Episode #72
Parents, we are right there with you with the stress, uncertainty, and fear about how this next school year is going to look. Teachers and administrators, we know you are doing your best. But what should we be thinking about when we look at the fall with regard to our own families, as well as our communities as a whole?
Today we riff.
And we bring you, at the end, a special bonus - a meditation by Lisa Guyman to bring you peace, calm, a sense of healing and insight. Because what we’re all going through right now, and are about to jump into with online schooling, is an absolute cluster. Take this gift and run with it.
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Episode #71
As we think about the kids of this country going back to school (or not) in the fall, we can’t help think about how the educational inequality that was already in place is being further exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19.
However, if you take it back before internet connectivity problems and the lack of computer devices to learn from home on, there has always been a problem with equal and easy access to quality education.
We bring you a conversation with Colin Seale, whose biggest mission centers around providing equal access to critical thinking skills by working with teachers, administrators, and parents alike. Hear how every single one of us can make a difference, and how educational opportunities are so intricately linked to racial justice.
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Episode #70
Just because one person manages to make it out of a really tough neighborhood does NOT mean that if everybody applies the same level of grit, they should be able to make it out too. We need to use their story as what it is - an exception - and learn from what worked to help them make it out and change the environment and reality of all the other kids who are having to fight to just exist, let alone thrive every day.
Today we bring to you a conversation with an exceptional young man, Caylin Moore, who went from growing up in Compton, CA to being a Rhodes scholar on his way to earning a Ph.D. from Stanford so he can be a college professor and continue to focus on educating himself and others.
We learned SO MUCH from his experiences moving from a predominantly White area to one where going to and coming from school was an issue of physical safety, and how he made it back out. Listen in.
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Episode #69
Since the influx of new listenership and followers ever since that awful weekend when Amy Cooper was exposed and George Floyd was murdered, we wanted to take this opportunity to re-introduce ourselves.
We are Sara & Misasha, co-hosts of the podcast Dear White Women - where we aim to make it easy to enter uncomfortable conversations about racial and social justice.
We’re both daughters of a Japanese immigrant and White American, and we met over 20 years ago walking out of a racial identity meeting when we were undergraduates at Harvard. We’ve been great friends ever since, though we’ve only lived in the same city for one year since college.
Where we differ is here: Misasha is married to a Black man from the South, and has two very mixed-race sons; Sara is married to a White Canadian man and has two White-presenting daughters. Misasha is a lawyer, fitness instructor, and amateur historian; Sara is a life coach, author, and facilitator who loves positive psychology.
All of these come together in our conversations that aim to expose the humanity and history of our country so that Misasha doesn’t have to worry that one day, her family might walk out the door and never come back, based purely on the color of their skin.
Huge thank you to humorist Debbie Scheer for taking the time to ask us all the questions on this episode!
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Episode #68
When we think about abortion, we tend to imagine Planned Parenthood and/or providers who offer women’s healthcare in their doctor’s offices. We don’t really think about people who are choosing to self-manage the termination of their pregnancy.
(Side note: what comes to mind when you hear the term “self-managed abortion?” Our jaws dropped when we heard it because we hadn’t considered it outside of coat hangers and back alleys.)
Unfortunately, people who manage their own abortions fall into a legal grey zone, and often, because of the way systemic racism works in this country, they are BIPOC who have a higher chance of being criminally prosecuted for doing something that is, while legal according to Roe v. Wade, sometimes challenged outside of the expected medical setting.
Reproductive justice is racial justice. Listen in to learn more.
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Episode #67
We’ve been hearing a LOT about #DefundThePolice, which doesn’t mean exactly what it sounds like; we’re not here at this point to argue the pros or cons of defunding the police, but what we love to do is to unpack the why behind things, the history of things, so we can better understand what is really happening right NOW.
Today we’re looking at a big historical question that’s central to this whole argument about the police. Why were police formed in the United States? For some of us, we may assume that policing in the United States is as old as this country itself. And that’s not really the truth.
So what is the truth? Glad you asked…
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Episode #66
According to Feeding America, African American households face hunger at a rate more than twice that of white, non-Hispanic households. And getting enough to eat is a consistent struggle for 1 in 4 African American children.
We can’t wait for the government to put policies in place to help address wage gaps and minimum wages and food accessibility, because millions of children are going hungry RIGHT NOW. This summer.
Listen in to learn what’s happening, and how you can help.
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Episode #65
Dismantling police forces and committing ourselves to education and activism is important for #blacklivesmatter – SO, we can’t lose sight of the critical thing happening in the U.S. in November. The outcome of our presidential election will impact not only us as a country, but the dynamics of our world.
You’ll hear that mail-in ballots alone aren’t the answer, but they are part of the solution. Action is not just committing to vote but making sure that everybody has access to the ability to vote. It’s time to start mobilizing now.
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Episode #64
We had to postpone our pre-scheduled episode on the importance of voting to bring you this critically-timed conversation on President Trump’s decision to return to the campaign trail on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Without knowing the history and significance of both of these things, you might just think, oh well, he’s hoping 300,000 people gather without masks to support his next bid for Presidency - that’s not so smart.
But if you know the history, you realize it is way worse than that.
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Episode #63
Right now, during COVID, as #blacklivesmatter has (finally) picked up steam among white people, there is a lot to process – both intellectually and emotionally.
The anti-racism resources that are flooding our social media streams and filling our inboxes are so powerful, so well-intentioned, and helpful. Yet if this is anything like what we’re expecting to happen, soon, what we’re calling White Fatigue might set in for some people out there.
This episode is dedicated to pushing through the discomfort, committing to the fight, and includes a special bonus at the end: an anti-racism breathwork experience from Jenny Peni, to help you process and feel a little more grounded and able to do what you need to do.
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Episode #62
Unless you’ve tuned out of the news altogether, you will have noted that our President has used language referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as “the China virus.” How do you think that has impacted the Asian-American population in our country? The stats of hate crimes and discrimination are clear - 1700 incidents reported within six weeks of tracking. It’s happening. If you’re not Asian but want to do something, where do you even begin to be an ally?
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Episode #61
Aunt Flo, shark week, that time of the month, your red-headed friend: whatever you call your period, menstruation is a natural bodily function that happens to 50% of the population.
For the majority of us, we take our monthly supplies for granted. But what happens if you’re homeless, or if you have to choose each month between purchasing groceries or paying for your feminine hygiene supplies?
On today’s show, Sara chats with Geoff Davis, Executive Director of Period Kits, who is helping to solve that dilemma by providing period kits and dignity to that vulnerable segment of our population who need them the most. Misasha joins Sara to discuss ways to get involved on a local level.
Listen in to this inspiring story and learn how you can make a difference!
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Episode #60
Sara and Misasha are excited to welcome Antonio Wint to the show.
Antonio is a neighbor, father, and black man in a position of leadership with a diverse employee base who happens to enjoy running. In light of everything, Sara and Misasha wanted to hear his personal experiences and thoughts on how to talk with kids about a sport that has potentially dangerous consequences for the black population.
Listen in to this thoughtful conversation for tips on encouraging age-appropriate conversation, respect, and tolerance for all.
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Episode #59
Sara and Misasha are pleased to welcome their special guest, Dr. Sue Varma, to the show to discuss the importance of mental health in these very challenging times.
Listen in to this conversation that dives deeply into the psychological and physical effects of the coronavirus pandemic from many different perspectives.
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Episode #58
Have you ever stopped to think about what the phrase, “school to prison pipeline” really means? What about who it affects? Chances are unless an issue affects you or your loved ones personally, it’s not at the top of your priority list of concerns.
Sara and Misasha have been tackling election issues, and this particular one took center stage during the first round at the Democratic Presidential Debates last July.
If we fix our school system, we have a better chance of fixing the current prison pipeline. Listen in to this heart-wrenching exploration of the link between education and incarceration.
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Episode #57
In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha continue the election arc with studies involving the root causes of educational inequality.
Join them to hear about educational inequality’s inextricable link to income inequality, why it should matter to us all, what needs to be resolved first, best practices, and more!
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Episode #56
When you think of a disabled person, what image comes to mind? For example, do you think of a particular gender? Do you picture how they get around? How about their skin color?
In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha take on the subject of how both physical and mental disabilities impact people of color and everyone else who isn’t white, cisgender, and economically advantaged. You’ll also learn about #disabililtytoowhite and what you can do to support the work of disabled people of color who often do extraordinary work for very little pay.
Don’t miss this eye-opening and thought-provoking dialogue in Part 2 of the Ableism series!
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Episode #55
Sara & Misasha were honored to be featured on the podcast of a dear friend, Running Life: A Fitness Protection Production run by host Coach MK - and the content was so important and relevant that we are co-launching the show on both of our platforms today.
We entered the conversation because as a running coach who isn’t ever really “just” talking about the running, MK’s social media feeds had been covered with call-outs, shaming anyone who violates the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control recommending that everyone cover their faces every time they leave the house.
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Episode #54
There’s a lot of consequences out there for people who are fully functional but there are even more consequences for people who have disabilities right now. In today’s conversation, Sara and Misasha bring you an enlightening and timely discourse on ableism, and how just being aware of it isn’t enough anymore.
They’ll also be touching on the current COVID-19 pandemic, and what happens when you have a child with special needs when everyone is expected to stay home and you're not prepared for that.
Get ready to look at the world in a whole new way without making assumptions, while reaching out to offer help.
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Episode #53
In today’s episode, Sara and Misasha share how COVID-19 has had a much bigger impact on the rights of immigrants in the United States and detainees at the border than what they originally thought.
Listen in to learn more about immigration, as it a key election issue in this election year. Sara and Misasha bring you compelling information on those that are being held at our border, discuss the alarming public charge rule and other legislation that may be making its way down the pipeline.
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