Two cisgender, heterosexual, middle class white women (one forever white and one formerly Black) interrogate whiteness & anti-Black racism one #WhiteWomenWednesday at a time. We are not your Complacent Carens.
**In a break from tradition, Emma Nelson is off our airwaves this week (though if you miss her voice, head on over to Below The Dot: A Degrassi Podcast). Emma will be back for Sounds About White episodes 19 & 20, to wrap-up season one right! (or white?)** Maria is joined by her white, cis-het, 33 year-old brother, Joe, to talk about his unlearning white supremacy journey. A significant portion of the episode is focused on white parenting, as Joe shares about supporting his little white ones on their own anti-racist journeys.
This week's episode starts and ends with what's streaming on our screens... WHAT'S OUT: The Cricket's Dance (2020, book + film) A League Of Their Own (1992, film) Black trauma on TV, a la Queen & Slim (2019) Carolyn Bryant Donham + Courtney Tailor of TikTok (2022) WHAT'S IN: Issa Rae's Rap Sh!t (2022) A League Of Their Own (2022, series) Billy Porter's Anything's Possible (2022) Lena Waithe's The Chi (2017 - present) Chinonye Chukwu, director of Till (2022) REST IN PEACE (AND POWER): Robert "Yummy" Sandifer (age 11), Shavon Dean (age 14), Emmett Till (age 14), Mamie Till (age 81), Christian Toby Obumseli (age 27)
In this episode, Emma shares about unfortunate on-going experiences with a white woman perpetually in her inbox. Emma and Maria talk all things awful about capitalism, including its impact on service delivery and having basic needs met. The topics of abortion, the white moderate, vacation colonization, AND soft cat collars also pop-up as we take you here, there, and everywhere. Thanks for joining along for the ride!
Emma begins the episode with a special shout out to white women with curly hair who dare to compare themselves to Black women with natural hair. Maria brings in a question from a white listener about their potential participation in a Juneteenth Celebration, before launching into the intersect of whiteness & cis-het privilege this Pride.
In this episode, Hilary Swank (Freedom Writers) is not mentioned, but her presence is implied during a discussion about a likely white teacher blogging about her student's trauma. Emma & Maria proceed to talk about the interpersonal impacts of white wealth hoarding, along with a slew of other white-people-need-to-do-better issues.
Trigger Warning: discussion of Buffalo Massacre; and many a monologue by Maria, so remember: #ABlackPersonSaidItFirst So... #YouHeardItHereSecond. Recorded May 20, 2022. In this episode, Emma & Maria discuss the ways shame & blame are used by white people across the political spectrum to deflect from self-reflection. Time is spent exploring how accountability and humility are often in short supply, particularly for most whites in these United States.
Maria & Emma explore the harms of self-whiteousness and transracial adoptive parents' transgressions in This Is Us. The recent @NoWhiteSaviors white woman scandal is discussed, with an acknowledgement that all white people have the capacity to cause harm. We close the episode by highlighting just how racist the Catholic Church can be (and has been). Part 1: This Is Us Part 2: No White Saviors IG account Part 3: Catholicism & Colonization While we continue to have "high hopes for white folks," this episode shows us that the bar is still, so low!
Jessica Pressler (a.k.a. "Vivian Kent" from Shonda Rhimes' Inventing Anna) joins the show to sing (privileged) Anna Delvey's praises. Maria & Emma talk scams, "nobody wanting to work anymore" and the bullshit behind boot straps and authoritative adults. **Episode recorded back in March but Maria did not get around to editing until June.** THREE recently recorded episodes to be released soon, so stick around for further streaming! As always, hit us up on Instagram, Facebook, and/or email to share your insights!
Maria is joined by the embarrassing AnnaLynne McCord a.k.a. "Putin, if I was your mother..." poet. This week's episode includes unpacking anti-Blackness worldwide and a deep dive into white entitlement of parents and "pro-life" Christians alike. ⚠️ episode trigger warning: mention of enslaved Black women breastfeeding white babies*
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, joins the show to talk about her racist, culturally inappropriate hit "This Is How We Do" (2013). (alias) Emma and (actually) Black Alter Ego Jessica join (really) white Maria to discuss all things racism, reality TV, and ways to respond to misinformation that do not objectify the oppressed.
Maria is joined by Hillary Clinton, before she swiftly steps back to watch Emma Nelson work. Emma and Maria talk all things white supremacy culture, capitalism and community. [After-Show] Let It Be Known: Black people need no reason to rest. White folks need to rest to sustainably engage in the racial justice revolution. *Yes, there are people who live between the Black-white binary. Adjust accordingly, based on proximity.* References: https://therapythatliberates.com/ https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/ https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/
Peggy McIntosh joins Maria to talk all things Knapsack. Emma Nelson returns, along with her Black alter ego, Jessica, to discuss racist misconceptions about Affirmative Action and make one small but mighty request this Black History Month.
[Trigger Warning: sexual assault, rape, slavery] Maria is joined by a hurtful Susan B. Anthony to discuss misogynoir and white violence, past and present. Susan sits back after one too many violent white feminist attacks. Emma Nelson returns to weigh in on the racial wealth gap, white woman abroad, and white mother's lack of care for their Black babies' hair. We closing with an ode to The Sims.
It's Five and Dive! White people are super sensitive about reverse racism; hence why Scarlett Johansson fights for her right to play every race on the big screen. Maria shares some of her harmful history with white saviorism, while Black Scarlett talks about the importance of Black-only, white supremacy free spaces.
Systemic Racism in Education Is A Hot Ass Mess. Don't Be Emily in Paris. Do Watch I May Destroy You.
Maria is joined by a temporary Taylor Swift to discuss the racial trauma of student loans, the delicacy of white womanhood, and actively racist pieces of sh*t.
Forever White Woman Maria and Today's Temporary Sandra Bullock a.k.a. Emma Nelson a.k.a. of last episode discuss the levels to privilege, whiteness, and transracial adoption.
In this episode, we introduce ourselves and dive into a recent episode of white nonsense in the land known as the United States.