Voices on the Side

Joel Leon also known as Joel L. Daniels, is a Bronx born and raised performer, father, author, and storyteller who writes and tells stories for Black people. Joel specializes in moderating and leading conversations surrounding race, masculinity, mental health, creativity, and the performing arts, with love at the center of his work and purpose. He is the author of Book About Things I Will Tell My Daughter, God Wears Durags, Too, and Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man's Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future. His TED talk on healthy coparenting has been viewed over 1.5M times. He's worked with The Gates Foundation, HBO, Nike, Twitter, and the TODAY Show, and has been featured in EBONY, The Independent, Newsweek, Medium, BBC News, Sirius XM, Forbes, the Huffington Post, Blavity, and others. Joel currently works as the Creative Director at the NY Times T Brand Studio.Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist's duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. LinksJoel's LinksJoel InstagramLaura InstagramLaura WebsiteLaura YouTubeLeah InstagramLeah SubstackLeah YouTube

Jungwon Kim is an award-winning writer and cultural worker. She is also a communications leader, organizational strategy consultant, and journalist who has dedicated her professional life to human rights and environmental advocacy. As Head of Creative & Editorial at the Rainforest Alliance, she directed a multimedia team of writers, videographers, and graphic designers. Earlier in her career, she served as the editor of Amnesty International USA's human rights quarterly that featured the work of award-winning journalists and documentary photographers (circulation 300,000). She began her storytelling career as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and on-air correspondent for nationally syndicated public radio programs. Through her consulting practice, Next Wave, she develops tailored impact strategies (social, environmental, narrative), facilitates organizational and team retreats, and provides mindfulness-based leadership coaching to individuals. Jungwon currently serves as the board chair of Peace Is Loud, a nonprofit organization that builds narrative impact in the documentary film sector, and a board member of the Fund for Public Health NYC, which works to build racial and socioeconomic equity in public health outcomes. She did her undergraduate and graduate studies (B.A. Philosophy, dual M.J./M.A. program in Journalism and East Asian Studies) at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in support of her graduate research on self-censorship in the Hong Kong news media, a Foreign Language Area Fellowship, and a Korea Foundation Fellowship.Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist's duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. LinksJungwon Website Laura InstagramLaura WebsiteLaura YouTubeLeah InstagramLeah SubstackLeah YouTube

Our first guest on Cha is our friend, Naley by Nature. Naley is the founder of NaleybyNature , an independent project to document stories from different corners of the world. She is a filmmaker, producer, and writer and is currently working on bringing greater awareness of the Palestinian genocide to Western audiences. Born and raised in New York, Naley studied media and journalism at Iona College. With the rise in social media, Naley was drawn to all the perspectives traditional media fails to report on. During the pandemic, Naley and her co-founder, Sadia, quit their jobs and started traveling the world to create their documentary.Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist's duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.Links Naley InstagramNaley SubstackNaley YouTube Laura InstagramLaura Website Laura YouTube Leah InstagramLeah SubstackLeah YouTubelogo designed by @grime_ninja

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist's duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.Links ⁠Laura Instagram⁠⁠Laura Website ⁠⁠Laura YouTube ⁠⁠Leah Instagram⁠⁠Leah Substack⁠⁠Leah YouTube⁠Logo designed by @grime_ninja

Alexandra is a somatic artivist dedicated to liberation through somatic education and care, mahayoga, body temple dance, and ritual arts. Although we recorded this conversation a few months ago, everything we discuss is as relevant as ever, especially as we try to stay grounded amidst these times.Alexandra and I talk about our yoga practices, processing the grief of witnessing gen ocides, and community. Oh — and our shared love of the moon!TW: We talk about mental health issues including OCD, especially in the first 13 minutes, but we touch back on trauma throughout the episode.Alexandra's IGLeah's IG

Sarah is a Tony-winning performer, writer, and director and the host of the America, Who Hurt You? podcast. As a Black woman from a multicultural background, she is devoted to building a movement that promotes collective healing and affirmation for all people, starting with Black women and femmes. Our conversation was in the wake of the election results, and both Sarah and I were navigating the weight of what was to come. Sarah's guidance to stay grounded through grief and fear is crucial for all of us in this current moment. We talk about the intersection of politics, identity, trauma, and wellness, as well as the over-saturation of information, misinformation, and disinformation.  Sarah's ultimate call is one of hope: What is the healing that will bring us home to ourselves and to each other?

Some thoughts as we enter into this year. May we all find ourselves and one another. We'll be back with full episodes soon. Let's stay in touch: Substack or my blog

Jonathan is a father, writer, professor, astrologer, numerologist, and diviner. This was a magical conversation about so many real life issues through the lens of spirituality and through nerding out (in Jonathan's words) about astrology. From politics to systemic oppression to spiritual practice, we exchange thoughts on all the intersecting aspects of being human. Jonathan gets real about his own emotional state post-election and we talk about the need to connect with those that we are in disagreement with.  Jonathan shares his analysis on the much talked-about Pluto in Aquarius season we are now in. The revolution is here, it is inevitable, and it is becoming irresistible. Book a reading with Jonathan Jonathan's IG Leah's IG

Rolla is an award-winning filmmaker, a Sundance alumna, and a Palestinian American with deep, maternal roots in Jerusalem. She is the founder of the Safina Filmmaker Project, an initiative to raise the voices of Palestinian filmmakers through free artistic mentorship. We talk about what it takes to continue to ignore and be silent about the suffering and oppression of others, the way we as a society are lulled into complacency, and the hope we have in seeing the world come together as it has never before. Rolla's storytelling is rooted in heartbreaking truths as well as inspiring artistry, which we'll surely be seeing in her next feature film, The Visitor. Rolla's joy in her Palestinian heritage is palpable and I am honored to share our conversation with you here. Rolla's IG Leah's IG

Devon is a father, musician, and one of my favorite voices of collective liberation. At a moment in time where the divide and conquer method of the oppressor seems to be at an all-time high, Devon's analysis on the need for moral consistency through all our various struggles is incredibly important. We talk about what it means to be living in a propagandized country and having empathy for those who are still asleep. Devon talks through the difference between performative “activism” versus truly challenging systems, and how this work starts with the minority laying the ground work for the majority.  Devon reminds us that collective liberation means that everyone and society as a whole will be better off, and that this work comes from a genuine love for humanity. Devon's IG Leah's IG

Lena is a Palestinian Christian in the diaspora whose roots go back to Bethlehem. She is a mother, trauma therapist, and author.  Our conversation weaves in and out of our thoughts about what true solidarity means, the way our relationships have changed over these last 14 months, and what being Palestinian means to Lena. As a mental health professional, Lena's perspective on what motivates someone to speak versus stay silent is illuminating. As a Palestinian, her stories about her history and her culture are beautiful, and important to keep telling to fight erasure. Lena's website Lena's books Lena's IG Leah's IG

Alisha is a Korean adoptee, mother, therapist, and educator. She was born in South Korea, grew up in Michigan, and now lives in NYC, where she has a private practice and small-batch pasta business with her husband. Alisha was the Korean American Story 1st Place Winner earlier this year for her piece “Loss, Love, and Liberation.”  Alisha talks to us about growing up as a transracial adoptee in a small, rural town and the internalized whiteness that she started recognizing and healing from once she went to college. She references a PBS documentary called South Korea's Adoption Reckoning, which examines fraud and abuse allegations in South Korea's foreign adoption industry. We also discuss our respective postpartum periods and mental health challenges, the healing and grieving that motherhood brings, and how we cannot help but see our own children in the children of Gaza. As powerless as many of us feel in stopping wars and genocides, I believe that it matters how we raise our children and how we show up in solidarity in day to day life. Alisha and her family are a particularly poignant example of all of us being connected as they are raising a Korean Jewish daughter, who I can't help but see my own daughter in. Because we are all ultimately one human family. Alisha's IG Leah's IG

Sarinya was the first ever Asian woman firefighter in the FDNY and is the founder of Angry Asian Womxn, an organization centering safety, wellness, and community for women, femmes, and gender expansive folks affected by anti-Asian racism and Islamaphobia. Angry Asian Womxn is currently running a fundraiser for mutual aid to Gaza until 11/22/2024, and especially for any Sanrio lovers - I highly recommend checking it out! We talk about Sarinya's experience almost stumbling into organizing as well as navigating her radicalized and marginalized identity in the workplace. We also discuss Palestinians and Muslims being within our AAPI community therefore deserving of our solidarity, as ever a reminder that collective liberation means liberation for all.  Sarinya reminds us that we have the power to use our voices and take action to bring about the change and justice we want to see in the world. Sarinya's IG Angry Asian Womxn's linktr.ee Leah's IG

Kiki is an author, illustrator, and geographer whose parents immigrated from Guatemala. Her book, Palestine 1492: A Report Back, takes us on a journey through history, geography, and political theory through the language of memoir. In our conversation, we share our personal stories about who we used to be, how we woke up, and who we are becoming. In this reflection, we emphasize the need for compassion, understanding, and forgiveness for those who don't yet see the Truth.  Kiki shares her thoughts on academia, trauma, and what organization and resistance can look like, such as planting literal watermelon seeds. Kiki's teachings and worldview are the medicine our soul need in this moment. Kiki's website Kiki's IG Leah's IG 

Toi is an impact strategist and single mother to four boys. She is the founder of Loving Black Single Mothers, an organization creating ecosystems of care centering the needs and the support of Black single mothers. Through all of Toi's work, she is building new ways of living, being, and caring for each other.  We talk about motherhood and the nuclear family as institutions held up by the patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. Toi directs us to identify where our issues, challenges, struggles come from, and to then create another way.  Toi's focus is on using what we have learned and are continuing to learn about systems of oppression to inform our choices. How can we move differently through the world? How can we hold multiple truths and not get stuck in our grief - as valid as this grief is? Who can we be in community with? This is the vital next step in liberatory work.  Toi's IG Leah's IG

Welcome back to the second half of our conversation with Mohamed, which brought me back into a feeling of being back at school learning from a beloved professor. I think this is an important piece of our work for liberation — the ability to be in beginner's mind, to listen — truly listen — to one another. Mohamed at once describes the problems with our world as well as how we can work — together — to overcome, transform, and build anew. For those of us here on Turtle Island, there are real, tangible, and immediate ways we can get involved, starting with standing in solidarity with our Indigenous kin and to listen to our youth. May we continue finding each other, may we listen to and learn from each other, and may we take care of each other and the land.  About Mohamed's book Mohamed's article from Palestine Now Mohamed's X Mohamed's IG Leah's IG The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

Mohamed is a North African-Egyptian Muslim settler of color on Turtle Island. He is an interdisciplinary activist-scholar of Indigenous, Black, critical race, and Islamic studies, as well as gender, sexuality, abolition, and decolonization with extensive fieldwork experience in the Middle East-North Africa, Asia, and Turtle Island. He is a professor and the author of Islam & Anarchism: Relationships & Resonances.  In this first part of our conversation, we discuss the meaning of identity, home, and belonging and how this informs our building of community. Mohamed talks to us about his analysis of Palestine through the framework of 1492, illustrating as ever that all struggles for liberation are connected - a free Palestine cannot be separate from Indigenous land rematriation and Black reparations. He also tells us about the student encampment at Columbia, where he was the Arcapita Visiting Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies. Mohamed asks us to go beyond rhetoric in our pursuit of freedom, to seek to understand what it means to be human, and to honor that land is a spiritual subject. “Palestine 1492” event with Haymarket Books feral feminisms article Mohamed's IG Leah's IG The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

So Yun is a Korean American filmmaker. Her debut film Liquor Store Dreams is an incredible and intimate portrayal of two Korean American children of liquor store owners in Koreatown, Los Angeles, who set out to bridge generational divides with their immigrant parents. The film pulls us back to the 1992 LA riots, which is a personal, heartbreaking childhood memory for many of us. In this conversation, So Yun shares that her inspiration and motivation in filmmaking is rooted in witnessing and experiencing injustice and wanting to change the world in her own way. Through her work, she builds bridges between communities, identities, and generations.  So Yun tells us about the process of filmmaking, the importance of using our voices to stand up for ourselves and to educate others, and the differences in perspectives for Koreans of the diaspora compared to Koreans in Korea.  So Yun's IG Leah's IG Watch Liquor Store Dreams on iTunes Watch Liquor Store Dreams for free on Kanopy with library card

Briana is a liberation mentor, a speaker, an academic, an Earth minister ceremonialist, and so much more. She is on a mission to liberate herself, others, and the planet by returning to earth-wisdom and has created The Earth Temple's Liberation Mystery School, a community of tender revolutionaries building new systems of liberation for all.  In our conversation, we talk about the spiritual industrial complex — a world that we both know quite well — and how we can find ways to heal and resource ourselves through the very practices that are so problematic in a capitalistic context. We also talk about religions and cults manufacturing obedience, the necessity of naming polycrisis, and the inherent mystery and paradox of being the embodied souls that we all are. Briana emphasizes that we must each heal ourselves enough so that we do not continue propagating systems of oppression and so that we have enough strength to show up to love and fight. She also reminds us that we already have everything we need within ourselves and within Mother Earth — we simply have to access it. 2 gift weeks at The Mystery School Briana's IG Leah's IG

Teresa is a mother, performer, yogi, and storyteller. Born in the Philippines, she emigrated to California as a child, but the motherland eventually called Teresa back. She now raises her 3 boys in Manila with her husband.  We recorded our conversation in September 2024 with hopes of my publishing the episode ahead of the Global Mala Project, which was created with the mantra of uniting the global yoga community together with service and collective action. Aligned with the United Nation's International Day of Peace, studios, teachers, and organizations across the world come together each year for this event so although I missed this year's timeline, you can keep an eye out for its return in 2025! Teresa and I talk about the heyday of LA yoga — the late 90s when we were both fledgling yogis practicing and working at studios in Santa Monica. I have been so grateful (and frankly relieved), that amidst an industry-wide resounding silence when it comes to Palestine, Teresa was calling for a ceasefire in October 2023. We compare our experiences and perspectives navigating the last year from different places in the world, although we ultimately arrive at the same perspective of standing with humanity. We also question the traditional school system, talk meditation, and come home to compassion and hope. This was the uplifting conversation I didn't even quite realize I needed until we got to the end; like many of us, I have been riding the waves of despair. A message coming through loud and clear right now is to refuse despair, and Teresa is a great teacher of this lesson in how she lives and expresses all the ever-evolving versions of herself. Teresa's IG Leah's IG photo by Kieran Punay for Lifestyle Asia Magazine

We're back with the second half of our conversation with Najla. Najla shares her experience navigating her identity in the theater and entertainment industries. We talk about racism, white supremacy, and propaganda and a concept called PEP — Progressive Except Palestine. The past almost year has been one of shattered illusions, loss, and grief. Najla and I connect on the feeling of not knowing who to trust anymore but that of those we do trust, in Najla's words: We trust so hard. I believe this is what it means to find your people and to build community. Najla, with a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother, is the embodiment of resilience, resistance, and hope for peace. It is an honor to be able to share some of her stories here, and if you're in NYC, keep an eye on her upcoming performances. The Mulberry Tree — Oct 10-20, 2024 Imperfect Allies - Sept 30, 2024 Najla's book - Looking for Palestine Najla's IG Leah's IG

Najla is an author, actress, playwright, and activist. Her identity cannot be reduced to a checkbox: she is Arab, American, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Christian. She is the daughter of Edward Said, the late Palestinian professor, author, and activist. Today, September 25, 2024, is the 21st anniversary of Professor Said's death, and I am so humbled to share my conversation with Najla. May it be in remembrance of Najla's father as well as a prayer for both Palestine and Lebanon.In this first part of our conversation, Najla shares personal stories around her complicated — and inconvenient — identity, from childhood, as her father's daughter, and more recently over the last 11+ months. Despite differences in religion or ideology, Najla believes that every single human being deserves equal rights. We talk about secular humanism, being tokenized and bullied, and unexpressed pain eventually finding its way out, such as through an eating disorder, as it did for Najla.  I am so grateful for Najla's heart and artistry. And make sure to come back for the second part of our conversation later this week.Najla's IG Leah's IG

Janet is a Dance Embodiment and Moving Meditation Guide who explores healing, self-discovery, and re-wilding through the power of dance and somatic movement. Our conversation dives right into a discussion of the wellness world and the burnout that can result as we try to free ourselves from personal and systemic trauma and harm.  As a non-binary person of color growing up under the weight of expectations from family, society, and self, Janet has fought to understand and be who they really are. We talk about various systems of oppression from racism to capitalism, the resulting burnouts, and how to stay resilient through it all. We ask questions of how we can reframe the wellness world, what does it mean to seek truth, and how do we receive so we can actually heal? This was an extra long conversation so the first half will be available on Patreon which you can check out for a free 7-day trial. Janet's website Janet's IG Leah's IG

Hannah is an unapologetically fat and queer Palestinian American. She is the author of Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine and she works at her Palestinian family-owned publisher, Interlink. When I was first learning about Palestine in October 2023, I turned to books, which is what I have always done when seeking answers, inspiration, or healing. I came across Homeland and immediately took a copy home to my children. It still brings me to sobbing tears to remember sitting in my daughter's room, learning alongside these pure, innocent souls, about the unjust loss of Palestinians' homeland. In our conversation, we talk about the complexity of identity, and how both Hannah and I understand marginalization as well as privilege. We share stories about growing up having wanted to lean into whiteness and how our values have evolved to fight for the equality of all.  Hannah shares her concerns about the censorship happening in schools, which is something I personally think of constantly as the mother of school-age children. She also explains how queer liberation is tied to Palestinian liberation and she calls on us as Americans to use our privilege to fight for humanity. I love the way our conversation ends…in a shared vision of a liberated Palestine, in our lifetime. Inshallah. Hannah's IG Leah's IG

Cassandra is our favorite restie bestie! An autistic Viet-Chinese somatic healer, grief-tender, and community caregiver, Cassandra is a spirit-affirming breath of fresh air.  Our conversation is a reset that I think many of us desperately need. Cassandra shares her stories of unrest — from a childhood on the margins to chasing dreams that did not bring the wholeness we all seek. In time, they came to experience their disillusionment and discontent as an invitation to liberation.  We talk about the cultural role of shame for diasporic Asians, the erasure of rest, and learning to sit with chaos. I love her framing of bringing the fractured parts of ourselves — body, mind, heart, and soul — back to center.  I also love that they were inspired to make this reel about complicity and accountability following our conversation. Cassandra has many upcoming offerings so make sure to follow them on their IG and website. Leah's IG

Cera is a Diné (aka Navajo) woman, artist, and creator whose love of her Native identity inspires her labor of social justice and her solidarity with all oppressed people. She is a wealth of indigenous wisdom and a keeper of Native narratives. This conversation has stayed with me ever since we recorded it. There is so much I did not and do not know when it comes to the history and current events of our indigenous kin here on Turtle Island. I've known enough to not celebrate Thanksgiving, but not enough to understand that our Native population continue to be systemically harmed and erased.  Cera speaks with such love for her nation and clan and reminds us that Native people are not a monolith. She challenges stereotypes and the limited concept of the biological family, and explains the direct connection between Palestinians and Native Americans. She is unapologetic and unwavering in speaking up for the liberation of all. Her love of humanity and community is ever clear.  I do want to offer a *trigger warning* that we discuss crimes and brutality against Native people, a fact that is too often ignored or denied. I believe these are stories that we, especially those of us who are guests on this land, all need to be aware of. It is only through awareness that we can effect change. We talk about the horrors of “boarding schools,” the mass harm of Native women, and Hwéeldi — the Long Walk. Cera shares so much on her platforms, and it was incredibly illuminating to have this conversation with her. P.S. My introduction here is the longest yet, so if you want to get right to the conversation, fast forward about 15 minutes! Cera's IG Cera's TikTok Daghma Family GFM Mohammed's Family GFM Leah's IG

Yejin is the cutest comrade you could ask for in the movement for collective liberation. Through her clarity, honesty, and TikTok dances, she makes anti-oppression work look simply irresistible. She is also an equity and justice coach, consultant, and practitioner in service of community care. This is such a joyful conversation, which is a testament to Yejin's expert ability to guide connections and hold space. We laugh a lot, which I feel like I sometimes need to be given permission to do during such painful times for our kin throughout the globe. Yejin talks to us about translating shame into a new way of being, rather than staying stuck in feeling angry or disconnected. We talk about our respective experiences in re-identifying with Koreanness, defying stereotypes, and arriving to Truth — even if that arrival feels too late.  Our conversation went long so I'm offering an extra 20 minutes over on Patreon (free 7-day trial), where Yejin talks about going private on Instagram (she's currently public as she fundraises for Yamen's family so follow her now!) and unmasking from her neurodivergence.  Enjoy the cutest and most chaotic — Yejin.

Cami is an author, artist, and embodiment practitioner dedicated to creating networks of care and livable futures. Their book Tending Grief is an embodied guide to being with grief individually and in community through practical exercises, decolonized rituals, and Earth-based medicines for healing.   Our conversation is a compass for how to move forward in radical honesty and hope as we find ourselves living in, as Cami says, these Babylonian times. We talk about the normalization of numbness and the various flavors of supremacy, and we compare our experiences in the US and the UK.  Cami talks to us about growing up in a spiritual family and with an early pull to social justice. I love their somatic wisdom, their framing of grief as generative, and their call for us all to be in community.Cami's IG Cami's Substack Leah's IG

Judy is a certified hypnotherapist, mindfulness and meditation practitioner, somatic activated healer, and psych researcher. Our conversation touched upon so many experiences and thoughts, frequently through the lens of our shared Korean roots. I want to offer a trigger warning for this episode as we talk about mental illness including suicidal ideation and childhood abuse. Although we talk about these topics in the context of our survival and healing, I recognize that it may not be comfortable for everyone. Judy explains the theory of the orchid child versus the dandelion child, which looks at how siblings raised in the same household can be affected completely differently from each other. We also discuss the idea that western therapies are not designed for eastern minds and the need for cultural competency within any healing path. Judy helps us understand how hypnosis works to heal, and I love that we ultimately land on the thought that individual healing has to happen within communal healing. As ever, we realize that we are all connected. Over on our Patreon, I've included a slightly extended episode where at the very end, Judy leaves us with some regulating exercises that you can try. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial to check it out, and let us know in Apple Podcast Reviews what other bonus content you might enjoy that we can bring you on Patreon! Judy's IG Judy's website Book a call with Judy Leah's IG

Joon is a hospital chaplain, author, but perhaps most importantly — a father. A fellow Korean American, we share and understand a lot of each other's experiences growing up with immigrant parents, in the ever liminal third space between cultures and identities. We talk about the contradictions of our culture, with a history of aligning with the oppressed amidst the continued toxic elements of collectivism such as overbearing authority.  I want to offer a trigger warning for this episode as we talk openly about mental illness including PTSD as well as abuse. We share some painful memories and Joon expresses that it is hard for someone with PTSD to give into joy, and in these moments of the conversation, there is gratitude in having survived and in breaking the cycle alongside all the heartache we continue to hold and live with. I believe in the healing power of connection and in saying out loud what happened to you. We talk about these serious issues with compassion and understanding, and I deeply hope that this episode will help others.Joon's book — As Long As You Need — is about grief, something we all experience, perhaps never more so consistently and collectively than over these last 10 months. He talks about the dehumanizing impact of oppressors hijacking the grief of the oppressed and the important role of grief in our liberation.  Joon's IG Leah's IG

Rev. Mo is an interfaith minister, meditation teacher, and trained clairvoyant. Mo also intentionally goes by another name, Hilal, the story of which he shares in the episode.  Mo is Palestinian Bahraini, and we talk about his experience navigating his layered identity, from his grandparents having been displaced in 1948 to continually being in a constant state of immigration and exile.  This is a spiritually uplifting conversation, with Mo encouraging us all to trust our inherent intuitive abilities while recognizing the dichotomy of our very existence as spirit in body. It's an ongoing loop of tension but Mo reminds us that the more we decolonize our hearts and our minds, the clearer our actions will become in order to liberate ourselves and each other.  As a bonus, I will be booking a reading with Mo soon and I will share parts of it on my Patreon to give you a glimpse of his work as a clairvoyant. In the meantime, please enjoy the celestial human that is — Mo.  Mo's IG Hilal's IG Book a reading Leah's IG

Voices on the Side with Leah Kim is a podcast centering marginalized identities as an antidote to oppression and supremacy. We invite a variety of guests to be in conversation together, from revolutionary thinkers, writers, and artists to folks and friends sharing stories rooted in their personal history.  We share our hope in imagining a freer and safer future for all — an existence that is rooted less in individuality and more in community. Our themes include collective liberation, decolonization, and solidarity with the oppressed.  If you're enjoying and learning from our show, please consider rating, reviewing, and following. You can also support us on our Patreon and follow Leah on Instagram.

Tiffany is an artist whose work is centered on liberation. Through her painting, writing, and music, she leads with so much love for humanity. She reminds us that hope is a discipline, no different to the discipline and practice that goes into any creative process. We talk about what it means to truly be in community, and how challenging this can be while we are beholden to existing in oppressive systems. Tiffany challenges the model minority myth (and even made a T-shirt!) and how this separation of marginalized identities creates and upholds harm.  Our conversation also dives into lots of feelings, from collective horror as we bear witness to what is happening in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and elsewhere in the world to the impact of unhealed trauma to how we imagine and create a more sustainable world. Tiffany talks about the importance of building the capacity to hold our heartbreaks alongside our hope — together. Tiffany's IG Tiffany's More Liberation Shop Leah's IG

Paris is a mother, yoga teacher, and doctor. Born in Russia of Iranian descent, Paris has Muslim and Jewish family while she herself is a practicing Hindu. Perhaps this is why she embodies tolerance through different identities and ideologies.  Amidst a resounding silence throughout the yoga and wellness world, Paris has been a steady and unapologetic voice for humanity. In our conversation, we talk about the rupture that is happening when people who consider themselves spiritual turn away from the live-streamed suffering of others. We talk about this being colonial spirituality, extracted from its cultural context and roots, rife with toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing.  Paris explains that it is precisely because of her yoga practice and study of yoga principles that she feels she must center the oppressed and call for the liberation of all. It is the difference between being connected to your heart and coming from ego.  Please enjoy the at once down-to-earth and ethereal — Paris.  Paris' IG Leah's IG

Joon Ae is a Korean adoptee, mother, and writer. Estranged from her adoptive family, community means everything to her. She cultivates intersectional and justice-centered spaces such as Constellation and Voices and recently held an auction for the Abu Dayer family to escape genocide. If you enjoy and learn anything from this episode, please consider donating — even $1 helps. Joon Ae and I talk about the need to de-normalize adoption and the beauty of a chosen family, and she refers to Kit Myers' forthcoming book, The Violence of Love. We also talk about trauma and trauma mining. For our extended conversation on mental health, please consider joining the podcast's Patreon, starting at just $3. We challenge the existing systems of oppressive ideologies and academia, and Joon Ae reminds us of the importance of also envisioning and creating what could be. Abolition isn't just an ending…it's a beginning of something different.  Please enjoy the vibrant and honest — Joon Ae. Joon Ae's IG Joon Ae's website Leah's IG

Yuval is an Israeli, anti-zionist Jew, an artist, a writer, a dancer but most importantly — a human. He hosts the Emergent Wisdom podcast, which explores current events and the challenges of being human through the lens of ecology and mysticism. He is dedicated to the liberation of love, land, and Eros — which we talk about in this episode. Hearing Yuval speak is at once grounding and uplifting. As we acknowledge the horrors of colonialism and genocide, Yuval invites us to stay connected to our souls, each other, and the Earth. I love that he describes the inherently contradictory nature of being human as a cosmic dance, a dance that can and will bring us all to collective liberation. Yuval's experience growing up in Israel and serving in the Israeli military provides unique insight into Zionism and his path to liberation from Zionism. He gives me hope that we as humanity can keep joining together until we are all free. Yuval's IG Leah's IG

Amanda is a Jewish, queer, anti-zionist writer and poet. Her words have been clarifying, educational, and ultimately — liberating. Witnessing the genocide in Gaza, where the population is over 1 million children, I personally have unearthed a courage that I haven't ever felt as a woman of color in this country. It's felt scary at times, especially as people I had considered friends yelled at me and called me antisemitic. I am so grateful for voices like Amanda's that remind me that it is right to align with oppressed people globally.  Our conversation is — as Amanda encourages us all to be — unapologetic in telling the truth. Amanda's linguistic clarity and pointedness are a powerful call for all of us to understand and speak what we know to be true, even — or perhaps especially — as it goes against the mainstream narrative.  We talk about the weaponization of Jewish trauma, the whitewashing of colonialism, and the importance of listening to and learning from Palestinians. On that note, I wanted to share a couple resources recommended by Amanda: a lecture by Abdaljawad Omar and an essay by Mohammed El-Kurd. Due to the deep-seated anti-Palestinian racism here in the west, we also recognize that sometimes it takes non-Palestinian voices like ours to bring people into the conversation. So, welcome. I'm so glad you're here and I hope you will enjoy the radically honest — Amanda. Amanda's IG Leah's IG

Liz is the president of AAP(I belong), a nonprofit organization that aims to raise greater awareness on Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander discrimination and cultural challenges. Liz created AAP(I belong) after her mother was attacked — for being Asian. We talk about the way that the Asian American identity is structured to be successful and how we are gaslit to think that we are only subjected to so-called micro aggressions, all the while being constantly reminded that we are foreign and do not really belong.  Liz talks about the “pie of racism” —all racism is connected. She could see the thread connecting the murder of George Floyd to the Atlanta spa shootings to the attack on her mother. We need to keep talking about racism, including defining racism as an ideology that is separate from individuals. Sometimes we can all get caught up with claiming how not-racist we are, that we end up enabling and upholding the system itself. I admire that Liz has been able to alchemize the trauma of her mother — and of herself — to build community, to educate, and to envision a more inclusive future where we are all free. Please enjoy, the very resilient — Liz. AAP(I belong) website AAP(I belong) IG Leah's IG

I am very excited to welcome Michelle back on the podcast. In this conversation, we talk about making room for multiple feelings, self-erasure, and pressure testing our values.  Since her last visit, Michelle went back to our shared motherland of Korea. I loved hearing about how it felt like it was her first time returning home. We also address the institution-wide repression when it comes to liberating Palestine, the weaponization of feminism, and the need to abandon binary thinking.  Michelle leaves us with the actionable advice to commit to any issue that we feel called to, as all of our issues our connected.  Please enjoy, again, the lovely and inspiring — Michelle. Michelle's IG Michelle's book Leah's IG

Mo is a Palestinian artist, author, digital creator, and father. He has been tireless in educating all of us on what is and has been happening in Palestine for 76+ years.  Mo shares with us how it was to visit Palestine for the first time last September, from standing outside his grandfather's ancestral home to the guilt he felt that he was able to set foot on his homeland when most of his extended family cannot. He talks about being Palestinian in the diaspora, and how much has changed from once having avoided conflict to now being so proudly Palestinian. We talk about the hope that the college students give us, the harmful weaponization of antisemitism, and how so many of us throughout the world are waking up from indoctrination. Please enjoy the very cool and very inspiring — Mo.   Mo's IG Mo's backup IG Mo's children's book 1 Mo's children's book 2 Leah's IG

Jemarc is a trauma recovery coach and wellness consultant supporting Queer, BIPOC, and neurodivergent beings. They are a speaker and lead workshops including the upcoming master class — Reclaiming Your Compassion — on May 18. (Details pinned on their profile.) In our conversation, Jemarc shares their personal story of identity, trauma, and healing. They emphasize the absolutely powerful force of unhealed trauma as our greatest existential threat. They explain the differences between short term relief versus the long view of true healing, how decolonizing the self is innately about healing, and what it looks like when our self-care is ego-centric.  Jemarc also talks about Buddhist principles, meditation, and the concept of ReActivism. The extended version of our conversation is available on my new Patreon, along with a growing collection of bonus content. Please enjoy the unapologetically authentic — Jemarc.Jemarc's IG Leah's IG

We are back with one of our most beloved guests, Sasha. Sasha is an ancestral healing practitioner and death doula who has been a truly incredible voice of collective liberation and dismantling supremacy culture and thinking. Since her last visit to the podcast, Sasha has launched Phoenix Rising — a community for healers of the resistance.  This conversation is fuel for the soul. We talk about what it means to embody liberation, the incredible mobilization of the student encampments, and the way we are literally seeing how we are taking care of us. Sasha's message is to keep going, keep rising up.  Sasha tells us about her recent visit back to Egypt and we share stories about how we feel the presence of our ancestors and the land.  As a heads up — there's a bit of spicy language! We keep things real in this space.  Because our conversation went long, I've made an extended version available on my new Patreon. Come and check us out over there. Welcoming back our favorite fierce healer — Sasha.  Sasha's IG Leah's IG

Tejal is an Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer. She advocates for yoga through a social justice lens through her online studio, the abcdyogi global community, and the Yoga is Dead podcast. We talk about our respective journeys to becoming yoga teachers and the issues we see in the yoga and wellness world. From spiritual bypassing to centering physical movement to the co-opting of words like namaste, what is presented as yoga here in the west is an extracted and appropriated version of a spiritual practice.  Tejal shares with us that creating community has always been a part of her life, and that the point of yoga is to care for the collective and for those who are most at risk. She encourages us to go beyond living a life that is simply fine and to do what we are passionate about. She also reminds us of the importance of rest — of finding the savasana in our day.  Tejal is an example of what it means to be a true yogi. Tejal IG Leah IG

Judy is a Boundary Coach, speaker, and author of The Boundary Revolution. With two decades of clinical experience as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Judy expertly journeys with individuals and groups towards boundary healing and collective liberation. In our conversation, we share our personal stories around growing up in an immigrant family, parenting our children, and being committed to breaking cycles of trauma. Judy is so real in talking about how hard life can be, but that in choosing authenticity, anything that is hard is ultimately worth it. I love the way she runs narratives and ideas through her body, recognizing what feels good and true in her body. I also really appreciated how she — very compassionately — showed me where my thinking was stuck in the binary. This episode is at once healing, illuminating, and heartwarming — just like Judy herself. And, if you would like to dive further in with Judy, check out her upcoming weekend intensive on May 18-19. She will be talking about the impact of generational trauma in the context of making sense of what is happening around us. A free digital copy of Judy's book. Judy's IG Leah's IG

Sole is a social justice educator, writer, speaker, and the founder of Nectar, which provides political education and healing justice to support communities and movements. She is currently an Activist-in-Residence at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Starting with her own immigration story, Sole teaches us about the rules of whiteness, the fact that white supremacy is not about the actual color of your skin, and the way all oppressive systems are connected. We talk about the journey we are all on as we wake up to truths we had not been aware of, and that not everyone wakes up at the same time. Sole emphasizes the need to be compassionate to those that are not there yet, while also recognizing that sometimes friendships dissolve when having these hard conversations.  Sole's work is rooted in her love of humanity, which is how I think she is able to maintain such joy and hope. Sole's personal IG Sole's business IG Leah's IG 

Hasanain is a father, social justice educator, and longtime activist and organizer. I personally have been learning so much from him about the way oppressive systems are impacting all of us regardless of our privileges, where we live, or how we identify. In this conversation, we talk about whiteness as a construct, the role of propaganda, and why representation is not enough. Hasanain's ability to show us how all the dots connect is liberatory in an of itself.  Hasanain reminds us that we must move into and through all the suffering and injustice and build the future that we want to see. We are all meant to be here in this moment — we have work to do.  Hasanain's IG Leah's IG

Susanna is a yoga educator, yoga unity activist, founder of the Ignite Institute and co-founder of the Yoke Yoga Social App. She is the author of Embrace Yoga's Roots, and offers a free chapter of her book linked here. As an Indian teacher in the West, Susanna is known for her work in decolonizing and embracing the roots of yoga. She reminds us — with much compassion and often levity — that yoga is much more than fancy asana and expensive yoga wear. Amidst a resounding silence throughout the yoga and wellness community over the last six months and counting, Susanna's teachings of yoga ethics are a call back to our deepest humanity. In this episode, we talk about the necessity of connecting the dots of white supremacy and imperialism to spaces including the yoga industry. Susanna shares where her work in social justice started, offers insight into the birthplace of yoga, and invites us all to shed our ego and show up for others. Susanna is a beautiful example of how to continue doing one's work of passion while also engaging with the world at large. I am so honored to bring you this conversation with the wonderfully wise and ever encouraging — Susanna. Susanna's IG Susanna's website Susanna's viral reel Leah's IG

Nadia is a Palestinian from the American south. She is a chef and filmmaker and has been an incredibly beautiful and important voice in the name of community healing. I loved hearing about the pride she has always had in her Palestinian heritage and cuisine and her yearly visits back home which served as a sort of detox from Americanism.  With both of us being yogis, we talk about the difference between “pop” yoga and spirituality versus a soulful practice. Nadia also encourages having difficult conversations with both compassion and sometimes necessary boundaries.  For Nadia, cooking is a soul retrieval and a way of creating community. I hope these conversations may also be that for you. Please enjoy this delicious conversation with Nadia. Nadia's IG Nadi's cooking website Nadia's artist website Leah's IG Photographed by Liv

Rohan is a queer/non-binary Black Asian writer, dancer, trumpeter and community organizer in New York City. They founded the Blasian March, a Black-Asian-Blasian grassroots solidarity organization, which has been featured on major networks including CNN, NBC Chicago, USA Today, and WNYC. We talk about racial assumptions and identity — I especially loved learning about their gender identity being Firebird. As a longtime organizer, Rohan shares their thoughts on how we have been conditioned to view activism as something angry, dangerous, and reactive when to protest is an act of direct democracy. They emphasize the importance of joy-based resistance so that we don't burn out and give up on the movement for liberation, including showing up for Palestine.  Rohan shares about their time at PWI — predominantly white institution — and their experience being excluded from both the Black and Asian communities. Through all their traumas and challenges, their joy in self and life simply radiates.  Please enjoy the luminous — Rohan. Rohan's IG Rohan's website Leah's IG

Zach is a Jewish historian of Palestine who received his Ph.D in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He grew up in a very Jewish and Zionist environment — he was in Jewish youth groups, went to Jewish summer camp, and studied abroad in Jerusalem. Jews are 0.2% of the global population and anti-Zionist Jews an even smaller percentage, so Zach's perspective and expertise are both unique and urgently needed during this time. Zach provides ample historical context on Palestine and Israel and points to the fact that for much of history, Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived side by side without problems. We discuss the importance of nomenclature especially when it comes to defining what Palestinian even means. Zach asserts that to want Palestinian liberation is not antisemitic, that we must keep engaging in conversations with those who see things differently, and that the tides are turning.  I am reminded once again that change takes time — years if not decades, and I derive so much hope from people like Zach who are leading the way in teaching us, even as it means clashing with his own community.  Learn more from Zach through his Instagram, Palestine Nexus website, and upcoming Palestine-Israel 101 course.  Please enjoy the scholarly and enlightening — Dr. Zachary Foster.

Juliette is a Korean American neuroscientist, adjunct professor, writer, and CFO/COO of a biotech company called Cambrian. On her socials, she offers uplifting advice and insights related to a variety of topics including communication, health, emotions, and networking. As a woman of color in spaces where representation is typically imbalanced, Juliette encourages us all to tap into our worth and our potential, and she herself is an inspiring example of breaking through boundaries. I learned a lot in this conversation, especially regarding women's health and the intersectionality of race, data, and healthcare. True to being a neuroscientist, Juliette emphasizes collecting our own personal data from as early as possible, so that we can understand our own bodies and selves and strive to be as healthy and well as possible.  The lessons in this episode are analogous to the idea that we must first put on our own oxygen mask if we want to be able to help anyone else. When we ourselves are steady and clear, we will be that much more able to be of service to the collective. Please enjoy the very vibrant — Juliette. Juliette's IG Juliette's substack Leah's IG