal stories of your own that may be used in future episodes of the podcast. If you tell me which episode you’re responding to, that will help me make follow up episodes with voicemail responses. Call 612-361-9261 with your questions, comments or stories. -Levi Weinhagen