The Filter

The Filter's season finale is about grief. We grapple with the vague feelings created when the pandemic continually upended life, and our daily rituals stopped or had to change. We lean into what grief is, what it feels like and how to come out on the other side. Oscar Orozco, a grief counselor at Kansas City Hospice, explains how to navigate those feelings of loss, whether it has to do with losing a person or a routine. Trauma recovery coach Grace Yasmine shares her story of losing her dad, grandmother, brother, mother and son in a short period of time. Coming to grips with grief showed her how to embrace the good and the sad. What we read and listened to: Here are a few fascinating reads and listens we found during our research for this episode. Dig in and let us know what you think! Tweet us at @vickyd_c and @fentywise. Vicky interviewed Oscar Orozco last May as studies showed that communities everywhere were experiencing compounded grief and communal trauma. This report partly inspired this episode. Read it here. This blog entry by psychological experts helped us get our heads around much of what you hear. In the American Psychological Association April 2020 post entitled “Grief and COVID-19: Mourning our bygone lives,” psychologists explain the mental processes and how our bodies try to cope with profound senses of loss. It even offers ideas on activities that help our brains process changes the pandemic imposed on us. We featured clips of this TED Talk by neuroscientist Zoe Donaldson. Her talk “Lost in Loss: A Window into the Grieving Brain” explains “the neurobiology underlying these bonds and what happens when they are lost.” How do we talk to kids about this sometimes-uncomfortable subject? NPR's Life Kit gives us a 24-minute explainer with six succinct tips, plus some resources if you want to learn more. Check it out here. Get to know the hosts: Co-host Ieshia Downton | Illustration by Yup Yup Design Ieshia Downton (she/her/hers) is the co-host and creator of The Filter podcast and social media coordinator at Kansas City PBS. She is a Kansas City native with Caribbean roots and an interest in cultural storytelling and reporting. Before joining Kansas City PBS, Ieshia contributed to KC Studio magazine and un'ruly magazine as a feature writer. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, with an emphasis in magazine writing. Co-host Vicky Diaz-Camacho | Illustration by Yup Yup Design Vicky Diaz-Camacho (she/her/hers) is the co-host, producer and creator of The Filter podcast and the community reporter for Flatland at Kansas City PBS. Raised in El Paso, Texas, a border city in the Southwest, Vicky's roots as half-Mexican and Puerto Rican inform much of her reporting, which tends to focus on culture, race and health. Before joining Kansas City PBS, she interned at NPR and worked as a Kansas City Business Journal data journalist. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Journalism focused on news and editing and is a University Daily Kansan alumna. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

In episode five, Ieshia Downton and Vicky Diaz-Camacho confront the topic of grief and resilience with grief counselor Oscar Orozco and trauma recovery coach Grace Yasmine. Here's a peek at what they shared with us. Stream wherever you get your podcast. Our season finale drops on Jan. 26. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

Political tension and an ongoing public health crisis have one thing in common: misinformation. So how do we learn what's what? This episode is a conversation starter. In episode four, we look at how belief systems changed and were shaped this past year while tapping into how they evolved in public health and politics. We learn with Dr. Beth Vonnahme, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Then we speak to Jason Glenn, a historian and philosopher of medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who explains what he's done to quell misinformation about the COVID vaccine and build bridges to better understanding. What we read and listened to: Here are a few fascinating reads and listens we found during our research for this episode. Dig in and let us know what you think! Tweet us at @vickyd_c and @fentywise. Is there a way to combat or stop people from going down misinformation rabbit holes? This expert says yes. Listen to NPR's Short Wave, a science podcast, to learn how.Vox broke down the famous Nikki Minaj incident where she warned people to “do their own research” about the COVID vaccines. Turns out she was basing her hesitancy on an incident that happened to her cousin in Trinidad, which has become a sort of pop culture meme around the internet. Read more here. Did you know psychologists are studying uncertainty? This American Psychological Association brief outlines a few fascinating facts and includes links to current studies. If so inclined, read it here.Here's a link to the research paper from the International Society of Political Psychology on conspiracy theories, which we cite in the episode. Get to know the hosts: Co-host Ieshia Downton | Illustration by Yup Yup Design Ieshia Downton (she/her/hers) is the co-host and creator of The Filter podcast and social media coordinator at Kansas City PBS. She is a Kansas City native with Caribbean roots and an interest in cultural storytelling and reporting. Before joining Kansas City PBS, Ieshia contributed to KC Studio magazine and un'ruly magazine as a feature writer. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, with an emphasis in magazine writing. Co-host Vicky Diaz-Camacho | Illustration by Yup Yup Design Vicky Diaz-Camacho (she/her/hers) is the co-host, producer and creator of The Filter podcast and the community reporter for Flatland at Kansas City PBS. Raised in El Paso, Texas, a border city in the Southwest, Vicky's roots as half-Mexican and Puerto Rican inform much of her reporting, which tends to focus on culture, race and health. Before joining Kansas City PBS, she interned at NPR and worked as a Kansas City Business Journal data journalist. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Journalism focused on news and editing and is a University Daily Kansan alumna. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

In episode four, Ieshia Downton and Vicky Diaz-Camacho look at how belief systems are shaped and how misinformation sprouts in politics and the most recent public health crisis. Here's a taste of what you'll hear when the episode drops on Dec. 29. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

We speak with the founders of Eye of an Immigrant, an initiative led by two high schoolers working toward immigration reform and better support for the immigrant community. We also chop it up with chef Jayaun Smith, a 25-year-old professional chef who has curated several pop-up shops across the metro and is a personal chef for local NFL stars and celebrities. Curious to know what we've been checking out lately? Here's a list. Here's our reading and listening list: Want more of The Filter? Listen to all of our episodes by clicking 👉🏽 here 👈🏽and share by using #TheFilterKC. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music. Production support for this podcast is brought to you by The Post Haus, a full-service post-production audio agency. Find more information here. (Courtesy) Vicky Diaz-Camacho covers community affairs for Kansas City PBS. Ieshia Downton is the social media coordinator for Kansas City PBS.

Did you wonder what to do with time spent at home while on lockdown? You weren't alone. This spurred what psychologists call "meaning-making" and we wanted to look at what people did when they had a bit of extra time on their hands. Here's a teaser! The full episode drops on Nov. 24. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

In this episode of The Filter podcast, you'll hear from Annie Watson, who uses her expertise in early childhood education (and as a parent of four) to share insight about lessons learned during the past year. Watson adds context to education statistics and what the pandemic taught us about the lack of support for working parents like herself. Host Ieshia Downton also recounts her parenting journey, from pregnancy in the early days of the pandemic to homeschooling chronicles. Kansas City School District Superintendent Mark Bedell and digital campaigner at ParentsTogether PaKou Her also chimes in. What we read and listened to: Here's our reading guide to learn more about parenting, education and unfilled needs. Dig in and let us know what you think. This Pew research article illustrates the trends in child care and parenting during the pandemic.In this report, Vicky Diaz-Camacho spoke to experts and parents to learn more about waitlists and access to child care for our engagement series curiousKC. What does this reveal about the structure of the child care industry? And how does it support parents? According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, one in 500 kids have lost a parent or grandparent who cared for them in 2020. Notably, almost seven out of every 10 people who have lost parents or caretakers during the pandemic are Black, Hispanic or Native American. Learn more here. Want more of The Filter? Listen to all of our episodes by clicking 👉🏽 here 👈🏽and share by using #TheFilterKC. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music. Production support for this podcast is brought to you by The Post Haus, a full-service post-production audio agency. Find more information here. (Courtesy) Vicky Diaz-Camacho covers community affairs for Kansas City PBS. Ieshia Downton is the social media coordinator for Kansas City PBS.

Are the kids alright? Are their parents? These are the questions you'll hear our guests answer in the upcoming Filter podcast episode, which drops on Oct. 27. Here's a little teaser! Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

How has work changed for mental health providers working with vulnerable populations? In this episode extra, you'll hear from one of our guests, licensed counselor Breora Page, who works primarily with domestic violence survivors. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music.

This season of The Filter podcast is focusing on lessons learned during moments of crisis. In this episode, hosts Ieshia Downton and Vicky Diaz-Camacho have a conversation with two licensed therapists, Breora Page and Dr. Rebeca Chow, who share what they've seen over the past 18 months. Dr. Chow specializes in play therapy with a focus on helping children and families. Page specializes in helping support folks with trauma linked to domestic violence. Plus, we sat down with Cecil Wattree, founder of the Black Mental Health Initiative and a social worker, who says barriers to getting help are sometimes as basic as not having a ride to a therapist's office. His solution? Help should come to them. Production team credits: Ieshia Downton, Vicky Diaz-Camacho, Naina Rao, Felicia Diaz, PJ Kelly, and Ana Parra. Theme song credit: Aysia Berlynn and Primary Color Music. Vicky Diaz-Camacho covers community affairs for Kansas City PBS. Ieshia Downton is the social media coordinator for Kansas City PBS.