Race & Gender Unfiltered with Daniel Edmund

This episode I speak with multi-award winning coach, consultant speaker and former athlete Michelle Moore. She has lit up board rooms, sports halls and conference rooms alike, sharing her experience and message of our power to rise in spite of challenges, and inspiring a progressive brand of conscious leadership for a new age of sport and business.Championed for a brand of activism which is unapologetic yet grounded in compassion and a desire to effect positive change, Michelle has spoken and consulted everywhere from The London Mayor's Office, The Commonwealth Games Federation, UNICEF UK, The University of Cambridge, The BBC, The International Paralympic Committee, Sport England, The University of Texas and Premier League Football.Voted as one of the UK's '50 Most Influential Women in Sport' through the delivery of coaching and leadership programmes across government, sport, business and charity sectors Michelle's work focuses on the personal and collective transformation of people, communities and organisations. Michelle is the winner of the 2016 UK Precious Award for ‘Outstanding Woman in Sport', a Football Black List award and an esteemed national Change Maker award.Michelle and I speak about her journey growing up as a Black mixed-heritage woman, developing leaders and her new book Real Wins.To find out more about Michelle visit michellemoore.me And you can order Michelle's new book here

This episode I speak with Taimour Ahmed who is the founder of Expert By Experience, a volunteer-led multimedia platform dedicated to looking at mental health in South Asian communities from an intersectional and critical lens. As a mental health advocate, he came up as a young writer in online publishing with the company Media Diversified from its inception. Nowadays he can be found either working away at EBE or cooking Pakistani dishes. Taimour and I speak about his experience growing up in Pakistan and moving to the UK, challenges South Asian men experience, as well as men processing anger.To find out more about Taimour visit expertbyexperience.uk. 

In this episode, I speak with Nova Reid who is an Activist, TED speaker and author, with a mission to improve racial justice by helping people be the change they want to see by courageously unlearning their racism.Nova uses her professional background in mental wellbeing to encourage meaningful change from the inside out. She has worked with a variety of organisations including BT and Bloody Good Period and has an online anti-racism academy. Nova regularly appears on BBC News, Sky News and BBC Radio as a media expert on race. In 2018, Nova was invited to attend the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to provide expert media commentary.Nova is an accomplished public speaker and was headhunted by TEDx Frankfurt to deliver a talk on microaggressions which was upgraded as a TED talk in 2020. Nova was named one of the Top 100 Black British Women by the Black Magic Network, as part of International Women's Day 2019 and in November 2020 she was awarded a Precious Award for Social Impact for her work in racial justice.Nova is a passionate advocate for equity, collective healing and helping people use self-agency to role model change. Her debut book The Good Ally is out in September 2021.We speak about her journey getting into anti-racism work, the challenges of collective healing and the joy she's found along the way.To find out more about Nova, visit her website novareid.com 

In this episode, I speak with Benjamin Alexander who is working towards becoming Jamaica's first Olympic Alpine Skier.Benjamin spent the majority of the last decade on the road as an esteemed international DJ, resident for the quintessential Burning Man brand; Robot Heart. After retiring from nightlife in late 2018 his mind shifted to what challenge would motivate and drive the next chapter of his life.  Benjamin is now racing against the clock to qualify for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in the midst of a global pandemic. We speak about his athletic journey so far, connecting to his Jamaican ancestry and what going to the Winter Olympics represents for him and the island.You can find out more about Benjamin on his Instagram page @benji.ski

This episode I speak with Jeremy Herte who is the Host and Founder of Let's Talk Bruh. Let's Talk Bruh is a platform that creates content around Black masculinity and the impact of patriarchy in Black communities. The goal of his content is to create interactive, healing, and learning experiences with his audience, primarily Black men and male socialised folks of all sexual orientations and gender identities.We speak about his journey starting Let's Talk Bruh, platonic male intimacy between Black men Black men healing and divesting from patriarchy.To find out more about Jeremy you can find him on instagram @jherte and the Let's Talk Bruh instagram page @letstalkbruh.

This episode I check-in with some reflections about one of the healing processes I'm currently involved with and my hopes for us as a collective moving forward.

This episode I speak with Assistant Principal Abbi Bainton who has been working professionally in the educational sector both in the UK and in the Caribbean. We speak about her experiences of being a mixed-heritage woman living in the UK, racism in the British educational system and the false narratives behind the attainment gap of Black Caribbean students in the UK.

In this episode I share my reflections of the past six months and how this "dark" time has shaped me.

This episode I recite the poem ‘Who Will Cry For the Little Boy' by Antwon Fisher. Antwone Fisher (born August 3, 1959) is an American director, screenwriter, author, and film producer. His 2001 autobiographical book Finding Fish was a New York Times Best Seller. The 2002 film Antwone Fisher  was written by Fisher and directed by Denzel Washington.Fisher was born in prison to a single mother. His father, Edward Elkins, had been shot dead by a jealous girlfriend two months earlier. Antwone was placed in a foster home weeks after he was born, and remained in foster care through most of his childhood. After living with a foster mother for two years, Fisher was taken away from her. He was then placed into another foster home with a family named the Picketts. He spent 14 years of his childhood with the Picketts and was abused physically, verbally, and sexually. Fisher reports his earliest memories are of being sexually abused, beaten, tied up and left in a basement for hours, sometimes days and the abuse left him in a state of paranoiaHe was then removed from the Pickett home after having a fight with his foster mother. Antwone was sent to George Junior Republic School, a discipline school for boys, from which he graduated before he joined the United States Navy.[1]Fisher joined the U.S. Navy to escape homelessness. Fisher spent 11 years in the Navy. Here, he met Lt. Commander Williams, a psychiatrist who helped him work through his emotional traumas. And this is the story we see played out in his debut film Antwon Fisher. Fisher now resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife LeNette and his children.

This episode I recite a short passage from James Baldwin's book ‘The Fire Next Time'. I know it's a very short passage. I was considering reading more but that particular part resonated with me. Also, the length of something doesn't always equate to its depth and I think that's one of the great things about quotes and short passages.

This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with author, speaker and sacred activist Maya Kalaria. In this episode we speak about the challenges and realities of being a person of colour in a romantic relationship with a White person. To find out more about Maya Kalaria and her work you can visit mayakalaria.com. Also, Maya's new book Half Woman Half Grief is out now and can be purchased through her website as well. 

This episode is Part 1 of my conversation with author, speaker and sacred activist Maya Kalaria. In this episode we speak about the challenges and realities of being a Person of Colour in a romantic relationship with a White person. It's great to have Maya back on the show with me, I always value our time together. Please stay tuned for part 2 of our conversation. To find out more about Maya Kalaria and her work you can visit mayakalaria.com. Also, Maya's new book Half Woman Half Grief is out now and can be purchased through her website as well.

This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Mena Fombo who is a global speaker, diversity and inclusion facilitator, coach and consultant. She has over 15 years experience working within the voluntary sector, community organisations and educational establishments across Europe, the USA, Africa and South Asia and is currently an International Ambassador for the city of Bristol here in the UK.In 2017 she became a TEDxBristol speaker with the thought provoking No. You Cannot Touch My Hair campaign and talk of the same name. Her TEDx talk is now on the main TED.com website and has been viewed over 600,000 times. She was later awarded from the University of the West of England an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration for services to Gender and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic equalities work in 2019. Later the year she was voted woman of the year by Bristol247.In this conversation I speak to Dr. Mena about her experiences as a Black woman growing up in the UK as well as her life as an activist, speaker and all the other incredible hats she continually wears. This is a conversation between two colleagues but also two friends.

This episode is Part 1 of my conversation with Dr. Mena Fombo who is a global speaker, diversity and inclusion facilitator, coach and consultant. She has over 15 years experience working within the voluntary sector, community organisations and educational establishments across Europe, the USA, Africa and South Asia and is currently an International Ambassador for the city of Bristol here in the UK.In 2017 she became a TEDxBristol speaker with the thought provoking No. You Cannot Touch My Hair campaign and talk of the same name. Her TEDx talk is now on the main TED.com website and has been viewed over 600,000 times. She was later awarded from the University of the West of England an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration for services to Gender and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic equalities work in 2019. Later the year she was voted woman of the year by Bristol247.In this conversation I speak to Dr. Mena about her experiences as a Black woman growing up in the UK as well as her life as an activist, speaker and all the other incredible hats she continually wears. This is a conversation between two colleagues but also two friends.

This episode is the first episode of season 2. I share some of my thoughts on what's resonating most with me regarding the year ahead and where the Race & Gender platform will be heading.

This episode is the last episode of 2020. I'm fortunate to have Global Programmes Lead, Facilitator and Poet Josiane Smith with me as I reflect on some of the previous episodes of this year as well as the themes and emotions this year has brought up for me.

This episode is part 2 of my conversation with Architectural Engineer and Innovation Consultant Ranya Bakr. We speak about the challenges Iraqi women face in modern day, supporting Iraqi female entrepreneurs and what progress looks like for Iraq moving forward.

This episode is part 1 of my conversation with Architectural Engineer and Innovation Consultant Ranya Bakr. We speak about the impact of the 2003 US & UK invasion of Iraq, the negative stereotypes that have been placed on Iraqi people and the trauma many of them still experience to this day.

This episode I recite an excerpt by Howard Thurman from his book ‘For the Inward Journey'. Howard Thurman was an American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements and organisations of the twentieth century. He is revered by many and was the mystic who counselled civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.

This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with my father Bishop Dexter Edmund Sr who has been in Christian ministry for over 35 years. We speak about what People of Colour who are currently at churches that don't actively support their communities can do during this time, my personal challenges with the Christian faith, and the hurts that live inside my father.

This episode is Part 1 of my conversation with my father Bishop Dexter Edmund Sr who has been in Christian ministry for over 35 years. We speak about his experience being a first generation Afro-Caribbean living in the UK, how people of colour can begin detangling colonial mindsets from the version of Christianity many of them have been given and we also explore the lack of support some White Christians have given to progress the equity and equality for people of colour.

In this episode I speak about the realities of Breonna Taylor's murder and what it highlights about Black people's relationship with White people and White authority. I also read some staggering statistics about the UK criminal justice system that bring light to the oftentimes unspoken experiences of how Black, Asian and other Minoritized people engage with law enforcement in the UK. To see the full Lammy Report that is mentioned in this episode you can find it here: https://bit.ly/36lzGKD. This episode is dedicated to Breonna Taylor as well as her friends and family. 

In this episode I read an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr's book 'Where Do We Go from Here - Chaos or Community?' In this passage King discusses the role White Liberalism plays in the progress of the Black Community and also its oppression. 

In this episode I speak with Author, Speaker and Sacred Activist Maya Kalaria about her experiences with racial grief and trauma as an Indian woman living in the UK. We also speak about the impact of colonialism in modern day and reconnecting with indigenous ways of living. Maya closes the show by gracing us with a read of one of her poems from her new book 'Half Woman Half Grief'. This is part 2 of 2. For more information on Maya you can check out her website mayakalaria.com.

In this episode I speak with Author, Speaker and Sacred Activist Maya Kalaria about her experiences with racial grief and trauma as an Indian woman living in the UK. We also speak about the impact of colonialism in modern day and reconnecting with indigenous ways of living. This is part 1 of 2. For more information on Maya you can check out her website mayakalaria.com.

In this episode Daniel explores how the female inspirations in his life have been pivotal for his development as a man, and how society oftentimes discourages men from straying away from masculine norms.

In this first episode Daniel discusses why Marc Quinn's Black Lives Matter statue needed to come down and how he exploited Jen Reid, the Black community and the city of Bristol by putting it up. To find out more about Daniel visit his website danieledmund.com. You can also follow him on Instagram: @danieledmund and Twitter: @daniel_edmund