Ep. 158: The Edge of the Glass Cliff

EQ: What is the glass cliff phenomenon, and how does it impact women and minority leaders in various industries?

Resources Referenced:

• Harvard Business Review “How Women End up on the Glass Cliff”

• BBC “Invisible Danger of the Glass Cliff”

• Women have a better chance of breaking through the “Glass Ceiling” when the org is in crisis 

• Who, What, When & Why

• Woman and BIPOC CEOs are most likely to be replaced by white men

• There are some people who claim that this is a “Myth”, thoughts?

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Megan: go read some of the articles linked above!

• Hope: take inventory of your role in the workplace and how you can use your privilege to support those impacted by the glass cliff

Ep. 157: IWL LIVE!!!! Bored Housewives and the White Women Industrial Complex

EQ: To what extent is the white lady industrial complex aka the white women consumerism pipeline demonstrative of the death-grip that the far-reaching tentacles of the patriarchy have on society?

This is a special LIVE episode recorded at the Channel 253 Fest a few weeks ago. The cast of characters included Megan Holyoke, Hope Teague-Bowling, and the one and only Annie Jansen. Enjoy our witty banter and social commentary about the white women industrial complex!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Subscribe to Channel 253!

Ep. 156: SCOTUS Goons Never Die

DISCLAIMER: Despite our extensive research, we were not aware of the mummerings about Lori Smith and the 303 Creative LLC v Elenis case being built upon fake evidence. Now of course, the information is everywhere as folks are picking apart the ruling and the case. Deepest apologies that we didn’t know about this prior to our conversation otherwise we would’ve addressed it. It further proves how absolutely ridiculous this case/ruling are.

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

Just last episode we gave an update on recent SCOTUS rulings. Today we meet again to discuss some of the most unsurprising decisions and what they might mean for us. If you haven’t listened to our previous conversations check them out “the SCOTUS goons” and SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In.

Related Articles:

• Affirmative action struck down. 

• Politico Piece

• Anti-commandeering principles of the Tenth Amendments

• Religious Accommodations At Work

• Key Documents May Be Fake

• The Mysterious Case of The Fake Gay Marriage Website

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: The book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.”

• Megan: Follow SCOTUSblog for nerdy, indepth cover of the Supreme Court.

Ep. 155: SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

In March we discussed what “the SCOTUS goons” were up to in an episode reviewing some significant cases. This episode we check-in on recent rulings, sharing surprises and reactions. Things may have changed since the recording but hopefully it’s still an insightful conversation.

Related Resources:

• Major Supreme Court Decisions 2023

• WA Post Tracking

• Roberts Throws a Curveball

• Katanji Jackson made powerful argument against this “race-neutral” argument, arguing that the original reconstruction amendments were, in fact, written to be “race-conscious”

• Animal Cruelty & Interstate Commerce

• Four SCOTUS Rulings That Could Rock America

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Check out this book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.” or his NPR Interview

• Megan: Sign up to be a Channel 253 member and come to our live event on  June 29!

Ep. 154: People Shouldn't Have to Wait for Quality Care

EQ: How can community-based healthcare initiatives effectively address the unique healthcare needs of diverse populations?

Hope is joined by a local Tacoma professional, Dr. Gena Poling co-founder of the Link Community Clinic,  Her passion for education, public  health, and justice drives her daily practice. In this episode, we learn more about her journey from teaching into the medical field, the origin story for the Link Community Clinic including how they weathered being a pro-vaccine institution in a pandemic. 

Shout out to Space Works for all their support!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope—connect with Link Community Clinic!

• Gena—The Praxis Podcast; follow the podcast on Twitter

Ep. 153: The DEIJ Collaborative--Working Towards Justice In International Schools

EQ: What does social justice and education work look like in international spaces?

We jumped back overseas with today’s conversations, meeting with international educators Meredith Klein and Sherri Spelic. This is a very education centered conversation but we hope there’s a gem of thought for every listener. Throughout the episode we unpack various education acronyms such as CEESA and AEILOC. We hear the origin story of the Diversity Collaborative they started and the ways they hope it will impact teaching and learning across Europe. 

Lastly, if you are interested in reaching out you can connect with Meredith via LinkedIn, follow Sheri  @edifiedlistener, sign up for her newsletter Bending The Arc, or snag a copy of her book of essays  Care At The Core 

Champagne & Real Pain

🥂Action Aid International

🥂 AEILOC & Kevin Simpson

🥂Angeline Aow and her book Becoming a Totally Inclusive School

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Sign up for Bending The Arc

• Megan: Connect to others that can help you be accountable to the work

• Sherri: Worry less about knowing and get into learning (where can I learn about that? With whom can I learn about that?)

• Meredith: DEI Deconstructed by Lily Zheng

Ep. 152: Sensible Gun Laws: A Marathon Not a Sprint

EQ: To what extent is the WA state gun control conversation reflective of the national conversation and how might activists engage in making our state safer from gun violence?

Following our very dire previous episode on American fascism and gun violence, Hope and Megan are joined by two organizers and activists from Moms Demand Action, Rebecca Elbaum and Amy Newcomb. In this episode they discuss the landscape of gun violence and activism in Washington, make national comparisons, and dig into the recent legislation passed, sharing stories of hope and change in what many feel is an ocean of discouragement.

Bills Referenced in the Episode:

• NPR WA State Ban/Restriction on Assault Rifles

• Trio of Bills

Get Involved!

• Moms Demand Action

• Tacoma Ceasefire

• Be Smart (secure, model, ask, recognize, tell) 

• StudentsDemandAction.org

• Text 'JOIN' to 644-33

• Wear Orange–National Gun Violence Prevention Day, June 3rd

• Alliance for Gun Responsibility

• Everytown For Gun Safety

• Everytown Survivor Network 

• Giffords

• Brady: United Against Gun Violence

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope/Megan: Get involved!

• Amy: Join us in June at the Mothers’ Day of Action

Ep. 151: Sliding into Fascism One Bill At a Time

EQ: In what ways is the US political landscape a foreshadowing  of fascism?

In today’s episode Hope and Megan discuss how the political climate feels like a slide into fascism. In particular, they center the conversation using Tim Snyder’s 20 Lessons from the 20th Century. By framing it this way, they also encourage listeners to find ways to fight this slide.

Snyder’s 20 principles are listed below:

1. Do not obey in advance.

2. Defend institutions.

3. Beware the one-party state.

4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. 

5. Remember professional ethics. 

6. Be wary of paramilitaries.

7. Be reflective if you must be armed.

8. Stand out.

9. Be kind to our language.

10. Believe in truth. 

11. Investigate.

12. Make eye contact and small talk.

13. Practice corporeal politics.

14. Establish a private life.

15. Contribute to good causes. 

16. Learn from peers in other countries.

17. Listen for dangerous words.

18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.

19. Be a patriot. 

20. Be as courageous as you can. 

Playbooks On Fascism:

• How Democracies Die: What History Tells Us About Our Future, Steven Levitsky

• Anatomy of Facism, Robert Paxton

• On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder

• How Fascism Works, Jason Stanley

Topics referenced:

• Gun Violence in the United States

• Nashville, Tennessee - 6 murdered, 3 children

• Tennessee Three in the Tennessee State Legislature 

• Louisville, Kentucky - Bank shooting

• Tacoma - more than half of the reported homicides in Tacoma over the last 3.5 months are under 18 years old

• Tacoma had the highest rate of gun violence in history last year

• Washington State passed one of (if not the) strongest action of firearms in the country.

• It is likely this law wouldn’t stand up to the SCOTUS, but it is something

• Tacoma Cease Fire

• SafeSt - Non-Profit in Tacoma 

• LGBTQ+ attack on Trans Community

• There are now reports of the inner-workings and behind the scenes communications of the groups that are championing the anti-trans movement happening across the country. It is more organized and calculated than somebody would think.

• “The Indiana law, effective July 1, requires children currently taking medications to assist in transitioning to stop doing so by the end of the year. And the Idaho law, which will go into effect next January, makes it a felony crime to administer gender-affirming care to minors.”

• 496 Anti-Trans 

• NE lawmaker, Michaela Cavanaugh

• Attack on Free Speech - book banning and attacking the media

• Hitler Era ‘Lügenpresse’ (Lying Press) was the rallying cry in the early years of Hitlers rise to power

• As Musolini rose to power, he increasingly put restrictions of school curriculum

• Restrictive curriculum bills tripled in 2022 in the US

• Idaho - Legislation that would allow parents to sue the librarian if their child checked out a book that they “harmful”

Ep. 150: Fake It Until You Make it & Other Imposter Struggles

EQ: How does the intersection of different identities and societal expectations contribute to the development and experience of imposter syndrome?

Guests:

• Crissy Calera, educator and former guest on Episode 98 our #readlessbasic book club episode on Caste, 

• A new fresh face is the talented, provocative Mr. Israel Calera aka. Izy.

Today’s episode is brought to us by the New Yorker article Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It. We define the idea of imposter syndrome, including it’s perhaps surprising origins. We explore the role of upbringing and family in developing our sense of acceptance, belonging, and search for community. As always, we consider the roles of gender dynamics, racial implications and socialization.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Read “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome”; Dunning-Kruger Effect

• Megan: reflect on your spaces–where you feel is your most authentic self? Then consider places you have power to create/replicate this feeling for others

• Izy: Looking for areas where you can relieve someone from feeling like an imposter; encourage someone else by being vulnerable

• Doug: Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes & support them in their “thing”

• Crissy: Spend time in building self-confidence and self-affirmation; make a list of your successes and accomplishments

Ep. 149: Ride the Wave of the Bean

EQ: How can coffee and the outdoors empower young people to create positive change?

Guest: Quincy and Whitni Henry, Campfire Coffee
“We don’t claim to be coffee experts, we’re not coffee snobs. We appreciate a good roast, we love a rich single origin and a fun blend but if cream and sugar is how you roll it’s how we roll. We respect the nuances of coffee but even more, we respect that everyone has their thing. ✊🏾”

We were delighted to be joined today by Quincy Henry, co-owner of Tacoma’s Campfire Coffee. The audio is a little unstable and cuts out at times but we felt the conversation was extremely important for listeners to be a part of.

From the origins of campfire roasting methods to the lack of diversity in outdoor companies, programs and spaces, Quincy shares his story and experiences merging two things he loves–coffee and the outdoors. 

To support this work, please swing by their store in Tacoma, pick up a bag of coffee at Trader Joe’s or visit their website Campfire Coffee.

Congrats for recently being named Puget Sound Business Journal Family Business Awards honoree! 

Ep. 148: The SCOTUS Goons Have Been Busy

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

Today we dig into the various cases in review by the Supreme Court, discussing the implications of a ruling in one direction or other. 

Related Sources:

• Looking Ahead: A Supreme Court Preview for 2023

• Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College 

• Current precedent was established in 2003 - Gratz v Bollinger and Grutter v Bollinger

• 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (21-476)

• Merrill v. Milligan (21-1086)

• Moore v. Harper (21-1271)

• 15 State Laws in Effect in 2023

• Tennessee GOP introduces bills that shake up Nashville

• Tennessee HB 0878 targeting marriage equality

• Limiting Cabaret; implications for drag shows

• AntiDrag Bills passed sweeping the US are straight from history’s playbook

• Status of Anti Drag Bills Across the US

Champagne & Real Pain:

🥂Mo Amer, Palestinian-American comedian came to Abu Dhabi for a show!

🥂 Jon Stewart!

👎🏻Desantis

Ep. 147: An IWL State of the Union

EQ: What exactly is the state of this union right now?

Megan and Hope convene for the annual IWL State of the Union. We kickoff the episode discussing the “official” SOTU and favorite and most absurd traditions from the event. We also talk about their own  “Dumpster Fire’s” from the previous year, like the potential Republican POTUS nominees for 2024, but also highlight the “Glimmer of hope” that come along with these things. The second half of the episode is focused the effort to avoid performative outrage and avoiding “basic” activism and allyship. We discuss how easy it is to get caught up in cyclical outrage and how it is important that we not, because the real people that are impacted by these issues go on being impacted even when the public stops paying attention. We share that we are going to be recording follow-up episodes about these key topics in the coming weeks and months. Starting with revisiting Residential Schools in both Canada and the United States.

If you have any helpful/relevant information of know somebody who would make a good guest for any of the following topics, please reach out to Hope (hope.teague@gmail.com) or Megan (megan.holyoke@gmail.com) :

• Banning of books in classrooms/educational laws in Florida

• The water crisis in Flint, MI and/or the Ohio train crash environmental crisis

• Immigration and border crisis regarding the children separated from families at the border

• Chinese Residential Schools for Tibetan Children

Related Articles:

• State of the Union Traditions

• “How Florida’s New School Librarian Training Defines Off Limits”

• Desantis’ Academic Restrictions Show He Hopes to Change History By Censoring It

• Why Are There Empty Shelves in Florida Schools?

• Crippling Teacher Shortages

• Tennessee Bill to ban Drag Shows in Public Spaces

Ep. 146: Outdoor Education & Urban Schools

EQ: How and why  do outdoor education experiences in urban school change the relationships students have with science? 

Guests: Jen Holm & Natalie Rezka, Lincoln High School Science Educators; previously guests on IWL episode

Natalie and Jen have recently applied for AND received a $31,000 grant as part of the OSPI Outdoor Education for All Program! The grant is going to go towards providing Lincoln High School students with outdoor education opportunities that will help to supplement and enhance the learning that is taking place in their classrooms. They share about the barriers facing students in high needs communities and how outdoor education can really shift a young person’s mind.

If you’d like to reach out and support the work at LHS, please contact Natalie Rezka nreszka@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Related Articles:

• The Benefits of Outdoor Education Aren’t Accessible for All

• 5 Benefits to Outdoor Education

• Is Outdoor Education a Privilege for the Wealthy?

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Natalie: Braiding Sweet

• Hope: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (film & book)

• Megan: if you have connections to funding outdoor ed, reach out to local schools & see if you can create a partnership to help students access the outdoors!

Ep. 145: How Long Form Journalism Can Shape a Community

Essential Question: What is the role of race and gender in shaping the ways that journalists convey particular stories or pursue "truth" pertaining to charged events?

Guests: 

• Kari Plog award-winning, South Sound reporter for Seattle-Tacoma kplog@knkx.org

• Mayowa Aina, South Sound reporter, audio producer, and editor based in Tacoma, WA. 

You may know our guests from other Channel 253 shows or from hearing their voices as cohost of The Walk Home Podcast @NPR station @knkxfm.

Most recently, Kari was a panelist in the NF Live: Adult Civics Happy Hour

In this episode we focus on the evolution of journalism and what it means to sit at the intersection of race and gender in this profession. Mayowa and Kari are candid about their personal experiences and give us insight into their experience creating, recording, and shaping The Walk Home podcast.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Kari: Media literacy–know who owns your local paper and who is shaping the stories; it’s key to our democracy

• Mayowa: Donate to your local public radio station

• Hope: If you haven’t, listen to “The Walk Home” (ditto)

Ep. 144: The Year of Charcuterie

Essential Question: To what extent is 2023 the year of charcuterie? 

In this episode Hope sticks to her beliefs that charcuterie boards are white supremacy, but she concedes that if you take out the whiteness from the experience, then maybe they are okay after all. Listen and laugh at this silly new year episode. 

A Few Related Links:

• History of Charcuteries

• Have Butter Boards Gone too Far

• Millenials Are Obsessed

• 3 Reasons Why It’s Time to Stop–overwhelming, impractical, germ pits

Cultures that have things on boards/equivalents

• Filipino Boodle Fight (kayam kamayan; family style/military routine)

• Northern Mexican Discada (grilled meats on agricultural plow)

• Ethiopian Food (injera plate)

• South Indian Food served on banana leaves (aka a board)

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• When life hands you lemons, slice them up and add them to your charcuterie board!

Ep. 143: Goals, Red Cards & Other Superlatives

EQ: In the game of life, who scored an epic goal and who deserves to be ejected from the game in 2022? 

This final episode of 2022 we give a nod to the World Cup by recounting the year’s triumphs and tribulations in soccer terms. Special thanks to all the listeners who contributed their ideas for who to card, who earned the Golden Boot award, and who was the player of the year.

PS—forgive us for any misused terms. We tried.

Ep. 142: Developing Intercultural Intelligence Part II

We’re back for a Part II of understanding cultural competency–as a reminder our EQ is…

EQ: How might centering cultural competency in our schools/workplace change & improve the health of our communities?

Guest: Shelley Reinhart, Knowledge Workx,  a company specializing in certifying practitioners in inter-cultural  intelligence. 

After our conversation we decided we needed a Part II–to clarify strengths and limitations of each worldview, unpack the implications of the 3 worldviews Shelly laid out and dig more into the intersection of these world views with such systemic things as race, class, and gender.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Megan: Go listen to the podcasts Shelley has recommended!

• Shelley: 

• Podcast: Unlocking Cultural Agility - Building Bridges Across Racial Divides 

• Three Colors of Worldview

• Better Conversations, Smarter Questions and More Listening

• Diminishing the Impact of Unconscious Biases and Stereotypes

• Hope: YA Books for Third Culture Kids/Perspectives; Knowledge Workx Podcast

Ep. 141: Developing Intercultural Intelligence Part I

Joining us today is Shelley Reinhart, an intercultural intelligence practitioner with Knowledge Workx, a company that certifies practitioners in intercultural  intelligence. 

In this episode we discuss why it’s important to change how we think about culture–that we can have active roles in shaping culture. Megan and Hope learn foundational elements about the three major worldviews present in society: innocence vs. guilt, honor vs. shame, and power vs. fear. We explore implications for how these worldviews can influence relationships and community building our classrooms and workplaces. Reach out to Shelley on Twitter or LinkedIn

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Shelley: 1) Check out the Three Colors of Worldview; 2) Consider your primary preference & it’s impact in your life

• Hope: Danau Tau “Growing Up in Transit”

• Megan: Ditto on the worldviews. Reflect on where you feel celebrated in your identity

Ep. 140: On Making Space for Trauma & Grief in DEI Work

EQ: What is the role of brain science and psychology in creating more inclusive organizations? 

Guest: Noor Awad, a “brain science and psychology” student, a corporate diversity and inclusion specialist, and the founder of Homegrown Palestine @homegrownpalestine

This conversation took surprising turns as we discussed grief, trauma, creating inclusive spaces and how listening to the stories of others is a chance for healing and community building. We hope you will find some encouragement and comfort in this episode.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Noor: to understand generational trauma check out Dr. Gabor Mate

• Megan: Do the work—get therapy

Ep. 139: No, It's Not Too Late to Talk About Halloween

EQ: To what extent is the world trying to steal our hallowed peace at this time of year?  

Today’s episode a mix of fun and shade. We bring back one of our favorite segments, Timeless or Terrible. Surprisingly, we’ve never discussed Halloween on the show so we decided to tackle this wacky, short season. We talk about how folks should be intentional about having a fun costume that isn’t race-ish or glorifying a serial killer. We also discuss some local news such as a recent transrights protest in Tacoma and the Paul Pelosi attack.

Related Links:

• My Culture is Not a Costume 

• The History of Racist Halloween Costumes & Progress We’ve Made in Saying Goodbye to Them

• “Dear POC: Think Again Before Wearing Racism This Halloween”

• USA Today: “cultural appropriation has to do with dominance and power”

• Baylor Inclusion & Diversity Page

• Ebay banning Jeffrey Dahmer Costumes

• Bars in Milwaukee Banning Dahmer Costumes

• Transrights Protest Dissolves into Shouts & Pepper Spray 

• Even in the coverage, Fox News included anecdotes of their garage being graffitid with traditionally left talking points like “universal income now”

• Another Fox article: Paul Pelosi attack should be a ‘wakeup call’ to Democrats about crime, but they won’t change

Do Your Fudging  Homework:

• Hope: keep an eye out for bots & help orgs/people you love; promote good work on itunes, etc.

• Megan: outshout the haters; post positives