Podcasts about African Americans

The Black barbershop is a cultural institution. It's a place where you can get much more than a haircut. You get community. You get jokes. You might get politicized. And you will get the straight talk that we often hold back when navigating a larger public that's committed to white supremacist systems. In May 2022, Jay sat down with Quincy Mills to help us understand both the politics and economics of Black barber shops. Quincy is an associate professor of history at the University of Maine and College Park. Along with teaching courses in 20th-century African-American history, he's authored "Cutting Along the Color Line: Black Barbers and Barber Shops in America” and is working on a new book called “The Wages of Resistance: Financing the Black Freedom Movement." NOTE: Today's history story is a fictional account of what so many Black barbershops experienced historically To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6.18.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Judge Blocks $600M EPA Cut, Hegseth Dodges, Galveston Vote Fight, NH Racist Email & FAMU/TSU News A federal judge ruled that the EPA's decision to cut $600 million in environmental justice grants was unlawful. Pete Hegseth dodges tough questions on Capitol Hill about deploying military force against Americans. In Texas, a redistricting battle in Galveston could wipe out Black voting power. Simone Leeper from the Campaign Legal Center joins us with the latest legal fight to stop it. Plus, a New Hampshire lawmaker sends an openly racist email blaming African Americans, NOT guns, for violence in America. Florida's Board of Governors confirmed controversial Marva Johnson as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's 13th President. And Tennessee State University secures millions in state funding after years of financial neglect. #BlackStarNetwork partner: Fanbasehttps://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbase This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. You should read the Offering Circular (https://bit.ly/3VDPKjD) and Risks (https://bit.ly/3ZQzHl0) related to this offering before investing. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the decades after the end of slavery, African Americans were committed to southern state mental hospitals at higher rates as white psychiatrists listed “religious excitement” among the most frequent causes of insanity for Black patients. At the same time, American popular culture and political discourse framed African American modes of spiritual power as fetishism and superstition, cast embodied worship as excessive or fanatical, and labeled new religious movements “cults,” unworthy of respect. As Judith Weisenfeld argues in Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and Psychiatry in Slavery's Wake (NYU Press, 2025), psychiatrists' notions of race and religion became inextricably intertwined in the decades after the end of slavery and into the twentieth century, and had profound impacts on the diagnosis, care, and treatment of Black patients. This book charts how racialized medical understandings of mental normalcy pathologized a range of Black religious beliefs, spiritual sensibilities, practices, and social organizations and framed them as manifestations of innate racial traits. Importantly, these characterizations were marshaled to help to limit the possibilities for Black self-determination, with white psychiatrists' theories about African American religion and mental health being used to promote claims of Black people's unfitness for freedom. Drawing on extensive archival research, Black Religion in the Madhouse is the first book to expose how racist views of Black religion in slavery's wake shaped the rise of psychiatry as an established and powerful profession. Judith Weisenfeld is the Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion and associated faculty in the Department of African American Studies and the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Fake news, outright political lies, a shamelessly partisan press, and the collapse of truth, civility, and shared facts, Dr. Philip Kadish argues, are nothing new. The Great White Hoax: Two Centuries of Selling Racism in America (The New Press, 2025), a masterpiece of historical and literary sleuthing, reveals that the era of Fox News and Donald Trump is simply a return to form. We have been here before. In a book that brilliantly puts our current era into historical context, The Great White Hoax uncovers a centuries-long tradition of white supremacist hoaxes, perpetrated on the American public by a succession of political hucksters and opportunists, all of them willfully using racial frauds as tools for political and social advantage. In the antebellum era, slavery's defenders used bogus science to “prove” the inferiority of African American people; during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln's enemies circulated a sham pamphlet accusing him of promoting a dilution of the white race through “miscegenation” (a racist term invented by the pamphlet's authors). From these murky beginnings, Dr. Philip Kadish draws a direct thread to D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, Henry Ford's adaptation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Madison Grant's embrace of eugenics (which directly influenced Adolf Hitler), Alabama Governor George Wallace's race-baiting, and Roger Ailes's creation of Fox News. The Great White Hoax reveals white supremacy as today's real “fake news”—and exposes the cast of villains, past and present, who have kept American racism alive. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Folk Music & Beyond host JoAnn Mar spoke with Dr. Angela Wellman and Hannah Mayree, two Bay Area musicians and educators who are part of the current effort to encourage more African Americans to take up the banjo and reconnect with the early American roots music of their ancestors.

Don't believe Trump's bombing lies about the U.S.-Iran War. A discussion with an African American journalist who seems to support Trump's MAGA immigration. Poll shows Mamdani besting Cuomo in NYC.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Thank you Independent Voter 1, Thomas, MC, Carey, MONIQUE DANIEL, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.* Don't believe Trump's bombing lies about the U.S.-Iran War: Here's what you should know.: Our mainstream media has kept too many ignorant about U.S.-Iran relations and what we have done overseas for too long. Americans must begin the path to crit… To hear more, visit egberto.substack.com

Over more than fifty years and 16 books, Dr. Jessica B. Harris has uncovered the ways that West African food, and African American people, have fundamentally shaped American cuisine. Her seminal 2011 book, High on the Hog, brought the connection between African and American food into the culinary conversation, and led to the 2021 Netflix series of the same name. This week we talk with her about her own journey in making these connections, and she offers advice to the new generation of Black scholars and writers exploring these links: “Look ahead. What do you see ahead?” Her latest book is Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine.This episode originally aired on August 2, 2021 and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, and Andres O'Hara. It was edited by Tracey Samuelson. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Publishing by Shantel Holder.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

Clay's conversation with Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, professor of history at Norfolk State University in Virginia, about the status of race relations in America as we approach our 250th birthday. How should we read Thomas Jefferson's great sentence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”? Did Jefferson mean what he wrote? How accountable should we hold the Founding Fathers for making race a fundamental issue and condition of American life? Was Jefferson right or wrong when he said he was skeptical that we could ever be a biracial republic? Finally, what does the future look like to a distinguished African American scholar from Norfolk, Virginia?

After Trump bombs Iran, Sanders condemns the lies. An African American journalist using MAGA immigration talking points is concerning. Big Bad Bill runs into trouble. Here are tariff truths.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Thank you Independent Voter 1, Jane B In NC

During an appearance on Detroit IPTV, an African American journalist expressed the Trumpian MAGA anti-immigrant message, illustrating the need for a proper immigration narrative.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Friday on the News Hour, European leaders meet with Iran's foreign minister as the war with Israel rages on and mass protests unfold in Tehran, a brutal heatwave blankets much of the U.S. with some areas seeing temperatures topping 100 degrees and we sit down with Carla Hayden, the first female and African American librarian of Congress, who was fired by President Trump. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Send us a textWhat happens when we strip away centuries of religious interpretation and confront the actual teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? This Jesus isn't the gentle, apolitical figure often presented in modern Christianity, but rather "a holistically spiritual freedom fighter" deeply concerned with poverty, exploitation, and injustice. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., research scholar at Columbia University and former professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. Their conversation reminds us that Jesus as a radical social reformer whose message has been systematically diluted. Dr. Hendricks draws on St. Paul's emphasis on individual spiritual experiences to convey his message. "Paul transformed Jesus' concern for collective social, economic and political deliverance into an obsession with personal piety," Hendricks explains, suggesting that many Christians today understand Jesus primarily through St. Paul's interpretation, which fundamentally altered the trajectory of Jesus' radical message. Listen in for the full conversation.A lifelong social activist, Obery Hendricks is one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today. Cornel West calls him “one of the last few grand prophetic intellectuals.”A widely sought lecturer and media spokesperson, Dr. Hendricks' appearances include CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Fox News, Fox Business News, the Discovery Channel, PBS, BBC, NHK Japan Television and the Bloomberg Network. He has provided running event commentary for National Public Radio, MSNBC, and the al-Jazeera and Aspire international television networks.Learn more about Dr. Obery Hendricks and subscribe to his substack.Support the show Follow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright.

Send us a textEver wondered what really happens during a vasectomy? Or why that morning coffee might be setting you up for kidney stones? Dr. David Ludlow pulls back the curtain on men's health topics most guys are too uncomfortable to discuss."That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be" – the phrase Dr. Ludlow hears so often from vasectomy patients that he jokes about putting it on t-shirts. In this eye-opening conversation, he dispels common myths about men's health procedures that keep many from seeking necessary care. From explaining how robotic surgery works (no, the robot isn't performing surgery while the doctor takes a coffee break) to clarifying that vasectomies won't affect your ability to perform or enjoy sex, Dr. Ludlow addresses the concerns men rarely voice but frequently worry about.The discussion ventures into surprising territory, revealing how our modern lifestyle impacts urological health in unexpected ways. Those energy drinks you're chugging for hydration? They're actually dehydrating you. That Western diet with processed foods? It might explain why African-Americans have higher prostate cancer rates than native Africans. Even excessive pornography consumption gets examined for its potential physical (not just psychological) impacts on sexual function – a topic rarely addressed in medical discussions but increasingly relevant as Dr. Ludlow sees young patients with dysfunction issues that shouldn't typically affect their age group.Whether you're approaching the age for prostate screening, considering a vasectomy, or simply want to understand how to maintain optimal urological health, this conversation delivers practical insights without the embarrassment of the exam room. Listen now to hear from the doctor who's seen it all and isn't afraid to talk about it – your body will thank you.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2025 is: emancipation • ih-man-suh-PAY-shun • noun Emancipation refers to the act of freeing someone from the restraint, control, or power of another. It is used especially for the act of freeing someone from slavery. // Jomo Kenyatta played a key role in the emancipation of Kenya from European rule in the 1960s and became the first president of the newly independent nation. See the entry > Examples: “Rappahannock County's calming beauty and rolling hills hold stories from the Civil War era waiting to be told. Howard Lambert, a Culpeper native and the first African American president of the Brandy Station Foundation, has worked tirelessly to bring these stories to life, especially those of Black Civil War soldiers. ... He also has a personal connection to the Civil War. His great-great-uncle, Fielding Turner, served in the 20th United States Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry Regiment, fighting in pivotal battles and helping to announce emancipation in Texas now commemorated as Juneteenth.” — Ayana SummerlinRosa, The Culpeper (Virginia) Star-Exponent, 11 Mar. 2025 Did you know? To emancipate someone (including oneself) is to free them from restraint, control, or the power of another, and especially to free them from bondage or enslavement. It follows that the noun emancipation refers to the act or practice of emancipating. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, for example, ordered that enslaved people living in the Confederate states be released from the bonds of ownership and made free people. It took more than two years for news of the proclamation to reach the enslaved communities in the distant state of Texas. The arrival of the news on June 19 (of 1865) is now celebrated as a national holiday—Juneteenth or Emancipation Day.

Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet, used biblical themes to persuade believers in Jesus to abolish slavery. Born around 1753 in western Africa, Wheatley was sold to a slave trader at only seven years of age. Quicky distinguishing herself as a remarkable student, she finally secured her emancipation in 1773. In her poems and correspondence, Wheatley pressed her readers to embrace the Scriptural affirmation of the equality of all people. She wrote, “In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; It is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance; and . . . the same Principle lives in us.” Equality before God is a truth emphasized by Paul when he wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28). Because we’re “all children of God through faith” (v. 26), differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, or social status shouldn’t lead to discrimination in the church. Even as equal recipients of God’s love, we still struggle to live out this principle. But Scripture teaches that diverse peoples united through faith in Christ best reflects God’s heart and is His plan for life in eternity. That reality can help us to celebrate the diversity in our communities of faith now.

On this episode, we're back live at Lot 63 in Winston-Salem. I was joined once more by Corey Walker & Bill Leonard for a wide-ranging conversation from the Council of Nicaea to smartphone addiction. We explore the roots of our civilizational crisis, tracing lines from the Anabaptist radicals 500 years ago who said "God alone is judge of conscience" all the way to today's algorithmic plantation where our phones know us better than we know ourselves. Bill reminded us that the mentality behind drowning Felix Manz in 1527 is the same one calling for politicians to be "tarred and feathered" today and drew out the connections between Christian Nationalism and the SBC. Corey talked about fear as the driving force across the religious spectrum, the collapse of institutions that never included everyone anyway, and why the "rise of the nones" might actually be the Spirit revealing itself in new places - like right here at Lot 63 on a Thursday night. Sometimes the best church happens when you're arguing across difference instead of hiding in your algorithmic echo chamber. Corey D. B. Walker is Dean of the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University. As a scholar, he's committed to a broad vision of human flourishing. His research, teaching, and public scholarship span the areas of African American philosophy, critical theory, ethics, and religion and American public life.  Bill Leonard is the Founding Dean and Professor of Divinity Emeritus at Wake Divinity. Leonard's research focuses on Church History with particular attention to American religion, Baptist studies, and Appalachian religion. He is the author of over 25 books, including  The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to Church History: Flaming Heretics and Heavy Drinkers. Previous Episodes Bill & Corey: Losing Sleep Before God Welcome to the Post-Christian Century the Fundamentalization of American Religion Listening Beyond the Times The History and Transformation of American Christianity  Faith and Politics Through Church History ONLINE SUMMIT: Democracy in Tension - NAVIGATING THE INTERLOCKING CRISES OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?The summit will navigate the complex terrain between political equality and social justice, liberal freedom and democratic sovereignty, and ethical demands and political action. As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at www.HomebrewedClasses.com ⁠⁠⁠Theology Beer Camp ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info and tickets here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. _____________________ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 45 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

Tulsa, Okla. Mayor Monroe Nichols is championing a $105 million reparations package for the survivors and families of his city's 1921 Race Massacre. It's a philanthropy-driven city and housing rejuvenation project to offset the continuing repercussions from the coordinated attack more than a century ago. At the time, thousands of white residents besieged what was among the most successful and affluent Black communities in the early 20th century. Three hundred Black people died and more than a thousand homes and businesses were destroyed. Years of efforts to compensate descendants for the violence have failed. We'll get perspectives from Freedmen descendants about the importance of this ambitious effort to set things right. Also, we'll learn about a swamp with connections to Indigenous people going back thousands of years. On the homelands of the Nansemond Indian Nation in Virginia, the Great Dismal Swamp was a safe space for tribes. It also became a refuge for Black freedom seekers escaping slavery. Federal officials are exploring it as a new National Heritage Area. GUESTS Hannibal B. Johnson, author, attorney, and consultant Saché Primeaux-Shaw (Ponca, Yankton Dakota, Seminole, and Chickasaw Freedman), historian and genealogist Sam Bass (Nansemond Indian Nation), Chief Emeritus of the Nansemond Indian Nation Alexandra Sutton (African American and Yesàh), co-founder of the Great Dismal Swamp Stakeholder Collaborative and executive director of Indigenous East Eric "Mubita" Sheppard, co-founder of Mubita LLC

How do you embrace slow living when the world demands speed? Lesley and Brad reflect on Lesley's interview with author and slow living advocate Stephanie O'Dea. They explore how intention, structure, and seasonal living can create a more fulfilling life. This episode is a reminder that it's okay to go at your own pace and that it might be the key to your peace.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Why structure and routine are key for creating freedom.How living with intention helps reduce overwhelm.What seasonal living looks like and why it works.How guilt and people-pleasing get in the way of presence.Small steps to start building a slower, more values-aligned life.Episode References/Links:eLevate Workout and Q&A - https://lesleylogan.co/elevatewaitlistAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniOPC Summer Tour - https://opc.me/tourLA Tour - https://opc.me/laBalanced Body - https://www.pilates.comUK Mullet Tour - https://opc.me/ukCambodia October 2025 Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comSubmit Your Questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsStephanie O'Dea's Website - https://stephanieodea.comFree Daily Journaling Worksheet - stephanieodea.com/dailySlow Living Podcast - https://stephanieodea.com/podcastBook: The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky - https://a.co/d/6f2NCI7 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/ Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/ Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  Whenever we're trying to make things happen fast, but it usually means we want to skip ahead. And unfortunately, when you skip ahead, you miss out on like the muscle strength and experience you need for where you're going to go. So then when you get there, not only are you further along than you are strong enough to be, but now you don't have the skill set to handle the problems you have. Lesley Logan 0:18  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:01  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the sustainable convo I had with Stephanie O'Dea in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened that episode, you need to, as part of a slow living request, you got to go rush over and just make it.Brad Crowell 1:17  Just rush right now, get over there. Lesley Logan 1:20  Do not pass go. You gotta listen to it. She's so great. She's so fun. I got to be on her podcast as well. But also she's like, a famous, like, slow-cooking person, like she's.Brad Crowell 1:30  Yeah, Crock-Pot. Lesley Logan 1:31  Just the famous Crock-Pot. Brad Crowell 1:33  Not insta-pot. Lesley Logan 1:33  Yeah, no. Brad Crowell 1:34  She was very upset about the Instant Pot. Lesley Logan 1:37  She was and we were really in on the insta-pot, but we got off the insta-pot, we like made soup.Brad Crowell 1:44  Yeah, still do occasionally. It's good times. Lesley Logan 1:47  Just whenever we're home when it's soup weather. Speaking of what day today is, today is June 19th 2025 and it's Juneteenth here in the United States. The freedom of African Americans from slavery in the U.S. in 1865 is celebrated on the holiday Juneteenth on June 19th. Juneteenth is made up of the words June and 19th. Brad Crowell 2:06  Case you didn't know.Lesley Logan 2:08  Just, whoever writes these, it's always just the explanation of the day, using the day you can't. Brad Crowell 2:15  It's celebrated every year on this day. Lesley Logan 2:17  Yes, yes. And it is on this day that Major General Gordon Granger, wow, arrived in Texas, more than 155 years ago, to inform slaves that slavery had been abolished. Today is also.Brad Crowell 2:31  Yeah, well I just want to comment on that because, because they just ignored the messengers and they were like, nah, we're good. We're gonna keep doing.Lesley Logan 2:41  Not the slaves, the bad people. Brad Crowell 2:43  Yeah, the slavers. They were like, yeah, we're just gonna keep going. And then they, they sent, well, actually, I don't, I actually, don't know who first, who came first. It's possible that Gordon Granger got there to make the initial announcement, and then later it had to be enforced.Lesley Logan 3:01  Yeah, this is something that the day didn't give us information on. And I feel like I've read about, here's what I do, every Juneteenth I actually read about it and I find myself appalled that this happened. And then also, of course, it didn't, and also the time we're recording this. Brad Crowell 3:15  Also, of course it did what? Lesley Logan 3:16  I said at the time that we're recording this. Brad Crowell 3:18  No, no, before that you said. Lesley Logan 3:19  Of course, it did, of course, bad things. Of course it happened because they're shitty people. Of course it happened. But on this time that we are recording this, because the day after a very, very huge slave, like the largest slave sugar plantation, slave house burned to the ground, it was turned into a wedding venue, and so people are having those antebellum weddings, and it's like humongous tons of rooms like but was one of the worst slave places in Louisiana, and it burned to the ground. And I have to say, people are celebrating the fuck out of it online. And I have no problems with that. In fact, I have why I like was celebrating and smiling with them every reel of every person, like dancing and going, oh, do you need some water? And then pouring away from the fire. I was like, yes, yes to all of it. Because, I mean, I just, it's just, it's bad. So anyways, please make sure that you are honoring Juneteenth today. Take some time to read up on it. If you didn't know about it. We obviously still have some learning to do, but it's an important day. Brad Crowell 4:25  Remember this general. Major General. Lesley Logan 4:27  Yeah, Major General Gordon Granger. Brad Crowell 4:30  That's a mouthful. Lesley Logan 4:30  That is a mouthful. I mean, his parents didn't name him Major General, so.Brad Crowell 4:37  Fortunately for his parents. Lesley Logan 4:38  What if he become a ranger? Then he'd be Ranger Granger. Brad Crowell 4:42  Major General Gordon Granger Ranger. Lesley Logan 4:44  No, he would have just been a ranger. It would have been Ranger Granger. All right, today is also the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence and Conflict for everyone else there, out there in the world. So we wanted to, because it's an international show and so on this International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence and Conflict is observed every year on June 19th to raise awareness about sexual violence and conflict and to strategize ways to end these crimes throughout the world. On June 19th 2015, United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the date as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence and Conflict. This date commemorates the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1820 in which the Council condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peace building. Yeah, wow. Brad Crowell 5:31  Yeah, this one's heavy. Lesley Logan 5:32  It's a heavy day. Brad, these are heavy. Brad Crowell 5:35  Yeah. I mean, you know, like, I listen to a lot of deep dive interviews about the conflicts in Europe, you know, and then a. Lesley Logan 5:45  Oh, it's terrible what they do. Brad Crowell 5:46  In the Middle East and in Africa. And, you know, like they're using rape as a tool of war in. Lesley Logan 5:54  So many countries. Brad Crowell 5:55  In the Ukraine, you know, in, in, it's historically.Lesley Logan 6:01  Yeah, it's happening. It's happened. It's happened for centuries and it happens everywhere, and it is horrifying. So I think it's, think it's, I can't believe it took till 2015 for the world to be like, this is a bad thing. Brad Crowell 6:16  Well, I mean, it's been, you know, it's a war crime. It's been war crime for a really long time. But yeah, maybe just this, you know, the day bringing awareness to it. Lesley Logan 6:27  Do you know who then, who gets to be the court for war crimes, like, who does it? Brad Crowell 6:33  Yeah. So there's the International Criminal Court, the ICC. Lesley Logan 6:37  Oh. Brad Crowell 6:37  Yeah and we're not a part of it, we don't honor the ICC as the United States of America, which is a complicated political decision. Lesley Logan 6:47  We are winning. We are winning in the history books right now, guys. Well, you know what? I think we need to bring this day up a little bit. So first of all, I think Juneteenth is like a positive holiday, right? Brad Crowell 7:04  Yeah, Juneteenth is a positive holiday. I think that it's important to remember, but also it's a day of celebration. So, love that. Lesley Logan 7:12  Okay. And. Brad Crowell 7:13  We can talk more about the ICC later, y'all, if you're really interested.Lesley Logan 7:16  I don't think anyone came here. We'll get Brad his own segment at the end. Brad Crowell 7:21  I listen to a lot of this kind of stuff, and, you know, it's interesting, it's interesting why we chose not to be, you know, part of it, but also we still. Lesley Logan 7:30  Well, because we would be in trouble for war crimes all the time. Brad Crowell 7:32  We would be in trouble for war crimes. That's right.Lesley Logan 7:34  Yes, that's right, okay, but you know what's happening that's going to be more fun than all this talk? July.Brad Crowell 7:42  Slow living. Lesley Logan 7:44  July 9th, we are hosting, wait, oh, we are doing this. Yes, okay. Brad Crowell 7:50  Yeah, this is actually happening. Lesley Logan 7:52  Okay, but there's a few things going on and July is very busy. Brad Crowell 7:54  July is a busy month for us. Lesley Logan 7:54  So, so it's June right now, obviously, Juneteenth, but July 9th, I am hosting an eLevate workout and Q&A. So if you're a Pilates instructor, this is a free workout. It's a way to get your questions about eLevate, my mentorship, answered. You can hear from people who've done eLevate and why they like it and why you should do it, because you shouldn't take it from me. You can take it from the people who've been part of it. So you want to go to lesleylogan.co/elevatewaitlist lesleylogan.co/elevatewaitlist. Then on July 17th, we are doing an Agency Mini. Guess we are bringing it back for Pilates instructors and studio owners. Brad Crowell 8:30  Yeah, that's exciting. Lesley Logan 8:30  If you remember, we used to, up until last year, do it a little week long coaching program for Pilate instructors and studio owners. And we loved it, and it was amazing, and then we stopped doing it, and we're like, we're never doing it again, because it was there's parts of it that were amazing, were amazing, and some of the parts were overwhelming, and they were overwhelming. Brad Crowell 8:48  Yeah, not just for us, but also for the attendees. Lesley Logan 8:51  Mostly, for, yeah, it was less about there's less about us, more, so we have been working behind the scenes on making some amazing changes, and now we have a new Mini. Brad Crowell 9:01  We've got a mini Mini, but we're just still calling it Mini, yeah, but yeah, it's only three days, not seven. Lesley Logan 9:06  Yes. And you get all the best parts of Mini, which is a workshop on how to actually attract clients you want to work with. Then you get to use Lesley on Demand, this amazing tool. So we'll help you with your I Help statement. And then you get to join office hours with Brad and I, includes breath work, and we're going to answer all the running questions about your business on this call. It's so much fun. You can see if Agency is right for you, but also you can get questions answered. And, you know, take that information with you. Brad Crowell 9:31  Just come party about your biz. It's gonna be good. Go to prfit.biz/mini prfit.biz/mini yeah.Lesley Logan 9:39  And then July, yeah, I believe we actually start on the 24th but maybe we start on the 25th Don't ask me. We start end of July, and we go to August 17th, and it's the OPC Summer Tour. You're gonna go to opc.me/tour to get your tickets for and see the cities we're going to. We are going up.Brad Crowell 9:58  We teach in Phoenix on the 25th So we could go down on the 24th.Lesley Logan 10:01  Oh, okay, cool. You know, we'll do whatever. Maybe we'll go to the Oatman Ranch and we'll go play with the donkeys. Brad Crowell 10:08  I don't remember that. ILesley Logan 10:10  Yeah, I told you about it. I told you about it. Brad Crowell 10:12  Oatman. Lesley Logan 10:12  I think it's called Oatman. Um, anyways, um, you guys, we're gonna start in Phoenix, and we go to San Diego, then it's Los Angeles, and it's Santa Barbara, and then maybe a city in between, and then San Francisco, and then Sacramento, and then Eureka, and then Portland and Seattle, Vancouver, yes, you just heard Vancouver, Canada, and then Kamloops, Canada and Calgary, Canada. And then we're gonna come down into Idaho and Utah. Brad Crowell 10:42  We're gonna swing through Montana for a bit. We want to see glacier. Lesley Logan 10:45  Well, for vacation, yeah, so, but, you know. Brad Crowell 10:48  We'll be posting about a coffee shop and white fish, probably. Lesley Logan 10:52  Yeah. Well, at any rate, you want to go to opc.me/tour to snag your tickets. And by the way, we end in Las Vegas, and that class already sold out. Brad Crowell 10:59  I know it's insane. I can't believe it. Bam. Lesley Logan 11:02  24 hours. Class sold out. We already have. Brad Crowell 11:03  20 seats in. Lesley Logan 11:04  Yeah. Brad Crowell 11:05  That's. Lesley Logan 11:06  Well, we did tell them if they wanted us to come, and they did. Yeah, yeah, opc.me/tour of course, we are sponsored again by Balanced Body and Contrology. We're bringing our Contrology equipment. It's gonna be so much fun. Then in September we are going to be in the U.K. We have two amazing stops, Leeds and Essex. Leeds, you can get two day pass there. There's only three spots left, so. Brad Crowell 11:31  Only three spots left in Leeds. Lesley Logan 11:33  At the time that we're recording. So we're recording this, obviously, before Juneteenth, so you never know. And then in Essex, we actually opened up the day passes, because we're doing Essex on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. So you could do an all day Tuesday. Brad Crowell 11:44  You'll come out for the day from the city. Lesley Logan 11:46  All day Wednesday. We know it's not easy to get two days away during the week, but also it's really hard to get away on the weekends, so we offered you two options, during the weekend, on the weekends, opc.me/uk that's where you want to go. And then, of course, in October and come with us to Cambodia. Holy moly, we are insanity. Have you heard this, this schedule, and then he wanted to take me camping in here, guys. Brad Crowell 12:08  Oh, we're going. Lesley Logan 12:08  We're going camping, apparently. Brad Crowell 12:10  Yeah, we're going camping somewhere in there. Lesley Logan 12:11  Very expensive storage that we live in sometimes. So Cambodia. Brad Crowell 12:16  Oh, you mean our house?Lesley Logan 12:17  Yeah, I love it so much. But Cambodia is you'll have, you'll be at our house in Cambodia, and we do retreat, stuff and workshops and temple tours. Brad Crowell 12:28  Oh men, it's just gonna be amazing. Lesley Logan 12:30  So go to crowsnestretreats.com crowsnestretreats.com. The plural is on the crows and the retreats, but not the nest. So there you go. All right, before we got to get to Stephanie, but before we get there, Brad, do we have a question to answer?Brad Crowell 12:44  We do @creativesoulpilates on Instagram asked, hey LL, are you coming down to the IE anytime soon? IE is Inland Empire, which is Southern California. Basically, it's between Los Angeles and Riverside so, or I think actually, I think actually, Riverside is also considered IE.Lesley Logan 13:04  I think that Riverside is the IE, is it also, is Covina the IE? Brad Crowell 13:07  Covina and West Covina, I think they're south of L.A. I don't think they're technically IE. Lesley Logan 13:12  Like the Orange County. Brad Crowell 13:13  Closer to Orange County, I believe. Lesley Logan 13:14  Well, anyways. Brad Crowell 13:16  If I'm wrong, hit me. Let me know. Lesley Logan 13:20  If you all want to know L.A. well, go watch Everybody's in L.A. Just watch, at least the first episode. Brad Crowell 13:25  You know what, I'm 1,000% wrong. Covina is directly south of Glendora and Azusa, so it's where the 15 cuts down. Nope, it's not the 15. So it's towards Pomona. It's the beginning of IE, West Covina and Covina are like the beginning of the San Bernardino Valley, I think.Lesley Logan 13:46  Well, at any rate, to answer your question, we are not going to be anywhere near the IE, we are going to be in Toluca Lake. I guess that's not far from the IE, but it is. We are going to be, basically, we're in the valley of Los Angeles, close to Burbank. Right? Toluca Lake is like Burbank. Brad Crowell 14:01  Toluca Lake is Studio City, Burbank. It's between the two near Van Nuys, like, yeah. Lesley Logan 14:07  It's gonna be on our West Coast Pop Up Tour. Brad Crowell 14:09  I'm so excited. Lesley Logan 14:10  I know. Brad Crowell 14:11  I freaking love Los Angeles so much, and I cannot wait to just be back. Like, I literally used to live, like, two streets that were from where the studio is.Lesley Logan 14:20  Well, and also, for years, we're actually using the studio that we did the Accessories Flash Card photo shoot at. So I actually got to live in this part of L.A. for a week and now I can say I lived in that part of the valley. It's really, really fun. So we had Strong Body, but it's part of our summer tour. And so you got to come, because here's the deal. We, when we go to L.A. we typically go to hang out with friends, and we pretty much try to avoid working as much as possible, but because we're on tour. Brad Crowell 14:47  It's true. Lesley Logan 14:47  And we want an excuse to see L.A. again, we are making a stop as we're going by so go to opc.me/la for tickets to the L.A. event. Or if you go to opc.me/tour, you'll see San Diego, Santa Barbara. You know, because people who live in L.A. also live very far from the center of L.A., typically, so like Poway, as the San Diego city. So you know, there's some really good stuff. But thanks, you guys. You guys, we have a really easy place for you to send your questions in. You can text us at 310-905-5534, or you can actually submit your questions or a win at beitpod.com/questions. Brad Crowell 15:27  That's right beitpod.com/questions.Lesley Logan 15:28  Now you can just do it there, and it's so easy and you can be anonymous if you want to. You can whatever you want. Brad Crowell 15:36  Well, you know, so for the Friday episodes, we celebrate wins. And now, instead of people sending DMs, you know, fill out this form, it actually makes it easier for you, too. It's clear what it is, and we know what's going on, all the things. So beitpod beitpod.com/questionsLesley Logan 15:54  And you could put your win there too. I know, it's, which we didn't want to have two links. We just want to have one. So it's we could have called it quest wins.Brad Crowell 16:01  Quest wins. We could have, we could have really gone over well with trying to figure out how to spell that. Lesley Logan 16:07  All right. All right.Brad Crowell 16:08  Well, look, stick around, this, we're going to talk about slow living. This, this break will be fast, but the, but the conversation about Stephanie O'Dea is going to be really exciting. So we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 16:21  All right. Now, welcome back. Let's talk about Stephanie O'Dea. She's a writer, she's a coach, she's a teacher and a speaker who helps people embrace slow living. Lesley Logan 16:30  She's a teacher and a speaker. I like how that sounded. Brad Crowell 16:33  She's a teacher, teacher and a speaker. Her journeys began in 2008 on a viral blog where she used her Crock-Pot every single day for an entire year, landed her on national TV and got her a book deal, and that, she said, that journey lasted for about eight years before things really changed with the introduction of the Instant Pot. Fascinating. She said, when that, when that trend rose, she realized faster isn't always better. After stepping back to unplug, she discovered her true gift was helping others reach their goals in a slow, steady and sustainable way, a mission she now shares through her Slow Living podcast. Lesley Logan 17:13  I, so, so first of all, okay, I would just have to say, I was on her pod, and I was like, okay, like, this is great, you know, this is wonderful. And I really enjoyed her. I thought she was so sweet. And then she came on the pod, and, like, I was like, I'm in the presence of, like, a celebrity, like I and I was like, oh my God, she's, I'm sure, like your mom and your grandma and, like all these people, probably like, no, she is. And I'm sitting here going, oh my God, who are you? Oh God.Brad Crowell 17:48  Well, she, not only that, she is really fun. Lesley Logan 17:53  Oh yeah. Brad Crowell 17:53  And, like, snarky, and, you know, like the things that she was saying, she's got a lot of experience. You know, going through life. And I appreciated it, and I enjoyed it. And it was, it was, it was a really great conversation. In fact, I feel like it's probably a conversation, y'all, that you would want to save. So if you have not had a chance to go back and listen, I would recommend it. But. Lesley Logan 18:20  So slow living, you guys, stands for look only within. So, like, trusting your inner voice and intuition to find answers. And I really love that we talked about, like, slow living is meeting your goals. It meets all of them, but it just says it like, as you said in the bio, like in this nice, sustainable way, some of us are, like, really trying to make things happen fast. And this one book that I read every morning was like whenever we're trying to make things happen fast, but it usually means we want to skip ahead. And unfortunately, when you skip ahead, you miss out on like the muscle strength and experience you need for where you're going to go. So then when you get there, not only are you further along than you are strong enough to be, but now you don't have the skill set to handle the problems you have, and so that's why you don't get to skip ahead. So I really do believe it's sustainable to hit your goals in a way that is steady and allows you to evaluate and you and trust your gut intuition. And she said, she encouraged you to decide your next best step when you're in a good mood and not when you're feeling down. And I was like, that is so common sense and fucking brilliant.Brad Crowell 19:24  Yeah. No, that makes total sense. I mean, when we make decisions in a bad place, you know, we're making reactionary decisions. We're not making proactionary decisions. I just wanted to throw out there the 34% Rotten Tomatoes review on an Adam Sandler movie from 2006 called Click. Lesley Logan 19:44  There, okay. Brad Crowell 19:45  Which is exactly what you're just describing. It's all about how he somehow got a magic remote that fast forwarded through what, at the time, he was like all the bullshit so that he can get to what he wants to do in his life.Lesley Logan 20:00  Oh, but then, and then he got there and he missed everything. Brad Crowell 20:03  He missed everything. Lesley Logan 20:04  Yeah, yeah. I was in sixth grade, or fifth grade, when I read a story about a little boy who had this magic string, and he could just pull the string and it could, like, skip ahead. So like, he was, like, not ready for a test, so like, he pulled the string and he like, skipped ahead. Now he's in next grade. And then he, like, pulled the string a little bit more. And then he was in high school and, like, it's the same thing, I think, Click just came from the story of this little kid who pulled the string too much. At any rate, I, I wanted to say, like, going back to the good mood or bad mood. Sometimes when I'm in my email inbox, I start to get a little overwhelmed. Because, like, the only emails I have to respond to often require a little bit of research, of like, they're like, like, someone's asking me to do this event, and I already said I would do it, but I have given them rates before, and they like, want rates again, and they asked for my rates to be lowered, and I but, but they were like, oh, can we get your rates? And also, like, this is our first time so it would be great if you could lower your rates to help us support this event. And I was immediately pissed. I was so pissed off because I was like, what are you talking about? Like, what? And so I was like, and so, you know, I got this email. I'm really behind on my emails. I'm gonna you will have response from me by the end of this week. And I was like, because nothing good is going to come from what I want to say in this moment. And I just need to be able to get angry and feel my feelings, and also go, well, why am I in a bad mood now? Like, what happened? Well, it's not intentional. She personally did not intend to piss me off in any way, but it's the, this is, by the way, guys, this is like a constant, like, I'm asked is my inbox is mostly people asking me to do free things, or to negotiate the rates I say of things and so. Brad Crowell 21:50  Or to partner up, which means. Lesley Logan 21:52  Partner up, which means do it for free. Brad Crowell 21:53  Do it for free. Lesley Logan 21:54  And so, it's, so by the time I got to this email, I had already had gone through like seven people wanting to do things for free, and then this person wants to pay me, but not as much and I was like, I gotta walk away, because I have an appropriate response. I'm sure we can get to a place where it's gonna work for both of us. But I just was angry. And so, so it's always better if you're not in a good place to just like, give yourself a permission. And this goes to slow living, if, if my response to her at the end of the week means she can't work with me, then I don't. It wasn't for me, you know, like, like, slow living, like, I really love what Stephanie's talking about, because we used to live that fast pace. Do, do, do, do, do. We were in Australia, then Spain, then, then New York, then U.K. and it's like, and I don't actually want to do that anymore, and so, so I think it's like, really. Brad Crowell 22:47  We have tried to be more intentional. Before it was like, oh, you're willing to pay us, we'll be there, even if it's like, stupid, you know, for us to travel that way. Lesley Logan 22:56  Also, by the way, when you're new in an industry or new at a thing, I do think that you need to get your feet wet. I do think you need to, I want to make sure, like, I don't want any Pilates instructors like working for free, but I also sometimes you do, and so I think, like, I never flew anywhere for free, but I definitely wouldn't travel for the rates I used to travel on. However, I because I was willing to say yes to things and learn from those experience. I could keep changing my contract had I had my current situation set up now, well, one, I wouldn't know all the things I wouldn't have known all the things that drive me crazy when I travel, and it's like, no, I do need my own hotel room, and I actually do need pistachio milk for my coffee or something like, I know that, what I need, right? I sound like Mariah Carey. But, you know what? I know why Mariah Carey is now like that, because sometimes you don't have what you need, and then you perform at your best and you don't have it. So I wouldn't know all the things that really helped me be the person I am had I not gone through that stuff. So I don't think anyone should skip ahead. But also, at some point you have to go, okay, hold on. Do I need this, right? So anyways, I also just want to say share, to quote, discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most, and just going back to like you saying like now we're more intentional. It's like, it can be really flattering to be asked to do certain things and so, but also, what do we want most? And so is it like, is that part of the most, or is that actually just flattering? And then, you know, so you all have to decide, like, when you're saying yes or doing things like, what is ahead? Is it on the journey what you want most? But I really liked her, her definition, her quote of discipline, because most people think it's like, means like. Brad Crowell 24:41  But she was full of them. Lesley Logan 24:42  She was so, I mean, there's so much stuff I have to go.Brad Crowell 24:45  She defined FOMO as Figure Only Myself Out. Figure Only Myself Out. So, meaning, stop the comparison game, where we're probably scrolling the gram and then beating ourselves up about it, right? And she said, she also said, it's not too late to start now, right? So you can, instead of FOMO, as in, you're missing, you know, you're not doing what they're doing on Instagram. FOMO is figuring only myself out. What do you want to do? You know? How are you going to get you know? What is your path? Where are you going? You know, and you can start to figure that stuff out today. She said, Start pivoting. It's time. Let's do this, right? She also emphasized, setbacks are normal. And she said something that I laughed about, because we are, one of the things that we say a lot in OPC is, if you only have five minutes, just do five moves, you know, like, don't, don't make a big thing out of not having time. And we just had somebody quit the other day, oh, I only was able to log into class once this week, you know, and I'm barely getting to it, right, and so they quit their entire membership, you know. And now I'm, like, thinking that I'm gonna email her back and say, hey, that's okay, you know, like, think about that, even if you came, you know, only five minutes in a week, would it be worth it to start now and be consistent with five minutes and then consistent with 10 minutes.Lesley Logan 26:26  And also, like, what are you going to do without it? You're going to somehow be better at doing your Pilates some, somewhere, somewhere else, no you're not. Brad Crowell 26:33  No, clearly you're not. Clearly, if they can't log in at home, they're obviously not going to a studio to do it, right? Lesley Logan 26:40  And also, some people actually only do it once a week, and that's fine. Like, I only log into Max HBO on Sundays for John Oliver. Like, you know what I mean? Like, and I don't go. So I think we have to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves that it has to be all or nothing. If that's how you're living your life, you're going to miss out on a lot of things.Brad Crowell 26:59  Yeah. And Stephanie said, you know, if you're doing a 30-day challenge, but it takes you 45 days. You did not fail. You still did the challenge. You did it on your time, and that's okay. Lesley Logan 27:12  That's FOMO, Figuring Only Myself Out. Brad Crowell 27:15  That's right, yeah. And she said, you'd be way more proud of yourself for going even if you have to take a day off, right? I was just thinking about the video you showed me last night about the one-legged. Lesley Logan 27:28  The Pope, yes. Brad Crowell 27:29  No, no, but that's funny. The one-legged athlete.Lesley Logan 27:33  Yes, the Nike girl. Brad Crowell 27:35  Yeah, who, the reason that she is now the Nike girl is because she entered herself into a competition. She, she has a, like, a bionic leg. I don't really know what all the right terms are there, but she's, she, she was trying to do a.Lesley Logan 27:54  Looks like a thrust, a clean.Brad Crowell 27:57  Yeah, she was trying to do a clean with a barbell, right, and. Lesley Logan 28:00  That's hard with two legs, I'm just gonna be really honest, and she has one leg that doesn't really bend like her other leg does, so, yeah. Brad Crowell 28:06  So she, so she, she's in the middle of a stadium with all these people, everyone's watching. There's, like, you know, all the things, and she's being filmed, and she doesn't know she's being filmed, and she, she fails. She fails. She like, gets it halfway up and just can't go and drops the bar. And she's frustrated with herself, she's like, okay. Lesley Logan 28:24  She's also starting to cry and really emotional. Brad Crowell 28:27  So she, she drops the bar. Well, she leans back over. She's like, all right, I got it. She, you literally can see her say shit, you know, on this video, right? And, and there's no audio to it, but she's like, shit. So she leans over, and she tries again and she fails again, and it's this point that she, like, totally breaks. Obviously, she's been frustrated all day long, and she breaks, and she literally starts crying, and she and it's super emotional, right? And she leans over and she like, puts her head on her arms, and she, you could see herself make the decision, I'm not going to quit here. I'm going to get this, through this even though I probably have disqualified myself already from whatever this competition is, because I didn't get it up on the first try, I didn't get it up on the second try, and she tries a third time, and she succeeds. And it is like this heartfelt, amazing experience. And I, I have to imagine that she is more proud of herself for finishing, completing it, for being just making the decision to stay with it, than she was, you know, than, obviously, she quit, she would, she'd be beating herself up. Lesley Logan 29:40  Well and I think first of all, I got chills and emotional just like thinking about it, because I like, every time I watch, I've watched it multiple times. And trust me, you guys, she's on a list of like, okay, I gotta email her publicist. I gotta get her on the pod. I have so many questions. But everyday, I talk to women who are beating themselves up for how little they've done, that they think they've done, which, by the way, is more than most people will do in a day, right? And it.Brad Crowell 30:08  Specially moms. Lesley Logan 30:08  Frustrates me, because none, never have you ever shamed yourself into doing the thing you said you were going to do. It doesn't work. That is not how our brains work. Our brains avoid shame and judgment. It doesn't feel good, it doesn't bring your dopamine up. It's not what motivates your brain to do shit. And so we have to do some FOMO, figuring out myself, figuring my own self out, and start congratulating ourselves we did fucking five minutes. You know, like, first of all, if you don't, no one else is. No one else is going to come up and congratulate you on things that they don't know have happened and they won't know have happened. That's why we do the FYFs. And it is, do you know how many people won't share their wins? I don't want to share, it's so small. Okay, but you do understand that that's going to inspire someone else. So, anyways, be nice to yourself. Get the FOMO.Brad Crowell 31:02  Be nice to yourself. Lesley Logan 31:03  The new FOMO. Brad Crowell 31:06  You know, I think that decision to stay with it, to be consistent, will, will be so much more gratifying over the long run, even if it's smaller increments than you know, whatever the prescribed amount is, or whatever that thing is, you know. So, that, I love this FOMO, I love this idea of figuring only myself out. It helps get rid of that comparison energy, you know, and create a safe space for you to succeed in, so, very cool. Very, very cool. All right, stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna cover those Be It Action Items from Stephanie O'Dea. Brad Crowell 31:48  Okay, welcome back. Finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What are the bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Stephanie O'Dea? She said, hey, funny enough, I'm gonna tell you to journal, but I'm gonna tell you how to journal in a very structured way. Lesley Logan 32:07  I, but I also, it's the only person I let journal, like, say journal, so.Brad Crowell 32:12  So it's funny because, I mean, I've heard Lesley say this about four, well, three, 250 times now, hey, if you're going to tell you know, use journaling as your, your Be It Action Item, you have to give us a structure how to do it. And she started laughing, and she said, I can do that. In fact, she has a free guided daily journaling worksheet that you can print out and you can write on if you go to stephanieodea.com/daily we will put that link in the show notes, but she's a big proponent it gives you structure. It tells you how to journal, what to journal about. It gives you prompts. But she also specifically mentioned that picking up a pen and paper, or pencil and paper, is different than typing on a computer. It just puts you in a different mindset. I mean, she's a writer, right? She got a book deal, she wrote a blog for eight years about cooking, right? She's like, constantly, constantly writing. And so she definitely would know she's the authority. She said that her tool will help you get in the right mindset. It gives you action steps, consistent, and consistency, it builds the muscle of slow, sustainable growth. And she said, your brain engages differently when writing by hand, which I think is interesting, and it helps you move towards your goals, even in off days. Lesley Logan 33:35  And also, your handwriting does not have to be good for it to actually still do the thing it does with your brain. I write things down which I like, which is why I like my reMarkable tablet. I actually don't even need to look at the tablet again. I remember it, but I. Brad Crowell 33:48  That's how I used to study for tests, hard copy my own notes. Lesley Logan 33:51  My nails are too long now, and it's, it's really annoying to type things. I'm like, I'm trying to learn how to type with the nails that.Brad Crowell 33:59  Hi, buddy. Are you trying to learn how to type, too?Lesley Logan 34:01  Yeah, Bayon's learning how to type. He's also truly found his voice this week. He's. Brad Crowell 34:05  It's pretty funny. Lesley Logan 34:06  He's like, oh, I'm gonna bark at this thing. And it's like, never did. Brad Crowell 34:12  Well, yeah. Lesley Logan 34:12  Anyway. Brad Crowell 34:13  His trip to Joshua Tree was a win. Well, you know what one thing that she said that I that I laughed about. She said, look, once you get into a routine, if something changes the routine, it's okay, because you, she said, you are not a spreadsheet. And I was like, oh, that's a really good idea.Lesley Logan 34:37  There's actually a whole study on, you know how, to go back to the long intro we had about politics, there's a study that shows like the more rigid your thinking is, the more likely you are to get stuck in beliefs that are not serving you. And so I'm a big habits coach, mindset coach, all those different things, but you'll notice that, like, I'm always going, giving grace. Giving lots of grace and kind of rolling with it. And I really love what she said here, because I have a morning routine and I have three hours, but, I don't have, oh, I have to be out the door at 6:01, otherwise it's, like, I just get outside. Brad Crowell 35:13  Facing the ice bowl, rub the banana peel, 6:11, take the elevator from 6:17.Lesley Logan 35:20  Yeah, yeah. Brad Crowell 35:21  So dumb. Lesley Logan 35:22  Right? I don't live like that. I do have and I post my schedule of the day with my outfit of the day. I'm like, here's my outfit and here's the schedule. And it might look rigid, but you have to understand, like, most of the things on there take 20 minutes, but I gave it the full hour so that I can be flexible. I can, I can roll with it. If I need to have a little bit more time with something, if I want to take a longer walk, I can. If I have longer Pilates, I take a shorter walk. And so by not being rigid, allows my habits and routines be very malleable and to serve me and what I need that day. And I think that's really important. We're not a spreadsheet. Okay, there's so many, you guys have to listen to the episode because I'm, she actually gave us so many Be It Action Items, to be honest. So I'm just gonna take a few. Celebrate your process, even if it's not linear. We actually have talked about that 17 times on this episode already today. So you celebrate your process, even if, it won't be linear, it is impossible. It never is, don't, you don't have to read the book. Go look at the cover of the book, called The Middle. The Messy Middle. It's bright yellow. When you see the graph, that graph of it going up down, up down, up down. It's like a heart rate monitor, and it's going up, but it's always going up, even though it might go down way lower than it did. And it goes up, Brad's looking at it right now, down, up, down. But like.Brad Crowell 36:34  It's not even a graph. It's like a squiggly line that goes in a square, in a circle and a triangle. Lesley Logan 36:38  Yeah, but if you take a bigger picture, it goes to the end. It's always going up. It's like the stock market. The stock market is not linear on the app, it goes up and down, up and down, up and down. But guess what? It always ends up. It's up, right? So hopefully, I don't know what it is today, guys. Anyways, she also said, use gold stars, stickers or a visible chart to track your small wins. Yes, it's a behavior from childhood, charts from childhood, but it's very important. You need to see it visibly. And then she said, choose non-food rewards, like a cozy nap or a pedicure or something like that. Like the things that you feel like are indulgent and you would never do, those should be your rewards. Make a list of them. That's what my therapist really had me do. And then she also reminded us, you can absolutely get to where you want to go, but you have to trust in yourself that you can do that and you'll get there when you get there. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 37:29  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 37:29  Thank you so much for listening. What a longer recap we had today. We were very chatty, so we hope you enjoyed it. Send your questions and your wins in we want to celebrate them. And we want to answer your questions. So beitpod.com/questions and then make sure you share this episode with a friend, especially the Slow Living episode, because Stephanie has, obviously, so many great tips. She is amazing. And check out her journaling prompts. I know I am. Until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 37:53  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 37:55  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 38:37  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 38:42  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 38:47  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 38:54  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 38:57  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Brad Crowell 39:12  Now, welcome back. Welcome back. I hope you're loving life. Welcome back. Let's start that again.Lesley Logan 39:19  He's just waiting for me to smile.Brad Crowell 39:21  I was, I was, my, my mind did a little loop there. All right, welcome back.Transcribed by https://otter.aiSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., gets a holiday partly because he challenged Americans to live up to their own ideals and extend freedom and equality to people of all races. Partly because he delivered this challenge peacefully, with no violence. Partly because he paid for this cause with his life. And partly because he had a great wife, who stood by him. Coretta Scott King was also an activist, also risked danger, also spoke, protested, and lobbied. And America changed. Racism is not dead, sadly, but African Americans have far more opportunities than Coretta had in her youth, in part due to her efforts. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of "Shark Theory," host Baylor Barbee delves into the significance of Juneteenth and the broader implications of focusing on progress within racial and societal debates. As Juneteenth marks the emancipation of African American slaves, Baylor uses this historical context to explore contemporary race relations and the importance of choosing a constructive outlook on life's challenges. This episode is particularly relevant to individuals seeking to understand and appreciate the progress made in various spheres of life while striving for continued advancement. Baylor reflects on his own background and experiences as a biracial individual, offering insights into navigating polarizing topics like politics and race relations. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on what's right in situations rather than dwelling on what's wrong. Through this mindful approach, Baylor encourages listeners to identify common grounds and progress in their lives, no matter the challenges they face. This episode serves as a thoughtful reminder of the power of perspective in building a better future for all. Key Takeaways: Celebrate Progress: Recognize and appreciate the progress made in life and society, using it as a foundation for further growth. Focus on What's Right: Start from a standpoint of positivity when addressing life's challenges to lay the groundwork for constructive actions. Be Informed: Develop opinions based on comprehensive information to contribute effectively to discussions, especially on divisive topics. Stay in Your Lane: Concentrate on areas where you have expertise, allowing others to lead in fields where they hold specialized knowledge. Constructive Dialogue: Aim for dialogue that adds to solutions, rather than merely contributing to noise or divisiveness. Notable Quotes: "I've made a conscious decision in my life and that's just to see what's right with the world." "If your voice isn't adding to the solution, then all you're doing is adding to the noise, AKA you're adding to the problem." "No matter how bad it seems, there is good, appreciate the progress that's being made." "People are just yapping, but there's no real dialogue being had." "Always look at what's right. And then from there, you can start to correct what's wrong."

Now in its 31st year, the AfroSolo Arts Festival is thrilled to return to Commonwealth Club World Affairs with "We Come This Far by Music—Let Freedom Ring! Part 2," featuring African American artists and music. The AfroSolo Arts Festival, directed by Thomas R. Simpson, is showcasing a cast of classically trained artists. This program is led by Dr. Carl Blake, pianist and director, and features Bradley Kynard, baritone; Shawnette Sulker, soprano; William Underwood, flutist. It's a joyful, soul-stirring program of music based on African American experiences, as part of San Francisco's Juneteenth Celebration—a national celebration that commemorates the freeing of enslaved people in Texas two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  AfroSolo Arts Festival is made possible through the support of the California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, Dream Keeper Initiative, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, SF Arts Commission, and The Friends of AfroSolo. About the Performers Dr. Carl Blake, piano and program director. Carnegie Recital Wigmore Hall (London) and L'Hermitage St. Petersburg, Russia Toured in France, England, Central and South America, Caribbean as artistic ambassador for the U.S. Department of State. Currently, director of music, Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, San Francisco, and a board member, Noontime Concerts. Bradley Kynard, baritone. This season: The Emissary by Oh/Rourke and Prospero's Island by Shearer/Stevens, Zebul in Jeptha by Handel, Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet (BWV 212) by J.S. Bach, A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil by Wold, Sophia's Forest by Beecher/Moscovitch, and Harriet's Spirit by Shelby/Olvera with Opera Parallèle, Moby Dick, Heggie/Scheer with San Francisco Opera. Brooke. In Little Women, by Adamo. Shawnette Sulker, soprano. Featured artist with San Francisco Opera; Die Königin der Nacht, Cleopatra, Porgy and Bess, Jake Heggie's Intelligence, Allen Shearer's Prospero's Island. Soloist, Carmina Burana, Messiah, and Mahler's symphonies concert performances at Teatro di San Carlo, Lincoln Center, and Leipzig's Gewandhaus. William Underwood III, flutist. Performs in traditional, avant-garde, social and sacred arenas as a solo, collaborative and recording flutist. A veteran of AfroSolo Festivals in San Francisco. Toured Japan extensively with Kyodo Tokyo Incorporated . An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Anne W Smith and Thomas R. Simpson  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to a Juneteenth edition of the Soundcheck Podcast, with music celebrating African-American culture and history. Juneteenth marks the day that the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas learned that they were legally free -  June 19, 1865. Hear music from Igmar Thomas' Revive Big Band – a blend of jazz, neo-soul, funk, blues, and hip hop – which showcases the deep roots of Black American Music; composer and electronic artist Jlin; the slide blues guitar of Jontavious Willis; American roots artist Valerie June; hip-hop production meets contemporary classical in music by W4RP Trio; and the country-soul of The War and Treaty.The War and Treaty – “Mr. Fun”Jontavious Willis – “Ghost Woman”Valerie June – “Endless Tree”Igmar Thomas' Revive Big Band - To Kinda Lounge Around ft. Raydar EllisJlin – “Precision of Infinity”W4RP Trio & LiKWUiD – "Here's One"

Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Black communities to remember June 19, 1865, the day that enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free. After becoming a federal holiday in 2021, broader community celebrations began in cities around the country, including the Minnesota Orchestra's annual Juneteenth concert tonight at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. MPR News host Angela Davis talked with the guest conductor of the Juneteenth concert and one of its organizers about the contributions of Black American composers and how classical music is being shaped by Black American music traditions, including gospel, jazz and the blues. Tickets to the 7 p.m. concert were still available as of Thursday morning. The concert will also stream live on YourClassical MPR with host Melissa Ousley. Guests:   Jonathan Taylor Rush returns to guest conduct this year's Juneteenth concert with the Minnesota Orchestra after conducting the concert in 2024. Now based in North Carolina, Taylor Rush was associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2020 to 2023 and is in demand as a guest conductor around the world.  Grant Meachum is director of the Minnesota Orchestra's Live at Orchestra Hall season, which includes the Juneteenth concert and more than twenty other special programs every year featuring film presentations, holiday celebrations and collaborations with popular artists. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Another View celebrated Juneteenth, the federal holiday that pays tribute to the day that the last enslaved persons in Texas finally got the news that they were free! To celebrate, we invited our listeners to join us as we broadcast live from our studio and the parking lot! We had food trucks, Juneteenth stories by acclaimed storyteller Amy Johnson, a historian, and Another View producer Lisa Godley spoke with Dr. Derrick Lanois, who shared some interesting facts about Juneteenth and its history!

“Most folks that came north from the South weren't migrants—they were refugees,” Jen Ingram declares, setting the tone for this powerfully layered conversation. In this Detroit is Different episode, we trace coins and culture with Numismatics Noir founder Jen Ingram, whose passion for Black coin collecting merges family legacy, precious metals, and African American storytelling. “I'm building this bridge for them,” she recalls from a poem her great-grandmother recited, honoring the journey of her fourth-generation Detroit family from Mississippi to a duplex on Whitney. Jen shares her Detroit roots, her professional climb through healthcare and philanthropy, and the entrepreneurial leap into calibrating cultural pride through currency. From Harriet Tubman's golden likeness to the hidden Black faces of U.S. money, Jen reveals how coins hold both historical weight and future economic promise. This episode is a masterclass in legacy, wealth, and Detroit soul. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com

This Day in Legal History: JuneteenthOn this day in legal history, June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, announcing that all enslaved people in Texas were free. This day, now known as Juneteenth, marked the effective end of slavery in the United States—coming more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The delay was due in large part to the limited presence of Union troops in Texas to enforce the proclamation.Granger's announcement informed Texas residents that “all slaves are free,” a declaration that redefined the legal and social landscape of the state and solidified the federal government's authority over the Confederacy's last holdout. While the Emancipation Proclamation had declared freedom for slaves in Confederate states, it did not immediately end slavery everywhere, nor did it provide enforcement mechanisms beyond Union military power. Juneteenth represents the day when emancipation finally reached the furthest corners of the Confederacy through legal and military authority.In the years following, Juneteenth became a symbol of African American freedom and resilience, celebrated with community gatherings, education, and reflection. Texas made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980, the first state to do so. On June 17, 2021, it became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. The legal significance of Juneteenth lies in its embodiment of both the promise and the delay of justice, highlighting the gap between the law's proclamation and its realization.A conservative legal group, Faculty, Alumni, and Students Opposed to Racial Preferences (FASORP), has sued the Michigan Law Review and its affiliated leadership, claiming that its member selection process illegally favors women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ applicants. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the complaint alleges that personal statements and holistic review metrics are evaluated using race and sex preferences, violating both federal and state anti-discrimination laws. The group contends that conservative students, especially those associated with the Federalist Society, are excluded from review committees due to their presumed opposition to the practice.FASORP is backed by attorney Jonathan Mitchell and America First Legal, led by former Trump official Stephen Miller. The organization has brought similar legal challenges against NYU and Northwestern, and its suit aligns with broader attacks on diversity policies at elite institutions. It seeks an injunction, damages, and court oversight of a revised selection process for the journal, along with a halt to federal funding until changes are made.The group claims violations of Title VI and Title IX, as well as 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1985, the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and the Equal Protection Clause. The review's five-part selection process—including essays and grades—has no fixed evaluation formula, which FASORP argues opens the door to discriminatory discretion. Judge Judith E. Levy is assigned to the case.Conservative Group Accuses Michigan Law Review of Selection BiasA federal judge in Texas has struck down a Biden administration rule aimed at protecting the privacy of patients seeking abortions and gender-affirming care. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) overstepped its authority when it adopted the rule, which barred healthcare providers and insurers from disclosing information about legal abortions to state law enforcement. The decision halts enforcement of the rule nationwide.Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, argued that HHS lacked explicit congressional approval to implement heightened protections for procedures viewed as politically sensitive. The rule was introduced in 2024 following the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, as part of the Biden administration's efforts to defend reproductive healthcare access.The lawsuit was brought by Texas physician Carmen Purl, represented by the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, which claimed the rule misused privacy laws unrelated to abortion or gender identity. Previously, Kacsmaryk had temporarily blocked enforcement of the rule against Purl, but this week's decision broadens that to all states.HHS has not responded publicly to the ruling, and a separate legal challenge to the same rule remains active in another Texas federal court. The case underscores ongoing tensions between federal privacy regulations and state-level abortion restrictions in the post-Roe legal environment.US judge invalidates Biden rule protecting privacy for abortions | ReutersXlear, a hygiene product company, has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), challenging the agency's authority to require “substantiation” for product claims under its false advertising rules. The suit, filed in federal court in Utah, follows the FTC's recent decision to drop a case it had pursued since 2021, which alleged that Xlear falsely advertised its saline nasal spray as a COVID-19 prevention and treatment product.Xlear argues that the FTC is exceeding its legal mandate by demanding scientific backing for advertising claims, stating that the FTC Act does not explicitly authorize such a requirement. The company's legal team is leaning on the 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which limited the deference courts must give to federal agencies when interpreting statutes—a significant departure from the longstanding Chevron doctrine.The company seeks a court ruling that merely making claims without substantiation does not violate FTC rules. Xlear has also criticized the agency for engaging in what it calls “vexatious litigation,” claiming it spent over $3 million defending itself before the FTC abandoned its lawsuit without explanation.The FTC has not yet commented or made a court appearance in this new case. The challenge could set important precedent on the scope of agency power over advertising standards in the wake of the Supreme Court's shift on judicial deference.Lawsuit challenges FTC authority over 'unsubstantiated' advertising claims | ReutersA federal judge in Rhode Island signaled skepticism toward the Trump administration's attempt to tie federal transportation funding to state cooperation with immigration enforcement. During a hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell questioned whether U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had legal authority to impose immigration-related conditions on grants meant for infrastructure projects. McConnell, an Obama appointee, challenged the relevance of immigration enforcement to the Transportation Department's mission, drawing a parallel to whether the department could also withhold funds based on abortion laws.The case involves 20 Democratic-led states opposing the April 24 directive, which conditions billions in infrastructure grants on compliance with federal immigration law, including cooperation with ICE. The states argue the requirement is unconstitutional, vague, and attempts to coerce state governments into enforcing federal immigration policy without clear legislative authorization.Justice Department lawyers defended the policy as aligned with national safety concerns, but struggled under McConnell's probing. He noted that the administration's broad language and public stance on sanctuary jurisdictions could not be ignored and appeared to support the states' argument that the directive lacks clarity and statutory grounding.The judge is expected to issue a ruling by Friday, before the states' grant application deadline. This lawsuit is part of a broader legal and political battle as Trump pushes sanctuary cities and states to aid in mass deportations.US judge skeptical of Trump plan tying states' transportation funds to immigration | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. Title:  We Are All Connected Show Transcripts Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:01:17] Welcome to Apex Express. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. First, we want to start by wishing everyone a happy Juneteenth, Juneteenth commemorates, an end to slavery and the emancipation of Black Americans after the Civil War. In 1865, 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned of their freedom. Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people learned of their freedom. Though outright slavery became illegal, the systematic oppression of African Americans continues to this day. We see that show up in almost every aspect of American culture, from the high rate of infant mortality to the over punishing of Black children in schools, to police brutality, to incarceration. We must continue to recognize the importance of championing Black lives and lifting up Black voices. We are all connected. June 19th is also an important day in Asian American history. In 1982 in Detroit, Vincent Chin was at a bar celebrating his bachelor party prior to his wedding the next day. Ronald Ebens, a white auto worker, and his stepson Michael Nitz taunted Vincent with racial epithets. They thought he was Japanese and were angry about the Japanese rise in the auto industry. When Vincent left the bar later, the two men attacked and killed Vincent with a baseball bat. He was 27 years old. Ronald Ebens never did time for this murder. Ronald Ebens is 85 years old now. Ebens not only skirted prosecution, he has used bankruptcy and homesteading laws in Nevada to avoid a wrongful death civil suit settlement. Ordered by the court in 1987 to pay $1.5 million to Chin's family, the Chin estate has received nothing. Lily Chin, Vincent's mom could have stayed silent about the racist attack on her son. Instead she spoke out. She took a courageous stance to highlight this most painful moment in her life. In doing so, she helped ignite a new generation of Asian American activists working for civil rights and social justice. We find ourselves in a new wave of activism as our communities band together to work against the injustices of the current regime. And what does this have to do with children's books? It is all connected. We highlight children's books by Asian and Asian American authors because we want our next generation of children to know and appreciate their own heritage. We want them to proudly represent who they are so that they can work in solidarity with other peoples. Our struggle is interwoven. As Grace Lee Boggs said, “History is a story not only of the past, but of the future.” Thank you for joining us on apex express. Enjoy the show.   Miko Lee: [00:04:24] First off. Let's take a listen to one of Byron Au Young's compositions called “Know Your Rights” This is part of the trilogy of the Activist Songbook. This multi-lingual rap, give steps to know what to do when ICE officers come to your door.    MUSIC   That was “Know Your Rights” performed by Jason Chu with lyrics by Aaron Jeffries and composed by Byron Au Yong Welcome, Chi Thai to Apex Express.    Chi Thai: [00:07:13] Hello. I'm really happy to be joining you, Miko.  Miko Lee: [00:07:16] I'm really happy to meet you and learn about you as an artist, as a filmmaker, as a children's book author. And I wanna first start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Chi Thai: [00:07:30] Ooh, what a great question. You know what? I love being asked stuff that hasn't been asked kind of before. I mean, there's a kinda really kinda natural answer to that, which is, you know, family are my people. Of course. 100%. And certainly, you know, the reason why I'm talking to you today, you know, in regard to the, to the book, you know, it's about my family's journey. But I found, and I don't know if this is. Somewhat to do with, you know, being a child of two cultures and you know, being a child of the diaspora that you really have to kind of find your own family too. 'cause I suppose I grew up feeling, I didn't quite relate to maybe my parents in a way that, you know, you normally would if you weren't part of the diaspora. And I felt estranged from my birth country and I didn't really feel like British either a lot of the time. So in terms of like, who are my people? I've gathered those people as I've kind of grown up and it's, it's a kind of strange feeling too. I feel like it's taken me a really long to grow up and to figure out who I am. And I suppose that's why, you know, the people that I have a really, a lot of people that have come, kinda later in my life, I actually have no friends in my childhood as an example of that. I've had to kind of find these people as I've grown up, but it's taken me a long time to grow up because growing up in the UK there wasn't any literature to read about what it was like to be Asian. And British, to be a refugee and things like that. So it just took me longer and I then, as a result, it just took me longer to find my tribe. but I have it now, but it's still work in progress. That was a very convoluted answer. I'm very sorry Miko.    Miko Lee: [00:09:15] No, it wasn't. No worries. It's fine. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Chi Thai: [00:09:19] Kind of an extension to that answer, I think when you're an artist, practicing your voice, figuring out your voice, can take a while. And I think I've only really started maybe the last like five to 10 years at the most really figured out what I want my legacy to be. The things I wanna talk about are really about s tories from the diaspora, certainly, and about community and healing. These are the things I think that are really important to me, especially when we talk about maybe coming from struggle. I don't feel it's enough to be an artist today and just talk about struggle. I want to talk about justice as well. And justice really is about healing, you know?    Miko Lee: [00:10:00] Oh, that's beautiful. Can you talk a little bit more about that healing and what that means to you and how that shows up in your work?    Chi Thai: [00:10:07] A couple years ago, no, not even that long ago, I produced a, a feature film. This is probably the best example for it, but I produced a feature film called Raging Grace, which we called it Horror with a small H and it. Basically took the story of what it was like to be, undocumented Filipina in the uk who was also a mother. And I think if that film had been made 10 years ago, it would just shown how hard her life was, and unrelentingly. So, and I think the reason why Raising Grace is so special is it goes beyond the trauma, it takes us to a place of justice, of being able to speak out for someone who has felt invisible, to be visible for someone who's not. Had a voice, to have a voice and to begin that kind of healing process of sticking up for herself, making a change transforming herself from maybe the good immigrant to the bad immigrant and things like that. I think that's a really great example and I think I read a really wonderful thing. It might have been in a Guardian article where we, so a lot of my work is around, inclusion representation of like diasporic stories. And I think when you have, when you exist in the poverty of like representation, I. the solution to that is plentitude. I think that Viet Thanh Nguyen probably said that, so I don't wanna take credit for it. He comes up with so many wonderful things, and that's a wonderful thing to be able to move from poverty, like to plentitude and that be the solution, is kinda really wonderful. So I enjoy being really prolific. I enjoy supporting artists to be able to do their work. So as a community, we can also be prolific and I wanna support, narratives that. Take us beyond a place of struggle and trauma to a place of like healing and justice and so forth.    Miko Lee: [00:11:57] Your work crosses so many genres. You were just mentioning how that film was kind of a horror film and, and then you've done these kind of dreamy animation pieces and then now this children's book. Do you select the genre and the format and the medium, or does it select you?   Chi Thai: [00:12:16] Oh, I think the story chooses it. I like 100% believe that. I just actually was thinking about this 'cause I was doing an interview on something else, people, often ask about the creative process and I, can only speak for my own. But usually when I get an idea for a story, the general shape of it comes almost like really well formed. There's a sense of a lready kinda what genre it'll be. There's a sense of the character, there's a sense of the journey and all these things. I felt the same about, writing The Endless Sea I knew it would be from the voice of a child. This probably sounds like my creative process is terrible, but it was just. This is how it was going to be. That kind of part was writing itself, or at least I feel that it'd been writing itself like that in my subconscious for many, many years before it kind of surfacing and writing. Like the writing bit is just the tip of the iceberg at the end of the day. there wasn't like a kind of decision about that. the story in that sense was quite intact. So I often feel like the story is demanding something about kind genre and for, for Raging Grace 'cause I've talked about this a lot, not just in listen to me, but other things. But we always said like if you are an an undocumented person, every breath you take is taken in a hostile environment. It's so natural for it to be a horror. So there's not a sense that you kinda decide that it's like that is the very reality of someone who's going, you know, that's their lived experience. And if you're going to represent that truthfully, it will be through the prism of horror. And I suppose that's how I think about genre. the story is kind of telling you what it needs to tell its emotional truth. and I felt that way, with The Endless Sea same thing with the Raging Grace, with Lullaby. And I think you talked about The Promise, I suppose I, with The Promise, which is an adaptation I had less choice about that because that was a book and it was a adapted into an animation. I've heard Nicola, who's the author of the book, talk about that and she talks about like the story coming to her in a dream and tiptoeing down her arm coming onto the page, she like describes it really beautifully. so maybe our processes are the same. It feels that way. there's not long deliberations. I mean, that's not to say the writing process isn't difficult. It is. But that, I've never found the, [genre] the difficulty or the bit that's required a lot of, I don't know soul searching with it.    Miko Lee: [00:14:28] So with that being said, how did Endless Sea your latest children's book? How did that tiptoe into your imagination?    Chi Thai: [00:14:36] This is a strange one because this is probably the closest thing to like, almost autobiographical work. What I can say is like, it's the true story o f how I and my family, which would've been at the time my mom and dad, my older sister, me, how we fled Vietnam after the fall of an Saigon. we actually left quite late we left in 1979 w hen things were tr were getting truly, truly, truly, quite terrible. And, this was very much a last resort. I think my parents would try to make things work, but realized that they couldn't. This journey that we took on these, boats that were made badly, made poorly, that many of which sank has become almost like the genesis story of our family. It's like it's a big, it has a long shadow, right? Ever since you know I, it is like the first story that I can remember. It's one of the few stories my mom would tell me again and again when we, when they see their old friends, it's something they talk about. So it's something that has happened to it to us, but it's such a big thing that it's just, echoed In my life growing up, as I've you know, got older and older, and the wonderful thing about having a story kinda live with you eventually it's in your blood and in your bones, but also if it's a thing that's kinda shared with you again and again, you actually build up this, there's something about the repetition of it, and then every time you hear it told from an uncle or a family friend or from your mom, a new little detail is embroidered that someone adds. So I've kinda lived with this story for 40 plus years and I've been collecting all these little things about it all this time and all that time it was, I think, kind of just writing itself, you know? You know, it was doing all that work before I actually put like pen to paper. Um, yeah.    Miko Lee: [00:16:31] Was there a catalyst or something that made you actually put the pen to paper?   Chi Thai: [00:16:36] That's really interesting. You know, I probably don't mind it is probably something really banal like. I think I probably wrote it during Covid and I had more time. Um, I think there are probably be some bigger forces in place. And you know what, I can tell you what it is actually if I'm, I'm forcing myself to think and examine a bit closer so when this is totally true. So I remember hearing the news about Viet Thanh Nguyen win winning the Pulitzer for The Sympathizer. And it made such a mark on me and I kind of felt, wow, someone from our community has achieved this incredible thing. And I thought, why? Why now? Like, and I was like, well, you know what? It's probably taken our community certain amount of time to come of age, to develop not just the abilities to write, to create, to make art, but also to have possibly the relationships or networks in place to be able to then make the art and get it out into the world. And I kind of felt when he was able to do that and came of age, I kind of felt there was going to be like other people from the kind of diasporic Vietnamese community that would also start to flourish. And that made me feel really good. About probably being a bit older than the average kind of artist, like making their, kinda like their pieces and everything and saying, you know what? My time can be now. It's okay. And I just find it just really inspiring that, you know our community was kind of growing, growing up, coming of age and being able to do these, these things And I kind of felt like it had given me the permission, I suppose the, the confidence to go, “Oh this story that I've been carrying my whole life, which I don't really see a version of out there I can write that and now I can write it and I'm the right person to write it.” And I had just done The Promise so I had a relationship with Walker. I was like, I have a, you know, a relationship with the publisher. I feel my writing is matured. Like I can do this. And so it was like a culmination and, you know, convergence of those things. And, but I do remember having that thought thinking, “This is a good time to be alive in our community 'cause we're actually able to make our art and get it out there now.” I, I felt it was like a real watershed moment really.   Miko Lee: [00:19:11] What made you decide to do it in this format as a Little Kid's Children's Illustrated book? We were talking earlier about how to, to me, this is the first more realistic version of a boat people experience in a very little kid's voice. What made you decide to do it in this style?    Chi Thai: [00:19:33] So interesting. At the same time, I was writing The Endless Sea. I was writing also the script for a short film, which is called Lullaby, which is takes an incident that happened on my boat but expresses it as a film, as a little kinda horror kinda drama, but a kid cannot watch that. It's like too terrifying. Um, and I wrote, you know, The Endless Sea at the same time. And again, I can't, it's really hard for me to articulate. I just knew it was gonna be a kid's book, like, and I knew it'd be written from the voice of a kid, and I didn't actually, can I say I didn't even ascribe a particular kind of value to that. It wasn't until I had started conversations with the publisher they're like, you know, we see like there's a really high, like this is really great that it's written in the voice of the kid. It somehow gives it something else. Something more is something kind of special. I didn't set out to like, overthink, like what was the most effective way to tell this story? I, I think I just told the story as honestly as I could, you know, with the words that I felt that, you know, I had in me to de, you know, to describe it. In the most authentic way to, to me. And like I say, at the same time, I knew, like I knew that was a kid's book. There was another part of that I wanted to express that was really important to me and that was survivor's guilt. But that I felt was like, that was a horror, so that was really not gonna be suitable for kids. So I was definitely thinking about lots of things to do with the same subject of the same time, but they were definitely being expressed in different ways. And again, Lullaby came to me very kind of quickly, almost fully formed. And I knew, you know, it would be a ghost story. I knew it would be the story of a mother and things like that. And I often maybe, you know, I should, I, I should interrogate more, but I kinda, I take these kinda. These ideas, which are quite well shaped and, and then I just like lean into them more and more and more. But they, the way they arrive it, I've kinda, I, I can see a lot of what is already about to unfold.   Miko Lee: [00:21:43] And do you still dream about that experience of being on the boat as a kid?    Chi Thai: [00:21:52] It's, it's a really difficult thing to explain because you know that that happened now so long ago, and I've probably heard the story thousands of times. I've watched all the terrible Hollywood movies, I've seen all the news clippings, I've watched all the archive. I've listened to, you know, people talk, and I have my own memories and I look at photographs and I have memories of looking at photographs. I feel like, you know, my memory is really unreliable, but what it is instead is it's this, this kind of, kind of tapestry of, you know, of the story of memories, of, you know, images as I grow up of hearing the story, like all coming together. One of the things I did when I wrote, I wrote The Endless Sea, is I then went back to my mom and I did a recorded interview with her 'cause I was really worried about how unreliable my memory might be. And I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions and I said, and I, it was like, you know, in the way I would've just like listened to the story quite passively before this time I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions about details and all sorts of things. 'cause I really wanted to be able to represent things, you know, as factually as I could. And that was kinda one of my kinda kind of fact checking kinda exercises I did 'cause I was, I was much quite worried about how unreliable my memory was about it all. And you know, what is, what is a memory of a memory of memory, like, you know, especially when it comes to thinking about that time on the boat and the feelings I had. Yeah. So, you know,    Miko Lee: [00:23:34] and you were so young also to    Chi Thai: [00:23:37] Totally 100%. And sometimes, I don't know, you know, is it a memory of a memory? Is it a dream of a dream?   Miko Lee: [00:23:44] Mm-hmm.    Chi Thai: [00:23:44] Or just some, yeah.   Miko Lee: [00:23:46] Was there anything that your mom said that surprised you?    Chi Thai: [00:23:50] Yeah. Um, she didn't realize how bad it was gonna be and she was like, “God, if it, I'd known how terrifying it was I dunno if I, we could have done it.” I think there's a certain amount of naivety involved and I suppose that surprised me. You know? 'cause we know already now how bad it was. Um, so things like that surprised me.    Miko Lee: [00:24:15] and your mom, the dedication of the book is to your mom. What does she think when she first read it?    Chi Thai: [00:24:22] I've got a funny story. My parents, you know, they, we left, they were in their early twenties and I think it was, you know, the escape was hard for them, but settling in new country was really hard for them. That's. That's been kind of their struggle. They had to work so hard, so many hours to kind of, you know, give us a great life. And, I think a lot of that meant they weren't people that could go out, enjoy, enjoy movies, look at art, read lots of literature and things like that. They're very, very simple, very working class. Simple life or working class kinda life. Very much all about, uh, the work. Um, and I remember when I had a, the publisher had made like a mockup of the book and I gave it to my mum to read 'cause I wanted her to be happy about it too, and she's probably been my toughest critic. I think everything I've done, she hasn't really liked, to be honest. Um, and when I gave her the mockup to read. She went, “Yeah,” but she said it in such a way I knew what she meant was Yeah, that's right. You know, that's the truth. That's the, you know, the book isn't the testimony, but it felt like she was saying yeah. It was like the simple kind of approval. It wasn't like a lot    Miko Lee: [00:25:50] That is the most Asian mom's approval ever.    Chi Thai: [00:25:54] It's so funny, like people say to me, oh Chi, it's such a beautiful book. Oh, the writing so lit, like lyrical. It's stripped back, it's elegant. Like, you know, Viet Thanh Nguyen , like God bless his like consults, gave me a comment to put in the book, said these wonderful things, and my mom goes, “yeah.”. You know, it made me laugh at the time, but I knew what it meant. And I also was old enough, I was mature enough, you know, God, if she'd given me that, if I'd been 20 written that I might have cried and my heart might have broken. Right. But I, I knew I had, I've so much compassion, you know, for my parents. Mm-hmm. And people like my parents, what they've been through and, you know, but    Miko Lee: [00:26:38] That was incredibly high praise for her.    Chi Thai: [00:26:40] It was, I couldn't have asked more.   Miko Lee: [00:26:47] Oh, I totally get that. I think that's such an Asian thing. That is so funny.    Chi Thai: [00:26:53] It is, it is. I didn't feel bad. I, I remember showing her Lullaby, um, and she didn't like it at all.    Miko Lee: [00:27:02] What did she say? What is her not like voice? What did she say to that?    Chi Thai: [00:27:05] Oh, she. Well, firstly, she, well, the, the film is almost silent because basically it tells a story. It's inspired by a mother that was on our boat who lost her baby on the border crossing, and I was very much ever, for as long as I knew about this woman's story, I was like, I was very much haunted by it, and I was haunted by, you know, the fact that that's how she felt and her guilt. Over losing her baby on this journey. And I knew, I knew I wanted to tell her story. 'cause one of the things I feel very strongly about is when you are on the losing side. So I'm from South Vietnam, like that's not the, you know, that's not the story that's told, the story is told of who triumphs at the end of the day. And I was just like all those people that we lost at sea, this mother, her baby. The stories kind of aren't told. So I kind of felt really strongly that this was somehow a very creative way to put down like a, an historical record like this happened. And actually I found out after making the film that five babies were lost in our boat, not just one.   Miko Lee: [00:28:24] Wow. So what did she say, your mom say?   Chi Thai: [00:28:28] Yes. So I made this film, which was for the most part, a silent film. This is a woman that's shut down. She barely speaks anymore. She is living with the guilt ever. You know, when she was on the boat before her baby died, she sang a lullaby, and ever since then, she hasn't been able to speak again. And then we find out that she has been haunted by the ghost of her child that she lost. And then a bit too, you know, to kind of free herself from that. She, she actually sings, you know, the, the film culminates in her singing the Luby one last time. S saying Goodbye finally being able to move beyond her Gild and I Griffin, saying goodbye and hoping she's able to, you know, progress. So I made a film about that was largely silence except for this lullaby, and my mum watched it. She went, next time you make a film, you know you need more words. I was just like, oh, I think my heart probably did crumple off a bit a bit at that point.    Miko Lee: [00:29:30] Aw.    Chi Thai: [00:29:31] You know? Um, but yeah. But yeah, it's okay. It's okay because you know what? My mom doesn't get to see stuff like that very often. So sometimes she doesn't have the wider, and this is why, I mean, like, the life that she's had, you know, hasn't been one where she's been able to surround herself with, oh, I'm so lucky. You know, my life has been so different, but it's been different. Different because of, you know what she's, what she's done for us, so it's okay. I can take it on the chin when she says my film doesn't have enough dialogue in it.    Miko Lee: [00:30:04] I love that. For you, have you had conversations with your mom about your life as an artist, and what are her thoughts on that?   Chi Thai: [00:30:16] Well say. So I, so my mom, I don't really like, you know, she's probably not that into it. I'll be honest about being an artist. I can understand why she wants you to have a good life. And I would say for the most part, being an artist is, is a, is a tough life because it's hard to make, you know, the, the pennies work, right?   Miko Lee: [00:30:44] She wants stability for you, right?    Chi Thai: [00:30:45] Yeah, exactly. But she's made a peace with it. And basically what happened, I think all the best story is gonna be about my mom, right? Is that she basically, I, I, um, I have a partner, we've been together for 15 years. Um, he's a really nice guy and he has a reliable job and we have two kids together and i,    Miko Lee: [00:31:08] So that makes it okay.   Chi Thai: [00:31:10] So yeah, this is what I was saying. So she said to me like. It doesn't really matter what you do now. 'cause she, you are already peaked. You're somebody's wife. We're not married. But she told everyone in Vietnam we were married 'cause she couldn't cope with this not being like having kids out of wedlock. In her head. She's rewritten that we are married. Right. She's like, you are married, you're somebody's wife and you mother, it doesn't get better than that. So if you are an artist or if you're a filmmaker, whatever, it doesn't matter. 'cause nothing can be better than that. Right. So she's accepted on the basis that I've already fulfilled, kind of my promise.   Miko Lee: [00:31:46] Wow. Interesting.    Chi Thai: [00:31:50] And she means that in the nicest possible way.    Miko Lee: [00:31:52] Yeah.    Chi Thai: [00:31:52] That she feels like you have a home, you have stability, you have someone who loves you, you know, you have a, a purpose in life, but really her value, you know, the way, I think, the way she measures my value is like, that's how she looks at it. The, the art is something else.    Miko Lee: [00:32:10] Well, I really appreciate you sharing your art with us in the world and your various, um, genres and styles. And I'm wondering how our audience can find out more about your work. Clearly we'll put links to where people can buy the book and let's see, but how do they find out more about your films?   Chi Thai: [00:32:28] Um, so that like, because it is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 2025. Actually the very anniversary of that is the tomorrow, the 30th, April, right? Um, you can watch Lullaby on Altar, which is a YouTube channel. Um, and I can give you the link for it. Rating Grace is on Paramount Plus if you want to, if you've got Paramount Plus, but you can also buy it from all the usual kind of places too. Um, and you know, and we'll see us from all great book stockists, I imagine in, in the us.   Miko Lee: [00:33:07] Thank you so much. Um, I'd love to get, I'd love for you to send me the link so I could put 'em in the show notes. I really appreciate chatting with you today. Um, is there anything else you'd like to share?    Chi Thai: [00:33:19] Um, no, I think, I think that's good. Your, your questions are so good. Mika, I'm already like, kinda like processing them all. Uh, yes.    Miko Lee: [00:33:30] Well, it was a delight to chat with you and to learn more about your artistic vision, and my wishes are that you continue to grow and feel blessed no matter what your mama says, because deep down, she's still proud of you. Even if she doesn't say it out loud.    Chi Thai: [00:33:47] I believe it. I totally believe it.    Miko Lee: [00:33:50] Yay. Thank you so much for spending time with us on Apex Express.Next up, listen to stay, go from dark heart, a concert narrative by singer and songwriter Golda Sargento.   MUSIC   That was the voice of Golda Sargento from the new Filipino futurism punk rock sci-fi dark heart. Welcome, Livia Blackburne Children's book, author of Nainai's Mountain. Welcome to Apex Express.    Livia Blackburne: [00:38:56] Thank you so much for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:38:58] I wanna start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:05] I am Chinese American, and so I carry the stories of my grandparents who fled China to Taiwan, fled that war. And I also carry the stories of my parents and myself who immigrated. To America, and I am, I grew up in New Mexico, so I have fond memories of green chili and new Mexican food. I went to college, Harvard and MIT on the east coast. So I've got a bit of that kind of ivory tower. And now I'm in LA and, you know, my people are, my family and my community, the writing community here. So I, I'm a big mix. Yes.    Miko Lee: [00:39:44] What legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:47] I mentioned a bit of my grandparents and my parents. What they went through in the war in China, and then my parents and me coming here. the experience of being here in two worlds, coming from Taiwan having that cultural background and also, growing up in the United States. The culture I've been surrounded with here as well.    Miko Lee: [00:40:06] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell us about your new illustrated children's book? Nainai's Mountain. What inspired this work?    Livia Blackburne: [00:40:14] The story of this book actually started with another book that is coming out in a couple years that actually I can't share too much about. My grandparents fled the war in China and then my. Parents grew up in Taiwan and I wanted to preserve that family story. My parents are getting older. So I started doing oral interviews with my parents about their childhood, what it was like, growing up. I wouldn't say they weren't refugees in Taiwan. It's a very complicated political situation, but they were transplants to Taiwan, and what it was like growing up there, their daily life. What kind of things they did when they were a child, their pastimes, I wanted to preserve their stories and I got a lot of great material., A lot of that is going into a novel that I'm currently working on. But also as I worked on it, there were so many great details that I thought would be really good in a picture book as well. Also, I'm a mother now. I have an 8-year-old daughter, and she is half Caucasian, half Asian. She has never gone to Taiwan before and I. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking, it would be really great to, I do want to share Taiwan and, my own childhood, home with her at some point. And so I start imagining what would it be like to bring her back to Taiwan and show her everything. And that became the seed for Nainai's Mountain, which is a. Story of a girl visiting Taiwan for the first time with her grandmother. And her grandmother shows her around and tells her stories about her childhood, and the girl through her grandmother's eyes, sees Taiwan, you know, for the beautiful place that it is.    Miko Lee: [00:41:56] You also wrote the book I Dream of Popo. How are these companions to each other and also for audiences that might not speak Chinese. One is a grandmother on the mother's side, and the other is the grandmother on the father's side. Can you talk about how I dream of Popo is linked to Nainai's Mountain?   Livia Blackburne: [00:42:15] Thank you for pointing that out. Yes. So Popo is maternal grandmother, and Nainai is a paternal grandmother. And that is a fantastic question. So I dream of popo is kind of my story. So it's about a little girl who moves from Taiwan , to the United States and it's about her relationship with her grandmother who stays in Taiwan. And it talks about, how a close relationship, navigating long geographical distances about the language barrier that comes up. And that was very much me, Nainai's Mountain. It's kind of like Popo in reverse, you know, it's now it's someone going back to Taiwan and kind of getting in touch with those roots. That, as I mentioned, that's inspired by my daughter. And you'll see in Nainai's Mountain, I specified that the child should be, half Asian, half Caucasian. Because, I wanted more of that representation in the children's literature.    Miko Lee: [00:43:07] Thank you. I, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the artistic style. So you are the author, but you had different illustrators for both of the books and the style is really different. The in, when I look at Nainai's Mountain, which I'm holding here, it's sort of collage and really vibrant colors. Where I Dream of Popo has a different, more. I'm almost realistic, kind of look to it. And I'm wondering what your process was like in collaborating with illustrators.    Livia Blackburne: [00:43:37] That's one of the best things about being a picture book author, is that you get to collaborate with so many illustrators and they all have such different styles, such different visions. Most of the time it's the publisher who chooses the illustrator, although they. Consult me usually. My editor for I Dream of Popo picked Julia Kuo. And she sent me samples and I loved it. And, it was great. I'm friends with Julia now and that book did really well. It was very well known, especially in kind of Taiwanese American, Asian American circles. And so when I did, Nainai's mountain, that was with a different publishing house and my editor. He very consciously said, you know, because it's also a book about Taiwan and a grandmother. We don't want to get it confused with I dream of Popo. So, we made a conscious decision to pick an artist with a very different style and Joey Chou is fantastic. He's very well known for his Disney art. You can see his art in a lot of the hotels and cruise ships. And, he, very bright, vibrant, and I, he's also from Taiwan. I think he did a fantastic job.   Miko Lee: [00:44:41] And have the artistic work ever surprised you as being really different from your imagination while you were writing?    Livia Blackburne: [00:44:48] That's a great question. I don't think they've ever surprised me. By being different. They surprised me in the specifics that they've chosen. For example, I dream of Popo. Julia, spent a lot of time in Taiwan and she put in these great, Taiwan details that, you know, if you're from Taiwan, you would know for sure. There's like a specific brand of rice cooker called the rice cooker, and she has one there and like the giant bag of rice in the corner, and the calendar on the wall.   Miko Lee: [00:45:16] Even the specificities of the food and the trays and everything is quite lovely.    Livia Blackburne: [00:45:20] Yeah, yeah. You know, every time I read that, I look at that spread, I get hungry. So surprise there. And, with Joey, I, I love how he does the different, there's kind of flashback pictures and there's, pictures now and. The thing about him, his color, I just love the color that he put in from the greens, of Taiwan to kind of the bright fluorescent lights, neon lights of Taipei, and then there's kind of the slight sepia tones of the past and he just, you know, brings it so to life so well.   Miko Lee: [00:45:49] I didn't know he was a Disney animator, but it totally makes sense because it feels very layered. It does feel animated in a way and kind of alive. So I appreciate that.   Livia Blackburne: [00:45:59] I'm not sure. If he's an animator. He does a lot of art for the theme parks and like products and the cruise ships and stuff. I'm not sure.    Miko Lee: [00:46:07] Oh, interesting.   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:07] He does like movies and  stuff.    Miko Lee: [00:46:08] Interesting. It looks like animation though. Your book.    Livia Blackburne: [00:46:13] It does look very, yeah. Lively. Mm-hmm.    Miko Lee: [00:46:16] That I'm looking forward to that series. That would be so cute. The grandmother series as a whole little mini series traveling to different places. can you tell us about your new book, Dreams to Ashes? Has that been released yet?   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:29] Dreams to Ashes? That has been released that, released about a month before Nainai's Mountain. Yeah, that one's quite a bit different. So that one is a nonfiction book and it's a picture book, and it's about the Los Angeles massacre of 1871. Whenever people, I tell people about that, they're like, wait, you wrote a picture book about a massacre? Which is slightly counterintuitive. So I never knew about the Los Angeles massacre growing up. And, and, given that I am a Chinese person in Los Angeles, that is kind of weird. Basically, it was a race massacre that occurred. One of the biggest mass lynchings in history, uh, where there was a between two rival Chinese organizations and a white bystander was killed. And because of that, , a mob formed and they rounded the Chinese population up basically. And. Blame them for that death. In the end, 18 Chinese men were killed and only one of them were involved in the original gunfight. It was a horrible tragedy. And unfortunately, as often happened with these kind of historical tragedies in our country, nobody was really punished for it. A few men were indicted and convicted, but their convictions were overturned and it just kind of disappeared into history. And it really struck me that, you know, nobody knew about this. I wanted to kind of bring this to light and unfortunately when I was writing it, it was also, during the Covid pandemic and, I was seeing a lot of anti-Asian rhetoric, anti-Asian hate crimes were going up. And I saw so many parallels between what happened. Back then, because, you know, Chinese people specifically were being vilified , they were being called immoral, stealing people's jobs. And you can see in the years before the massacre the newspapers were saying horrible things and, you know, the hate was just becoming very strong and all that exploded one night into an unspeakable tragedy. Unfortunately as an author, you want your work to be relevant, but sometimes you don't want your work to be relevant in this way. Right. Nowadays I'm seeing so much rhetoric again against immigrants and not of many ethnicities. And in some ways I'm sad. That, this is happening now. And I also hope that this book will contribute to the conversation and show how the danger of racism and xenophobia and hate and what, what can happen because of that.   Miko Lee: [00:48:55] So this occurred in the late 1800s, right? Was it before the Chinese Exclusion Act?    Livia Blackburne: [00:49:03] Yes, it was before the Chinese Exclusion Act. So you'd hope that people kinda learn from these things. And it was just kind of one of the, one of the horrible things that happened on the way to the Chinese Exclusion Act and Chinese immigrants being excluded basically Chinese laborers at least.   Miko Lee: [00:49:23] Oh wow. Okay. I'm looking this up now. And 1882 we know was the Chinese Exclusion Act and this incident actually happened in 1871. Yes. A decade beforehand, Helen Zia always talks about these moments that are missing. MIH missing in history and this is clearly another one of, another time of just wiping out a population.I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit more about how Children's Books can make a difference in the world that we're currently living in, where our government is banning books and you know that there's a narratives that they want to align with a certain kind of conservative ideology. Can you talk about the power of being a Children's Book author in this time that we're living in right now? . I'm really thinking about dreams to Ashes and even I dream of Popo and even Nainai's Mountain, which you would think, oh, they're, you, they're visiting their grandparent, their grandmothers, that would not be controversial. But now when even words like inclusion and diversity are threatened and books are being banned, I'm just wondering if you could. Share a little bit more about your superpower as a children's book author?    Livia Blackburne: [00:50:31] Yeah, that's a fantastic question. We live in a time right now, there's, a lot of hate, a lot of intolerance, a lot of fear of different people groups. And a lot of that I think is because people are unfamiliar with people unlike themselves. They see. People who are different, look differently, act differently, speak differently, and it scares them. And I think the best way to get around that is to actually get to know people of other backgrounds, to see them as human. And I think that's where children's books come in. ‘Cause we don't, children are not born. With this hate of the other. They learn it. But, if they grow up being familiar with people of different backgrounds seeing their stories seeing them as, normal human beings, which, should be obvious, but sometimes it's hard, for adults to realize. Then, I'm hoping, as a children's book author that it will lead to a more empathetic world. And perhaps that's why the government sometimes in certain groups are wanting to, censor this and control the flow of children's books because, children are the most their minds are still open. They're still able to learn.    Miko Lee: [00:51:48] And Livia, tell us what you're working on next.   Livia Blackburne: [00:51:53] So right now I am. Working on a historical middle grade. We haven't quite announced it yet, so I can't say the title or too many details, but it is based on my family history of my parents and grandparents who moved from China to Taiwan after the civil War.   Miko Lee: [00:52:12] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preti Mangala-Shekar, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tanglao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee.   The post APEX Express – 6.19.25 We Are All Connected appeared first on KPFA.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Yolanda Ragland. A leading podiatric surgeon specializing in bunion and hammer toe correction. Here are some key highlights and themes from the conversation:

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Yolanda Ragland. A leading podiatric surgeon specializing in bunion and hammer toe correction. Here are some key highlights and themes from the conversation:

June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Over time the date has grown from a local to a national holiday, a marker of freedom, of family, and of joy and continued struggle that emerged from this cauldron of the war.Don's guest today is Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University and host of Left of Black.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Send us a textIn this heartfelt episode recorded live at the Winthrop Market, Joey Pinz has a powerful conversation with Michael Johnson—one filled with wisdom, culture, and legacy. Michael dives into the Gullah language, recently recognized as a distinct linguistic heritage spoken by over 250,000 people in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Rooted in African and Caribbean traditions, Gullah isn't just a dialect—it's a cultural treasure that's slowly fading without active preservation.Michael shares why Gullah has often been misunderstood or dismissed, and how institutions like the Smithsonian and Harvard are working to document and study it. He also reflects on today's generational divides and expresses deep concern for the future of young African-American males.The episode concludes with personal stories of family, legacy, and love. Michael speaks candidly about what motivates him: his grandchildren and the desire to leave behind more than wealth—something deeply human and irreplaceable.This is more than an interview—it's a tribute to heritage, love, and purpose. ✅ Top 3 Highlights:

This episode is a conversation with Shane Edwards, also known as Wild Dryad—a self-taught botanist, illustrator, and foraging educator. We explore the lost legacy of the pawpaw, America's largest edible indigenous fruit, and how reconnecting with this tropical-flavored wild food is also a path to cultural restoration, land stewardship, and ancestral knowledge. If you've ever wondered what pawpaws taste like, where they grow, or why they vanished from our food system—this is the deep dive you've been waiting for.EPISODE OVERVIEW:What makes pawpaw fruit so unique—and why most people have never heard of itHow Shane started foraging and built his knowledge from backyard weeds to edible landscapesThe cultural importance of pawpaw in Indigenous, African American, and rural traditionsWhy pawpaws disappeared from modern food systems (and how we're bringing them back)Pawpaw identification tips: habitat, leaves, flowers, bark, and fruiting seasonHow to ethically harvest, hand-pollinate, and propagate pawpaw treesThe growing cultural movement to reclaim wild food accessThe risks of overharvesting and why wild tending is crucial for future abundance of wild edible plantsWhat ancestral eating teaches us about ecology, resilience, and food sovereigntyUse code “yearofplenty” (all lower case) for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave a review on Apple or Spotify and send a screenshot to theyearofplenty@gmail.com to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.Watch the Video Episode on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/live/kJtoCvhWNQ0?si=85bZbRQRYpNSmbZhSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53RConnect with Shane:https://www.instagram.com/the_wild_dryad/

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Yolanda Ragland. A leading podiatric surgeon specializing in bunion and hammer toe correction. Here are some key highlights and themes from the conversation:

In this episode, we hear from with award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Ben Arogundade about his latest book, Hollywood Blackout.Drawing on a century of film history, Hollywood Blackout explores how the Academy Awards have both resisted and reflected changing social forces — from the Nazi invasion of Europe to the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, #OscarsSoWhite, and #BlackLivesMatter. Arogundade reveals how external political and cultural shocks shaped who was celebrated at the Oscars and when — and how Hollywood's slow path toward inclusion has been won by generations of under-recognised artists and activists.We discuss the ground breaking victories of Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Will Smith — and how moments of global crisis forced the Academy to evolve. Ben also shares powerful insights into the systemic barriers faced by Black, Asian, Latino, Indigenous, and female creatives throughout Hollywood history. Hollywood Blackout is a richly detailed, deeply researched account of the struggle for recognition in one of the world's most powerful cultural institutions. A must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of race, politics, and cinema.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you effectively lead a team filled with individuals who are different from you? Kevin is joined by Stephanie Chung to discuss what it truly takes to lead with intention in today's diverse workforce. Stephanie's unique leadership model is represented by the acronym ALLY—Ask, Listen, Learn, and You take action. This framework emphasizes the importance of leaders actively engaging with their team members to understand and support them, particularly those who may not share the same background, identity, or experiences. She dives into each component, providing practical advice and candid examples, including a powerful story known as “The Damsel in Distress.” Stephanie also introduces another valuable acronym, EARN—Establish psychological safety, Assure alignment, Rally the troops, and Navigate the narrows, guiding leaders in creating environments where all team members can thrive. Listen For 00:00 Introduction: Leading People Who Are Not Like You 00:35 Welcome and Live Podcast Info 01:17 Sponsor Message: Flexible Leadership 02:12 Guest Introduction: Stephanie Chung 03:09 Stephanie's Leadership Journey 06:29 Why This Book? The Heart Behind Ally Leadership 07:44 Overview of ALLY: Ask, Listen, Learn, Take Action 08:51 The Modern Workforce: Diversity in Every Dimension 10:17 Why the Term "Ally" Matters 11:17 The Damsel in Distress Story 18:44 Ask, Listen, Learn: Leadership in Practice 19:09 The EARN Framework for Earning Ally Status 21:39 Creating Psychologically Safe Teams 24:50 Walk-a-Mile: Building Empathy in Teams 25:11 Leaders Must Demonstrate Allyship 27:10 Stephanie's Self-Care and Cultural Immersion Practices 30:07 What Leaders Can Do to Grow: Simple Actions 30:13 What Stephanie Is Reading Now 31:20 Where to Learn More About Stephanie 32:54 Final Thoughts and Takeaways Stephanie Chung is the author of Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You. She is the first African-American president of a private aviation company. Under her leadership, her sales team consistently exceeded their nearly $1 billion annual quota, and with over 30 years of experience, Stephanie is a powerhouse in driving business growth and success. http://www.stephaniechung.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheStephanieChung/ https://www.facebook.com/TheStephanieChung/ https://www.youtube.com/@thestephaniechung https://www.instagram.com/TheStephanieChung/ This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.  Book Recommendations Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You by Stephanie Chung  Hers for the Taking: Your Path to the C-Suite & Beyond by Tracey Newell NIV, Maxwell Leadership Bible, 3rd Edition, Hardcover, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version by Thomas Nelson (Author), John C. Maxwell  Like this? 10 Truths for Winning in the People Age with Ilya Bonic How to Lead People Who Aren't Like You with Kelly McDonald Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group   Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP  

Jack Dappa Blues Heritage Radio presents:Mojo Workin': Dr. Katrina Hazzard-Donald on Hoodoo, Blues, and the Black Belt TraditionIn this culturally rich and significant episode of Jack Dappa Blues Radio, we welcome renowned folklorist, sociologist, and dance scholar Dr. Katrina Hazzard-Donald for an in-depth discussion on Black Belt Hoodoo, Blues culture, and African American sacred traditions.In this episode, we explore:The African origins and survival of Hoodoo as a metaphysical systemThe jook joint as a sacred space of spirit, resistance, and joyHow Blues music operates as ritual, cosmology, and cultural memoryThe overlap between Dr. Hazzard-Donald's work and the Blues Ecology frameworkDr. Hazzard-Donald is the author of Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System and Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African American Culture. She is a professor emerita at Rutgers University, a Yoruba/Lukumi initiate, and a lifelong cultural worker dedicated to preserving and interpreting Black Southern lifeways.

Upstairs at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, MoPop, right now you can take a trip through the musical genres and artists that trace the arc of Black history in America, from gospel foremothers like Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson, to the soul songs of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. The exhibit is called Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music. Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with curator Adeerya Johnson for a tour of the exhibit. GUEST: Adeerya Johnson, Associate Curator at MoPop RELATED LINK: Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music | Museum of Pop Culture Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special episode of "Listen, St. Louis with Carol Daniel" was filmed in front of a live audience at the Missouri History Museum. In this hour-long reflection on the resilience and strength of African Americans, Carol Daniel sat down with three guests: Cicely Hunter, public historian at @MissouriHistory, on how St. Louis's Black community showed resilience in the face of great adversity even after the troops informed the last enslaved persons in the U.S. of their freedom. Linda Simms, President of the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society, on how more African Americans are doing the research to determine their ancestry beyond slavery. Tandra Taylor, PhD, expert on African American culinary history from @siueweb, on food as a cultural impact for those who came out of slavery. What were your thoughts on this episode? Let us know at ninepbs.org/listenstlouis. 

Charles Burrell, the first African American to join a major U.S. symphony orchestra and a celebrated jazz musician, has died at 104. Known as the “Jackie Robinson of classical music,” Burrell left a legacy of excellence, resilience, and cultural bridge-building. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest news from a leading Black-owned & controlled media company: https://aurn.com/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dr. Bernard Harris, a leader whose extraordinary career trajectory—from physician to NASA astronaut to CEO and venture capitalist—offers rare insights into the inner work of leadership. Dr. Harris is the first African American to walk in space, and the author of Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go of Fear to Find Your Highest Potential. His unique vantage point, shaped by science, space exploration, and C-suite leadership, gives him an extraordinary lens on what really limits potential—not just for individuals, but for teams and entire organizations.This is not a conversation about space missions. It's a candid exploration of the hidden forces that hold even the most accomplished leaders back. Dr. Harris shares how fear, false identity, and overachievement can become barriers disguised as success—and how leaders can finally begin to let go. With disarming honesty, he recounts how constant validation once drove his every move, and how shedding that need was key to unlocking deeper effectiveness and personal alignment.What makes this episode essential for executive listeners is not just the personal story—it's the direct application to business and leadership contexts. Dr. Harris talks about leading teams under pressure, confronting blind spots in senior leadership, and what it really takes to receive feedback at the top. His reflections offer a masterclass in self-awareness and intentional leadership, especially for those navigating high-stakes roles where perception often replaces truth.Whether you're leading a company, serving on a board, or mentoring the next generation of executives, this episode will challenge you to rethink how you define success, strength, and growth. The conversation isn't about doing more—it's about uncovering what's driving your decisions, and whether it's truly aligned with your values and long-term vision.Actionable Takeaways:You'll learn how Dr. Harris overcame fear—not through toughness, but by reframing what failure really means for leaders.Hear how overachievement can be a trap, even when it's applauded—especially for those in senior roles.Discover why most CEOs stop getting meaningful feedback—and what to do to get the truth back on the table.Explore the performance identity leaders develop—and how it can silently limit their ability to lead authentically.Find out what happened when Dr. Harris was told by his team: “You're a micromanager”—and what he did next.Learn why self-awareness is a strategic advantage, not just a personal virtue.Hear Dr. Harris describe how he applies the same mindset that got him into space to running businesses and investing.Explore how internal versus external drivers shape leadership clarity—and how to regain control of your narrative.Understand how success, when unchecked, can become an armor that distances leaders from their teams.Connect with Dr. Bernard HarrisBernard Harris LinkedIn Embracing Infinite Possiblities Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

On 17 June 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof attended a bible group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. As it was ending, the 21-year-old started shooting and killed nine people.Polly Sheppard was one of the survivors. She called 911 whilst hiding from Roof. The shootings at the historic African-American church shocked a nation already too used to gun violence. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at one of the victim's funerals and spontaneously started singing Amazing Grace. Ten years on since that day, Polly now 80, tells her harrowing story to Uma Doraiswamy.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: A memorial outside the Emanuel AME Church. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

You know Toni Morrison the writer, but what about Toni the editor? As she rose in literary fame, Morrison also worked in publishing as a senior editor for Random House, the first black woman to hold such a title in the company. Dana A. Williams, professor of African American literature and dean of the Graduate School at Howard University, discusses her new book about Toni Morrison's career as an editor, Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship, which includes stories about the authors she shaped, and her efforts to change publishing for the better.

In this episode, we're joined by Ryan Alexander Holmes, actor, athlete, and activist, who gets real about what it means to be 100% Chinese, 100% Black, and fully himself in an industry that often tries to simplify identity.We talk about his upbringing with a Chinese mother and Black father, navigating Hollywood as a biracial actor, and how he's using his platform to shift culture and build community. He also shares what he's diving into for his upcoming doctorate at UCLA (every Asian parent's dream), and surprises us with a totally unexpected twist on the classic PB&J that no guest has done before.It's one of our most raw, inspiring, and deep conversations we've had on the podcast. Click here to follow Ryan on IG

Ben and Nathan explore how AI is acing law school exams and what that says about legal education. They unpack Donald Rumsfeld's “unknown unknowns” and how the LSAT helps uncover them. The guys break down what the LSAT curve really means (or doesn't), then offer advice on predatory pre-law jobs. Then they revisit the difference between sufficient and necessary assumptions. Temple University is featured in this week's What's the Deal With… Finally, another contestant in the Personal Statement Gong Show and amanuensis is the word of the week. Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 511 on YouTubeRegister for RC Prediction Fundamentals0:34 – AI is an A+ Law StudentBen and Nathan aren't shocked to hear that AI is pulling A's and B+'s on law school exams at the University of Maryland. The LSAT-style “racehorse” exams are all about spotting issues, which is something AI excels at. It's a reminder that the profession is changing, and lawyers who ignore these tools risk falling behind.Artificial Intelligence is now an A+ law student, study finds9:33 – Unknown UnknownsThe LSAT is the best teacher, and when paired with the explanations that come with every question, you can solve your “unknown unknowns.” When you miss a question, you've both picked the wrong answer and failed to pick the right one. You must understand both mistakes before moving on. The guys note that gimmicky strategies often muddy common-sense logic, turning solvable problems (unknown knowns) into confusing ones.17:46 – LSAT CurveDanielle's question about the LSAT curve leads to a breakdown: it's not a traditional curve, but a scale based on experimental data. LSAC aims for consistent difficulty across tests, and it's not worth stressing over. 26:37 – Predatory Pre-Law JobsA listener's $50k pre-law job in San Francisco turns out to be little more than coffee runs. Nathan warns against sticking with these roles unless there's upside—legal exposure, networking, or skill-building. While there's some value in doing grunt work well, make sure it's leading somewhere.33:10 – Sufficient vs. Necessary AssumptionBen and Nathan clarify the frequent confusion between sufficient and necessary assumptions. Sufficient assumptions prove the conclusion (open question), while necessary assumptions must be true (closed question). Although they can sometimes overlap, applying the same analysis across the two question types will trip students up on harder questions. 49:13 – What's the Deal with Temple Law?Ben and Nate take a look at what ChatGPT provided for this week's What's the Deal with… Pulling data mainly from Temple's website, the information was generally accurate. Temple offers regional value, if you can attend at the right price, as more than 75% of the class pays less than half of the sticker price. LSAT Demon Scholarship EstimatorThe Disparity IndexTemple Law Employment OutcomesChatGPT prompt: What are the five best and worst things about [insert law school]? Be brutally frank, please. Consider not only the quality of the school, but job outcomes and cost. Is it worth the money? Is it fair that some students get scholarships and others don't? 1:21:30 – Personal Statement Gong ShowB sends in their submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show, the show where Ben and Nathan read personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is ten lines, held by Greta.1:26:40 - Word of the Week - AmanuensisReaders of African American autobiography have too readily accepted the presumption of these editors that experiential facts recounted orally could be recorded and sorted by an amanuensis‑editor. Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠ library. 

Episode 151 Doe ID: Anthony Gulley In December, 2001, a pair of men cutting firewood in Canton, Ohio made a gruesome discovery not far off into a field from a county road. They found a skeletonized body with no identification. A medical examination concluded that the body was likely that of a young African-American woman between the ages of 22-31, and about 5”7” tall. Later DNA analysis would prove that the victim was actually Male, and not Female. By that point, valuable time and resources had been spent trying to match the victim to case of missing women. DNA and genealogy would also later reveal that the John Doe was actually, a man named Anthony Bernard Gulley who went missing on September 11, 1994 along with his car from Pontiac, Michigan. His vehicle was found burned out the next day over 200 miles away in Akron, Ohio. Police quickly uncovered a suspect in the disappearance of Anthony Gulley; a man he knew named George Frederick Washington who had an extensive criminal record. Washington died via a self inflicted gunshot wound after a shootout with police in 1994. Washington had reportedly told someone that he had killed Anthony Gulley in a hotel room and then dumped his body in a river. When Gulley's unidentified body was found on land, and not water, (and thought to be the remains of a woman), police didn't connect the discovery to Gulley. Now, Anthony Gulley has his name back, and this is his story.     To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply  visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Youtube - Instagram Find all of our links in one spot at our Linktree:  linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch