Ep. 59: On Representation in Film & Creating New Archetypes
EQ: Why are women, specifically women of color, underrepresented in media and media production and what can be done to elevate their voices and experiences?
Guest: June Nho Ivers. June is a documentary filmmaker and previously joined us for Episode 55: Understanding Gentrification, Displacement, and Mass Incarceration with the incredible Tonya Wilson.
Every aspect of this conversation felt like it should be longer. We’ve tried to include links to all the things mentioned in this episode in hopes that you will #belessbasic and learn more about the challenges of representation in media and the way it is changing.
Movies Mentioned:
Cannes Jury led by first Latin American Filmmaker to lead Jury Inarritu
Parasite by Bong Joon-Ho (spoilers in this review)
Shows with a Female Lens:
Horror as a sociological genre:
Us
Get out
LGBTQ lens:
Ryan Murphy
Glee
American Horror Story
Pose
Asian Diaspora Representation:
To all the boys I loved article on Jenny Han/ Whitewashing Casting
Music Conversation
Seattle Talent
Theater
Other Related Links:
Roger Ebert defending the filmmakers of Better Luck Tomorrow
Champagne & Real Pain:
Champagne: Elle Magazine just released their 2019 Women in Hollywood Power List and 6 of the 12 finalists are women of color.
Real Pain: NBC - yes, the television network - for attempting to derail Ronan Farrow’s story exposing Harvey Weinstein.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Maureen Goo
Annie: Go read the Elle Magazine 2019 Women in Hollywood Power List. Women and Hollywood, specifically their resources on Women of Color in media and the importance of representation.
June: Free the Work , Harlot, Kingdom
Ep. 58: Equity in Science Education
EQ: Why is equity an issue in science education and what can be done to promote access and opportunity for women, students of color, and young people living in poverty?
Guests: Natalie Reszka and Jen Holm, Masters in Science Education both educators at Lincoln High School in Tacoma.
Natalie and Jen share their journey into the sciences, including barriers they face as women in this field. They unpack systemic issues current facing low-income high schools and the lack of funding to support well-rounded science programs. They elaborate on concrete ways they help students see themselves as scientists, and why we need to speak up and advocate for our students, calling out disparities in science education.
Related Links:
Students of Color Face Persistent Disparities in Access to Advanced STEM Courses
Latinos, African-Americans have less access to math, science classes, new data show
More black and Hispanic science teachers could mean more scientists of color
Murdoch Charitable Trust Grant program
Donate to Jen and Natalie’s classrooms!
For a tax-deductible donation send a check to Lincoln High School addressed to Patrick Eriwn with a note for Natalie Reszka (nreszka@tacoma.k12.wa.us) or Jen Holm (jholm@tacoma.k12.wa.us)
Contribute via Venmo @Natalie-Reszka
Champagne & Real Pain:
Champagne: first all female space walk!
Real Pain: For the DB who think that only men can be scientists or enter scientific fields; those denying climate change
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: read the research about gatekeeping in science and continue to educate yourself about educational disparities. There’s a ton of great research and we need to revive science education to literally save the planet.
Natalie: Watch Before the Flood
Ep. 57: Don't Be a Chump. Support Women's Soccer.
EQ: How has the explosive growth of professional women’s soccer changed the conversation about the game?
Guest: Teresa Predmore , Reign FC
In this episode, we’re beyond excited to welcome Teresa Predmore, co-owner of Reign FC. Teresa shares her journey as a female athlete through the world of women’s soccer. She discusses what it means to be at the forefront of “changing the game” and impacting the larger community. She unpacks what it’s like to be in the game with other movers and shakers like Tammy Murphy of Sky Blue FC and how women in leadership are shaking things up. Lastly, Teresa breaks down the academy system and elaborates on why investing in young women (especially soccer players) matters.
Relevant links:
Reign Academy Discovery Sessions & Coaching Staff
Reign FC in the NWSL playoffs, NWSL Semi-Finals Recap
Since recording: Reign Coach name next USWNT coach!
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Julie Ertz "Chase Your Dreams"
Teresa: 1) Go to the Games 2) Buy the merch and where it EVERYWHERE 3) Bring your kids 4) Support Reign Academy Scholarships
Annie: BUY REIGN GEAR!
Ep. 56: An Interview With Leah Ford On Being a Boob Defender
Note to listeners: This was our last pre-recorded episode from the summer. We recorded this back in August during National Breastfeeding Month! Enjoy!
EQ: What is the current state of women’s health in Pierce County and why is this a social justice issue?
Guest: Leah Ford, a TESC graduate, breastfeeding peer counselor, mother of 2 and advocate for women’s health in Pierce County.
Leah defines the role of a breastfeeding peer counselor, explains why it’s so crucial for breastfeeding moms (especially of color), and why this work is not recognized on a systemic level. For example, while Pierce County needs more peer counselors it doesn’t offer benefits and supports to generate more interest. For varying reasons, our county doesn’t follow effective models like King County.
Leah elaborates on the racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding citing important data around why Black Women Higher Risk of Pregnancy Complications and how America Is Failing Black Moms. The conversation includes wrestling with the biggest challenges in health services in Pierce County and what we need to do to overcome these issues.
A few resources mentioned in the episode:
Champagne & Real Pain:
Champagne: for the Target in Weatherford, Texas put up signs in their store telling parents to breastfeed wherever and whenever they need to.
Real Pain: for the lifeguard at the Kokomo Beach Water Park in Kokomo, Indiana for telling a breastfeeding mom to stop even though Indiana state law allows women to breastfeed anywhere.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: normalize breastfeeding by encouraging your favorite local businesses to put up signage or create a comfortable space for breastfeeding parents (not in a bathroom stall, please).
Hope: Deal with your issues if you’re uncomfortable with breastfeeding--if you’re in the medical field, try to use privileges to complain/criticize/critique the system in order to improve it.
Leah: support moms by offering breastfeeding rooms; reconsider the time of breaks; make a policy as your office (if you don’t know what this looks like, research tool kits and adopt a reasonable policy).
Ep. 55: Understanding Gentrification, Displacement, & Mass Incarceration
In this episode, we’re lucky to have interview two guests. Tonya Wilson, Tacoma native--born & raised on the Hilltop, considers herself a voice of the community. She is pursuing her Bachelors in Education at the Evergreen State College. June Nho Ivers is the producer of the documentary “Since I’ve Been Down.” She shares her experiences as producer and her takeaways from this project.
Discussion Highlights:
How Tacoma and Hilltop has changed (from pariah to darling)
How the housing crisis is an ever-present concern
The role of the prison-industrial complex in shaping and defining communities
A discussion of the documentary “Since I Been Down”
Why we need to create space for the voices that disrupt the common narrative
Democratization of film-making
Learn More:
How criminalization swept away an entire generation
“Since I Been Down” Trailer & Doc intro
Tonya’s story here WCCW Freedom Education Project Valedictorian and The IF Project
Interview with Dr. Gilda Sheppard “The US is a Prison State” on Nerd Farm Podcast
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Watch Tonya’s Tedx Talk - "Cracked Sidewalks"
Annie: Look into and support the work of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute.
Tonya: Vote for the people who are closest to you
June: When They See Us; go to Black Prisoners Caucus
Ep. 54: Read Less Basic Book Club--"White Rage" by Carol Anderson
Today we're discussing our 2nd book in the #readlessbasic book club. We encourage listeners to read more of Carol Anderson’s work and listen to her interview on Democracy Now.
Guests: Nate Bowling and Jennifer Newton
Nate Bowling, host of the Channel 253 Nerd Farmer podcast
Jennifer Newton, long time listener and even longer time friend. Educator, NBCT and general rabblerouser
Discussion Highlights:
The connection between Anderson’s work and Derek Jensen’s Endgame
The nature & goals of the book. Feels almost like a “second in a trilogy”
White Fragility
White Rage
Things we gloss over in history classes but Anderson brings home
How our own racial identity influences our reading of the book
Criticism and wishes for the text
Why everyone should read White Rage in the current political climate
Listener To Do List:
Read the discussion of this book on Twitter #cleartheair
Human Smoke Nicholson Baker
“The Tunnel” Criminal Podcast, Episode 120
Ep. 53: Be A Visible Ally
EQ: With the start of the new - school year, how can educators be better allies to LGBTQ+ students and colleagues?
Guest: Caroline Kyle Menzia is an elementary school counselor at Geiger Montessori who helps facilitate Tacoma Public School's LGBTQ PLC (professional learning community). Here's their SWAY site for reference and resources you can use.
Caroline explains how she became passionate about working as an ally for children, especially LGBTQ students. She shares why it’s essential for schools to ensure that “Everyone is welcome” at school. Caroline makes the case that adults need to be visible allies who are flexible and not afraid to be uncomfortable.
Some tips she shares:
Be open to feedback from parents and community to help you be better
Normalize talking about pronouns
Put your pronouns in your email signature
Use your bulletin boards and bookshelves to create welcoming and safe spaces
Resources to support your work:
New OSPI health & physical education standards from OSPI
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: GLSEN’s Safe Space Kit. Specifically, check out the guide to Being an Ally to LGBT Students. It’s a great resource for educators!
Hope: Add a book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist and/or authors
Caroline: GLSEN steps for responding to anti-language--PRACTICE THIS AT HOME IN THE MIRROR. Decide 3-4 things you will do starting TODAY!
Ep. 52: You're Not Innovating If You're Not Solving Problems
***NOTE TO LISTENERS: We recorded this episode at the start of summer. Apologies for anything that feels dated.
EQ: How can the ed tech industry work with schools, teachers, and within its own ranks to create equity?
Guest: Holly Morris is an educational technology innovator whose work over the last 10 years has focused on facilitating the creation of engaging learning environments at every point on the spectrum: Pre-K to higher ed. She studied law at Berkeley and holds an MA in Education Policy from the University of Washington.
Holly explains the meaning of ed tech - technology solutions that help schools on the back end (administrative tasks, payroll, etc.) and the front end (teacher, student, and classroom tools). She shares her experience with Global Voice - a tech platform to help all the stakeholders in the ELL system - and equity work within the tech sector, including racial and gender inclusion. Holly also drops some knowledge about how innovative educational technologies are funded, including through private grants and philanthropy (it’s expensive to fail!). She makes projections for the future of ed tech and emphasizes the importance of developing technology that serves users and their specific needs within schools.
Champagne and Real Pain:
Champagne - we want to raise a glass/ pour one out for...
All the educators who are in the middle of their summer break. We know you won’t slow down - you’re probably at Target or at school and on Teachers Pay Teachers right, don’t lie - but it’s summer. Cheers!
Holly - open schools (Charter Schools Commission)
Real Pain - we want to call one out for
Summer day camps that don’t let campers go inside when it’s 90+ degrees outside. Give those kids some shade! Like actual shade!
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Google search “assistive tech in education” and check out some of the amazing things people are creating to make learning more accessible for people with disabilities.
Hope: Global Voice website
Holly: check out IDEO popularized Design Thinking; Arizona State University Service Blue printing
Ep. 51: Regressive and Racist: A Chat About Taxes
EQ: How are taxes a social justice issue and what are smart people doing about it?
Guest: Alison Cheung, Guest from Channel 253 Adult Civics Happy Hour “The Case for Progressive Taxation”
Communications Hub Manager at Fuse Washington, a progressive political organization. Alison is a graduate of the University of Washington, where she worked on education accessibility and yelled a lot about racist housing covenants. She is currently working on tax reform.
Alison drops some serious knowledge about Washington’s ass-backwards tax system and how it hurts people in poverty, especially people of color. Sub-topics include her effort to stop using the word marginalized (see UW Dream Project), the important work of Fuse Washington in tax justice issues, helping progressives tell a better story (via The Poet Salon and All in For Washington), working with communities that have been most impacted by our tax structure there, the systemic problems with our state tax structure (it’s regressive!), and possible solutions (a more progressive Real estate excise tax, ending Tax Breaks & loop holes - Washington State Budget & Policy Center, better distribution of wealth, and actually getting people to care about poor Black and brown communities). Additional reading includes (but is not limited to): How Racism Kept Black Tacomans from Buying Houses for Decades.
Champagne & Real Pain:
Champagne - we want to raise a glass for:
Ava DuVernay for her new Netflix creation, “When They See Us” about the Central Park 5. DuVernay is a queen of cinema and a national treasure.
Roxanne Gay!! Redefining a type of voice a queer woman can have
EJ Ramos--model minority mix is erasing other Asians
Real Pain - we want to call one out for
Meghan McCain for hypocritically accusing Amy Klobuchar of exploiting her father John McCain’s legacy for political gain. That’s literally Meghan’s day job.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: pressure your legislators to fix our broken tax system that hurts everyone except the wealthiest. Go on leg.wa.gov to find their contact information and turn up the heat.
Hope: The Breakup Playlist on Netflix
Alison: Jeff Chang “We Gonna Be Aight” (check out the NerdFarmReads episode)
Ep. 50: Let's Talk Intergaycial Relationships
SINCE RECORDING THIS HAPPENED IN TACOMA!!
EQ: Why is it important to recognize and/or celebrate Pride?
Guests: Cal-Jean Lloyd-Wagner, MS Language Arts teacher & Cat Melaunie, kindergarten teacher and previous guest on Ep. 22 That’s Pinteresting!)
We recorded this episode to celebrate Pride season. From funny coming out stories and a debate on how many rainbows is too many rainbows, we hope our listeners will learn a little more about how to support their LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors. Since we never shy away from complicated topics and work hard to think about the world intersectionality, we also dip into a discussion on what’s wonderful, challenging, and unique about being in an intergaycial relationship[ (that’s short for interracial & gay!).
Ways to support Pride this month:
Oasis Youth Center meal time, MDC Langelo@mdc-hope.org
Go read Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Dear Rachel Maddox
Get rid of needlessly gendered language (try to be more neutral)
Newish Segment Champagne & Real Pain Sir Bacon or Tom Waits:
Champagne - we want to raise a glass/ pour one out for
Lisa Keating. Go support her campaign for Tacoma School Board.
The organizations doing real work to help queer youth, especially those who have been rejected by their families and need a safe place to land. Locally, we’d like to raise a glass to Oasis Youth Center and PFLAG in Tacoma. The Trevor Project is also doing amazing work in the way of LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention.
Real Pain - we want to condemn these people & actions
Anti-gay and anti-trans violence. Leave people the hell alone and let them be themselves. Literally nothing bad will happen if you just mind your business.
To all anti-LGBT bills that emerge every year
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: I never thought I’d say this, but consider patronizing the Cracker Barrel in Cleveland, Tennessee. The store recently rejected a request for a meeting space from a homophobic pastor who called for the execution of gay people. While Cracker Barrel is far from perfect, they’ve come a long way. Plus they have old timey candy and pretty good biscuits.
Hope: Support Lisa Keating for school board
Cat: My bday gift and send it inter-office mail
Cal-Jean: put up signage about being open and affirming to all families
Ep. 49: An Interview with Reign FC Forward Darian Jenkins
EQ: How has the explosive growth of professional women’s soccer changed the conversation about the game?
Guest: Darian Jenkins, #11, attacking forward for Reign FC
From how she fell in love with soccer and how her degree in English Language & Literature helps her on the pitch to why she loves coaching young women as the Assistant Coach for Reign FC Academy, Darian shares insights into the game and life. We also discuss challenges young women (especially women of color) face in a superficial and beauty focused world.
Find out more about references in the show:
The USWNT’s Equal Pay Lawsuit is a Fight For All Women’s Sports
The USWNT Is Fighting for Greater Equity While Playing Their Fourth World Cup
When it Comes to Diversity, Is Women’s Soccer Making Progress?
Book Recs:
Educated by Tara Westover
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Can’t get enough of Darian Jenkins, read some of the stories below:
Check out these other soccer related podcasts in the Channel 253 Network:
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Stop what you’re doing and go buy tickets for a Reign game.
Hope: Since recording--GO READ THE NATIONAL TEAM BY CAITLIN MURRAY
Darian: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
PS: go listen to the IWL interview with Robin DiAngelo
SHOUT OUT TO DARIAN’S MOM!!!!
Ep. 48: The Case for Cat Scarves and Creativity
EQ: How can creating & creativity be used to form human connections and change the world?
As Emily eloquently states, “Art is something I do to engage my creativity, connect with people, and make things that I can see and be proud of”. Throughout this episode we discuss the joys of designing and creating and what it can do for the soul especially in tough political times. We also dissect the merits of TRIO & Upward Bound and how Emily became MLS Watercolors. In this episode we introduce a new segment called “champagne and real pain.” We raise a glass for Christa Davis.Art, Little Nas X elementary school Ohio, Tilly the Artist (Afrofuturism Art) and award real pain to raging humans and Representative Steve King of Iowa
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: go buy something from MLS Watercolors (like a Sounders cat scarf)
Annie: pick up that creative activity you’ve been neglecting. As a teacher, I put off creative projects during the school year and pick them back up in the summer. Find your thing!
Emily: Making It on Hulu, Blood Song Eric Drooker, Allen Ginsberg Illuminated Poems
PS—don’t forget to read Carol Anderson’s White Rage for our next #readlessbasic book club
Ep. 47: Parenting While White
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:
Annie: Anti-Racism Resources for Parents and Teachers from the Barefoot Mommy Blog.
Malia: Better w/ Books Melissa Hart
Ep. 46: Don’t be a Passive Progressive Educator
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:
Defining Equity Literacy (equity and inequity; justice vs. injustice)--Paul Gorsky
Families of Color, Seattle
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Dear White Teacher: 13 Books to Read on Racial Literacy by Bethany M. Edwards at Biracial Bookworms
Marquita: Check out SEA-Racial.Org; Tracy’s work at Teacher Activist.Com; Katlyn Kamala Jenkins Colorful Pages.Org
Don’t forget to subscribe to Channel 253
Ep. 45: Not All Theater is Activist, but All is Political
EQ: How can the theater arts be a tool for racial and social justice?
Guest: Sara Freeman, UPS Theatre Department
In this episode we chat about the etymology of dramaturgy, discuss the power of theater as a medium to both reflect and influence society, and how every choice in theater is intentional (whether the director wanted it to be or not). We discuss the challenges of funding arts programs, finding young artists where they are, and how to intentionally elevate new voices.
Freeman’s Favorite Playwrights:
Timberlake Wertenbaker “Our Country’s Good”
Also referenced during the episode:
C. Rosalind Bell, Tacoma Playwright
Guilty-Favsies:
Annie: the Best of Broadway on Spotify
Hope: bingeing short little shows on Netflix
Sara:Hostess cupcakes; Belinda Carlisle
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: the Kennedy Center has a variety of resources on arts integration under a program called Arts Edge
Hope: Support local theater
Sara: Read August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” and go support local theater by watching “Mojada” at Tacoma Arts Live. Directed by Maria Tania Barreca, a new professor at UWT
Ep. 44: Educated for Liberation
EQ: What does it mean to be educated for liberation and why does it matter?
Guest: Kelly Nicholls, local educator and organizer around the concept of liberated learning (we will hear more about it Radical Educator Academy! See flyer below).
School leader and change-maker Kelly Nicholls joins us to discuss her journey into education and leadership and the importance of changing the education system from within. Topics include:
Education centered on white supremacy, including white modes of communication and hierarchical white spaces.
Radical academy/education as liberation: resisting oppressive patriarchal systems within existing systems.
Anti-blackness in schools - resisting treating Black people as a monolith and one size fits all approaches to discipline.
Individual teachers combating anti-blackness by lessening the prevalence of whiteness in curriculum and pedagogy.
Guilty Favesies
Annie: saying yes to everything
Hope: eyeliner
Kelly: cigarettes (no longer a smoker, but they’re hard to quit!)
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: Radical Teacher, a peer-reviewed academic journal on current social justice issues in education. Past issues available online.
Hope: The Power Flower (Nicole Hurt)
Kelly: Connect and follow #ClearTheAir on Twitter
Ep. 43: We’re in the Fire: On Teacher Diversity & Genuine Equity
EQ: What role does teacher training play in the health of our schools and the future of the teaching profession?
Guest: Tamar Krames, 2006 MIT grad, Art/ELL teacher, OSPI, currently adjunct faculty for the Master’s in Teaching at Evergreen State College
The journey to teaching is different for everyone and our amazing guest Tamar focuses on what it means to have a transnational perspectives. We discuss the relationship between literacy and language, then transition to the problem of lack of “teacher diversity.” Tamar challenges us and our listeners to expand the way we think about this and the way that all CURRENT teachers can strive to address the issue of representation (we can add books, artwork, and broaden curriculum choice). She also reminds us that teacher diversity isn’t just race, but also about language (English) supremacy (but one way to “write and think smart”) and additional intersecting oppressions that keep amazing people out of the profession. Systemically, we need to consider who is seen as an expert and make our schools places that teachers want to stay (teacher of color retention).
We transition to the role of teacher prep programs in diversifying the field, supporting culturally responsive teaching practices, and the unspoken assumptions that being a person of color means you’d be able to work cross-culturally. There are programs intentionally working to recruit and support teachers of color. Some reading:
Guilty Favesies:
Annie: vegan milkshakes
Tamar: Star Trek
Hope: Hi-Chews
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: One Teacher in 10 by Kevin Jennings
Tamar: Youth Librarians! Go talk to them & read
Ep. 42: Equity is Not the Outcome
EQ: What does equity look like, sound like, and feel like within complex organizations?
Guest: Desiree Finch, Leadership Development, Union Organizer, and Pierce Co Manager for Fuse WA.
“As Fuse’s Pierce County Organizer, Desiree’s mission is to build leaders to resist Trump’s agenda, lead efforts to clean up our state’s upside-down tax code, and help progressives win back key local offices. Desiree will also play a leading role in implementing Fuse’s racial equity plan by enabling Fuse to become a strong ally with underrepresented communities in Pierce County."
In this episode we discuss the notion of organization and development, including industrial psychology. Desiree compares and contrasts equity work in WA state vs other states, specifically drawing on her experience in union organizing. Lastly, we chat about how to maintain hope in the Trump era.
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: This is primarily for educators, but could be really useful to anyone confronting racism in the workplace. Seattle Public Schools has a Racial Equity Analysis tool, and it serves as almost like an environmental impact statement, but for actions that may cause inequity or broaden the opportunity gap and how to avoid those outcomes. It’s not totally comprehensive, but it’s a good start.
Desiree: desiree@fuse.org; go to org to do equity training---get consultancy find money and hire someone such as Archer Consulting
Ep. 41: An Interview With Author Robin DiAngelo
Special Guest: Dr. Robin DiAngelo has a PhD in Multicultural Education from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2004 and is a two-time winner of the Student’s Choice Award for Educator of the Year at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work. She is the author of White Fragility, Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk about Racism (2018), and What Does It Mean to Be White: Developing White Literacy (2012). Check out this NEWLY RELEASED, FREE White Fragility Reader’s Guide
We were elated to conduct this interview! Some highlights of the conversation include:
A description of “whiteness studies”.
The elevation of white people as the norm for humanity which reproduces white supremacy & white fragility when you challenge it.
No matter where you travel in the world, white fragility is the SAME (even if the history of the region is different).
Anti-blackness is EVERYWHERE--doesn’t matter what country (ex. Aboriginals in Australia and Native people in Canada).
White people don’t understand that we bring our histories to each situation. In particular, teachers bring this history of harm, especial for students of color. Teachers get offended rather than understanding the context of time and place. See the example of The Citadel, an all-male military school.
Race work is sometimes “only” given to people of color which reinforces the notion that we’re racially innocent. There is no “clean” space outside white supremacy.
A mapping out of Mark Meadows white fragility in response to Tlaib’s speech
People have a hard time talking about race because they are afraid of being called a racist and want to point out all the ways they aren’t a racist.
They want to be divorced from that term. In particular, white men get to yell and shout and be victims when they want to.
Advice for white parents: Slow it down, do your own work around your whiteness. When children of color (with white parents) have some structural analysis they do better--it’s not just about “something is wrong with me”. Check out DiAngelo’s resources for white parents.
The interview questions were listener-driven. Shout out to: Jennifer B, John M, Shannon M, Marguerite M, Siri K, Jacquie J, Stephen M, and Hilary S.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Download Me & White Supremacy Workbook by Layla Saad
Acquire & read White Rage by Carol Anderson for our next readlessbasic book club
Read Less Basic Book Club: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Discussion Highlights Include:
Passages that resonated with us - insights, challenges, surprises, and takeaways
Discussion around the idea that “Racism is a structure, not an event,” (J. Kēhaulani Kauanui)
Colorblindness and associated issues
White women’s tears
Personal experiences dealing with racism as perpetrators or bystanders and how white people must disrupt racism to make any meaningful change
Lessons from the book that we can apply to our everyday lives and next steps
Listener To Do List:
Read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo so this episode makes sense
Reach out to IWL on social media if you have questions for Robin DiAngelo - we’re interviewing her in early March!
Become a subscribing member of Channel 253
Borrow or buy (at your favorite local bookstore) our next #readlessbasic book - White Rage by Carol Anderson