Ep. 40: Lady Justice: an Interview with Lawyer Jacqueline Justice
EQ: Why are issues of justice are important for the average person to understand in 2019?
Guest: Jacqueline Justice
Highlights of this episode include:
What it’s like to work inside the Social Security Administration as a decision writer and how the system can be improved for people with disabilities (cultural competency training, better vocational training, and a functional healthcare system).
How Washington’s social safety nets are better (and worse) than other states and what we do well (Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, or DVR is one example).
The basics of Dependency Court, including racial disparities and disproportionalities - African American children are twice as likely to enter the system and most people who work in it are white women.
Get nerdy and read some of these reports
Or these publications from Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Or this from Frontline
The ins and outs of the adult advocacy roles, including attorney, CASAs, and GALs (guardians ad litem).
What it’s like being a woman of color in a field (law) that is dominated by older white males, including the intersectionality of race and gender in the court.
The compounding effect of the homelessness crisis (and housing instability in general) on kids in crisis.
How the state lacks the ability to sustain comprehensive programs - we tend to focus on fixing individual pieces but not the whole situation or the whole family.
The benefit of local programs, like the Tacoma Housing Authority.
Jacqueline's Magic Wand Wishes: universal health care and good vocational training.
Maintaining a trauma-informed approach to the work of law in order to lead the profession in a compassionate way.
Guilty Favesies:
Annie: Game apps like Candy Crush Blossom Blast
Jackie: “How to Get Away with Murder” and other crime shows
Hope: the show “You”
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Jackie: the CASA program, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Hope: White Rage by Carol Anderson
Annie: Donate locally to support youth in crisis and the programs that help them such as Fostering Together
Ep. 39: Evangelicals Need to Come Out of Their Corners
EQ: How is Evangelicalism supporting white supremacy in American churches and government today and what do we do about it?
We are joined by Erin Jones, award-winning educator, independent education & systems consultant, public speaker, former candidate for State Superintendent (OSPI). As we unpack our essential question, we discuss the tension between faith and doubt, specifically that both are healthy. We wrestle with why so many people of faith unquestionably believe in their leadership (pastors) and are told to just “Do” rather than think about what they are doing. We explore the loaded nature of the word “evangelicalism” including how it’s changed meaning over time and gets interchanged with “Republicanism”. Evangelicalism has been boiled down to arguments about pro-life, gay marriage, guns, and voting for Trump. Erin also shares about her experience as a woman of color navigating white Evangelical churches. Finally, we discuss why it’s critical for Christians who don’t buy into the fear-mongering to come out of our silos and corners to engage in conversations about faith, religion and justice.
Related Readings:
The New York Times: 11am Sunday is Our Most Segregated Hour
America Jesuit Review: Sunday is Still the Most Segregated
The New Yorker: Evangelicals of Color Fight Back
“This is Not of God” New York Times
Christian Social Justice Organization “Sojourners”
From WA Post: The Walls Around Trump Are Crumbling: Evangelicals May His Last Resort
The NY Times: Why Trump Reigns as King Cyrus
John Pavlovitz on Twitter & website “Stuff That Needs to Be Said”)
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Are You an Evangelical? Are You Sure? by Jennifer Kurtzleben for NPR.
Hope: Jim Wallis America’s Original Sin
Erin: Words Matter Podcast, Quick to Listen (liberal learning Christians), Living in Effect, Faith Factor
Ways to contact you: Email: erinjones93@gmail.com, Facebook: Erin Jones 2016, Instagram: erinin2016, Twitter: @erinjonesin2016
Ep. 38: Racial Equity in AP, IB, and Honors Courses Matters
EQ: Why is educational access and access to rigorous, transformative educational experiences important?
Guest: Kim Thomas, Partnership Director for Equal Opportunity Schools and total badass. “Kimberly is deeply committed to educational access, equity and transformation and to the challenging, but critical work of ensuring that marginalized students have access to rigorous, transformative educational experiences.”
This episode takes a deep dive into equity issues in schools with the incisive, brilliant, and hilarious Kim Thomas. Topics include:
Kim’s experience growing up on the south and, later, eastside of Tacoma and her enrollment in Lincoln High School’s one and only AP course in the mid-90s.
Gatekeeping among school staff and within school systems that limits access to rigorous coursework for historically undeserved populations.
The Race Gap in High School Honors Classes—The Atlantic
The Two Faces of AP —NY Times
When i Comes to Advanced Coursework, Equity Matters—Nate Bowling
When Educators Act Like Gateways—Art Worrell
When You’re the Only Black Kid in a Sea of White Faces—Anjanique Barber
Defining rigor in the context of AP and IB courses (HINT: it’s not just a ton of work of a fast pace)
Committing to the work of racial equity in high-rigor coursework by both getting students in the door and supporting them in their context to be successful.
Guilty Favesies (accidental food theme):
Kim: all manner of delightfully junky food
Annie: Giant American tortillas
Hope: late night Taco Bell quesadillas with green sauce
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Kim: Scene on Radio “Seeing White” series
Annie: for educators - examine academic gatekeeping in your building
Hope: look at your own workplace and practice with the goal of being more equitable
Ep. 37: Let’s All Be Really Healthy...Let’s Also Eat the Sheet Cake
Our EQ: What is diet culture, why is it so insidious, and how is it related to white privilege and the patriarchy?
Sponsor: Talking About Your Body Weight
Guest: Stephanie Skaggs, high school Humanities educator from Tacoma and woman of thiccness. She’s a third generation Tacoman and has a BA and Master’s in Teaching from Western Washington University.
This episode is inspired by the yearly conversation about “wellness” (aka diet and weight loss) that creeps up around the holidays. Topics include:
Our history of dieting, including the heritability of diet culture (we’re looking at you, moms and grandmas). Cabbage soup, French Women Don’t Get Fat, Atkins. The WORKS.
Diet trends - see this handy graph.
The relationship between wellness and wealth (and thinness as a status symbol).
The coded and secret language women use to talk about their bodies.
The changing conversation around obesity, including shifting definitions of health.
Stephanie’s extremely compelling primary source document - 1972 edition of The Joy of Sex and particularly the section entitled “Problems,” that is both fat-shaming and racist.
Double standards about male and female bodies and how they’re treated (Stephanie brings some insight about growing up with brothers, including how wonderful and supportive her family was. Hope talks about growing up with sisters). We figure out that even in supportive homes, there is intense pressure from society.
Sara Upson, doctor and registered dietitian. She has a blog called My Signature Nutrition and a post called Diet Culture 101 that is incredibly informative. She says:
“Diet culture is a society that focuses on and values weight, shape, and size over health and well-being. Variations of diet culture also include rigid eating patterns that on the surface are in the name of health, but in reality are about weight shape or size. Diet culture is really tricky because as we have learned that diets don’t work, they (diet culture) have transformed their message to say that they are all about health. Their definition of health though, is one that is synonymous with weight- that when you lose weight (by any means necessary) then you will be healthier. By restricting your eating and eliminating food groups you will feel better and be happier. This isn’t reality. The reality is- people do crazy, unhealthy, even dangerous diet behaviors in the name of health to lose weight. That isn’t health.”
How people equate thinness with happiness and use food to protect from trauma (read Roxanne Gay’s Hunger).
The crossover between diet culture and multi-level marketing and diet culture in schools.
Working with youth and modeling self-care for them in the classroom (including avoiding negative self-talk and body talk).
Taking apart the toxic crap:
The Anti-Diet Movement - comes in different forms on the internet, but the basic idea is to stop dieting and accept your body.
Focusing on goals that aren’t related to weight loss, but are for your health - like daily walks with the intention of clearing your head, not racking up steps or torching calories.
Studying diet culture and learn how to avoid its pitfalls. Check yourself when you’re talking about it.
Being intentional about body positivity and avoiding negative language. Give more genuine compliments.
Queer culture - outside the patriarchal male gaze?
Guilty Favesies:
Annie: Riverdale - delicious trash. Body positive actors on the show!
Hope: reheated leftover coffee with sugar free hot cocoa mix.
Stephanie: following body-positive Instagram accounts (gabifresh! Nabela Noor!)
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Read an article on the Frisky called “Girl Talk: I’m Sick of Women Talking About Weight” by Wendy Stokes. The author talks about those social situations in which women reinforce negative talk about weight with each other. The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams.
Hope: a super awesome book about body types - Body Drama by Nancy Amanda
Stephanie: Roxanne Gay - articles and books. She’s great.
2019: Read, Listen, and Subscribe
This is the time of year to make some resolutions, and hope for a stronger, brighter new year. It’s also prime time to renew your commitment to anti-racism and fighting injustices in the world.
We’ve compiled a list of our top books and podcast recommendations. This is not a comprehensive list but a great place to start 2019.
Obvs, go read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. Go get a copy from King’s Books RIGHT NOW. We know it’s the IWL book club text but it is required reading for anyone who claims to be a progressive white person. We’d love for you to share you insights, comments, or conundrums by tweeting with the hashtag #readlessbasic
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister. I drank the PSL latte when I listened to her interview on the Ezra Klein show “Women’s Rage is Transforming America”. You’ll find yourself “amening” immediately.
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. You might think you’re a woke white person, but this book (technically a book of poetry) will remind you about why the intersections of oppression matter. If you’re white, take your time through each page. Give yourself space to consider what it’s like to be on the receiving end of racial microaggressions. Then, understand that your existence occurs 99.9?% of the time on the side of the aggressor. Cry a few tears and then resolve to stop perpetuating racism, sexism, and so on.
Channel 253. Um, yo did you know there’s a network of fantastic podcasts RIGHT HERE IN TACOMA!!??? Let’s not pretend that Hope isn’t biased towards the @NerdFarmPod host. But, ALL the shows are worth your time. Also, become a subscribing member to the network. Just $4 a month!
From our listeners:
Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Hochschild. “In the realm of emotions, the Right felt like they were being treated as criminals and the liberals had the guns.”
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. “This puts in words something that has been gnawing at the back of my brain. Periods of political polarization correspond with periods of racial progress. Also, it puts Trumpism in context with right wing movements around the world that I really appreciate.”
Our Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. “The cover is AHMAZING. The book focuses on radical acceptance of bodies--our own, others, all colors and abilities. It helps us think about what that acceptance looks like in action (and how self love is impossible without it).”
Listen to her interview on the Speak Out 253 Podcast, Ep 13 “Talking Radical Self” Love with Sonya Renee Taylor
Why is This Happening with Chris Hayes. “Makes me realize how little I know about many topics I thought I had a decent grasp on.”
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. “This book ignites the imagination and ties in with reality.”
Ep. 36: To All Those Who Deserve Hand-painted Christmas Cookies
Our EQ: Who made 2018 a little brighter and did their part to keep BS at bay?
We’re back with Katy Evans, the Holiday Hero, to distribute hand painted Christmas cookies to a few of the wonderful men, women, and non-binary folxs making the world a better place by fighting stereotypes, white supremacy, social norms, and #beinglessbasic
In the first half of the episode we reminisce about delicious holiday foods and childhood memories. Cookie Trays? Hundred dollar mac and cheese? Hold on to your hats, because this episode is filled with Caucasity. What the hell is rice-mello? Have you ever tried Divinity? Did you know you can smoke your cocktails with an overpriced William & Sonoma Cocktail Smoking Box.
If you’re feeling crafty, make some Reindeer Footprints or gag gifts of reindeer, elf, or snowman poop. Explore the art of popcorn balls. You can also try your hand at the many many craft projects Hope attempted with medium success like DIY ornaments or Novel Clocks.
Christmas Cookie Distribution
Axl Rose because he’s using his platform to call out BS. Read more: Axl Rose Hates Trump as much as You Do
Other hetero white-dudes standing up to white nonsense on social media
The Blue Wave (read “The Real Metaphor of The Blue Wave”)
Queer Eye (read “Why the Queer Eye Reboot is One of the Most Important Shows on TV Right Now”)
Who Shot YA Podcast “A movie podcast that isn’t just a bunch of straight white dudes”
Keep It (Crooked Media)
Ellen Pompeo for stepping out to describe what allyship looks like (yo, this conversation is ON POINT).
Laverne Cox became the first transgender woman to be on the cover of Cosmo
The New York Times, while bogus in a number of other areas, started a project to publish obituaries of notable women they had historically overlooked, including activists, scientists, and Olympians. Read more: How an Obits Project on Overlooked Women was Born
Lena Dunham Call Outs
Ariana Grande’s “Thank u, next”
Films like Crazy Rich Asians (which has been scrutinized more than any film about rich white people), Love Simon, Black Panther (Read Black Superheroes Matter)
The Winter Olympics Adam Rippon “On What It Means to ‘Show Every Part of Who You Are’”
Ava DuVernay became the first black woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million at the domestic box office. Read more: The Ava Effect
The Me Too Movement and the fall of Harvey Weinstein
The Mueller investigation and the promise that public officials and their handlers can and will be held accountable for wrongdoing
Guilty Favesies:
Hope: Eshakti & online stores that suck you in via Facebook or Instagram ads
Annie: Instagram - celebrities, makeup tutorials, and Hiking Bangers
Katy: Choir Stuff, especially choral music
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: none from me!
Annie: ride that positive high from the holiday season and commit to a cause that will make the world a better place in 2019. I’m going to try and do more to support LGBTQ+ youth organizations in and around Tacoma.
Katy: Speak your gratitude.
Ep. 35: Brickettes, Bags, and Dump Trucks of Coal
EQ: Who in White America deserves lumps of coal this year?
We are lucky to be joined by Katy Evans, Assistant Executive Director @ Grand Cinema and most importantly, the Holiday Hero. Katy was a recent guest on NerdFarm Ep 49: It’s Cuffing Season
In this episode, three interchangeable brown-haired, white women discuss the joys of the Christmas season. We make recommendations for seasonal music, foods, and most importantly, we dissect weird Holiday traditions such as Krampus and Black Pete (it’s as racist as it sounds!). Lastly, we help Santa out by distributing varying amounts of coal to crappy, hateful and all-around awful people.
To begin, check out these links guaranteed to bring more joy to your life this season:
Katy’s favorite songs: Holiday Hero Xmas 2018, John Legend Holiday Album, Sia “Everyday is Christmas”; Ariana Grande's holiday EP, Penatonixs, Big Freedia “A Very Big Freedia Christmazz”
Katy’s Christmas Move Recs: Holiday Classics--Bell Book and Candle, Desk Set; Hannah, Carol, Tangerine, Gridlock, Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, In Bruges, Rare Exports, Terry Pratchett’s Hogswatch, 30 days of Night, The Thing, Fargo, Snowpiercer, A Diva’s Christmas Carol, Trading Places
Then, follow up on these Christmas traditions:
Krampus Tradition
Who the hell is Black Pete? Yo, if the UN tells you to stop, you should.
If you want something warm and fuzzy consider buying your friend this cute book Santa’s Husband, Dave
Finally, we dole out coal one brickette at a time. Santa really should hire us.
Lena Dunham
Yanny or Laurel argument
People who voted No on 1631
Using mayonaise instead of Miracle Whip (apparently, there’s a division even in the studio. Oh, hwhite people)
Whoever runs the City Club Twitter account
News Tribune Editorial Board (they’re out of touch critique of Tacoma Against Nazis which we won’t even bother to link to here)
How many piles of coal does Quentin Tarantino deserve for being a perv?
White women voting for candidates who don’t have their best interests at heart.
ALL the white people who called on Black people living their lives this year. There should be cost to white people for calling on Black folks
The ladies from Idaho School who dressed like a border wall and Mexicans for Halloween.
Border Patrol condoning the use of tear gas against children and babies.
There are faaaaaaaaaar more people who deserve to be buried under truckloads of coal, but we ran out of time!
Guilty Favesies:
Hope: Horrifically corny holiday movies--but not about animals!
Annie: Vegan egg nog w/ bananas
Katy: Nora Ephron and favorite films like Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping. Add to your must-watch list The Holiday Calendar, Bad Moms Christmas
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: non-consumer holiday activities
Katy: Adopt of a family; not spend money on your own nonsense; Jeanette Winterson’s short stories Christmas Days: 12 Stories & 12 Feasts for 12 Days
Ep. 34: Housing Is a Human Right
**Since this recording Tacoma City Council UNANIMOUSLY voted to increase protections for renters!!
Read about it here!
Today’s EQ: What is a tenants’ union and why do cities need them?
Guest: Molly Nichols, recent transplant to Tacoma from Pittsburgh, where she organized transit riders. Now she works as the Tacoma outreach coordinator with Futurewise and a member of the Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee. Also have experience as a high school and college teacher.
Molly talks about her journey, including working in leadership development, taking on graduate school (with a focus on environmental issues in the Caribbean, including a community fighting an aluminum smelter), and her need for urgency in her work life, which led her to grassroots organizing. Molly discusses decentering herself as a white woman and recentering those most affected by environmental and social problems to create sustainable change. She shares her experiences in Tacoma, including working at Futurewise, a statewide non-profit that fights for equitable and sustainable urban growth and land use policies, where she helped organize tenants who have been displaced by recent growth in Tacoma.
Be Less Basic and Read Up on some of these topics:
About the Tiki Apartments & Tenants Union
After Crisis At the Tiki, Tacoma Could See Vast New Protections for Renters
Some Displaced Tiki Tenants Move Back in after landlord deal
How We Got Here: A Reckoning with the US and Tacoma History Documentary
Examples of What We Could be Doing
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: listen to ACHH episode on homelessness
Annie: if you’re a non-Tacoma resident, research housing issues in your community.
Molly: The Color of Law, “Communities Over Commodities” report from Right to the City Alliance
DON’T FORGET
Follow us at @IWL_Podcast or on Facebook!
Get a copy of White Fragility and tweet your comments, thoughts, and questions using #readlessbasic
Become a Channel 253 Member! It’s just $4 a month or $40 a year. https://www.channel253.com/membership/
Ep. 33: Shut Up & Listen To Youth Voices
EQ: How are youth defining and deconstructing gender in 2018 and how can adults be allies to them?
Guest: Stella Keating, 8th grader in TPS, the WA state representative for the Gender Cool Project, Instagram-lover and a youth activist. Lisa Keating, My Purple Umbrella--Episode 14
Stella tells us about how she became involved in politics and activism through My Purple Umbrella’s work on in 2016 with the Anti-Trans Bill (1552 Bathroom Bill; initiative 1515). She even testified to the school board in 4th grade! She describes her involvement in the Gender Cool Project, a program that “seeks to reach every corner of the country with positive and powerful stories about who transgender kids and their peer allies are rather than what they are. We leave the labels at the door and build understanding through storytelling about the accomplishments of these remarkable young leaders.”
She shares what it means to be a “Gender Cool Champion”, what National Coming Out Day really means (raises awareness for people who don’t have to), the challenges of being a young activist, how she experiences sexism in the world, and how she really feels about Kavanaugh. And you MUST go read this article in Teen Vogue “Why Transgender Visibility Matters.”
Guilty Favesies
Annie: seeing exotic animals up close
Hope: Eyeglass frames
Stella: Instagram
Lisa: Facebook
Do your fudging homework
Annie: Educators and parents - see what support is available in your school for LGBQ+ youth and see what you can do to promote it.
Hope: Go back and listen to Episode 14; read book from Queerest Book Club Ever on FB
Stella: Queerest Book Club Ever (next book - Two Boys Kissing), read Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy, read Symptoms of Being Human, shut up and listen to youth voices and educate the youth
Lisa: Queerest Book Club Ever. Families and allies welcome. Second Monday of the month - 7-8:30 PM. Skype with authors.
Ep. 32: #DangerousMom’s Perspective on Childbirth, Motherhood, and Advocacy
EQ: Why is being a stay-at-home-parent a fulltime, bad-ass job that we need in 2018?
Guest: Tobi Tommaney, Tacoma-raised, birth doula, wife, and mother.
In this episode we discuss:
Why Tacoma is the best place to raise a family
How you can be a block mom, a #dangerousmom, and a general bad-ass
How women’s bodies are strong and powerful---we just have to listen to ourselves.
The difference between pain and suffering
Midwifery, being a doulah, and why you should use the lotus method for your placenta
Recommended reading:
Ina May Gaskin--midwife
Robin Lim Placenta the Forgotten Shakra
An insider’s perspective on the Tacoma Teacher Strike
Most importantly, why you are enough and just showing up to speak your truth is ENOUGH! We need to make sure our legislators and school board know they are there to serve the community!
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Show up at a school board meeting, email your legislator and speak up!
Ep. 31: Not Data Without Stories, Not Stories Without Data
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
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
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:
Donating to Project Lit Lincoln Abes
Learn more information about Project Lit as a Nation wide Movement:
Jared Amato who started Project Lit
Project LIT: How a Nashville educator turned a class project into a nationwide 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:
Annie: use your public library. Support your neighborhood school’s library. Libraries are vital to our communities.
Kristen: buy a book for our library! Donate to Project Lit Lincoln Abes
Special Announcement:
We are going to read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo! #IWLreads #readlessbasic
Ep. 29: Striking While Female
EQ: Is sexism even relevant to the teacher strikes or are women just being over-sensitive once again?
Guest: Megan Holyoke, 1st year teacher
Annie, Megan and Hope break down myths and sexism in the narrative about the Tacoma teacher strike.
Related links:
Teachers Are Paid Almost 20% Less Than Other Similar Professionals
“I feel mentally numb”: more teachers are working part-time jobs to pay the bills
SPECIAL NOTE: We did a little fact finding and want to be clear about some numbers regarding leadership gender dynamics.
According to Chalkbeat, “While women made up 73 percent of classroom teachers in Pennsylvania, the study showed they accounted for just 44 percent of school principals and 35 percent of superintendents.”
According to AASA “the vast majority of superintendents (87 percent) are male.”
According to Huffpost, “More than three-quarters of public school teachers are female while only 30% of educational administrators are.”
Ep. 28: IWL One Year Podiversary Podebration!
EQ: Has it really been a year since we started this podcast and where do we go from here?
Today’s podiversary episode is brought to you by the arbitrarily measured passage of time. In this episode we podlight significant episodes, wonderful listeners, and preview upcoming episode topics. We also announce the winner of the "Be Less Basic Bracket" and the 2017-2018 Most Valuable Interchangeable White Lady.
Do your homework: Follow our show on social media and follow one of our amazing guests!
Ep 27: Finding Joy and Giving Love: An Interview with Musician Stephanie Johnson
EQ: What’s awesome/challenging about being a women of color in the music industries?
Guest: Stephanie Anne Johnson of Tacoma (season 5 of The Voice). Born and raised in Tacoma. From a military family, Stephanie is a musician, performer and educator!
Ignore the star-struck awkwardness of the hosts during this interview with the amazing Stephanie Johnson. The way Stephanie talks about music, love, and relationships will have you reaching for your tissue box. Telling her “Tacoma Story”, Stephanie reminds listeners that each of us has a story that is uniquely our own and it is up to us to define and create these stories.
Related Links:
- PLU Late Knight Show: Check out this interview w/ Stephanie
- Rain City Rock Camp
- The Queen Aretha Franklin “Natural Woman”
Guilty Favsies:
- Hope--Expensive Vinegars
- Annie--Swedish fish
- Stephanie--the Kardashians
Do Your Fudging Homework:
- Stephanie - Buy music directly from the artist; pick up a book and READ
- Annie - Go to the Hilltop Street Fair
- Hope - Check out Stephanie’s music on CD Baby
Ep. 26: Mommy, Look How Woke I Am: On Performative Wokeness
EQ: What does it mean to be “woke,” and how can wokeness be performative?
Guest: Amy Young, PhD, Associate Professor of Communication and Chair of the Communication and Theatre Department at Pacific Lutheran University and author of Prophets, Gurus, and Pundits: Rhetorical Styles and Public Engagement. Guest on Nerd Farm Podcast, episode 5 “On Ignoring Calls for Civility.” Find her online: Facebook & Twitter (@Amy_Prof)
Amy brings the noise about political rhetoric and shares her insights on a variety of topics:
- Why she was drawn to rhetoric as a field and why it matters
- The phenomenon of master’s theses and conference titles always including a colon
- The fact that, when people want to talk about rhetoric (words, media, and timing), they don’t ask rhetoricians. They ask political scientists or historians instead.
- Donald Trump appealing only to his base using narrowly targeted rhetoric (and how some things are both authentic and unpalatable)
- Political correctness getting a bad rap and how it actually serves to foster empathy or connection to audience. Sometimes thinking about other people is a good idea.
- Creepy Stephen Miller’s shark eyes and his distinctive lack of exchangeability in politics (could he work in any other administration? No).
Performing wokeness…
- Appropriation--who gets to lay claim and perform that claim publicly--where’s the line? What’s the difference between being a fan (appreciating) and wearing a woke costume? Using Black vernacular to construct a public identity when the target identity is marginalized or oppressed. Appropriators are afforded social capital in a way that those who constructed the culture it aren’t .
- The tension between being clued-in and clueless. Rachel Dolezal's calendar - 12 months of pictures of her.
Greatest (and by “greatest” we mean the worst) examples…
- Urban Dictionary defines “fake woke”
- 13 Signs You're fake woke
- Beware of Woke Allies
- 6 Degrees of Wokeness: Asleep, Groggy, Newly Woke, Eyes Wide Open, Woke AF
- Use your privilege to get connected to actual issues and stand for them. Don’t just show up once and quit.
- Amy’s new book: conservative rhetoric. Heading to the press soon!
Guilty Favesies:
- Hope: Mangoes--manila, dried etc. Delicious - they’re fruit, so they must be good for you.
- Annie: cheap makeup. Crap for my skin, probably terrible for the environment. But I want a $2 e.l.f. eyeliner pencil and I won’t back down.
- Amy: Mister, Mister
Do Your Fudging Homework:
- Hope: Woke-check yourself. Be reflective and authentic.
- Annie: Go check out a list on Goodreads called “Popular Stay Woke Books.” Read all the books on the list, repeat as needed. Notable titles include The New Jim Crow and Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire.
- Amy: Amy’s making room in her intro classes to challenge her students by presenting rhetoric around diverse political views. Do the same in your profession (whatever it is).
Ep. 25: No Finish Line for Ending White Supremacy
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.
- Missouri Nord Apologizes to 3 Black Kids
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:
- Annie: Read Seattle’s Inability to Address Its Whiteness
- Hope: Read I Don’t Fear White Supremacists, I Fear Liberal Indifference
- Danielle: Michael Bennett’s new book Things That Make White People Uncomfortable
Ep. 24: Countering Slow-cooked Misogyny: A Coaching Chat w/Cat Peterson
EQ: How can we understand the slow cooked misogyny of male-dominated professions?
Guest: Catherine Peterson, Physics Teacher & Soccer Coach, one of the hosts of Flounders B-Team Podcast and Teachers United “Cat Peterson Award for Courage”
The beloved and fabulous Cat Peterson joins us to talk about working in male-dominated spaces: science education and soccer coaching. Cat shares her story about...
- Growing up in a small town and the importance of female role models
- Falling in love with soccer and science in high school, college, and beyond
- The intense demands of coaching and teaching at the same time
- The BS she puts up with as a female coach
- Equity issues in soccer and other high school sports - who has access and who doesn’t?
- The overwhelming whiteness in high school coaching
Guilty Favesies:
- Annie: white bread - especially English muffins
- Hope: Ketchup
- Cat: Candy all the time!
Do Your Fudging Homework:
- Annie: Positive Coaching Alliance
- Cat: Find female coaches and follow, retweet them @CM_Peterson
- Hope: Support LHS Girls Soccer by donating from their Amazon wish list
Ep. 23: Summer 2-for-One: Beat the Heat AND Nazis
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:
- National Resurgence: Thousands of Fliars sent to “Patriotic” homes
- Renton: Puget Sound Anarchists No Sanctuary for Nazis
- BWT, Charlotteville Organizer application for permit to March on WA (Anniversary of Charlotteville protest)
- Seattle Times on the Atomwoffen Division, a Neo-Nazi group that houses its largest cell in Washington.
- The Northwest Territorial Imperative
- Inside Seattle’s white nationalist groups
- UW Tacoma/other college campuses inundated with fliers
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
Ep. 22: That's Pinteresting!
EQ: To what extent has Pinterest influenced the creativity of the modern women/men and specifically educators? When is Pinterest too much or just enough?
Guest: Cat Melaunie (Melani), middle school teacher, education activist, and general badass. She’s a Texas native and Washington transplant with a degree in English LA & Writing and minors in psychology and education from McMurry University. She currently works in education in Washington and is a freelance writer, including writing for the Nerdfarmer Podcast. She hosts local trivia, emcees events, and volunteers all the time! Also, she has a guinea pig named Obiwan Guinobi who loves to dress up.
Cat’s Story:
- Her move from Texas to Washington, inspired by her best friend relocating and being RIF’d/laid off from her teaching job (Texas is a “right to work” state) because of her sexual orientation. SHAME BELL.
- Everything she loves about her college, small hometown, and Tacoma.
- Full-time subbing in Tacoma and the differences between teaching in Texas and teaching in Washington: being 100% “on” all the time vs. being herself and “blending her worlds.”
- Accidentally coming out to students. Spoiler: it’s funny and not awful.
- Saying “no” for a long time and learning how to say “yes” to beautiful new experiences.
- Being Hispanic and finding out she was a person of color, including her different experiences in Texas and Washington.
- Watching Starbelly Sneetches with her students to teach them about how to be kind.
Segway: Pinterest...your favorite thing or your most favorite thing?
For the uninitiated, Pinterest is basically an online corkboard where you collect pictures of things you like from the internet - the pictures are usually connected to a link. Cat describes it as the ancient art of finding great ideas that other great people found before you. It’s possible to scroll through Pinterest for 1,000 hours and not know what happened.
- Pinterest board numbers: Hope stopped counting at 30, Cat has 30, and Annie has...102. Hope has cleverly named boards about teaching, working out, and books worth reading. Cat has a mermaid board, treats board, hair board, and two for Harry Potter - memes and HP stuff. Plus - Star Wars wedding. Annie has so many that it’s hard to pick a fave.
- Pinterest is renowned for its massive collection of recipes. Hope is doing the keto thing, Annie is vegan, so we decided to try and find something that everyone could eat. Annie made these. They’re not a total fail! Hope participated in the adventure, too - coconut milk chocolate mousse. It wouldn’t blend but it was delicious.
Bad advice from Pinterest!
- Flowery background with “bloom where you’re planted” - worse than “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
- Rustic junk like beach trash with inspirational quotes.
- The whole fitspo situation. You used to see a lot of “thinspo” or “thinspiration,” now its “fitspo” or “fitness inspiration,” which basically glorifies abs and squat challenges. Plus the before and after weight loss pictures.
- Not exactly bad advice, but you can’t go on Pinterest without seeing white women all over the place using Starbucks cups as accessories. The Starbucks cup is the new tiny dog in a purse.
- CAT WROTE US SOME POEMS ABOUT PINTEREST, including a limerick and a poem on the spot. It was impressive.
- Men also enjoy Pinterest, especially posting pictures of their beards and beards they think are awesome.
- While it’s a social media platform, Pinterest is also a consumer trap.
Guilty-Favesies:
- These are things that you make feel “guilty” about but are secretly or not so secretly favesies.
- Annie: looking for government jobs so she can be like Leslie Knope.
- Cat: comic books - but not so guilty. Eating fried chicken and drinking cheap beer in a bubble bath. Netflix (laptop on the toilet - not over the tub. Don’t electrocute yourself).
- Hope: Diet Pepsi with a Twix bar.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
- Annie: Google “Pinterest Fails” and remind yourself that no one has a perfectly curated Pinterest life and that FAIL stands for “first attempt in learning.”
- Cat: say “yes’ to new experiences. It will change your life.
- Hope: follow Cat’s guinea pig on Pinterest and make it out to the Black Kettle on Thursdays at 7:30 for trivia.
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