Ep. 47: Parenting While White

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EQ: What should white parents do to equip their children to understand the functions of race in order to combat racism?

Guest: Malia Jacobsen, author of the column “Beyond Tolerance” for ParentMap. Malia Jacobson is an award-winning health and parenting journalist and mom of three who contributes regularly to more than 120 national and regional publications and has written two books on sleep.

In this episode, we sit down with Malia Jacobson to talk about the importance of intentionally talking about race with white children. Highlights include:

  • Malia’s journalistic work at Parentmap, a resource for parents and families in the Puget Sound region.

  • How white parents respond and shape the conversation around gendered toys (specifically her work writing about toy guns).

  • How the new generation of parents has to come into talking about race in their own way (and not opting out).

  • How children are born into this racial environment and parents have to coach them to be ready (Nurture Shock--the environment IS the lesson).

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 46: Don’t be a Passive Progressive Educator

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EQ: How are education association leading anti-racist work in education?

Guest: Marquita Prinzing---NBCT, elementary school teacher, mother of a 3 and almost 6 yr old. Director of SEA Center for Racial Equity

In this episode we discuss the role of teachers and unions in leading anti-racist work. We define equity literacy and the ways in which white teachers need to develop their own racial literacy instead of fumbling in their pseudo-wokeness or expecting teachers of color to carry the burden. We also wrestle with what it means to be unapologetic to our students of color.  

Resources to explore:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Don’t forget to subscribe to Channel 253


Ep. 31: Not Data Without Stories, Not Stories Without Data

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EQ: Why is the work of the ACLU in the Washington important and relevant in 2018?

Guest: Vanessa Torres Hernandez, Youth Policy Director at American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. Nerd Farmer Guest Ep 27

The formidable and fabulous Vanessa Torres Hernandez joins us to talk about the intersection of education and the law. Vanessa shares the story of her early life in Guam, the culture shock of American college life, and her years as a teacher.

Highlights include:

  • We need to pay more attention to school safety  issues in Washington School Safety. Many instinctive responses to school shootings are wrong and not research based.  We need more preventative resources.

  • There is an absurd amount of racial bias in school suspensions and other forms of discipline

  • We need to question and re-imagine the role of law enforcement in schools

  • The importance of stories with data and data with stories in improving school safety - it can’t just be about numbers or feelings, we have to examine both

  • Equal Justice Works

  • Learn more about the Every Student Counts Alliance (ESCA), a new collaboration between organizations and individuals in Spokane working to end the overuse of suspension and expulsion in Spokane Public Schools and to eliminate disparities in rates of suspension and expulsion of students of color and students with disabilities.

  • Read more about WA state laws on suspension, including HB 1541 and Adopted Student Discipline Rules

Guilty Favesies

  • Hope: candles, especially if they’re on sale at Target

  • Annie: single-serving lunch snacks

  • Vanessa: celebrity gossip magazines


Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: What do you think about … Can the ACLU Become the NRA for the Left?

  • Vanessa: Attend Adult Civics HH; Flights and Rights (ACLU) in Seattle; issue oriented civic engagement--most important

  • Annie: clued in to what’s happening in legislature! Sign up for legislators emails

Ep. 30: Decolonize Your Bookshelf

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EQ:  Why is important to decolonize your bookshelf and how do you do it?

Guest: Kristen Sierra, Tacoma born & raised, Lincoln teacher-librarian, TPS mom

Kristen helps us understand what it means to decolonize your bookshelf, including challenging us to read more authors from diverse backgrounds! We also learn more about Project Lit, a Nashville based program that addresses the problem of “book deserts” in urban areas. This program focuses on providing high-quality, culturally relevant books that empower students as readers and leaders.

Support her work to transform the Lincoln Library by:

Learn more information about Project Lit as a Nation wide Movement:

Other useful links:

  • Contact for Tacoma Public Schools Library Director for information on supporting our Milgard Fundraiser & support in general: Ms. Suzanna Panter: spanter@tacoma.K12.wa.us

  • Link to Tacoma Public School Library websites for supportive citizens to contact their local school librarian (scroll down and click on the name of the school) https://www.tacomaschools.org/libraries/Pages/default.aspx

  • Contact for our Superintendent & our Assistant Superintendent to voice your support of school libraries:

  • Superintendent Santorno: csantor@tacoma.K12.wa.us; Superintendent Pace: tpace@tacoma.K12.wa.us

  • Link to requesting materials and sharing suggestions with our Tacoma Public Library (must sign in first to access this feature)  

  • Attendance at events matters and created more opportunities for events! Link to event pages

Come out to Kwame Alexander Author Event on 10/15 at Urban Grace in Tacoma: tickets here

Guilty Favsies:

  • Hope: good ranch dressing (fancy spices)

  • Annie: niiiiice office supplies.

  • Kristen---People, Gossip

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Special Announcement:

We are going to read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo! #IWLreads #readlessbasic

Ep. 25: No Finish Line for Ending White Supremacy

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EQ: What are white people doing wrong this time and how do we make it right?

Guest: Danielle Stubblefield - Seattle-based  online and anti-racist frontline protester.

Danielle brings her expertise and insights to a number of topics, including:

  • White privilege,  white entitlement, and white terrorism, including the idea of “polite” white supremacy (no matter what, white people make sure the conversation stays civil and comfortable).
  • No finish line for white supremacy--keeping it 💯, we have so much work to do
  • We're all like dirty sponges--we can clean up a mess but we're tainted
  • White supremacy is the house you need to tear down---demolition phase (take a hammer and tear sh!* up)
  • Think about IMPACT, not just intent. Own our whiteness from the beginning, stumble through life and stop trying to be well-intended but causing damage.
  • How to not be a “teacher” (aka think you know everything and are source of all knowledge). Instead we need to think of teaching and learning as hand-in-hand
  • How to leverage white privilege for good and associated risk factors (Nordstrom comes up)
  • How what is safe for white people is not safe for others.

  • The impacts of racism on quality of life and health outcomes. Watch “How Racism Leads to Health Issues”

  • How to not worry about losing face with a stranger...fight dispassionately so it becomes your routine.

  • The fact that anti-blackness is real, and thoughts about why it exists.  Jealousy? Why are white people so mad? Maybe it's because they see something they don't have! There’s a twisted sense of community that racism fills. Read Debbie Irving Waking up White to get a better understanding of racism as boxes & ladders.

  • It takes guts to challenge Oprah...especially when you're on a cruise with her!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 23: Summer 2-for-One: Beat the Heat AND Nazis

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EQ: What’s the best way to beat the summer heat while also handily dismantling racist, sexist, misogynistic hetero-patriarchal white supremacy?

We start this episode channel in our inner basic NW white lady with suggestions for how to stay literally cool thi summer. From cold brew to boozy slurpees, find ways to have a little fun and do a little self-care. Go enjoy a glacier while we still have them - i.e. go to a higher altitude and meditate on global warming.

We note that it seems that summer time not only emboldens bad outfit choices, it strengthens white supremacists. What’s up with Washington attracting white supremacists? Read more here:

Hot Tips for beating the Nazis:

  • Educate yourself about white supremacist and white nationalist language and symbology so you can identify it when you see it. Educate others.
  • Address issues in your neighborhood directly (or indirectly, if you’re concerned for your safety or the safety of others).
  • Take action online - share information on social media so that others can access it.  Look for dismissive language and know how to respond. For example, if someone says “Nazi is a misnomer.  They were a political party and they no longer exist” on Twitter, prepare a snappy comeback, like “the ideology still exists regardless of labels,” or “Delete your account.”
  • Disconnect White Power Tacoma or join Tacoma Against Nazis on Facebook
  • What’s Going on With America’s White People

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Annie: Go read “So You Want to Fight White Supremacy” by Ijeoma Oluo from the Establishment. Preferably while you drink a boozy slurpee on some covered patio while misting yourself with one of those spray bottle fans.
  • Hope: Educate yourself on the rise of white supremacists in the NW and take action---if you need ideas, send us a DM