Podcasts about Southern United States

Throughout the Southern United States, you'll often find three-pronged leaves with hairy vines swallowing entire sections of forests. It can be a beautiful sight at first glance. But the invasive plant causes persistent ecological problems in the region. We look at the efforts to tackle the ‘vine that ate the south.' The post A Look At An Invasive Vine That's Taken Over The South, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

APEX Express is 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. On this episode, host Miata Tan is joined by guests from the South Asian Coalition, an emergent national network committed to collective liberation and solidarity. Together they explore what it means to build South Asian political power in this moment—and how cross-movement solidarity can shape a more just, multiracial future. Learn more about the South Asian Coalition Website | Instagram | Policy Priorities   The South Asian Coalition was convened in October 2024 by: Manavi, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, Muslims for Just Futures, and Raksha.   Transcript ​[00:00:00]  Miata Tan : Hello and welcome. You are tuning in to APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight, we're focusing on South Asian communities and the organizers working to build political power. South Asians are one of the fastest-growing racial groups in the United States, Over six million people [00:01:00] and roughly a quarter of the Asian American population. South Asian is used as a broad umbrella term for people with roots in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and sometimes Afghanistan. Though exact definitions can vary across communities and organizations. And as we'll talk about tonight, within the South Asian diaspora who call the United States home, you have a mix of nationalities, religion, immigration status, and more. Tonight, I'm joined by four people working to address the issues impacting South Asian communities in the US and beyond. At a time when questions of belonging, safety, and political power continue to shape immigrant communities across the country, South Asian organizers are building new forms of solidarity while also grappling with the diversity and complexity within their own communities. The first voice you'll hear is Sabiha Basrai Sabiha is the daughter of Muslim Gujarati immigrants and has been [00:02:00] organizing with the Bay Area-based Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, since 2009. Here's Sabiha helping us to understand how South Asian political organizing has evolved in the United States, especially in the post 9/11 era Sabiha Basrai: Thanks for the opportunity to do some reflection this year marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which was a real a political flashpoint that absolutely changed my life because I was a 19-year-old college student trying to figure out a lot of things about how the world works and my place in it, and my own identity and the multiple identities I hold. Uh, and also where my responsibilities lied in solidarity, not just with other Muslims who were being targeted, but our broad immigrant diasporas and allies, uh, who have experienced discrimination in different forms from the state. So thinking about the ways in which- organizing happened in the, months and years after 9/11 to support immigrant [00:03:00] rights that was really a time in which new projects formed, um, or existing projects kind of found a new focus. ASATA as an organizing project, as a group of volunteers, has both done things like shown up to support folks being called up for the NCR's Special Registration Program and also participate in direct action protests in solidarity against the war, and has continued to be part of coalitional work regionally in the Bay Area. And, you know, more recently, uh, when we think about the ways in which our communities under, are under increased pressure with the Trump administration's immigrant policies, there have been also opportunities to build more relationships and make sure that as we advocate for our community's rights, we're doing so in formation with others, not just focusing on one particular bad piece of legislation, but connecting that to a larger story, to really build towards liberation for all of us. I'll [00:04:00] just add, too that those relationships that were kind of seeded and invested in in that moment of crisis and anxiety and fear have endured in many ways to now. The fact that that very ecosystem is actually growing in this moment is a testament to the relationships that were built in those days. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai grounding us in the history of South Asian political organizing in the US. As she mentioned, for many South Asians, 9/11 marked a particularly mobilizing moment, one that helped our communities organized and built solidarity. To help us better understand how that moment influenced the evolution of progressive South Asian activism, we now turn to Deepa Iyer, South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. Deepa leads projects on solidarity and social movements at Building Movement Project and brings more than 25 years of experience in Asian American organizing and advocacy Deepa Iyer: I think that I would say that there [00:05:00] were, looking back, a couple of trends and themes that we can pull out from that time. one is that there was definitely a shift in the general consciousness of South Asian communities about our place in American society, our understanding of racism, Islamophobia, and also the role of the state. And so we had a situation where both hate violence and state violence were actually being endured by South Asian, Muslim, Arab communities. And so I think that there was a shift in the ways in which our communities began to think about ourselves in the United States. A second piece is the growth of a field, an ecosystem of South Asian organizations in the wake of the attacks and the global war on terror. So we began to see a lot of groups that were actually formed or becoming more staffed up in the weeks and months after 9/11. For example, the Sikh [00:06:00] Coalition was actually birthed the evening of the attacks, and an organization that I was close to, SALT, was also emerging and forming in the months after 9/11 as well. So we began to see that a, a field was growing. And the third, sort of theme I would point out that Sabihah alluded to is this sense of solidarity, that instead of sort of being siloed as, you know, South Asians working within just our communities and just talking about certain specific issues, there was real sense that we needed to collaborate and build bridges with Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and, Black communities in the United States to understand the trajectory of racism and xenophobia, and how they were all kind of coming together in the weeks after 9/11. Those three themes and trends are what, when I look back, I see coming up over and over again in our messaging and in our advocacy. Miata Tan : [00:07:00] That was Deepa Iyer, as you heard from Deepa, collaboration across movements was essential in helping South Asian communities to understand and respond to the waves of xenophobia in the wake of 9/11. Now we turn to Rajiv Narayan and Farah Mahesri, who lead national policy work at the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA together they launched and now co-lead ASATA's new political base building group, ASATA Power. Rajiv begins by reflecting on what South Asian communities are facing today and what has and hasn't changed since 9/11. Rajiv Narayan: I think unfortunately many of the challenges present in the early 2000s remain today. They take new form. Some have evolved and transformed, but they were ex- existed in, in much the same form following 9/11. One of the, the instances in which I, I learned about that is at the recent South Asian Coalition convening where we did this exercise in mapping a number of [00:08:00] historical and present day events, as well as a future vision of things that are important to our organizations and to our movements. And something that we reflected on together in the convening is that a number of these attacks on our communities have waxed and waned, uh, at different periods in time, dating back to the, the 1960s and truly at, even at the beginning of, you know, the 19th century and the late 18th century. And so, to answer your question specifically, in the early 2000s, like Deepa and Sabihah mentioned, we've dealt with, uh, an incredible expression of Islamophobia of, uh, anti-Brown and anti-Black racism and hate speech. There was a, in, in general a skepticism and unwelcoming of South Asian communities. And unfortunately with the current federal administration and political discourse in our country, uh, a number of those same themes are relevant today and take on similar forms, whether they're in [00:09:00] response to what the federal administration is doing in countries like Iran or previous administrations have done in Afghanistan or Pakistan. I think all of those events underscore all the more so that it's important for our organizations to, organize together, much as we did in the early 2000s, to address these harms, to remember what they look like at previous stages of history, and to fight to prevent them again from happening in the future. Miata Tan : Farah, perhaps you could speak a bit to the organizing. What did that look like, a few years ago, and what does that look like today? How has that changed? Farah Mahersi: Rajiv and I started ASATA Power a couple of years ago specifically to be able to look forward to practice radical imagination, and fight for not just protection of our communities, which we will always do. That is built into our DNAs. It's what we know. It's how we move. And also to fight for things that we want, to build the world that we want to live in so that we're not constantly caught in these cycles. And as we're doing [00:10:00] that, we are learning a lot about how organizing is happening today, the BLM movement, Black Lives Matter, and incredible street power, but also that movement's ability to change our national discourse and change what is baseline, what we should be demanding, and how we are visioning a future that is built on policies governance and hard material changes in our lives is profound. beyond that, also the Palestine solidarity movement over the last couple of years has rewritten every book about organizing. And so I think that it is an interesting moment of both a little bit of sadness, to be honest, that we are still fighting some of these same fights and we are still in some of these same dynamics that we have been for 25 years, and the profound opportunity that we have to build power and to look forward, and I think that is, more true in the Bay Area than it is almost everywhere else. Uh, because of what our workforce looks like, because of the sheer [00:11:00] amount of wealth that is accumulated in this little corner of our world, and also when you look around at the political power and people who hold political power or are running for political power and elected office around the Bay Area, you could really start to see not just how South Asians are increasingly politicized and increasingly looking to build electoral and political power, but also s- very specifically progressive political power. And so when you look to Congress now, The progressive caucus is full of South Asian progressives who are leading the charge, who are doing some of this critical work, that's part of our organizing strategy, is to be part of those conversations and to continue to push and to continue to, again, advocate for policies and changes at that big level to make the future we want possible. Miata Tan : I love that. Coming together to dream and really fight. Rajiv, you are leading this work at the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action. Can you speak more to why the Bay Area [00:12:00] is a, like, a distinct microcosm in this progressive South Asian movement? Rajiv Narayan: Of course. So Farah and I, we both work together at ASATA Power, and ASATA is sort of political power building project within the auspices of, uh, ASATA which has been operating in the Bay Area for more than 25 years now. I think what makes the Bay Area a microcosm of the South Asian diaspora is a tremendous amount of diversity and, uh, a set of interrelated intersectional challenges. So you have, uh, folks of South Asian descent with all different immigration histories. So I'm, for example, a person, um, who has birthright citizenship in the United States as I was born here. But there are folks who immigrated here, like my parents and had to attain their citizenship uh, through the, the US legal system, and folks beyond that who are refugees or asylees or are undocumented due to a variety of political and social and economic pressures. And so we all coexist in this same space across an economic gradient. So there are folks [00:13:00] who are very well compensated in the tech sectors and healthcare sectors sometimes, uh, characterized, uh, as part of a, a model minority myth, um, as representatives of the South Asian diaspora, um, within the San Francisco Bay Area and the United States broadly. And then there are whole variety of South Asians who are working in less well-compensated, often quite exploited industries. For example, in, care industries as people who are providing childcare or senior care services, people who are working in the restaurant industry folks who are lesser compensated within healthcare as well as in tech industries and other ways. Of course, those economic positions interact with the political and legal system. So for example, even if a person might be, um, well-compensated in a tech job in the Bay Area, um, which they attained by way of an H-1B visa that person might be subject to exploitative labor conditions based on the, uh, the legal configuration of how H-1B [00:14:00] visas are treated. For example, that you depend on your employer for your immigration status in this country, which changes the worker-employer relationship in a way that makes it very difficult to identify workplace abuses. beyond that, we also have a diverse range of South Asians across the age gradient. So we have folks who are quite young, who are in Gen Z, and are entering politics in a completely different way than somebody like myself or Deepa entered politics at, in earlier in, in our lives and experience it today, which provides an opportunity for us to learn from earlier generations and to also share lessons from our political experience. So like with many things, the Bay Area has it all, the good and the bad, and ASATA and ASATA Power work within that, that space to identify opportunities for solidarity. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan and Farah Mehestri. Through their work with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, Rajiv and Farah are helping to build South Asian political power here in the Bay Area and [00:15:00] nationwide. The ASATA team and all four of our guests tonight are connected through the South Asian Coalition, a network of local and national organizations focused on advancing policy issues affecting South Asian communities and building shared spaces for strategy and collaboration. To better understand this evolving movement of progressive South Asian action, let's return to Deepa Iyer, who shares how and why this coalition came together Deepa Iyer: Yeah. I really appreciate Rajiv bringing up, um, how- what is happening in the Bay Area is part of a larger movement. And what I would say about this ecosystem, this field that I talked about earlier, and I've been able to understand this through the course of the work I've done, but also a book I've written about post 9/11 America, is that so much happens on the coasts, and we often forget that there are organizations and are communities that are really [00:16:00] growing in other parts of the country, right? You know, I grew up in Kentucky, um, and there are places like Kentucky and Indiana where you are seeing, um, more South Asians settle and build their lives there. So one of the things that I think has been important in thinking about as we come up on this 25th anniversary of 9/11 is how our coalition of South Asian groups, how that field has grown with these additional organizations, in geographic areas that are different, as well as the ways in which folks are organizing. So now we've got, for example, groups that are working with Bhutanese refugees or Nepali-speaking community members, or groups that are organizing around the exploitation of community members based on caste. These are, um, really important movement interventions and organizations that are growing. one of the key aspects of network infrastructure is the ability to connect with each other, [00:17:00] not to flatten our experiences and say we're all the same, but to actually find some threads of commonality in our shared struggle and our experiences, and to also know that together as collectives, as Farah mentioned earlier, we can actually build the futures that we wanna see. One of the really, I think, inspiring pieces of coalition building that I've been fortunate to work with and support along with, um, everyone here is the South Asian Coalition, which is this emergent network of now 35 organizations around the country, and this coalition really seeks to build relationships and strengthen relationships, engage in peer learning and skills building, make it clear that there are certain policy issues that we need to uplift and to advocate around, and to create opportunities and pathways for solidarity with larger movements. This coalition and the infrastructure that it's been [00:18:00] creating is a way for us to look at our ecosystem of South Asian organizing in this moment, and to really see what happens when we galvanize our power collectively. Miata Tan : and Deepa, can you share a bit about the various co-conveners that make up the South Asian Coalition?  Deepa Iyer: So the South Asian Coalition, um, as we've mentioned, is this emergent network of groups that address various issues but are aligned around shared values. And the groups that really came together to co-convene it include Asad the Power, as well as Muslims for Just Futures, Raksha, which is an organization in the South, and Manavi, which is based in New Jersey. And these four organizations really had the vision to set up the structure for the coalition. the organization where I work at, Building Movement Project, supports the coalition through infrastructure, so providing facilitation, providing resources, policy analysis, and creating the container to support [00:19:00] movements in that way, which is so critical for coalitions. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer a South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. after the break, we'll hear more from organizers and advocates working to address issues shaping South Asian communities today. Stay with us  [00:20:00] [00:21:00] that was “Phenom” by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. You are tuned into [00:22:00] APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miada Tan. Tonight, I'm joined by four people who are working to address the issues impacting South Asian communities in the US and beyond. Back in March, organizers, advocates, and community leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, for a national convening focused on the challenges and possibilities facing South Asian communities today. Here's Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA. She speaks about how this coalition of progressive South Asian groups formed and why this moment called for it. Sabiha Basrai: So this new emergent South Asian Coalition had its first convening in Washington, DC in March, and this was, the culmination of, a little over a year of monthly Zoom calls which started because [00:23:00] we knew we were on the verge of a Trump re-election. Uh, we knew that there was this ecosystem of South Asian activism and organizing across the country. Some of us knew each other from previous collaborations, but some of us didn't. New organizations were forming, and there was this recognition that we need each other in order to face what's coming, and we are stronger together. And we know that being South Asian is not a monolith, uh, that we deal with within our own communities based on labor exploitation, caste discrimination, anti-Muslim violence. And when we talk to each other, when we connect, we give ourselves the best chance at being able to move through those pieces of pain and build towards a future where we can all feel a sense of belonging, feel represented, and an agency in shaping that future together. So what started with a few conversations with a few folks, grew steadily [00:24:00] and, um, and through some intentional work to, to kind of invite each other in, which is of course an ongoing process, we were able to unite under this umbrella called the South Asian Coalition. Uh, we committed to some shared political points of unity and kind of community agreements to really set some expectations with one another on how we could move well in formation. And, made sure we had pathways to share information with each other so that someone like me working in Oakland could understand what, uh, someone working in Texas or in Georgia was facing, what local policy positions they were needing to, to navigate. And, uh, we could give each other advice, give each other moral support, and also sharpen our political understandings. So, uh, these kind of, uh, regular check-ins was one way of just understanding what we were all facing and feeling connected. But, actually being together in person was remarkable. I cannot overstate how much of a difference it makes to be able to share [00:25:00] space and see each other as whole people and not just representatives of a particular organization or a particular issue area, and, have those in-between moments where we actually build, build some friendships. One of the things that was also really important for me to understand when we met together was just how important that intergenerational work is. we had folks in the room who were, in their 50s and 60s who had been doing this work for decades. And we had folks in the room who were in their 20s for whom 9/11 was, something that happened in history. The conversations that were happening across generations informed the way that we think about ourselves as a coalition and helped me also to let go of some of the constraints that, kept my imagination small about what we were capable of. I was really grateful that so many people attended and chose to prioritize that work. It's hard, you know, to take a pause from The daily work to leave, fly to [00:26:00] DC take those risks as well because for many of us, uh, going through TSA is no small thing. There's a lot of harassment and racism that still permeate, you know, these institutions. So not to minimize just the effort that ta- it takes to convene and really make the most of our time together. One of the things that we did while we were in DC together was hold a congressional briefing to really, uh, amplify and share the issues that were coming up for our communities that folks were already working very hard on. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA. Now let's return to Rajiv Narayan, another member of the ASATA team and co-lead of their political action group, ASATA Power. Rajiv will take you inside the congressional briefing that Sabiha mentioned and how South Asian organizers from across the country shared the issues shaping their communities and what support is needed now Rajiv Narayan: We in ASATA Power worked in [00:27:00] collaboration with a number of the organizations in the South Asian coalition, to put together a congressional briefing on the issue of South Asians and immigration in the heart of Washington, DC, in the halls of Congress in Capitol Hill. And we were fortunate to do so in collaboration with Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Grace Meng. we had a number of, speakers representing, different perspectives and political struggles within the South Asian, uh, space in the United States, especially as it relates to immigration. So, for example, we had representatives from the Dalit Solidarity Forum talking about the plight of oppressed workers, caste-oppressed workers, in New Jersey working in a Hindu temple.  ​ Dr Roja Sunganthy-Singh – Dalit: I stand here as a Dalit, formerly known as an untouchable in India's caste system, speaking for over two hundred skilled Dalit artisans who were brought to the US from India to build the largest Hindu temple in New Jersey. In their words, ” We are the Indian stone workers of America, workers [00:28:00] rescued by the FBI in twenty twenty-one from forced labor conditions constructing the BAPS temple in New Jersey. we were brought to the US on R one visas and compelled to perform construction labor for over eighty-seven hours a week and paid just a dollar twenty an hour. Rajiv Narayan: We heard from, um, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition talking about Sikh truck drivers and religious workers and their experience under the federal regime's, uh, rule-making efforts. Harman Singh – Sikh Coalition: Uh, Punjabi Sikhs began entering the US trucking industry in large numbers during the nineteen eighties, and Sikh truck drivers and business owners have played a critical role in addressing driver shortages over the past several years. Unfortunately, Sikhs in this critical industry have become the subject of harmful rhetoric and policy from this current administration. These drivers are being excluded solely because of their specific immigration status and regardless of their driving histories, skills, knowledge, or English proficiency.  Rajiv Narayan: We heard from, the executive director of Asian Refugees United, who [00:29:00] spoke about the experience of Bhutanese refugees who have been rendered stateless by the current administration's, deportation efforts Robin Gurung – ARU: Because of the ethnic cleansing campaign of Bhutan government, more than hundred thousand Bhutanese citizens were forced to flee the country. For twenty years, I lived in a refugee camp in Nepal. In 2008, the government of this country came to rescue us. We were promised safety and security. But last year, that promise was broken. As of March 2025, over seventy of our community members are deported to Bhutan, the same country that persecuted us and made us refugees. These community members are kidnapped from their homes and jobs. They have been taken from their routine ICE check-ins. We know due process was not followed. Rajiv Narayan: We also heard from the executive director of Raksha, a domestic violence organization based in the Southern United States that has played an instrumental role in supporting South Asians who have been the victims [00:30:00] and who are now survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, about the needs for supporting these kinds of organizations, with federal dollars and through the grant-making systems conditions. Aparna Bhattacharyya – Raksha: For thirty years, we have supported community members in navigating interpersonal violence, but also waves of racism and policy backlash.  South Asian and Indo-Caribbean survivors need safe places to turn, safe places that speak their language, understand their unique immigration and cultural needs. Raksha recently had $700,000 in OVC grants terminated by DOGE. additionally, we are still waiting for OVW sexual assault cultural funds for five months, where we have gotten no determination of whether we're getting that funding or not. Five months. Rajiv Narayan: We also heard from, the director of the South Asian American Justice Collaborative, which is currently, before the US Supreme Court in the birthright citizenship case, and [00:31:00] filed this foundational amicus brief detailing the story of South Asians in the United States going back to the 1600s. Klapana Peddibhotla – SAAJCO: Our brief pushes back against this notion that we are forever foreign.  South Asians actually arrived on these shores in the sixteen hundreds, and by the seventeen hundreds, South Asians were already asserting their rights here. In an Afghan immigrant actually fought in the Civil War in the Union Army. by the late nineteenth century, the largest farming group in Central California was formed by Punjabis. Today, South Asians are one of the largest immigrant populations in the US, but many families are caught in immigration backlogs that last for decades and make them vulnerable to the President's executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Rajiv Narayan: Across all of these speakers, you know, the, the, the message became very clear that we have so many different struggles, but they're all [00:32:00] united by a sense of solidarity for each other's political experiences under the same system of exploitation and oppression, and that there, there's so much that Congress can do in this moment to support the South Asian diaspora in the United States and, and even abroad in some cases. for ASATA Power's part, we, had the opportunity to put together over the course of the last year a policy brief on undocumented South Asians, and it was during the congressional briefing that we shared some pretty startling statistics that we, collected and collated from a number of public sources. And so what we were able to identify for the room is that there are about eight hundred thousand to nine hundred thousand undocumented South Asians in the United States, and because there are only six point five million South Asians in the US, both those who are undocumented and those who have birthright citizenship or are otherwise naturalized, refugees, asylees, and, and everyone in between. Of those six point five million South Asians One in eight of [00:33:00] them is undocumented, which is shocking and not something that somebody would understand at the outset given these problematic narratives like the model minority myth and whatever you see these days on X or Twitter about South Asian immigrants. So it's important for us not only to, to set the narrative straight and to identify both the diversity and opportunity for solidarity across our struggles, but to do so in the halls of power and to speak that truth to power directly. Miata Tan : That's Rajiv with ASATA Power reflecting on a recent congressional briefing in Washington, DC he helped to organize alongside other progressive South Asian leaders, organizers, and activists. Here's a snippet of Rajiv's opening remarks at the briefing Rajiv Narayan: I want to draw your attention to the slide behind me, they'll show a couple of images of South Asian community members who've been impacted recently by the horrific policies and practices of the federal administration. These members include Sheraz Fatehali Sachwani, a forty-eight-year-old citizen of Pakistan who died in ICE [00:34:00] detention last December. They include seventy-three-year-old Harjit Kaur, who was arrested during a routine ICE check-in, separated from her family, and deported to India without notice. I should say, I grew up seeing Harjit Kaur behind the counter at Sari Palace in Berkeley. She would help my mom try on saris. Her home was here. Her community was here. You know, these are just some of the names and stories of community members who have been affected by immigration policy as of late, and we hope that you will keep them in mind as you hear from our speakers today. There are many more we were not able to picture or name, but their stories are just as important. We'll be making many asks over the course of today's briefing. Some of those include the following: Congress should not increase funding for ICE or Border Patrol, including providing funds for detention facilities, especially in this funding moment. We have to remember that ICE is not a long-standing American institution. It was created in two thousand and two, recently, as part of the Homeland Security Act following nine [00:35:00] eleven. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan with ASATA Power speaking at a recent congressional briefing in Washington, DC. The briefing was part of a larger national convening organized by the South Asian Coalition, bringing together progressive South Asian groups from across the country. Now let's return to Deepa Iyer, who leads projects on solidarity and social movements at Building Movement Project here's Deepa reflecting on her takeaways from the congressional briefing Deepa Iyer: I think that there were so many pieces in that briefing that maybe people didn't know about that organizations are struggling with, and part of it is that, um, our communities, and Sabihah said this earlier, are not a monolith, right? And there are so many different ways in which we are experiencing what is happening right now in the United States, the fractures and the fissures that we're seeing. Rajiv spoke so well about the community needs and issues. One thing I'll lift up is actually the impact on nonprofit [00:36:00] organizations. Several of the groups that were, uh, speaking at the briefing noted how the attacks on nonprofits that are specifically working on issues like immigration in terms of losing federal funding and grants, being forced to certify that they are not addressing issues work that deal with undocumented immigrants, as well as the ways in which, um, nonprofit organizations are being, in some ways, seen as doing risky and un-American work. there is the, the exploitation of domestic terrorism as a frame that is being used right now to target certain nonprofit organizations. This is something that I think is not necessarily known to many people in terms of the ways in which national security, immigration issues are also affecting the nonprofit sector as a whole. And where I work at the Building Movement Project, we really look at the nonprofit sector and the health of the nonprofit sector, and we're [00:37:00] seeing that these types of external threats, the spotlight on organizations that are on the front lines, including South Asian groups, um, Muslim groups, Palestinian groups, that are working with, um, immigrant communities, queer and trans community members that are providing- Vital language access, service provision, community safety are really under threat right now, and this includes many of the organizations that were present at the, coalition's convening. So that's something that I also wanna lift up, that in addition to our communities who are facing the impact of the current moment in really acute ways, our nonprofit sector and our organizations are also dealing with a range of constraints and threats and difficulties. So that is one thing that came up over and over again. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer with the Building Movement Project, highlighting the pressures facing the nonprofit sector right now, [00:38:00] especially as it relates to South Asian organizers, advocates, and communities. Let's return to Farah Mahesri with ASATA Pawa.  Farah Mahersi: One of the other things that I am very proud of for this congressional briefing that we did was that it was us telling our own stories and us presenting our own policy recommendations. There was no need to have, like, an expert come in and talk on behalf of our communities or try to represent our communities. We were the experts in the room, and we were really recognized and seen as that. As Rajiv mentioned, you know, there, the room was packed with Hill staffers and congressional staffers who were taking diligent notes as we spoke our truths Miata Tan : That was Farah Mahesri with ASATA Pawa reflecting on the recent congressional briefing she helped to organize, one that brought greater visibility to the experiences of South Asian immigrants. You'll hear more on how South Asian activists, organizers, and community groups [00:39:00] are mobilizing after this. Stay with us ​ Miata Tan : [00:40:00] [00:41:00] [00:42:00] That was Lion on the Hunt by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. You are tuned into APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight, we're talking about South Asian organizing in the United States and how community leaders are responding to immigration challenges, political representation, and the shifting landscape of civil rights back in March, organizers and advocates from across the country gathered in Washington, DC for a national convening focused on the challenges and possibilities facing South Asian communities today. Here's Rajiv Narayan with the Alliance of [00:43:00] South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, reflecting on the importance of honoring both the diversity of the South Asian diaspora and the shared struggle that connects these communities Rajiv Narayan: Something I appreciate about, your work, Miata, at APEX Express, is to highlight both that diversity of the South Asian diaspora and the many struggles and experiences that unite our political experiences and our commitment to social justice. It, it used to be, and in, in some places it still is the case, that folks will use an over-broad group to represent all of the South Asian diaspora. For example, talking about all Brown people as Indian or Desi or to, to collapse all the differences in our community. And part of the power of the congressional briefing is that we are able to show that what it means to be South Asian is at once an incredibly diverse expression and at the same time a collective expression of solidarity. We can do two of these things at the same time. We can recognize our differences and fight for each other. One of my [00:44:00] favorite takeaways that I, I heard from Deepa at the briefing is that there are some staffers that came up to her and said, “I've never heard my story, my experience, my political struggles represented in a panel in this building in front of other congressional staffers.” And that's something that we can do, and we should do more of. There are so many ways in which we can tell the stories and highlight the campaigns of folks from different parts of the South Asian diaspora who are all fighting for a better life for all of us. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan with ASATA, in the recent congressional briefing that Rajiv helped to organize through the South Asian Coalition, organizers also pointed toward the future of South Asian organizing in the United States and the role of a new generation shaping it. back to Deepa Iyer with Building Movement Project. Here, Deepa Iyer: Some of the young folks that are entering or working at nonprofits now, supporting South Asian nonprofits don't have a living memory of 9/11 and the global war on terror, [00:45:00] and they have been politicized in different ways, right, over the last eight years, for example, the pandemic global wars, et cetera. And so there are a couple of ways in which I've been thinking about how we can support South Asian young people. so for example, how can we share historical analysis and political analysis so that young people understand that they are part of a trajectory of South Asian activism that actually started well before 9/11, before the 1960s, right, and that continues to today, so they don't feel fragmented. So that's something I've been sitting with a lot. Another is around pathways into public service and community service and into the nonprofit sector. So how could we support young people in terms of building their skills, in having pathways open to them into our nonprofit organizations? And then finally, how do we support them, um, so that they, can do this work for the long run? You know, we all struggle with burnout, we all [00:46:00] struggle with sustainability. what are some lessons learned that we can pass on? What are some best practices? that's something that's been sitting with me quite a bit since the gathering that we had, and I hope that the coalition will really think about, supporting young people's leadership and finding different avenues and pathways to do that. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer reflecting on how movements can better support the next generation of South Asian organizers. Within the South Asian coalition, that work also means building long-term infrastructure for better collaboration. Now back to Sabiha Basrai with ASATA. Sabiha Basrai: I'm also really appreciating that the South Asian Coalition is this model for creating a container for many, many organizations to unite as a group while maintaining regional focus and individual issue priorities. I also wanna name that the place where I first learned how to do national coalition work was as a member of the National South Asian Coalition that ASATA had been part of. [00:47:00] It was facilitated by a group called SALT which played such a critical role in the post 9/11 era and continued to then work on DACA, creating resources for undocumented South Asians, along with other issues facing our diverse diasporas. And SALT closed a few years ago. It was a decision that I don't understand and was- has really left me with a lot of sadness and confusion. but I al- I know that sometimes institutions do end, but that the work does not end and the relationships do not end. And the South Asian Coalition is this emergent space that, um, is not led by any one organization. it is a space that is being invested in collectively, and we're really moving at the speed of trust so that we can be really laying that strong foundation that supports the work ahead. I'm really sitting with the ways in which sometimes this labor of Building the container, creating the container, [00:48:00] investing in the network. It's sometimes invisible labor, but it is the most critical because without it we can have moments of mass mobilization, but then that wasn't actually building any power over the long term. And I'm really looking forward to all of the very good work ahead, because I trust the relationships and the containers that we're building. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha reflecting on the collaborative infrastructure that the South Asian Coalition is helping to build. Now let's return to Deepa Iyer. I asked Deepa what campaigns are on the horizon for the coalition, especially as this year marks 25 years since 9/11. Deepa Iyer: As Sabiha mentioned, the coalition is a space for invested leadership, and so there are lots of different campaigns that groups within the coalition are eyeing and taking on. One of them Rajiv mentioned already is the fight around birthright citizenship. And so there are groups like SACHCO and others that showed up with a South Asian [00:49:00] delegation at the Supreme Court on April 1st when that case was being heard, and it was really great to see so many South Asians out there in a delegation along with other communities, to raise their voices on this really vital, pivotal issue. And so that is a campaign that some of the groups within the coalition are going to continue to be lifting up as we get the results of that case and moving forward. Another one that you mentioned, is around the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and there are groups that are considering, along with others in other movement spaces what does narrative strategy look like as we go into this time period? How do we think about the fact that we're marking the 25th anniversary in the same year that we're marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, right? how do we use 9/11 and its anniversary as a lens through which we understand empire, through which we understand the ways in which domestic [00:50:00] policies are being recirculated against other communities? And also this piece around awareness and education. this is an opportunity to share some of the personal experiences that many of us have around that moment in time, but also the ways in which our communities have built up themselves as well as the solidarity with other communities. So I think there are lots of ways in which organizations are thinking about that anniversary and how they can, utilize that moment, to draw greater attention to our community's experiences. Miata Tan : Rajiv, Farah, would you like to add anything about upcoming campaigns and how you're thinking about the South Asian political power movement moving forwards?  Rajiv Narayan: Yeah, I'm happy to talk about one sort of continuing campaign, which is that, like I mentioned, we put together this policy brief on undocumented South Asians, and we had this great opportunity to circulate and talk about it on Capitol Hill in DC. But it's also important for us to bring that story home. And so part of [00:51:00] what we'll be doing, um, for the remainder of, of this year is identifying opportunities to do town halls both, with community members and potentially with elected officials to help educate, do political education about the nature of undocumented peoples in the South Asian community. A large part of what we did in that policy brief is to collate all these numbers to tell you, how many folks might be undocumented, what is the proportion of undocumented people in the South Asian community. But an important, equally important contribution of that report is the nature of undocumented experiences. Why do people become undocumented? What are the factors that put them in that position, and what does it mean for a person to become undocumented? How can we support them, not just in different policy prescriptions, but also the ways that we talk about undocumented people and the South Asian community as a whole? So that'll, that'll be, um, a focus that we have, uh, and a contribution that we hope to make both in the, the Bay Area and beyond.  Farah Mahersi: I'll add to that, that it is election year. It is [00:52:00] a… I feel like we say every election is a critical election, and I do believe that that is very true this year. And so ASATA Power, as a political organization, will be making endorsements and talking through not just that it is important to vote, but it is really important and critical for us in this moment to vote for progressive candidates who are part of our, what is often called like a build coalition, who are here to help us build this world that we are dreaming of, who are aligned on policy positions. The other thing that we are working on locally and nationally is around the war budget. So as a group that has been so directly impacted by the global war on terror 4.5 million Muslims around the world who have been killed by US war-making in that global war on terror, and just watching kind of what the United States foreign policy in particular over the last couple of years has been, we have a particular point of view and a particular interest on tracking and watching things like the [00:53:00] largest, request for a defense budget in US history. How are those dollars being spent, And how those dollars that are being spent abroad to do war-making are also having a boomerang effect and coming back to impact our communities at home. So the same technologies that were developed and used in war-making through the global war on terror that impacted, uh, so many of our communities around the world for 25 years, a lot of that is the same technology that ICE is now using to go after undocumented South Asians in the United States, right? And so that's another way in which we really see our struggles are interconnected, and that we are wanting to dismantle als- a lot of these systems of harm, and also, again, at that intersection between both hate violence and state oppression that's happening. Miata Tan : That was Farah Mahestri with ASATA and ASATA Power. As she shared, ASATA Power is focused on the midterm elections and how war spending and post 9/11 policies continue to affect South Asian communities today. [00:54:00] To close out, we return to another ASATA organizer, Sabiha Basrai. Sabiha Basrai: So I wanted to bring the conversation back locally to the Bay Area again, and just thinking about, the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, which is, part of a network of AAPI and Asian organizing in the Bay Area as a space where South Asians progressive South Asians can actually build community, sharpen our political analysis, embrace our responsibilities here in the Bay Area in this political moment. And just also, lifting up that ASATA currently is working on things like the Oakland Arms Embargo or local community defense against ICE , environmental justice projects, and also looking for more ways to fight supremacist ideologies of Hindutva but in collaboration with anti-Zionist Jewish community activists. these are opportunities that we have here in the Bay Area. And also thinking about ways that we participate in mobilizations. Like, we show up for Reclaim MLK Day, [00:55:00] International Working Women's Day, May Day, the Trans March every year because we understand our responsibility to show up and to show up consistently. And so when I think about the South Asian Coalition and this moment of, okay, we've been trying to- we've built- been building towards this convening and this congressional briefing, and now we're on the other side of this moment, and we are kind of reflecting and coming back together around how we maintain this energy. Also wanted to highlight,  Some of the amazing work that many of our coalition members are, are already doing. One is Savaira, so Savaira United Against Supremacy is actually a coalition of work as well, they focused, their energy on addressing Hindu nationalism and and Hindutva ideology and the, and the many ways in which, the supremacist ideology is kind of insidiously part of institutions, policy even cultural work, uh, within our diaspora. they're so committed to both, like, [00:56:00] resisting the tides of hatred but also combating all forms of supremacist politics and the intersections between them. so their, their work has been a big part of my political education, and I'm really glad that they're part of this coalition. Every member of the coalition is bringing analysis and experience that cross-pollinates to the rest of us. So I'm looking forward to just more of that   also considering what ASATA's role is and how ASATA working in the Bay Area alongside so many other amazing organizing projects here can be strengthening those relationships nationally. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA.  This is APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. APEX Express airs every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. And with that, we're at the end of our time here [00:57:00] tonight. We really appreciate you for tuning in to listen, and a huge thank you to our wonderful guests. For a transcript of tonight's episode, please visit our website. That's kpfa.org/program/apex-express  We've also added links on the episode page for tonight's show so you can learn more about the South Asian Coalition, ASATA, and all of the organizations we've talked about tonight, along with their upcoming campaigns as well. APEX Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me, Miata Tan. Get some rest y'all. The post APEX Express – 5.28.26 – Building South Asian Power appeared first on KPFA.

For decades now, scientists have been raising the alarm about climate change, and urging those in power to move towards the adoption of greener, more renewable sources of energy production. These calls have often been met with fierce resistance from the political right in the United States, with republican president Donald Trump repeatedly describing climate change as a hoax and reversing efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. At the same time, however, the sun-drenched regions of the Southern United States have immense potential for solar power. Many states in this region are now switching to renewable energy sources for simple economic reasons, despite being Republican strongholds. Producer Toby spoke to chemistry expert Dr. Ralph Cooney about this growing trend.

Blog by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear Amidst the many assorted descriptions of UFO-related entities, silver-suited humanoids, sometimes with antennas, show up in many reports. They are described repeatedly in the 1976 Center for UFO Studies publication by David Webb, 1973 – Year of the Humanoids, and there were several reports during the 1977 flap in what has been called “The Welsh Triangle” that we wrote about recently. In this week's blog, we'll look at a couple of cases from the Southern United States, the second of which became quite well-known.In the January 4, 1981, issue of The Robesonian out of Lumberton, North Carolina, there is an article (page 7 of the pdf) by Tim Lewis headlined “Shining Silver Man Stalks Forest Acres Area.”  According to Lewis, the previous Tuesday at around 10 p.m., a couple had just exited Barker Ten Mile Road when they saw a round flashing light near the turnoff at Bee Gee and McLeod. As they got closer, they were able to determine that the light was located in a vacant wooded lot. Read more →CONTACT AND SUPPORT

Ducks Unlimited's work in the Southern United States is complex, diverse, and more critical than ever.In this episode, host Dr. Mike Brasher continues the regional conservation series with Jerry Holden, Senior Director of Operations for Ducks Unlimited's Southern Region. Jerry oversees DU's conservation delivery across the southern portions of the Mississippi, Central, and Atlantic Flyways, managing one of the organization's largest and most diverse conservation portfolios.The conversation spans from duck hunting conditions and flyway dynamics to large‑scale engineering, coastal resilience, private‑lands conservation, and some of the most significant land protection efforts in DU's history.In this episode, listeners will hear about:The 2025–26 waterfowl season across the Southern Region and why outcomes varied so widely“Spatial discontinuity” and how migratory birds create winners and losers each seasonThe scope and purpose of DU's Southern Region field offices across the Gulf Coast and MAVWhy engineering is central to DU's coastal resilience work in Texas, Louisiana, and the Atlantic CoastHow Ducks Unlimited partners with NRC​S to implement Farm Bill conservation programsClearing up misconceptions about DU's work on private landThe growing role of conservation easements and permanent land protectionA historic donated conservation easement in coastal South CarolinaDU's leadership role in restoring Arkansas's greentree reservoir systemsBalancing public expectations with long‑term forest and wetland sustainabilityWhy DU continues expanding the public land base across the Southern landscapeThis episode offers an inside look at how DU delivers conservation at scale—often in places where water, land use, and wildlife interests intersect most intensely—and why that work matters now more than ever.SPONSORS:Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:Whether you're winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Dainis Kruze and Janis Putrams, co-founders of Aerones, welcome Allen to their new Denton, Texas facility to discuss robotic spray-coat LEP repairs, third-generation internal blade crawlers, and their US-made inspection drone that eliminates Chinese components. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Welcome to Uptime Spotlight, shining light on Wind. Energy’s brightest innovators. This is the Progress Powering Tomorrow. Allen Hall: Dainis and Janis, welcome back to the program.  Dainis Kruze: Thank you, Alan, for visiting us, uh, in, in our new facility.  Allen Hall: Yeah. Is a great new facility. We’re in Denton, Texas, which is just north of Dallas. Uh, and you move from. Lake Dallas area. Mm-hmm. And we had visited that facility a year or so ago. This new facility is amazing. It’s what, probably four times the size. Yeah. Maybe a little bit bigger. And it is, uh, indicative of the growing business that Aeros has in the United States. And that’s wonderful. Uh, and I’m glad I could catch you in Texas ’cause I know you, you guys are running around the world all the time. Uh, I think the last time I was at. A facility with both of you was over in Riga?  Dainis Kruze: Yes.  Allen Hall: Uh, probably two years ago now. Oh,  Dainis Kruze: yeah.  Allen Hall: So I saw the Riga operation and, and now we’re seeing [00:01:00]the, the Denton US operation. You have facilities in other places too, right?  Dainis Kruze: A small one in Australia, but, but yeah, the main facilities in Riga and the second biggest one here in, in Dallas. Allen Hall: A lot of technology changes since Rose Riga. Uh. Leading edge being the big one, leading edge protection materials. And when I talk to US operators, even operators in Australia, we’re just there. They love the idea and the application of a robot for leading edge repairs.  Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah,  Allen Hall: it makes total sense. It’s one of those areas that, uh, Rons has shown you can do this with a robot much more consistently. Has that business grown quite a bit since you first started it?  Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. We did more than 500 turbines last year, so we. The plan for this season is about one and a half thousand turbines, so it is growing quite a lot.  Allen Hall: So the, the speed and the quantity of robots here in the United States is must have grown considerably. Dainis Kruze: Oh, yeah. Uh, one team now gets [00:02:00] up to 15 turbines a month. So if it’s category one or two turbine, uh, leading edge, uh, erosion, it’s about one day to do one turbine category three. Uh, one turbine is being done in two days, and we are talking about like 12 meter repair. It’s not a spot repair, it’s a full repair, like  Allen Hall: full repair. Okay.  Dainis Kruze: Yeah.  Allen Hall: And the robot technology and the, the amount of technology on the robot is behind us has grown quite a bit. Uh oh. Yeah. You’re learning as you’re going. Obviously. I looked at a number of robots in at the Denton facility. Smarter robots. More data, more consistency. Particularly because the leading edge protection materials require a lot more care than rope technicians can generally create on site. Right. Walk us through what this robot is doing, why it’s doing what it’s doing, and, and like the, the quality you get coming out of it. ’cause what I see behind me is really nice. Better than, than [00:03:00] what I’ve seen typically coming out of a factory.  Janis Putrams: Yeah. So multiple things actually we’ve been. Kind of what we’ve been hearing sometimes is that, um, that material’s good, the application seems good, but then it comes off after some time and you don’t understand what’s what happened, right? Yeah. So we understood to, to make it right. We need to make sure that both the kind of, we take the full ownership for the, for the whole process, for the application. And so we’ve been investing quite a lot in our lab to, to actually understand what the material needs, how the surface needs to be, be prepared. How do we measure it? How do we make sure the process is right? So actually what we saw is that, yeah, making sure adhesion, uh, is, is right, is is very important part. Also, when you go out there, there’s a quite a spectrum of the weather forecast, like information. You have humidity, you have temperatures, and you need to be able to guarantee the, the, yeah, the output in all of that spectrum. So yeah, we’ve done quite a lot on, [00:04:00] uh, on those. And  Allen Hall: so from a technology perspective, you’re incorporating all those measurements actually into the robot. So you know what the temperature was when the application was made, you know what the humidity was, you know what the mixture was exactly. Remember the temperature of the, the ingredients that went into make the, the LEP material. That’s remarkable. And now it’s, uh, I think a lot of people think of LEP as being something you would apply with a, you see it still, you see it with rollers and sort of. Basic human tools. You’re spray coating today. Yes.  Janis Putrams: Yes.  Allen Hall: And the, the smoothness of that coating is remarkable.  Janis Putrams: Yeah. For example, I dunno if you, if you know in factories where the cars are made Yeah. You don’t see people rolling the car. Yeah. So, because the, the spraying technology, it enables us to actually guarantee the robot when it moves, it moves in a constant speed. It’s not manually, it’s kind of on a cruise control. So it’s, it’s moving in a constant speed [00:05:00] and the spraying is constant. And so yeah, the, the thickness is, is, is always the same. And also it kind of nicely tempers off on the, on the sides. So there’s no vortexes, kind of, no aerodynamics loss. Uh, so yeah, it, it comes out very, very nice and  well.  Allen Hall: That’s the thing about when you put a leading edge coating on, a lot of times there’s a taped edge or a hard edge there. And then they gotta come back and try to fill it. Or maybe they don’t fill it and the filler doesn’t stay. It may. I’ve seen all varieties of that. So when you spray coat it, not only do you get a very smooth finish, aerodynamically, you lose the step on the backside. Right. So the, the entire assembly is, is just more aerodynamic. And that’s the reason you’re doing in the first place. Mm-hmm. It’s not just we’re recovering this shape. Yes, you’re recovering the shape, but you’d like to get some more power outta your, your turbines. That makes sense to me. When you’re, uh, cleaning the blade too. There’s a lot of technology about just getting the blade prepped because we’ve seen so many times where a leading edge coating’s been applied to a very [00:06:00] poorly prepped blade surface, and it just doesn’t stick. A year later, you’re out doing it again. Describe what you’re doing on the prep side.  Janis Putrams: Yeah, so what we also see, uh, saw that, um, if there’s some damaged material, it’s very important to get it off. If you put it on top of the damaged material, it’s just not gonna hold. So we have one of those robots, it has quite a powerful kind of belt sanding tool, uh, where you can truly take it off. And then the second tool prepares the surface and also the tool kind of makes sure that it’s not up to the, to the operator to choose which point to, to prepare, but just the tool goes in, in a single step and prepares all of it so we can kind of. Be sure that nothing’s missed. And then when you, when you put it on, uh, then, then what’s gonna, it’s gonna hold. Dainis Kruze: And to develop that tool. We have a laboratory where two chemical engineers are actually working and testing and doing pulley tests and surface, uh, adhesion tests [00:07:00] and, uh, to get the result, the best result possible. Because, as Ian said, we’re taking, we, we are giving guarantee, uh, of our work. Uh, and we don’t do that. Oh yeah, it peeled off because the material was bad. We, we, we take the guarantee of application and materials that it’s gonna be stick, uh, is gonna stick and it’s gonna stay there.  Allen Hall: I think there’s a lot into that. And having been to the Riga facility, I understand you have a lot of capabilities there. When we talk to. Independent service providers and they’re applying materials. They’re not doing all the research. Oh, yeah. That aone is doing. You, you are actually looking at material properties, you’re looking at surface conditions, you’re looking at the chemical reactions that are happening. You’re doing the mechanical pull test. You’re putting engineering behind it. Oh, yeah. Which, which has to happen. We’re still early in this leading edge protection world. We have, we don’t have 50 years of experience. We have two or three really good years, and we’re still learning and there’s a lot of different materials being proposed right now. That mechanical testing and evaluation [00:08:00] laboratory really raises the bar.  Dainis Kruze: Oh  Allen Hall: yeah. I think in terms of just what you’re expecting to get out and, and EC saying, you back up what you do. Oh yeah. Which is completely different than the rest of the industry. De describe what that means to an operator that chooses their owns to do leading edge protection. Dainis Kruze: Yeah, it’s a turnkey, uh, solution, right? So, uh, you won’t get in a situation when, um, somebody comes, supplies the material and after a year it peels off and then you, um, have months and months of debating and negotiating, right? Uh, whom to blame, right? So who will take care of that? Um, and in the end, basically, you don’t know either that was a material or that was a applicator. Um, that’s it, but. The result is not met. Right. So the the, yeah, the the still, the, the blade is not protected. In our case, we take full responsibility, full accountability. If the material is gonna put peel, uh, peel off, we are gonna come and fix it.  Allen Hall: Because I think a EP loss from leading edge erosion is one thing.[00:09:00] A EP loss from a bad leading edge protection material that’s peeling off is exponentially worse from what I have seen. It just gets very draggy. Yes. And that material just starts to. Actually create massive drag. So you need to get that bad material off. And I think a lot of operators that have used other services probably won’t be calling you this year to go, we need to sand that off and put on something with robot. Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah.  Allen Hall: Does that then change the dynamic because of the, the amount of robotics, uh, applications you can do in a year where before when we talked to operators, us Europe, robots are nice. But we don’t see the ROI.  Dainis Kruze: Mm-hmm.  Allen Hall: Has that flipped on its head now where the robots are just so much faster than rope technicians, that it just makes sense to do it with robots? Dainis Kruze: I still, we even have systems in our portal where customers can see, um, at which category, how much of efficiency they’re losing, uh, during the year. Yeah. So what is the a a p loss and roughly speaking, it’s like three, four years of return of investment just [00:10:00] on AP loss. If you’re not fixing it at category three, you’re gonna lose in two, three years. Same amount of money as on investing on, on repairing that. Yeah. So the return of investment is two, three years, uh, worst cases for four years. Um, as we see, um, and not even speaking about, uh, when the erosion happens to, to category four and five, your repair cost is just like at least double or triple. So you don’t want to do that in category fours and fives. It’s lot smarter to do that at category two, three.  Allen Hall: Oh, that makes a lot of sense. However, I would say that a lot of operators worldwide let it get to three plus. Mm-hmm. Before they start to worry about it. Alright, so the, then the question becomes, am I gonna put a bunch of technicians up on ropes anyway to go fix this? Or is there a robotic solution that I can fix those leading edge, uh, where the, the, the glue has been eaten away by leading a rosn. Can I fix that without putting technicians on ropes?  Janis Putrams: Right. So currently we are [00:11:00] doing categories like 1, 2, 3.  Allen Hall: Yeah.  Janis Putrams: Um, if we have category four repair, we would cooperate with a rope technicians. They come and laminate, and then the robot does, does everything else. But there’s a, yeah, there’s a new, uh, new technology that we are working on, which is kind of a reinforced, uh, yeah. Application on the leading edge, uh, where we can be able to actually repair category for. Uh, for as well.  Intro: Mm-hmm.  Janis Putrams: Yeah. This, and it’s, um, it’s a uv uh, UV curable solution, uh, which is also great because you can apply it in, in, in, in, in humid environments, in, in colder environments. Um, and then, and then of course the, the, yeah, the, the leading kind of protection that we put on would go, go on there as well. And, and this is actually quite a, um, amazing, uh, uh, yeah, sample. So for those who don’t know this, this goes into rain erosion, uh, kind of machine test machine. And [00:12:00] uh, and then they get kind of the spin and, and, and rain droplets are, are falling. And, and, and then you measure how long it lasts. And, and this has been in there for 200 hours and we actually had to stop the test because it was becoming just outrageously expensive. But it’s, it’s like a lifetime, like the, the turbine would not experience this amount of erosion in lifetime, so we thought it was  Dainis Kruze: 130 meters, uh, per second. Uh, speed. Speed. Um, but, and yeah, as Ian said, like we also have a system in our portal where you can look up your, any wind park in us, and it’ll tell how many hours per year you have this severe, uh, rain, which would be like compatible with, uh. Close to this, uh, speed tip speed and, and the rain. And basically there is no wind park in the world, uh, where the erosion would happen, uh, where the rain would be like 200 hours, like, uh, in, in, in lifetime of the turbine in 25 years. Hmm. So basically [00:13:00] it’s in most of the cases it’s like four or 5, 6, 7 hours a year, which means like basically it’s gonna last for 30 years, um, like in, in a, on the rain erosion test,  Allen Hall: but really only if the application is good.  Dainis Kruze: Only if the application is good. Yeah.  Allen Hall: That which is the key, right? Yeah. So you can have the best material in the world, you can have the best lab results in the world, but if you can’t repeat it out of the world Yeah. Then it’s just a waste of time.  Dainis Kruze: Yeah.  Janis Putrams: Yeah,  Dainis Kruze: exactly.  Janis Putrams: There’s another interesting aspect that we, we saw when we, because we, we did a lot of those tests and what we noticed is that the surface smooth smoothness, uh, actually is also very important because like if it’s more like an orange peel, you get those cavities and when the rain droplets hit. They kind of, they, they creates more like a stress concentrations there just  Allen Hall: a  Janis Putrams: pull. We’ve seen like, like about the performance kind of getting into half. If the, if the surface is not, not, not smooth.  Allen Hall: And that’s what you see in the field when they apply it by hand. It’s not nearly as smooth as what I see on the spray version here with the robot. Janis Putrams: Mm-hmm. And [00:14:00] once it finds a place where the erosion can start, then it just grows.  Allen Hall: That’s the magic. Right. I, I know a lot of operators don’t think about all those little details. Mm-hmm. But because roads has the ability to do the work, to do the manual motion testing, to do the lab testing, to look at the materials and apply it. Like it should be that that’s a game changer.  Dainis Kruze: Yeah. And, and scale it. Right. So when we do this with robots, like, uh, like most of the job is done by the semi-autonomous robot. So it’s not again, um, a bottleneck of how many good technicians you have,  Allen Hall: right?  Dainis Kruze: Like it’s, it’s, uh, it’s about technology which is doing the job. And you will have a consistent result, whether it’s Australia, US, or Europe, you will have exactly the same result, uh, because it was done by exactly the same robot.  Allen Hall: Well, speaking of robots, uh, the latest gen three internal crawler is remarkable. Uh, Yana should give me the details of all the cool features that are on it. I’ve seen it in video. I haven’t seen it out in the world live [00:15:00] inside of a blade yet, but I will this year. I think there’s a lot of technology in there from your first gen robot to, uh, this third gen. The pictures that I’ve seen downstream are really good. Because it matters and, and because there’s lot of the defects you can’t see on the outside. You need to be on the inside.  Janis Putrams: Mm-hmm.  Allen Hall: Uh, core, uh, bonding, most of them. Well, that’s true then. That’s totally true. No, the industry, you’re right. I do, I do think we started off on the outside because that’s what we could do. Mm-hmm. Not realizing that probably we should be on the inside should sort of started there first. But the robot now is so much better at taking pictures. And if you, if you can take pictures, but the pictures are not so good, why are you wasting your time even taking them?  Janis Putrams: Right.  Allen Hall: Explain what’s all in that robot to take high quality images and to focus on the defects that you find.  Janis Putrams: Right. So kind of, we’ve done a lot of inspections with our previous generation crawler and, and then we, we got a lot of feedback also, and we, we do [00:16:00] ourselves the, the inspections of the, the data, uh, and give, give information to customers. So we worked our way back. And also not just that, uh, when you go out and do it on a big scale. You get feedback, like, for example, from the technicians, uh, what’s easy for them, like different blade models, maybe some specific blade models have some obstruction in there that you need to drive around. So, so those kind of small details when, when you gather and, and, and, and even just manufacturability to make sure that, uh, yeah, it’s easy and faster to manufacture, easy to maintain. Um, so, but that’s, yeah, that’s, that’s the kind of, uh, the part on. On the, on the inspection itself, uh, of course it has a improved 360, uh, kind of inspection. So we gather everything. Uh, there’s additional camera for, uh, much detailed kind of areas. For example, the, the root zone, you would want to, to have the kind of the top part inspected [00:17:00] in higher resolution, but also it has like a smart feature where you can tell that, for example, particular area in the blade, if you want that in a higher resolution. So when it gets there, it, it would point and, and, and take that particular area because maybe there’s a serial defect and you would want it in a much, much higher, uh, higher resolution. Also, what we got feedback from, from customers is that for them, it’s very important that, for example, if there’s a defect, you want to know exactly the size of the defect, and you want to know exactly the distance to the root. And maybe you want to, you might need to open the blade from the outside and you don’t want to be off by even a half meter. So we’ve been working a lot to, to improve that. But it’s like centimeter precision  Allen Hall: because a lot of the defects are actually happening closer to the root. I, I think lightning company, which is what we are, we get a lot of defects kind of further towards the tip, but the manufacturing defects that really matter are closer to the root [00:18:00] and they tend to, if you think about the root that’s. The largest diameter part of the blade. So you need to be able to take really good images where the rover is not right next to the damage that matters. Mm-hmm. So you’re looking for megapixels, you’re looking for light intensity, you’re looking for exposures right to be right so that you can actually measure it, track it. So even if you notice there’s a crack talking to operators, there’s a crack. Okay. But is it propagating yes or no? If you can’t measure it, actually, you can’t tell if it’s growing or not, which is ultimately. What you need. So those improvements are gonna be a, a massive improvement in terms of the operators buying in because we talk to operators all the time, you need to be doing internal inspections. And they say, yeah, sure. Like, no, no, no, no. You don’t understand. You need to do a set up internal inspections so you understand what’s going on inside your blades because there are a lot of like kind of serial defect things or uniqueness things that happening, or wind, wind specific events that are happening and are causing issues with your [00:19:00] blade. And that gets me to outside the blade. So, uh, once you’ve done the internal inspections and you should be doing some external inspections, particularly for lightning and some other issues. Question in America right now is you can’t use a drone that has Chinese components in it. There owns drone image. Those are all Chinese free, ready to go right now to take high resolution images. And there’s actually more technology. Yeah. And this drone that I’ve seen in, in previous versions.  Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah.  Allen Hall: Tell me about that.  Dainis Kruze: Yeah, it’s us made, uh, so we, uh, are, are compliant, um, with, with the rule, uh, regulations that you can’t use the Chinese, uh, parts. That’s one thing. Another thing is like how the technology works. So, um, we have very sophisticated system how the drone flies and scans the blade, uh, the blades and the turbine itself. So we don’t need to put the blades in particular angles like you. [00:20:00] Whatever the blades are being stopped, the drone is gonna be capable of doing that inspection. Um, that saves time, uh, time and makes it easier. Also, you don’t need to navigate, like if you take the drone and do the inspections yourself, you just push start and the drone does, uh, all the jobs. So you don’t need to fly to point it at the tip of the blade or whatever it’s gonna do. 100% of the jobs is gonna be by, by, by itself. Um, and also like we have, um, a. Bigger angle, like variety, how we can put the camera. So we always will take the picture from the best angle. It’s not gonna be, look, you’re not gonna look at the crack under an angle. You will look at the, uh, crack directly, uh, onto it and it actually, it actually moves the needle. It, it, it’s very, very important when you’re reviewing the data.  Janis Putrams: Yeah. So basically what you want to do is like, if you want to take a picture of this. You want to be looking perpendicular to it.  Dainis Kruze: Mm-hmm.  Janis Putrams: And, and if the turbine is like this, you, you want like, you want want to look like this and if the blade kind of, you go from the top, you [00:21:00] want to look like this. So this drone was built, it wasn’t adapted, it was built particularly for wind turbine inspection. So the kind of, it was taken account that it can do all these angles Exactly as, as they need for, for, for blades. So to, to get the, the, the best, uh, inspection data.  Allen Hall: I’m always surprised at the lack of quality of inspection images for cracks. I see a lot of them because we get sent a lot of lightning damage mm-hmm. Inspections to go through and, but we see the cracks. Also, when I look at the crack, it’s always at an angle and I think, how do those engineers even have a sense of what the scale of that is? Because I can barely see it in this really poor drone image. Having something that’s actually 90 degrees to the damage is. A game changer because now again, going back to there’s a crack, but what do I do about it? If it’s not growing, I may just live with it. Mm-hmm. But you can’t measure it if you don’t have a good, consistent image of it, which everyone’s thinks about. Right.  Dainis Kruze: Not only image, but also a 3D model of the blade. So because we are scanning [00:22:00] it with the lighters, we actually have a 3D model of that blade. So we can actually physically measure, we understand what we are seeing, uh, and we can measure, uh, with high precision. So both the internal crawlers and the drones are by far the best, uh, robotic technology for wind turbine inspections, uh, in the industry by far. Like, uh, yeah. Uh, nothing comparable in the, in, in the industry.  Janis Putrams: Yeah. What Dyna says, it’s that the precision is also important for another aspect, because when you have a drone inspection from the outside, an internal inspection on the inside, and you have this precision, what you get is that, for example, there’s something on the inside of Blade. And you want to see what’s on the outside. You can flip in, in our portal, you can just flip and look at it from the outside and you say, oh yeah, there’s something on the outside and what’s on the inside. It gives you much better understanding what the defect to release. Is it just on the inside or is it already propagating on the outside? Dainis Kruze: Yeah, and it’s one click. It’s not reviewing two reports, uh, trying to understand, uh, going back [00:23:00] and forth. It’s just one click you and you get outside.  Allen Hall: Well, let’s talk about the software platform. There is a software platform. It is called the  Dainis Kruze: your Owns platform. Okay.  Allen Hall: You guys gotta  Dainis Kruze: work  Allen Hall: on a name?  Dainis Kruze: Yeah, we, we haven’t blocked on, on the name. Yeah, we should. We should.  Allen Hall: But the, the Eros platform is a useful platform because you can have all the images you want, but they’re not really useful unless you can correlate it back to what the blade design is and then figure out where. The the crack or the DA or whatever this is going on. Where it is on the blade. Exactly. So then you can assess whether you need to have a response to it. Do you need to derate the turbine, shut down the turbine, or just let her run? Those are big, important decisions to make because it has to do with profits at the end of the day. That platform allows every the engineers to do that. You’re seeing more adoption of that platform by the Oh yeah, by the operators.  Dainis Kruze: We are stepping up. Me and Jans, we actually graduated, uh, computer science. So we are software developers by [00:24:00] education, not the mechanical engineers. Uh, uh, and we, we, for, for all of these years, we, we’ve worked more on the robotic technology, how to get the data, how to get the best quality picture, how to, uh, get the, uh, best quality data. Um, and now we have stepped up on the portal development and, uh, again, uh, in, in, we’ve built the best portal in the industry, like seamless review of the data of internals and externals and lightning protection system tests. Um, and, uh, yeah, the easiness, how to you, you can use the, the system, uh, review the data, uh, navigate, see the. Um, different kind of analytics and, and help from our blade engineers on decision making, um, is again, the best in the industry now.  Allen Hall: Well, you mentioned lightning protection resistance measurements because it’s something you’ve done for a number of years now, and I run into a lot of operators that say we’ve, we’ve had our drones do the LPS resistance measurements. They should still be doing those. I think there’s, because Aeros has done it [00:25:00] so well and has a, a nice data set with it. Operators are thinking, I don’t I need to do it anymore.  Dainis Kruze: Yeah. It’s a, uh, it’s  Allen Hall: a conflict, isn’t it? It, it, it’s, you get so good at one thing that, that it changes the dynamic of the industry. Dainis Kruze: Oh, yeah. I, I think, I think that we are a bit, we, we need a bit more data on understanding, um, how much these lightning damages actually cost. Yep. Comparing to what would cost, uh, like a proper inspection campaign.  Allen Hall: Yeah.  Dainis Kruze: So kind of in a, in a way, you know, like these lighting damages are not there yet.  Allen Hall: Yeah. Dainis Kruze: Why should I test anything? Yeah. And when you get that lighting damage and you lose a blade and it have a fire it to fire. Yeah. Or have a fire and you have, uh, hundreds of thousands, if not millions in losses, it’s already too late. It is. Yeah. It’s, uh, and, and that’s, and that’s an issue of the. Chicken and egg. Uh, yeah, I think in the industry. Uh, but, but I see that the industry [00:26:00]is improving and we do more and more of these lighting protection system tests. Um, customers are becoming smarter on this and, and, uh, I hope, uh, that it’s, it’s, yeah, it’s gonna, and it’s gonna get to the right place.  Janis Putrams: Also, what we saw is that sometimes we, we would give reports to the customer that, for example, for this Blade lightning protection is not working. So they are asking like, okay, what’s next? Yeah, what do I do with this data? Right, right. So we developed a kind of a tool which helps to actually track exactly where that damage is, where that cable is, is kind of connection is lost. Uh, so it’s kind of like a, I dunno, same as you would kind of, uh, look for, I dunno, golden coins or something. So it’s kind of a similar technology. The robot goes up and it kind of, uh, slides, kind of scans, uh, very closely to the blade. And when you find the, where the cable problem is, it has actually like a red marker and it can make a mark on the blade. Uh, so [00:27:00] actually if the rob guys, if they need to go up and, and open up the blade to fix the cable, they know exactly where, where to look. So it’s not, again, you’re not doing it half a meter away or, or you can open up and then fix it.  Dainis Kruze: We call it open circuit finder. For, at least for that, we have the name. Allen Hall: It’s a very useful thing though. I think the, the more that you get out to site, the more you realize what the problems are, what the priorities are, and design solutions around those. The linet protection one is obviously, is massive, right? Mm-hmm. You just kind of see it everywhere in, uh, particularly United States and Southern United States. You see leading erosion being the, the number one. And then lightning damage being number two, when you see a lot of operators going after both of those things simultaneously to save money, that’s a massive improvement than five years ago. The, you guys have really changed the industry. There’s, everybody’s starting to think a little bit differently about how they approach the repair [00:28:00] season that, uh, owns, has extended the repair season. So a lot wider window than it was. It’s not just March to October. Yeah, almost a full year at this point because of the technology the robot brings and the amount of data.  Dainis Kruze: Mm-hmm.  Allen Hall: Now everybody can react because they have something to base their decisions on. That’s, oh yeah. That’s impressive. It’s hard. I know you guys have a hard time seeing that because you’re in the day-to-day of Yeah. Of trying to run a company has paced in, in Riga and you got places in Australia and America, so it’s a lot. But I do think deep breath, take a look back. You really have influenced the industry in the positive in a lot of ways. Thank you. Congratulations on that. It’s impressive. It really is. And uh, you know, when we talk next time in a year from now, probably you’ll have more done out in the field and you’ll have done several thousand turbines leading edge protection and you’ll have that history and you’ll have that data. That’s [00:29:00] remarkable. Now your season. Your calendar is getting pretty full with a lot of operators calling you, saying, I need you out here to do leading edge protection and a variety of other tasks. Is there any room in your schedule right now to get on it and, and how do they, how do they get on your schedule? Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah, there is room because we are building 30 additional, uh, leading edge repair robots. So it’s, it’s quite a lot. Like one robot is actually doing, um, up to 150 repairs a year. So it’s, it’s, it’s quite a big capacity. So yeah, we’re building more and more robots. Demand is there. Um, and, and the wind industry is gonna generate more clean energy because of that. Right. So because bleeding edge erosion affects the efficiency and, and we are fixing that.  Allen Hall: Improving the profitability of all these operators.  Dainis Kruze: Oh yeah.  Allen Hall: Which is what we should be doing. So if you haven’t contacted our owns, just Google our own’s website and go to it. There’s a a lot of information there. You can get a hold of Dyna, you can get ahold of Giannis via LinkedIn. It’s [00:30:00] really easy to get a hold of these guys and at least start the process. Start thinking about how robots can improve your operation, how it can save you money. Generate more revenue on the production side. Save money on the repair side. So at the end of the day, uh, your management is happy.  Dainis Kruze: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. We even help to do the calculations of return of investment, so it’s easier to justify, uh, with the management and so on.  Allen Hall: Oh, it’s wonderful. Wonderful. Well, Dynas and Giannis, thank you so much for spending some time with me today and showing us around this Denton facility is quite oppressive and congratulations. And yeah, we’ll, we’ll see you on the road at some point.  Dainis Kruze: Thank you for stopping by.

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TRANSCRIPT Robertson: [00:00:00] Gissele: Hello and welcome to the Love and Compassion podcast with Gissele. We believe that love and compassion have the power to heal our lives and our world. Gissele: Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more amazing content. And if you’d like to support the podcast, please go to buy me a coffee.com/love and compassion. Today we’re talking about how to become a more compassionate civilization in light of the world’s most recent events. Robertson Work is a nonfiction author, social ecological activist, and former UNDP policy advisor on decentralized government, NYU Wagner, graduate School of Public Service, professor of Innovative Leadership and Institute of Cultural Affairs, country Director, conducting community organizational and leadership initiatives. Gissele: He has worked in over 50 countries for over 50 years and is founder of the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative. He has five published books and has [00:01:00] contributed to another 13. His most well-known book is a Compassionate Civilization. Every week he publishes an essay on Compassionate Conversations on Substack. Gissele: Please join me in welcoming Robertson work. Hi Robertson. Robertson: Hi Giselle. How are you? Gissele: I’m good. How about yourself? Robertson: I’m good, thank you. I here in the Southern United States. I’m glad you’re in wonderful Canada. Robertson: great admiration for your country. Gissele: Ah, thank you. Thank you. Gissele: I wanted to talk about your book. I got a copy of it and it was written in 2017, but as I was reading it, I really found myself listening to things that were almost prophetic that seemed to be happening right now. What compelled you to write Compassionate Civilizations at this moment in history. Robertson: Yes. Thank You you so much, and thank you for inviting me to talk with you today. Robertson: And I wanna say I’m so touched by the wonderful work of the Matri Center for Love [00:02:00] and Compassion. I have enjoyed looking at your website and listening to your podcast and hearing Pema Chodron speak about self-love. If it’s okay, I’d like to start with a few moments of mindful breathing Gissele: Yes, definitely. Robertson: okay. I invite everyone to become aware of your breathing, being aware of breathing in and breathing out. Breathing in the here and in the now. Breathing in love. Breathing in gratitude. I have arrived. I am home. I’m solid. I am free breathing in, breathing out here now. Robertson: Love [00:03:00] gratitude. Arrived home solid free. Okay. And to your question, after working in local communities and organizations around the world with the Institute of Cultural Affairs and doing program and policy work with UNDP and teaching grad school at NYU Wagner, I felt called to articulate a motivating vision for how to embody and catalyze a compassionate civilization. Robertson: So each of us can embody, even now, even here, we can embody and catalyze a compassionate civilization in this very present moment. We don’t have to wait, you know, 50 years, a hundred years, a thousand years. we can embody it in the here and the now. So I was increasingly aware of climate change, climate disasters, [00:04:00] the rise of oligarchic, fascism, and of course the UN’s sustainable development goals. Robertson: I also had been studying the engaged Buddhism of Thich Nhat Hahn for many years, and practicing mindfulness and compassionate action. As you know, compassion is action focused on relieving suffering in individual mindsets and behaviors, and collective cultures and systems. The word that com it means with, and compassion means suffering. Robertson: So compassion is to be with suffering and to relieve suffering in oneself and with others. So, I gave talks about a compassionate civilization in my NYU Wagner grad classes and in speeches in different countries. Then in 2013, I started a blog called The Compassionate Civilization. So in 2017, there was a [00:05:00] new US president who concerned me deeply and who’s now president again. Robertson: So a Compassionate Civilization was published in July of that year, as you mentioned, 2017. The book outlines our time of crisis and provides a vision, strategies and tactics of embodying and catalyzing a compassionate civilization, person by person, community by community. Moment by moment it it includes the movement of movements, mom that will do that. Robertson: Innovative leadership methods, global local citizen, and practices of care of self and others as mindful activists. So there’s a lot in it. Yeah. The Six strategies or arenas of transformation are environmental sustainability, gender equality, socioeconomic justice, participatory governance, cultural tolerance and peace, and non-violence, socio. Robertson: So since then [00:06:00] I’ve been promoting the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative, as you mentioned, to support a movement of movements. The mom, Gissele: thank you for that. I really appreciated that. And I really enjoyed the book as well. It’s so funny that, the majority of people see a world that doesn’t work and they want things to change, but they don’t do something necessarily to change it. When did compassion shift from a private virtue to a public mission for you? Robertson: Great question. Thank you. I think it began the private part began very early in my Christian upbringing. I was raised by loving parents to love others. You know, love of neighbor is the heart of Christianity. And understand that love is the ultimate reality. You know, that you know, as we say in Christianity, God is love. Robertson: So then when I went off to college at Oklahoma State University, I found myself being a campus activist. So I shifted to activism for civil rights. We were [00:07:00] demonstrating for women’s rights and for peace in Vietnam. As you know, the Vietnam War was raging. And after that, I attended Theological Seminary at Chicago Theological Seminary, but. Robertson: My calling happened when I was still in college, and it was in a weekend course, just a one weekend in Chicago. Some of us drove up and attended a course at, with the ecumenical Institute in the African-American ghetto in Chicago. And my whole life was changed in one weekend. I mean, I woke up that I could make a difference and I could help create a world that cared from everyone, you know? Robertson: And here I was. I was what? I was a junior in college. So then after that, I worked after college and grad school. I worked in that African American ghetto in Chicago with the Ecumenical Institute. And then in Malaysia, I was asked to go to Malaysia and my wife and I did [00:08:00] that, Robertson: And then. We were asked to work in South Korea, which we did. And then the work shifted from a religious to secular is we now call our work the Institute of Cultural Affairs. And from there we worked in Jamaica and then in Venezuela, and then back in the US in a little community in Oklahoma Robertson: And then I also worked in poor slums and villages. So then with the UNDP. I worked in around the world giving policy advice and starting projects and programs on decentralized governance to help countries decentralize from this capital to the provinces and the cities and towns and villages to decentralize decision making. Robertson: Then my engaged Buddhist studies particularly with Han and his teachers and practice awakened me to a calling to save all sentient beings. what [00:09:00] an outrageous calling, how can one person vow to save all sentient beings? But that’s what we do in that tradition of the being a BofA. Robertson: So through mindfulness and compassionate actions. So then I continue my journey by teaching at NYU Wagner with grad students from around the world. I love that so much. Then to the present as a consultant, speaker, author, and activist locally, nationally, and globally. So Gissele has been quite a journey, and here we are in this moment together, in this wild, crazy world. Gissele: Yeah, for sure, One of the things that I really loved about your book that you emphasize that we need to have a vision for the world that we wanna create. If we don’t have a vision, then we can’t create it, right? many of us are, focusing on anti, anti-oppressive, anti crime, anti this, anti that. Gissele: But we’re not really focusing on what sort of world do we wanna create? and I’ve had conversations with so many people, and when I ask the question, if people truly [00:10:00] believe. The human beings could be like loving and compassionate, and we could create a world that would be loving and compassionate for all many people say no. Gissele: And so I was wondering, like, did you always believe that civilization could be compassionate or did you grow into that conviction? Robertson: Great question. I definitely grew into it. Yeah. even as a child, I was awakened, you know, by the plight of African Americans in my country, in our little town in Oklahoma. Robertson: So I kind of began waking up. But I wasn’t sure, how much I or we could do about it. So I really grew into that conviction through my journey around the world working in over in 55 countries, it’s interesting the number of people your podcast goes to serving people and the planet. Robertson: So. Everywhere I worked Gissele, I was touched by the local people, that people care for each other, you know, in the slums and squatter settlements, in villages, in cities, the, the rich and the [00:11:00] poor. everywhere I went regardless of the culture, the language, the races, the issues the, the local people were caring. Robertson: So my understanding is that compassion is an action. It’s not just a feeling or a thought. It’s an action to relieve suffering in oneself and in others. but suffering is never entirely eliminated. You know, in Buddhism, the first noble truth is there is suffering, and it continues, but it can be relieved as best we can with through practices, through projects, through programs, and through policies. Robertson: So what has helped me is to see, again, a deep teaching in Buddhism that each person is influenced by negative emotions of greed, fear, hatred, and ignorance. And yet we can practice with these and to become aware of them and just, and to let them go, you know, and to practice evolving into loving kindness as [00:12:00] you, as you do in in your wonderful center. Robertson: Teaching more loving, kindness, trust and understanding. We can embrace inner being that we’re all part of everything. We’re all part of each other. You know, we’re part of the living earth. We’re part of humanity. I am part of you, you are part of me. And impermanence, you know, that there is no separate permanent self. Robertson: Everything comes and goes, and yet the mystery is there’s no birth and death. ’cause you and I. we’re part of, this journey for 13.8 billion years of the universe, and yet we can, in each moment, we can take an action that relieves our own suffering and in others. So, as you said, a vision is so, so important. Robertson: I’m so glad you touched on that, that a vision can give us a calling to see where we can go. It can motivate us, push us, drive us to do all that we can to realize it, you know, if I have a vision for my family. To care for my family. If [00:13:00] I have a vision for my country, if I have a vision for planet Earth, that can motivate me to do all I can do to make that really happen. Robertson: So right now there are so many challenges facing humanity, climate disasters. Oh my, I’m here in Swanno where we’ve had a terrible hurricane in 2024. We’re still recovering from it. Echo side, you know, where so many species are dying of plants and animals. It’s, it’s one of the great diebacks of in evolution on earth, oligarchic, fascism. Robertson: Right now, we’re in the midst of it in my country. I can’t believe it. You know, you’re, you’re on 81. I, I thought I was, gonna die and still live in a country that believed in democracy and freedom and justice. And so now here we, I have to face what can I do about oligarchic, fascism and social and racial and gender injustice. Robertson: Other challenges, warfare. And here we are in this crazy, monstrous war [00:14:00] in the Middle East. You know, what can we do? What can I unregulated? Artificial intelligence very deeply concerns me. we’ve gotta regulate artificial intelligence so it doesn’t hurt humans and the earth. Robertson: It doesn’t just take care of itself. So, you know, it’s easy Gissele to be despairing and to give up, you know, particularly at this moment. But actually at any time in our life, we’re always tempted to say, oh, well, things will be okay, or There’s nothing I can do, you know, but neither of those is true. Robertson: There are things we can do. We can stop and breathe and continue doing what we can where we are. with what we have and who we are. We do not have to be stopped by despair or by cynicism or by hopeism. We don’t. So thank you for that question about vision. I vision still wakes me up every day and calls me forward. Robertson: I’m sure it does. You as well. Gissele: Yeah. I [00:15:00] mean, without vision, it’s like you don’t have a map to where you’re going to, right.what’s our destination if we don’t have a vision? And so this is for me, why I loved your book so much. you are helping us give a vision Gissele: I mean, the alternative is what is the alternative? there’s my next question. What happens to a society that abandons compassion? Robertson: Exactly. Well, I sort of touched on it before. it falls into ignorance and into greed. Wanting more wealth, more power. for me for my tribe and, and falls into hatred, falls into fear, falls into violence, and that’s happening now, she said. Robertson: But I love what Thich Nhat Hahn reminds us of, of is that if there is no mud, there is no lotus. And that, that means is, you know, if there is no suffering, there can be no compassion . So without suffering and ignorance, there is no compassion or wisdom, because suffering calls us to relieve it. when I see [00:16:00] my wife or children in pain, I want to help them. Robertson: or when I see others, neighbors, you know, during the pandemic, our neighbors took food and water to each other. You know, after the hurricane, neighbors brought us water. suffering calls the best from us, it can, it can also call, call other things. But again, there’s no mud. Robertson: The lotus cannot grow. So we can continue the journey step by step and breath by breath. So that’s what I’d say for now. but that’s an important question. Gissele: you said some key things including that, people have a choice. They can choose to be compassionate, or they can choose to use that fear for something else, right. Gissele: But I often hear from people, well, you know, they want institutions to change. why are the institutions more, equitable, generous, compassionate and you know, like. I don’t know if we have a vision for what compassionate institutions look like, [00:17:00] what would compassion look like at that level? Robertson: Oh, that’s where those six areas you know, the compassion would look like practicing ecological regeneration or sometimes called environmental sustainability. You know, that we we’re part of the living Earth gazelle, We’re not separate from the earth . We breathe earth air, we drink earth water. Robertson: We you know, the earth. Hurricanes come. The earth. Floods come We are earthlings. I love that word, earthlings, and so, how do we help regenerate the earth as society? And that’s why, you know, legislation aware of climate change, you know, to reduce carbon emissions. Robertson: The Paris Accord, and that’s just one example, how do we have all laws for gender equality so that women receive the same salaries as men and have the same rights. as men, we gotta have the laws, the institutions you know, and the participatory democracy, that we have a constitution. Robertson: a constitution is a vision. of what we are all about. Why are, we’re [00:18:00] together as a country, so that we can each vote and express our views and our wishes, and that government is by foreign of the people. It is. So it’s, it’s critical, you know, that we vote and get out the vote again and again and again. Robertson: And to create those laws, those institutions they care for everyone. And the socioeconomic justice. we need the laws and institutions that give full rights to people of color to people of every culture and every religion, and every gender every transgender, every human being, every living being has rights. Robertson: That’s why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is so important. I’m so grateful that it was created earlier in the last century in my country our country cannot go to war without congressional approval. Robertson: Aha. did that just not happen? Yes. But it’s in the Constitution. the law says that we must talk about it [00:19:00] first. We must send the diplomats. We must doeverything we can before we harm anyone. War is hell. there are other ways of dialogue and diplomacy. Robertson: we can do better. But again, it takes the laws and institutions. Gissele: thank you for that. I do think that we have some sort of sense in terms of what we find doesn’t work for us, right? these institutions don’t work, they’re based on separation, isolation, punishment, and we see that they don’t work. We see that, like inequality hurts everyone. Gissele: We see that all of these things that we’re doing have a negative impact, including war. And yet we don’t change. What do you think prevents societies from becoming more compassionate? Robertson: if we’re in a society that if harming people through terrible legislation and laws and policies that makes it hard for people then have to either rebel and then they can be you know, killed. Or they have to form movements peaceful movements like the [00:20:00] Civil Rights Movement in my country, you know, with Martin Luther King leading peace marches and our peaceful resistance, in Minneapolis, the peaceful resistance to ice, so what one big thing that’s, that makes people think they can’t be compassionate again, is the, larger society, you know, the institutional frameworks and legislations and laws and government practices. Robertson: But even then, as we’re seeing, you know, in Minneapolis and everywhere, and Canada is leading in so many ways, I think I, I’m so grateful for the leadership of your, your prime minister, calling the world thatwe must not let go of the international rules rules based international practices that we’ve had for the last 80 years, my whole life. Robertson: You know, we’ve had the, the UN and the international rules and now some powers want to throw those out, but no, no, we are gonna say no. we’re [00:21:00] surrounded by forces of wealth and power as we know. And however we can each do what we can to care for those near hand, far away, the least the last, and the last for ourselves, moment by moment. Robertson: Breath, breath by breath. And sometimes we, the people can change history and the powerful can choose compassion. And, we’ve changed history many times. We’ve created democracy. We, the people who have created civil right. Universal education and healthcare of the UN and much more. Robertson: you touched a moment ago on the pillars of a compassionate civilization. You know, there are 17 UN sustainable development goals, as you know, but I decided 17 was a big number, so I thought, why don’t we just have six? That’s why my book, it has six arenas of transformation for ease of memory and work. Robertson: and they are environmental sustainability, gender equality, socioeconomic justice, participatory governance, cultural tolerance, peace and nonviolence. So modern [00:22:00] societies can be prevented from being compassionate also by Negative emotions as we were talking about, of ignorance, greed, hatred, and violence. Robertson: Greed thinking, I need more wealth. I’m a billionaire, but I need another billion. You know, I’m the richest billionaire in the world, but I wanna buy the US government hatred, violence. So these all for me, all back into the Buddhist wisdom of the belief that I’m a separate self. Robertson: Therefore, all that’s important is my ego. Hell no, that’s wrong. You know, my ego is not separate. When I die, my ego’s gone. You know, all that’s gonna be left when I die, or my words and my actions, my actions will continue forever. my words will continue forever. May I, ego? No. So the, if I believe my ego is all there is, and I can be greedy and hateful and fearful and violent, but ego, unlimited pleasure and narcissism, fear of the other, ignorance of cause and effect, these don’t have to drive us. So [00:23:00] structures and policies based on negative emotions and the delusion of a separate self and harm for the earth. We don’t have to live that way. We don’t have to believe propaganda and misinformation and ignorance, and we can provide the education needed and the experience. Robertson: We don’t have to accept wealth hoarding. You know, why do we have billionaires? Why isn’t $999 million enough? Why doesn’t that go to care for everyone and to care for the earth? So again, we have to let go of wealth hoarding of power hoarding. Robertson: we don’t need all that wealth. We don’t need all that power. We can, we can care for each other. We can care for the earth. Gissele: There, there are so many amazing things that you said. I wanted to touch on two the first one is that I was having a conversation with an indigenous elder, and he said to me, you know, that greed is just a fear of lack, right? Gissele: And it really stopped me in my tracks because, when we see people hoarding stuff in their [00:24:00] house, we think, well, that’s abnormal. And yet we glorify the hoarding of wealth. But it isn’t any different than any sort of other mental health issue in terms of hoarding. And so that really got me to think about the role of fear. Gissele: And, if somebody’s trying to hoard money, it’s not getting to the root of the problem, issue. It’s never gonna be enough because they’re just throwing it into an empty hole. It’s a a billion Jillian, it’s never gonna be enough because it’s never truly addressing the problem. Gissele: But one of the things that you said as we were chatting is, that the wealthy, the elite, they can choose compassion, they can always choose it, which is an amazing insight. And yet I wonder, you know, in terms of people’s perspectives of compassion and power, do you think that the two go hand in hand or can they go hand in hand? Gissele: Because I think there might be some worries around, well, if I’m more compassionate, then I’m gonna be, taken advantage of, I’m gonna be, a mat. what is your [00:25:00] perspective? Robertson: Oh, I agree with everything you said and your question is so, so important. Thank you so much. Robertson: there are billionaires and then there are billionaires like Warren Buffet. Look, he’s given. Tens of billions of dollars away, hundreds of billions of dollars away, and other billionaires have done that. And then there are the billionaires, who think 350 billion isn’t enough. Robertson: You know, I need more. Well, that’s crazy. That is sick. That is sad that, that is a disease. And we have to help those people. I feel compassion for billionaires who think they need another 10 billion or another a hundred billion, or they need five more a hundred million dollars yachts, or they need another 15 $200 million houses around the world and that that is very sad. Robertson: And that they’re really suffering. They’re confused. Yeah. They forget what it means to be human. They’ve forgotten what it needs to be. An earthling that we’re just here for a moment. Gissele: Agree. Robertson: We’re just here for a moment, for a [00:26:00] breath, and we’re gone. Breathe in, we’re here, breathe out, we’re gone. And so we can stop. Robertson: We can become aware of that fear, as you said. We can take good care of that fear. I love the way Thich Nhat Hahn says. He says, hello, fear, welcome back. I’m gonna take good care of you. Fear. I’m gonna watch you take care of you. You’re gonna Evolve. ’cause everything is impermanent. Everything changes. So fear will change. Robertson: Fear can change. Fear always changes It evolves into Another emotion, another feeling, So let it go. Let it go. In the truth of impermanence. ’cause everything is impermanent. Fear is impermanent. So we also can remember the truth of inter being that I am part of what I fear, I am part of. Robertson: This current federal administration. You know, I’m part of the wealthy elite, and it is part of me. I fear of the US administration right now, but it is part of [00:27:00] me and I’m part of it. I fear climate change, but it is part of me. I’m part of it. I fear artificial intelligence , unregulated. I fear old age, but boys, I’m 81 and a half, it’s here. Robertson: So I’m gonna take care of it. I’m gonna say, Hey, old man, I’m gonna take care of you. And they’re all me. There’s no separation. I love Thich Nhat Hahn’s word. We enter are, we enter are now, how can I stop, become aware of fear, breathe in and out, and know the truth of inter being and impermanence and accept it. Robertson: Care for it. get out to vote, care for the self, write , speak, do what I can to care for what I can. My family, my neighbors, my city, my county, my country, my world. And everything changes. Everything passes away. Everything comes in and out of [00:28:00] being, what happened to the Roman Empire? Gissele: Mm, Robertson: what’s happening to the American Empire. Everything comes in and goes out like a breath, breathing in and breathing out. And then everything transforms into what is next? What is next? what is China going to bring? Ah, there is so much that we don’t know, Robertson: I love Thich Nhat Hahn’s teaching that. when we become aware of a negative emotion, we should Stop, breathe, smile. And then say, oh, welcome. Fear. Welcome back. Okay, I’m gonna take care of you. Okay, we’re in this together. Robertson: And then you just, you keep breathing in awareness and gratitude and things change. Your grandkid calls you, your baby calls you, your dog, your cat. You see the clouds, you see the earth, the sun. You see a star. You realize you’re an [00:29:00] animal. You know the word animal means breath. Robertson: We are animals. ’cause we breathe. We’re all breathing. So I love that. You know it. I love to say I am an animal. ’cause I, you know, we, human beings are often not, we’re not animals. We’re superior To animals, you know? Right. we are animals, that’s why we love our dogs and cats and we can love our, the purposes and the elephants and the tigers and the mountain lions and, and the cockroaches and the chickpeas and the cardinals we are all animals. Robertson: We’re all breathing. So I love that. Gissele: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that was so beautiful. I felt that also, I really appreciated the practice too. In this time when we, like so many us are, are feeling so much fear and so much uncertainty and not knowing how things are gonna pan out, to just take a moment to breathe and reconnect to our true selves, I think is so, so fundamental. Gissele: And I hope that listeners are also doing it with us. you know, as I have [00:30:00] conversations with people around the world we talk a lot about, the way that the systems are set up, the institutions. Gissele: And it took a lot of hard work for me to realize that we are the institutions, just like you said, so the institutions are made up of people. And I was so glad to see that in your book, that you clearly say, you know, like it’s about people. It’s about us. It’s like we make up these institutions, you know? Gissele: And when I’ve looked at myself, I’ve asked myself, who do I wanna be? What do I really, truly wanna embody? And my greatest wish for this lifetime is to embody the highest level of love and to truly get to the point where I love people like brothers and sisters, that I care for them and that we care for one another. Gissele: And yet, there are times when I wanna act from that place, but the fear comes up, the not wanting or not trusting or believing when the fear comes up, how can compassion really help us change ourselves so that we can create a [00:31:00] different world? Robertson: What you said is so beautiful, and your question is so powerful. Thank you. Yes. And I’m gonna get personal here. we can do what we can, we can take care of ourselves, we can take care of others as we can, but we shouldn’t beat ourselves up when we can’t. You know? Robertson: So I, here I’m 80, I’m over 81, and I have issues with balance and walking, and I have some memory issues and some low energy issues. So I have to be kind to myself. I, so I’ve just decided that writing is my main way of caring for the world. That’s why I publish one or two essays a week on Substack, on Compassionate Conversations for 55 countries in 38 states. Robertson: And so I said, you know, I used to travel around the world all the time. Not anymore. I don’t even want like to travel around the county. Robertson: Anyway, I’m an elder , so I have to say , okay, elder, be kind to [00:32:00] yourself, but also do everything you can, write everything you can speak with Gazelle if you can. Robertson: I also have to decide who I’m gonna care for. I’ve decided I’m gonna care for my wife who just turned 70 and my two kids and my two grandkids, my daughter-in-law, my cousins and nieces and nephews, my neighbors here and North Carolina. Robertson: The vulnerable, you know, I give to nonprofits who help the hungry and the homeless to friends and to people around the world through my writings and teachings And so the other day I drove to get some some shrimp tacos for my wife and me for dinner. Robertson: And a lady came up and she had disheveled hair. And she just stood by my car and I put the window down a little and she said. can you drive me to Black Mountain? that’s not where we were. I was in another town. ‘ cause I’m out of my medicine. Robertson: She just, out of the blue said, stood there and said that. And I thought, [00:33:00] oh, oh, hmm. Oh, so, oh yes. So I, I wanted to say, but who are you? How are you? Do you live here? Do do you have any friends or family? Do you, you, can I give you some money? Do you have, but I was kind of, I was kind of struck dumb, you know? Robertson: I thought, oh, oh, what should I do? And so I said, oh, I’m so sorry I don’t live in Black Mountain. And she said, oh. And she just turned and walked away and she asked two other cars and they said no. And then she walked away. And then she walked away. I thought, oh, Rob, Rob, is she okay? Does she have a family? Robertson: Did she have a house? What if she doesn’t get her medicine? How can she walk to that town? Could you have driven her and delayed taking dinner home to your wife? And then I said, but I don’t know. And then I thought, oh, but she’s gone. And I then I said, okay, Rob. Okay, Rob, [00:34:00] you’ve lived 81 years. You’ve cared for people in the UN in 170 countries. Speaker 3: Yeah. Robertson: And you’ve been in 55 countries, you’re still writing every week, you’re taking care of your neighbors and family and friends. Don’t beat yourself up. Old guy. Don’t beat yourself up. But next time, you know what Rob, I’m gonna say, Hey, my dear one, are you okay? I don’t have any money, but I can I buy you? Robertson: We are here at the taco shop, Can I buy you dinner? I would, I’m gonna say that next time, Rob. I’m gonna say that. and then I also gazelle,I’m gonna support democratic socialist institutions. You know, some people are afraid of that word, democratic socialist. Robertson: But you know, the happiest countries in the world are democratic socialist countries. Finland is the world’s happiest country. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland, those are in the top 10 [00:35:00] when they’ve, when there have been analysis of, if you, if you Google happiest countries in the world, Robertson: those Nordic countries come up every year. Why? They are democratic socialist countries. You pay high taxes and everybody gets free college. You know, free education, free college, free health everybody gets taken care of in a democratic socialist country in the Nordic countries and New York City. Robertson: I’m so proud that our new mayor in New York City Zoran Mai is a democratic socialist. He is there to help everybody, but particularly those who are hurting the poor, the hungry , the sick, or the people of color, women, the elderly, the children. I’m so proud of him and I write about him on my substack and I write him Robertson: I he’s one of my heroes just like Bernie Sanders is one of my heroes. And Alexandria Ocasio Cortes, a OC is one of my, my heroes, CA [00:36:00] Ooc. So, and you know, I used to never tell anybody I was a Democratic socialist ’cause I was afraid. I thought, oh, they’ll think I’m a socialist. Hell no. I am now proud to say I’m a democratic socialist. Robertson: I’m a Democrat. I vote the Democratic ticket, but I’m always looking for progressives, progressive Democrats, you know, democratic socialist Democrats. because, you know, our country can be more like Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland New York City. New York City is showing us the way America can be like a New York City. Robertson: I’m so proud of New York City and I used to live in New York City so as an old person. I can only do what I can do. and I’m not saying, oh, I poor me. I can’t do anything. No, no. I’m not saying that. I’m saying I can do a hell of a lot as this 81-year-old, it’s amazing what I can do, but that is why I write and speak and care for my family, neighbors, friends, the poor. Robertson: [00:37:00] Donate to nonprofits for the homeless and the hungry vote. Get out the vote. So yes, that’s my story. Gazelle. Gissele: I totally relate. I mean, I’ve been in circumstances like that as well, where you wanna help. But the fear is like, what if a person kills you? What if they don’t really have medication? Gissele: What if you get hurt or they try to rob you or they have mental health problems? Mine goes to protection and it is very human of us to go there first. And so, so then we get stuck in that ping pong in that moment and then the moment passes and you’re like, you know, was it true? Could I have driven that person? Gissele: And that would’ve been something I wanted to do for sure. But in that moment, you are stuck in that, yo-yo, when the survival comes in. And so helping ourselves shift out of that survival mode, understanding and learning to have faith and trust. And for me that’s been a work in progress. Gissele: It really has been a work in [00:38:00] progress. The other thing I wanted to mention, which I think is so important that we need to touch on. It’s the whole concept of socialism. So I was born in South America before I came to Canada and so I remember lots of my family members talk about this, there’s many South American countries that got sold communism, as socialism we’re talking about approaches that instead of it being like a democratic socialism that you’re talking about, which is the government, make sure that people are taking care of and that the people are probably taxed and provided for what would happen in those countries was that. Gissele: Everything got taken away. People were rationed certain things, and, it was horrible. it was not good, but it was not socialism. And there was many governments that took the majority of the money, then spent it on themselves, left the country, took it themselves, and so especially the Latin American community is very much afraid of socialism because they think back to that, the [00:39:00] rationing of electricity, the rationing of food, the rationing of all of that stuff, it wasn’t provided openly. Gissele: It was, everybody gets less. And so you have these people with this history that then have come to the US and think they don’t want socialism. They think democracy means that people aren’t gonna take stuff away from them, but that’s not what it means either. ’cause I don’t even know if like in North America we have a true democracy. Robertson: so thinking about reframing of how we think or experience democratic socialism, that it doesn’t mean less for everybody and in everything controlled by the government. It means being provided for abundantly and, also having the citizens be taxed more, which means we are willing to share our money so that we can all live well, Beautiful. Beautiful. Oh, thank you. Hooray. Wonderful. What country are you? May I ask where you coming? Gissele: Yeah, of Robertson: course. Gissele: Peru, I Gissele: [00:40:00] Yeah. Robertson: Wonderful. I’ve been to Peru a few times. A wonderful, beautiful country. And I, I lived in Venezuela for five years. ‘ cause I love, I have many friends in Venezuela. Robertson: But anyway I agree with everything you just said. That’s why I said what I said that I now can, I can confess that I am a democratic socialist. And that’s not socialism. It’s a social democracy is what it’s called. Yeah. That’s what they call it in Finland and Denmark and so on. Robertson: They call it social democracy. It’s democracy. But it, as you say, it’s cares for everyone and for the earth. We have to always add and the earth, ’cause you know, all the other species and, and the other life forms and the ecosystems, the water, the soil, the air, the minerals the plants, the animals. Robertson: and we have the money, as you said. I mean, if I had $350 billion, think of what taxes I could pay if the tax rate was, you know, 30%. [00:41:00] And rather than nothing, some of these, some of these folks pay, Gissele: well, I think we have glorified that we all wanted that, right? Like we got sold this good that oh, we should all want to be as wealthy as possible, right? And so we normalize the hoarding of money. Not the hoarding of other stuff, right? Gissele: And so we have allowed that, which gets me to my, next point, you talk about the environmental impact as part of a compassionate society, which absolutely is necessary. Gissele: And as human beings, we can be so lazy. We want convenience. We want to, have our package the next day. We don’t wanna wait. are we willing to pay higher wages? Are we willing to wait? Longer for our packages, like, are we willing to, invest in our wardrobe instead of buying fast fashion? Gissele: We don’t do these things and these have environmental impacts, and it also have human impacts, and at the end, they have impact on us. What can we do to ensure that, that we address that [00:42:00] complacency so that we are creating a fair, affordable , and compassionate world. Robertson: So important. Thank you. Robertson: It’s, it’s a life and death question. So yes, we should always ask about ecological and social impacts and take actions accordingly. That’s why I recycle every day. You know, some people say, oh, recycling is stupid. What do they really do with this, with it? You know, are they, are they really careful when you, they pick it up? Robertson: but I recycle religiously every day That’s why I support climate and democracy through third act. There’s a group that Bill McKibbon has started here in the US called Third Act. It’s a group of elder activists, activists over 60 who are working on climate and democracy issues. Robertson: So I’m doing that. That’s why I vote and get it out to vote. And as I said, I vote for Democrats and Democratic socialists. That’s why I write and speak and vote for ecological regeneration for social justice, for peace, for [00:43:00] democratic governance. It’s so critical that we keep questioning our actions like. Robertson: Okay, why am I recycling? Is it really worth the time? You know, deciding about every item, where it goes, and then putting out it out carefully and rinsing it first. And is that really going to help the world? ’cause you also know we need systemic changes, because you can always say, oh, but what the individual does doesn’t matter. Robertson: We need laws, we need institutions of ecological regeneration, and we need laws on caring for the climate and stopping climate change. So you can talk yourself out of individual responsibility when you realize that we need laws and institutions that protect the environment. Robertson: But it’s both. It’s both. what each person does, because there are millions of us individuals. So if there are millions of us act responsibly, that has, is a huge impact. And then if we [00:44:00] also have responsible laws and institutions that care for the environment as well as all people, then that’s a double win. Robertson: So I agree with you. We have to keep asking that question over and over and making those decisions and they’re hard decisions. We have to decide. Gissele: Yeah, I’ve had to look at myself like one of the commitments I’ve made to myself is not buying fast fashion. And so, investing in pieces, even though sometimes I feel lack oh my God, spending that much money on this, you know? Gissele: Yeah. It all comes back to me. if I am not willing to pay a fair wage, that means that the next person doesn’t get a fair wage, which means they don’t wanna pay a fair wage and so on and so forth. And then it comes back to me, you know, my husband has a business and then, you get people that don’t also wanna pay a fair wage. Gissele: It’s all interconnected. And so we have to be willing, but that also goes to us addressing our fear, our fear of lack, that we’re not gonna have enough. All of those things. And the biggest fundamental [00:45:00] fear, and you mentioned death to me, is the ultimate Gissele: fear That we must overcome I think once we do, like, I think once we understand that we are not, this human vessel. Gissele: that we’re not just this bag of bones and live in so much constrained fear that perhaps we could. really open up ourselves to be willing to be more compassionate . What do you think? Robertson: Absolutely. I’m with you all the way. Yes. We fear death because we’re caught in that illusion of a separate permanent self. Robertson: You know, it’s all about me. Oh, this universe is all about me. The universe was created 13.8 billion years for me. Robertson: Yeah. But it’s all about me and particularly my ego, honoring my ego. Building up my ego, praising my ego being, you know, that’s why I wanna be rich and famous. Robertson: Fortunately, I never wanted to be rich or famous, but that’s another story. We’ll talk about that some other time. But everything and [00:46:00] everyone is impermanent. When I realized that truth and it, it came to me through engaged Buddhism, but you could, you could get that truth in many, many ways. Robertson: That everything and everyone is impermanent. we’re part of the ocean. But the waves don’t last forever, do they? But the ocean lasts forever. Robertson: So My atoms, are part of the 13.8 billion year old universe. my cells are part of the living earth. Yes, they remain When I die, you know, go back into the earth. back into the soil and the water and the air but My ego doesn’t remain. What, what remains, as I said before, are my actions. Robertson: Everything I did is still cause and effect. Cause and effect. Rippling out. Rippling out. Okay. Rob, what did you do? What did you say? did you help that, did you touch that? Did you say that? so my actions and words continue rippling forever. So Ty calls that, or in the Plum Village tradition of engaged Buddhism, it’s called my continuation. Robertson: Your actions and your words [00:47:00] are your continuation that last forever as your actions and words will continue through cause and effect touching reality forever. So when my ego does not remain so I can smile and let it go. I often think about my continuation. You know, I say, well, that’s why, maybe why I’m writing so much and speaking so much. Robertson: And caring for so many people every day, you know, caring to care for my wife and my children and grandchildren and friends and neighbors, and the v vulnerable and the hungry, and the homeless, and the, and my country, and my city, and my county, and my, and why do I write substack twice a week? Robertson: And containing reflections on ecological, societal, and individual challenges and practices. And so every, week I’m writing about practices of mindfulness and compassion. So I’m trying to be the teacher. I’m trying to send out words of mindfulness and compassion so that they will continue reverberating when I’m dust, Robertson: So [00:48:00] I’m reaching out. In my substack to just those 55 people in 55 countries, in 38 states, touching hearts and minds and even more on social media. every month I have like 86,000 views of my social media. Why do I do it? It’s not just about ego, you know? Robertson: Oh, Rob, be famous. No, Rob is not famous. I’m a nobody. I gotta keep giving and giving and giving, you know, another word, another action, so I can, care for people around me through personal care, donations, voting, volunteering workshops, I’m helping start a workshop in our neighborhood on environmental resilience through recycling, through group facilitation. Robertson: I’m trained in, facilitation. I’ve been trained my whole life to ask questions of groups so they can create their own plans and strategies and actions. that’s some of my answer. Robertson: I hope that makes some sense. Gissele: Thank you very much. I appreciated your answer and it made me really think you are one of our compassionate leaders, right? [00:49:00] You’re, you’re kind of carving the way and helping us reflect, ’cause I’ve seen some of your substack, I’ve seen like your postings. Gissele: That’s actually how I kind of reached out to you. ’cause I was so moved by the material that you were sharing, the willingness to be honest about what it takes to be compassionate and how hard it can be sometimes to look at ourselves honestly, because we can’t change unless we’re willing to look at ourselves. Gissele: All aspects of ourselves, like you said, we are the billionaires, we are the oligarchy, we are all of these people. The racism that voted that in the, the racism that continues to show the fear, all of that is us. And so from your perspective, what do compassionate leaders do differently? Robertson: Yes. Well, it great question. Robertson: what do compassionate leaders do differently? Well, he or she or they. Robertson: are empathic. I think it starts with empathy. What are like, what are you feeling? What are you thinking? Robertson: What are you, what’s happening in your life? So an empathic [00:50:00] leader listens to other people. They see where other people are hurting. They care. They ask questions and facilitate group discussions, enable group projects. They let go of self-importance, you know, that it’s not all about me. Robertson: They let go of narcissism. They let go of, the ego project. They help others be their greatness. They care for their body mind so that they can care for others. and they donate and vote and recycle and more and more and more and more. did you know in Denmark. In elementary school every week, children are taught empathy. Robertson: You know, they have courses on empathy, Robertson: when I was growing up, I,didn’t have courses in school on empathy in church school, you know, in my Sunday school at, in my church. I was taught to love my neighbor and to love everyone, and that God was love. But in school, in my elementary [00:51:00] school and junior high and high school, we didn’t talk about things like empathy and compassion. Gissele: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I did know about Denmark ’cause my daughter and I are co-writing a book on that particular topic. The need to continue to teach love and compassion in, Gissele: being a global citizen. Right? And, and I’m doing it with her perspective because she just graduated high school, so she has like the fresher perspective, whereas mine’s from like many moons ago. Gissele: We need to continuously educate ourselves about regulating our own emotions, having difficult conversations, hearing about the other, other, as ourselves. Because that’s, from my perspective, the only way that we’re gonna survive. a friend of mine said it the best that we were having a conversation and she does compassion in the prison system and she says, I can’t be well unless you are well. Gissele: My wellness depends on your wellness. And that just hit me in my heart, like, ugh. Not that I live it every day, Robertson, Gissele: every day I have to choose and some [00:52:00] days I fail, and other days I do good in terms of like be more loving and compassionate and truly helping the world. But it’s a choice. It’s a continual choice. So this goes to my biggest challenge that maybe you can help me with, which is, so I was having this conversation with my students. We were talking about how. In order to create a world that is loving and passionate for all, it has to include the all, even those who are most hurtful, and that is really difficult . Gissele: I’m just curious as to your thoughts on what starting point might be or what can help us look at those who do hurtful things and just horrible things and be able to say, I see God within you. I see your humanity. Even though it might be hard. Robertson: Yes, It is hard. several years ago when I would hear [00:53:00] leaders of my country speaking on the media, I would get so repulsed that I would turn it off but I began practicing. Robertson: I practiced a lot since those days and I realized, you know. People who hurt, other people are hurting themselves. they’re actually hurting. they’re suffering. People who hurt others have their own suffering of, they’re confused. they’ve forgotten what it means to be human. Robertson: They’re, full of, greed, of their own fears, all about me. Maybe they’re filled with hatred they become violent. they’re suffering. I still find it very difficult to read or listen to certain people. Robertson: But what I do is I stop and I breathe and I smile and I say, okay. Robertson: I care. I’m concerned about you. I don’t know what I can do, but I am gonna do everything I can to care for the people, being hurt, you know, like my fellow activists in [00:54:00] Minneapolis are doing, or elsewhere, we could mention many places around the world where people are risking their own lives. Robertson: You know, in Minneapolis, two activists were killed, Ms. Good Renee Good, and Alex Pretty were killed because they went beyond their fear, you know? they got out there in the street because the migrants were being hurt and they got killed. Robertson: So, you know, At some point you have to come to terms with your own death, I don’t know if I have a, a minute to go or 20 years, I still have to let go. And so how do I care for my wife, my family, my friends, my neighbors my country, the vulnerable, the homeless, the hungry, and, as you said, for the wealthy and powerful who are hurting others, you know, starting wars attacking migrants, killing activists. Robertson: It’s hard. You know? So I have to say, I love the story of [00:55:00] when during the Vietnamese war Thich Nhat Hahn and his monks. They did not take sides. They did not say we’re on the side of the Vietnamese or the us. They did not take a side in the war. This is hard for me ’cause I, I usually take sides. Robertson: The practice was, okay, we’re not going to support we’re Vietnamese or the us. Were going to care for everyone. So they just went out caring for people who were getting hurt and during the war, people who were hungry, people who needed food, people who were bleeding, Robertson: So they decided their role was to care for those who were hurt not to attack. To say, I’m for the blue and I’m against the red. They said, I’m just gonna, care . Like, the activists in Minnesota, They’re, they’re not attacking ice, they’re singing to ice. Robertson: And so yes, we have to acknowledge our own anger. [00:56:00] I’m angry with these politicians. sometimes I want, to hate them, but I have to say, I do not hate you, my friend. You are confused. You’re so confused. You’re hurting others. So you’re so hurtful. Robertson: You don’t realize how you’re hurting others. But, I’ve got to try to stop you from hurting others. I’ve got to try to help those who are hurt and maybe I’m gonna get hurt, you know, because in the civil rights movement, if you’re out there doing on a peace march, you might get beaten up. Robertson: as I said, I’ve lived in villages, poor villages, and. Urban slums in several countries. And some people could say, well, that’s stupid. You could get hurt. You know, you could, you could as a white person living in a African American slum or in a Korean village or in a Venezuelan village, Robertson: So, you know, I say, was I stupid? Was I risking and I was with my wife and children? Was I risking the lives of my wife and children by living in slums and, and villages? Yes. Was I stupid? I mean, [00:57:00] no, I wasn’t stupid, but I was risking our lives. But I somehow, I was, called I wanted to do it. I said, okay. Robertson: but my point is it’s risky, you know? And you have to keep working with yourself. That’s why I love the word practice. Robertson: You know, in Buddhism we keep practicing, and I love your, the teaching of that you have on your website of Pema Chodron, you know, on self-love. You know, you have to keep practicing. How do I love myself? Say, okay, I’m afraid and I’m just this little white person, but or I’m this little old white person, but I’m gonna do everything I can and be everything I can. Robertson: I really appreciated the story of Han not choosing sides. I mean, you’re right. If we are going to see each other’s brothers and sisters and is is one global family, we can’t pick a side over the other, even though we so want to. Gissele: And, and I’m with you. when I think that there’s a [00:58:00] unfairness, when there’s people that are vulnerable or suffering, I’m more likely to pick to the side that is like, oh, that person is suffering. They’re the victim. But what you said is spot on. People that truly lovewho have love in their heart, like when you were raised with love. Gissele: You had love to give others because your cup was full. So it overflowed to want to help others, to want to love others. People that are hurting, that don’t have love in their hearts are those that hurt other people. Robertson: Mm-hmm. Gissele: They must because they must be so separated from their own humanity. Robertson: Yes, yes, yes. Gissele: And yet things are changing. You mentioned Minnesota, and I wanted to mention that I love that they’re doing the singing chants, and they’re not making them wrong. they’re singing chants like you can change your mind. You don’t have to be wrong. You don’t have to experience shame and guilt for the choice you’ve made. You can always change your mind. And in your book, you talk a lot about movements. Do you wanna [00:59:00] share a little bit about the power of movements and helping us create a compassionate civilization? Robertson: Oh, yes. Thank you. I’m, I’m a big movement fan. it started in college with the Civil Rights Movement. I realized, wow, you know, if a lot of people get together and do something together, it can make a difference. Like the Civil Rights movement. Gissele: Yeah. Robertson: And the women’s movement and peace movement. Robertson: And like in Vietnam, the peace movement, we could really make a difference if we get out in March. I think that being an individual or part of an organization that is part of a movement can be a powerful force. And so I focus in my life and that, that book on the six movements that I’ve mentioned, and those movements can work together. Robertson: And when they work together, they become a movement of movements. They become mom. Hmm. I like that because I I’m a feminist and I think that we need so [01:00:00] desperately we need more feminine energy inhumanity and in civilization. Robertson: So I’m a unapologetic feminist. And so that’s why I like that the movement of movements, the acronym is Mom, you know, and so it’s the Moms of the World will lead us like you. And so they’re the movements of ecological regeneration, socioeconomic justice, I’m repeating gender equality, participatory governance, cultural tolerance, peace and non-violence. Robertson: And you know, we also have the Gay Rights Movement, the democracy movement. there’s so many movements that it made a huge difference. So. I began saying that I, after writing the book, I said, okay,now my work is the work of the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative. Robertson: And I decided I wouldn’t make an organization, I it, wouldn’t have a website, I wouldn’t register it. I wouldn’t raise money for it. It would just be anybody and everybody [01:01:00] who was part of the movement of movements who was working to create a compassionate civilization. Robertson: So that’s what I did. And that’s where I am. I’m this old guy in my home. I don’t get out a lot. I don’t drive a lot. I just drive to nearby town. I have a car, but I don’t use it a lot. I don’t like to walk up and down hills. Robertson: IAnd sometimes I can’t remember things and I say, Hey, but look, you have so many friends all over the world and you can keep encouraging through your writing. So that’s why I keep writing, you know, it is for the movement of movements. Robertson: I guess that’s why I write. here’s something I want to share, something I thought or felt or something that I wrote about. And maybe it will touch you. Maybe it’ll encourage you. Maybe we’ll help you in your life. Robertson: I live in a homeowners association neighborhood. It’s a neighborhood that has a homeowners association. We’re 34 families and we have straight families, gay families. we have white families and non-white families. [01:02:00] We have Democrats, Republicans and Socialists. Robertson: We have Christians and Buddhists and Hindus. And so what I do, I say, Hey, we’re all neighbors. We all helped each other during the pandemic. We all helped each other after the hurricane. It doesn’t matter what our politics are or our religion or our sexuality, we’re all human beings. Robertson: We’re all gonna die. we all want love. We all want happiness. And We can be good neighbors. We don’t have to have ideology, you know, we don’t have to quote the Bible, we don’t have to quote Buddha. We can just be good neighbors. So we’re gonna have a workshop this spring And so we’re all going to get together down the street in this big room, in the fire station, and we’re gonna have a two hour workshop. And will it help? I don’t know. Will it make us better neighbors? I don’t know. Why am I doing it? I’m driven to do it. I’ve done workshops all over the world and I wanna do a workshop in my neighborhood. Robertson: I’ve done workshops with the un, I’ve done [01:03:00] workshops with governments, with cities So I love to facilitate. I love getting people together to solve problems together to listen to each other, respect each other, to honor each other. Gissele: so I’m just gonna ask you a couple more questions. But I’m just gonna make a comment right now about what you said because I think it’s so important. Gissele: Number one is I love that your neighborhood is a microcosm of what our world could be like . The fact that people got together to help and make sure that people were taken care of. If we could amplify that, that could be our world. I think that’s such a beautiful thing. Gissele: And the other thing that I think is really fundamental is that even through your life, you are showing us that some people are going to go pickett. And that’s okay. Some people are gonna write blogs to help us, and that’s okay. Some people are gonna do podcasts, and that’s okay. There are things that people can do that don’t have to look exactly the same. Gissele: Some people are going to have more courage, and they’re going to put their bodies in front and potentially get hurt. Other people, maybe they can’t do [01:04:00] that. So there are many different ways to help. The other thing that you said that was really, really key is the importance of moms . And that was one of the things that really touched me about your book, the acronym. Gissele: I was like, oh my God, I so resonate with this. Because I do feel that we need more feminine energy. We really kind of really squash the feminine energy. But the truth of the matter is we need more because fundamentally, nurturance is a mother energy is a feminine energy. Gissele: Compassion’s a feminine energy. Yes, yes, yes, Robertson: yes, yes, Gissele: so if I can share my story. Last night I was at hockey game. My son was playing hockey. Robertson: Mm-hmm. Gissele: And our team they don’t like to fight. Gissele: We play our game and we have fun and we’re good. And so the previous teams that were there, it was under Youth 15, most of the game was the kids fighting. And taking penalties. And so the game ends, the people come off the ice and two men that are starting to get like into a fight [01:05:00] now, woman got in front of them. Gissele: Wow. and said, we all signed a form that said, this is just a game. Remember who this is for? even though she was elevated, she totally stopped that fight between two men that we were not small. And So it was, it was really interesting. Robertson: Wonderful. Gissele: it was a woman who actually stopped a fight Gissele: It’s the feminine power. And that doesn’t mean, and I wanna make this clear, that doesn’t mean that men have to be discarded or have to be treated the same way that women are treated. ’cause I think that’s a big fear. That’s a big fear that some white males have. It’s no, you don’t have to be less than, Robertson: right. Robertson: We need Gissele: to uplift the feminine energy. So there’s a balance. ’cause right now we’re not balanced. Robertson: Exactly. Exactly. Oh, boy. Am I with you there? there’s a whole section in my book, as you noticed on gender equality I’m gonna read a tribute to Mothers I. Robertson: Tribute to Mothers Giving Birth to New Life, nurturing, [01:06:00] sustaining, guiding, releasing, launching, affirming Love. Be getting Love a flow onwards. Mother Earth, mother Tree, mother Tiger, mother Eve. My grandmother’s Sally and Arie, my mother, Mary Elizabeth, my children’s mother, Mary, my grandchildren’s mother, Jennifer, my grandchildren’s grandmothe

Send a textEloquently spoken Sabrina Harris shares stories from a lynching in Alabama that forces her family to become part of the Great Migration. In this movement, approximately six million African Americans moved from the rural Southern United States to the urban North, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970.  This story strongly echoes the ones from “The Warmth of Other Suns”, the historical study by Isabel Wilkerson. With insight into how some Blacks, at times, feared the means to achieve Civil Rights, Haris speaks of her desire for change as a teenager, and her recollections about the night Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. She speaks about hope for our nation's future. If there is only one podcast episode you listen to this year, the conversation with Sabrina Harris is the one to hear and learn from.  

J. T. Price is the CEO of Landscape Workshop, one of the leading commercial landscape maintenance firms in the Southern United States. Since taking the helm in 2014, J. T. has led the company through explosive growth—driving a 65X increase in equity value and growing the team to nearly 2,000 employees. With a background that includes time at McKinsey & Company, roles in private equity, and extensive operational leadership, J. T. brings a unique blend of analytical rigor and practical execution. He's deeply committed to making Landscape Workshop the premier destination in the Green Industry for high performers, while delivering consistent, professional service to clients. J. T. holds degrees from the University of Richmond and Harvard Law School, and currently serves on several boards, including the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (as Chair), and the Altamont School. He lives in Alabama with his wife, their two children (ages 13 and 11), and their dogs, Chewie and Oreo.  

Join Maevius Lynn and me on Sunday, 28 December at 6 pm GMT and 1 pm EST for a fascinating conversation on all things Thelema.ABOUT OUR GUESTMaevius Lynn is a writer, artist, international lecturer, and ceremonial magician who currently resides in the Southern United States. Her work approaches Thelema as a living tradition from the perspective of both a solitary practitioner and an initiate of Ordo Templi Orientis and Temple of the Silver Star. She is particularly interested in getting people to practice magick and not leaving it as a niche interest relegated to history books. Her efforts inspire others to make Thelema and magick a purposeful part of their lives. Her work includes YouTube educational videos, online study groups, workshops, and lectures at pagan and occult conferences, books, magazine articles, and art. As part of this work, she especially enjoys collaborating with educators and content creators of various traditions, building bridges of understanding and inclusion around the living tradition of Thelema."Pre-order her upcoming book here: https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738779355Links:https://www.youtube.com/@MaeviusLynnhttps://www.patreon.com/c/maeviuslynnhttps://www.instagram.com/maeviuslynn/https://bsky.app/profile/maeviuslynn.bsky.socialCONNECT & SUPPORT

Time for another detour! An introduction to Afrofuturism with two magnificent guests. You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to be a patron of the podcast it would be greatly appreciated! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm The symbol mentioned in the podcast a few times is the Sankofa symbol which is a recurring symbol in Afrofuturism. It represents the idea that there are things that you go back for (and things you leave behind). You can read more about it on this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa Julian Chambliss is a scholar and a professor at Michigan State University. He is the author of multiple books including Mapping Afrofuturism: Understanding Black Speculative Practice Ytasha Womack is a filmmaker, cultural critic and author of the books Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture and The Afro Futurist Evolution: Creative Paths of Self Discovery.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Afrofuturism origin story 08:04 Afrofuturism and science fiction 11:44 Retro Afrofuturism: Of One Blood by Pauline Hopkinson 16:37 The diaspora and Afrofuturism 19:53 Dance and the individual as a nexus of time and space 23:24 Ancestry in Afrofuturism 25:32 Moving away from dystopia: Slavery as apocalypse 29:55 Optimism for the future 33:03 Holistic utopias and protopia. 35:43 Mystical frameworks 38:15 Alternative realities and the multiverse 41:38 Theory, practice and interconnectedness 46:21 Recommendations   Recommendations:  The Afro Futurist Evolution: Creative Paths of Self Discovery by Ytasha Womack (I would also thoroughly recommend her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture.) Agharta by Miles Davis Blake; or The Huts of America: A Tale of the Mississippi Valley, the Southern United States, and Cuba by  Martin Delany Space is the Place by Sun Ra Lee "Scratch" Perry George Clinton Mothership Connection by Parliament Pedro Bell and Overton Loyd Beyond the Black Panther exhibition at MSU Rise podcast by Julian Infinitum by Tim Fielder   NEXT EPISODE! Next time we'll be talking about Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and love the Bomb (1964)! You can watch the film pretty much anywhere and it is readily available to buy or rent online from many platforms. I would also recommend watching Fail Safe from the same year because it is excellent, affected the production of Dr Strangelove and due to their similarities.  

In this episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast, HeHe sits down with Jessica, a mama of five — all born breech — to unpack what it's really like to birth outside the box (literally!). From her first head-down birth to her series of empowering breech births, Jessica shares her story of confidence, trust, and self-advocacy. Together, they explore how breech birth can be safe, positive, and deeply powerful when you're supported by the right team. You'll hear how Jessica learned to trust her body, release fear, and even fire providers who didn't align with her vision. This conversation is filled with real stories, fresh perspective, and a big dose of encouragement for anyone who wants to birth boldly and on their own terms.   Guest Bio: Jessica Gray is a first responder (NREMT), social media community organizer, wife, mom of 6 and breech birth advocate. 5 of Jessica's children have been born breech naturally in two different countries.  Jessica created an online community that has proved invaluable to women globally who have found out their babies are presenting breech. Recognized as a go-to in social media for breech insight and resources, her Instagram account @breechbirth is daily interacting with women who are desperate for resources and encouragement. Jessica also shares her advocacy for breech birth through speaking engagements and appearances on popular birth podcasts.  Currently she is working on writing a guide to breech birth for moms.  She resides in the Southern United States with her family. INSTAGRAM: Connect with HeHe on IG  Connect with Jessica on IG    BIRTH EDUCATION: Join The Birth Lounge here for judgment-free childbirth education that prepares you for an informed birth and how to confidently navigate hospital policy to have a trauma-free labor experience!   Download The Birth Lounge App for birth & postpartum prep delivered straight to your phone!   LINKS MENTIONED: thebreechbook.com   Get the temp drop at 30% off for the month of November with code AFHEHE at http://www.tempdrop.com/discount/AFHEHE  

Leah Harper Bowron grew up in harsh time in the 1960's Southern United States. Her experiences influenced her to create "Colorblind: A Novel" about racial tensions between white and black Americans

Baker Rogers is a Sociologist and the owner of Queer Haven Books, South Carolina's only independent, queer bookstore. The mission of Queer Haven Books is to provide a place of safety and refuge for the queer community in the Southern United States.

Liz Roussel is a Partner at Adams & Reese, a law firm offering multidisciplinary legal services across the Southern United States. She is the Litigation Practice Group Leader in the firm's New Orleans office and advises employers and managers in labor, employment, commercial, and directors/officers litigation. Liz joined the firm in 2002 and is ranked by Chambers USA in Labor & Employment law. She also serves on the firm's Executive Committee and has been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for her legal work. In this episode… The rules around emotional support animal fees have long left landlords and property managers confused and cautious. Many believe federal law requires automatic fee waivers whenever a tenant presents an ESA letter. But is that really what the law demands, or is it simply widely misunderstood guidance? According to Liz Roussel, a seasoned litigator who manages a nationwide litigation practice, the law does not require landlords to automatically waive pet fees for emotional support animals. She highlights that a recent federal court ruling clarified HUD's 2020 guidance is not binding law and that courts must evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis. This shift follows the Supreme Court's Loper Bright v. Raimondo decision, which curbed automatic deference to agency interpretations. Liz explains how landlords can now require tenants to prove both the necessity and reasonableness of a fee waiver, and why this ruling gives property managers a clearer roadmap for handling ESA requests without fear of violating fair housing laws. In this episode of The Same Day Podcast, host Mat Zalk sits down with Liz Roussel, Partner at Adams & Reese, to talk about breaking common myths around ESA fee waivers. They discuss how the Henderson v. Five Properties case challenged HUD guidance, why the Loper Bright ruling changes how courts view agency notices, and how landlords can confidently evaluate ESA accommodation requests. Liz also shares how this decision may influence future fair housing disputes.

Send us a textMandy Griffin and Katy Swalwell discuss the concluding chapter of Elizabeth Gillespie McRae's book, 'Mothers of Massive Resistance.' They explore the roles that white women in Northern and Southern United States played in maintaining segregationist policies and resisting racial integration from the 1920s to the 1970s. The chapter ties historical segregation efforts to contemporary issues and how these women evolved their strategies to appear race-neutral while upholding systemic racism. The discussion includes historical instances of organized resistance, connections between Northern and Southern segregationist women, and the critique of historians' portrayal of these efforts. The episode also highlights the importance of understanding systemic racism and addressing the actual root causes rather than superficial symptoms.

Alora Young is a recent college graduate, actor, poet, and author of Walking Gentry Home: A Memoir of My Foremothers in Verse. She was named the 2020-2021 Youth Poet Laureate of the Southern United States, and has performed her poetry on CNN, CBS, the TEDx stage, and more. Young talks with passion and prowess about how the history and impact of spoken word poetry, generational trauma, navigating Black girlhood & womanhood in America, and neurodivergence & creativity. Find more info here: https://alorayoung.com/ As always, we'll also include the live Prompt Lines for responses to our weekly prompt. A Zoom link will be provided in the chat window during the show before that segment begins. For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Write a poem in which someone is taken to a surprising school. Next Week's Prompt: Write a poem that touches on hair. The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Between 1830 and 1850, the United States forcibly displaced 60,000 Native Americans living in the Southern United States under the ‘Indian Removal Act.' While being moved, thousands would die due to starvation, disease, and exposure.  Its impact has led some scholars to classify the event as a genocide. Regardless of how it is classified, it remains one of the greatest tragedies in American history. Learn about the Trail of Tears: why it was enacted and why it was so deadly on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Newspapers.com Get 20% off your subscription to Newspapers.com Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Jerry Compare quotes and coverages side-by-side from up to 50 top insurers at jerry.ai/daily. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Irina and Michelle have on this episode the wild tale of Kate, a successful lawyer and mom in her 50s in the Southern United States, and the same-aged man she met on Feeld while traveling, Doug (both pseudonyms). Doug seemed like the perfect boyfriend in many respects, and Kate dated him for three months long distance while he lived in a different Southern state. Doug claimed to be working at sci-fi conventions and concert venues, yet he somehow hardly seemed to leave his home and was constantly broke. Nothing could have prepared Kate, however, for the revelations of a group of women known as "The Club" who found her on social media. Did Doug really engage in cancer charity and GoFundMe frauds? Was he dating women his age only to fund his sugar baby habit? And what was up with the rumors that he may have killed his own father? Come join us for part 1 of this breathtaking story! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. Anarchism In Mexico feat. Andrew, Pt. 1 Anarchism In Mexico feat. Andrew, Pt. 2 War Update The Gang Reviews Andor Season 2, Ep. 10-12 Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #17 You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone Sources/Links: Anarchism In Mexico feat. Andrew https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/chuck-morse-anarchism-in-mexico https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/angel-cappelletti-anarchism-in-latin-america Kirk Shaffer’s “Tropical Libertarians: Anarchist movements and networks in the Caribbean, Southern United States, and Mexico, 1890s–1920s” (https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/steven-j-hirsch-lucien-van-der-walt-anarchism-and-syndicalism-in-the-colonial-and-postcolonial#toc97) War Update https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/pkk-final-declaration-activities-under-the-pkk-name-have-ended-79294 https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/cemil-bayik-we-are-now-developing-a-new-paradigm-a-second-manifesto-79403 https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/new-message-from-abdullah-Ocalan-79417 https://anfenglishmobile.com/rojava-syria/mazloum-abdi-we-hope-all-relevant-parties-take-the-necessary-steps-79319 https://jacobin.com/2025/05/kashmir-india-pakistan-cease-fire-democracy https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/14/did-pakistan-shoot-down-five-indian-fighter-jets-what-we-know https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvr4r5d2qo https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn617xv4no https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-pakistan https://www.brookings.edu/articles/lessons-for-the-next-india-pakistan-war/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/world/asia/india-pakistan-conflict.html Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #17 https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69775896/dvd-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282404/gov.uscourts.mad.282404.111.0.pdf https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282404/gov.uscourts.mad.282404.111.0.pdf https://www.refworld.org/policy/countrypos/unhcr/2024/en/147589 https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/09/south-sudan-incendiary-bombs-kill-burn-civilians https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5403712/supreme-court-tps-venezuelans https://bsky.app/profile/joshuajfriedman.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/qjurecic.bsky.social/post/3lppd7wq7jc2h https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/potential-ice-raid-thwarted-central-california-20335765.php https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/052025_ice_court_arrests/mayhem-as-ice-officials-arrest-multiple-people-immigration-court-phoenix/ https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2025-05-21/a-childs-obsession-with-fire-and-a-mysterious-cache-of-explosives-inside-the-palm-springs-bombing-probe https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-18/suicide-bomber-targeted-fertility-clinic https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/reddit-bans-anti-natalists-palm-springs-explosion-rcna207677 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/20/dhs-no-plans-immigrant-reality-show/83743897007/ https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/dhs-is-considering-reality-show-where-immigrants-compete-for-citizenship-47de277c https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspected-serial-killers-execution-trump-rcna207171 https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/middleeast/diplomats-israeli-fire-west-bank-intl https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/19/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-take-control-gaza-uk-france-canada-threaten-action https://www.patreon.com/posts/129696965?pr=true https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/a-myanmar-artist-finds-freedom-behind-bars-by-portraying-prisoners-oppression/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Justin M. Lee Sr. He is one of the youngest realtors in the Southern United States, whose company, J.M. Lee Construction, is headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. Justin isn’t just here to talk about his business; he’s here to share his vast wealth of real-estate knowledge with the listening audience and help put them on the path to financial success through smarter real-estate investments. From information on how to put equity back into one’s home, even if one doesn’t have any money to do so, to buying a home when one barely has enough money to get by, Justin Lee is the insider you never knew you needed to give you the inside scoop on the real estate world. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Justin M. Lee Sr. He is one of the youngest realtors in the Southern United States, whose company, J.M. Lee Construction, is headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. Justin isn’t just here to talk about his business; he’s here to share his vast wealth of real-estate knowledge with the listening audience and help put them on the path to financial success through smarter real-estate investments. From information on how to put equity back into one’s home, even if one doesn’t have any money to do so, to buying a home when one barely has enough money to get by, Justin Lee is the insider you never knew you needed to give you the inside scoop on the real estate world. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Justin M. Lee Sr. He is one of the youngest realtors in the Southern United States, whose company, J.M. Lee Construction, is headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. Justin isn’t just here to talk about his business; he’s here to share his vast wealth of real-estate knowledge with the listening audience and help put them on the path to financial success through smarter real-estate investments. From information on how to put equity back into one’s home, even if one doesn’t have any money to do so, to buying a home when one barely has enough money to get by, Justin Lee is the insider you never knew you needed to give you the inside scoop on the real estate world. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we're venturing into a topic that many of us might not think about — parasite and worm infections. These unseen invaders can wreak havoc on your health, yet often go unnoticed for a long time. And, despite all the supplements and peptide therapies we might be using to optimize our health, we may still be missing something very important: a potential parasite or worm infection. In this episode, we'll explore the signs and symptoms of these infections, how you can acquire them, and why we should consider them even if we're doing everything "right" in terms of diet and wellness. Let's get into it! First things first—what are parasites and worms, and how are they different?. A parasite is any organism that lives on or inside another organism, known as a host, and benefits at the host's expense. Parasites can be microscopic or visible to the naked eye. Parasites can take many forms, including: Protozoa (single-celled organisms like Plasmodium that causes malaria) Helminths (worms like roundworms, tapeworms, and flatworms) Ectoparasites (organisms like fleas, lice, or ticks that live on the host's skin or surface). They usually don't infect other parts of your body. When people refer to worm infections, they are typically talking about helminth infections. Helminths are a specific type of parasite, and they are multicellular organisms that can be categorized into three main types: Roundworms (e.g., hookworms, pinworms, and threadworms) Tapeworms Flukes (flatworms) So, all worm infections are parasitic, but not all parasites are worms.   What are the symptoms of parasitic infections?   So, how can you tell if you have a parasite/protozoa or a worm infection? Let's talk about signs and symptoms. Signs of a parasite infection can be a bit tricky because they often mimic other illnesses or conditions. You might experience: Diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus) Stomach cramps or bloating Fatigue Unexplained weight loss Skin rashes or itching Nausea or vomiting Fever Visible worms in stools or around the anus Itchy anus (especially with pinworm infections) Coughing or chest pain (in the case of certain lung-dwelling worms) Parasites can also affect your mood and mental health, causing things like anxiety or brain fog due to the toxins they release in your body. While some worm infections can be obvious, others may linger for years without being detected, causing slow, gradual damage to the body. How do you get parasitic infections? So, how do we acquire these infections? There are several ways you can pick up a parasite or worm, and it often depends on where you live, what you eat, and what activities you engage in. Let's break it down: Traveling: Traveling to areas with poor sanitation increases the risk of contracting Giardia and Cryptosporidium, two protozoan parasites commonly found in contaminated water or food. These parasites can lead to traveler's diarrhea, causing symptoms like severe stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, and frequent watery diarrhea. In some cases, infections can lead to dehydration and fatigue, making it important to take precautions like drinking bottled water and avoiding undercooked food while traveling.   Eating undercooked meat or fish: Undercooked pork or fish can harbor parasitic larvae, such as Trichinella in pork and Anisakis (Anne-e-sakis) in fish. When consumed, these parasites can survive in the digestive system and begin to infect the body. For example, Trichinella can cause trichinosis, leading to symptoms like muscle pain and fever, while Anisakis can cause abdominal pain and nausea. Properly cooking these meats to safe temperatures can kill the parasites and prevent infection. Contaminated Soil: Certain parasites, like hookworms, can enter your body through small breaks or pores in the skin if you walk barefoot on contaminated soil. Areas where you are most likely to encounter hookworms in soil include Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America (especially Central and South America), Caribbean Islands, and Southern United States (especially in areas with poor sanitation). Insects: Mosquitoes and other insects can transmit diseases caused by parasites, such as Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for malaria. Similarly, ticks can carry parasites like Babesia (buh-bee-zee-ah), which causes babesiosis (buh-bee-zee-OH-sis) Close contact: Some parasites are spread through human-to-human contact, especially in crowded or unsanitary conditions (e.g., schools, daycares, campgrounds, public restrooms, and nursing homes). For example, pinworms can be contracted by anyone, though they are most often seen in children. They are highly contagious, and you can acquire them through contact with contaminated surfaces or even from sharing bedding. How are parasitic infections diagnosed? Healthcare providers look for the parasites themselves or signs of them, such as their eggs, in your body fluids or tissues. To check for parasites, your provider might take samples from different areas, including: Your stool  Blood Skin or any affected tissue Phlegm (sputum) Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid) In some cases, your provider might also use imaging tests like X-rays, MRI, or CT scans to help diagnose a parasitic infection, depending on what symptoms you're experiencing. Now, this all ties into a bigger picture. Many people are investing heavily in their health these days—through supplements, peptide therapies, and cutting-edge wellness routines. And while these are all beneficial, they can't always protect us from hidden invaders like parasites and worms. What's more, many of the symptoms of a parasite or worm infection can mimic other conditions, and because we often don't think about these infections, they can go undiagnosed for years.  If you're dealing with ongoing digestive issues, fatigue, skin problems, or even unexplained brain fog, it might be time to consider that a parasite or worm infection could be behind it—especially if you've recently traveled.   Thanks for listening to The Peptide Podcast. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. And as always, have a happy, healthy week. We're huge advocates of elevating your health game with nutrition, supplements, and vitamins. Whether it's a daily boost or targeted support, we trust and use Momentous products to supercharge our wellness journey.  Momentous only uses the highest-quality ingredients, and every single product is rigorously tested by independent third parties to ensure their products deliver on their promise to bring you the best supplements on the market.

Join us as we embark on a flavorful journey into the heart of African American culinary traditions with our guest Mr. Adrian Miller, known as the Soul Food Scholar. Mr. Adrian, an award-winning author and culinary historian, shares his knowledge on the origins, significance, and cultural impact of soul food in America.

Send J. Harvey a text! (Try to be nice, but I get it, everyone's a little cranky sometimes...)Father Frank was loved by his congregation, and known for his generosity and supportive nature. But he had his secrets. One of them, his increasingly uneasy relationship with an odd, makeshift "family" in his congregation, might have gotten him killed.Music by Pixaby.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREESupport the showSubscribe to Wicked Gay on Patreon (Patreon.com/wickedgay ) for extra episodes and bonus content!You can find Wicked Gay on Facebook, Twitter/X, Bkuesky, Instagram, and TikTok under “Wickedgaypod.” (Wicked Gay is probably leaving X/Twitter soon for obvious reasons.)

Send us a textIn this conversation, Bob Sorrentino interviews Ernesto Milani, who shares his family's migration story from Italy to the United States, particularly focusing on the early Italian immigrants in America. They discuss the correspondence between family members across the ocean, the establishment of Italian settlements in the Southern United States, and the significant role of mutual aid societies in supporting Italian immigrants. Ernesto also shares the poignant story of Rosa, an Italian immigrant who became a storyteller in America, highlighting the experiences of women in the immigrant narrative.Ernesto's Website http://ernestomilani.itTakeawaysErnesto's family migrated from Northern Italy to America in the 1890s.Many Northern Italians settled in various parts of the United States, not just New York.Letters from family members provide valuable insights into immigrant life.Emotional connections are maintained through correspondence across generations.The Sunnyside Plantation was a unique settlement for Italian immigrants in the South.Many Italians faced significant challenges adapting to agricultural practices in America.The legacy of Italian families continues to thrive in the South today.Researching family history can uncover fascinating stories and connections.The experience of Italian immigrants varied greatly depending on their region of origin.Maintaining family ties was crucial for many Italian immigrants, despite geographical distances. 5% of the population in Cugionno was born in the States.Rosa's story illustrates the immigrant experience and resilience.Women's roles in immigration are often overlooked in history.Sports played a crucial role in Italian American identity.Yogi Berra's legacy connects generations of Italian Americans.Mutual aid societies were vital for immigrant support.Cultural heritage is essential to understanding identity.Storytelling is a powerful tool for preserving history.Genealogy connects individuals to their ancestral roots.Personal journeys of exploration enrich our understanding of immigration.Turnkey. The only thing you'll lift are your spirits.Italian Marketplace LLCOnline tee shirts, hoodies and more for ItaliansItalians Swindled to New YorkThe story of the first Italians to enter New York in 1872Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showPurchase my book "Farmers and Nobles" here or at Amazon.

What do the Louisville Slugger, Chattanooga Choo Choo, and Allman Brothers Band all have in common? They're part of the rich fabric of the Southern United States that we'll explore in this episode of Traveling with AAA. Today, host Angie Orth welcomes Caroline Eubanks, author of This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States. She is a seasoned travel writer who has covered the South (and beyond) for publications such as Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, Southern Living, Westways, and AAA Explorer. You'll hear about the best places to visit and what to eat in Louisville, Kentucky; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Macon, Georgia. We'll explore Derby City's famed horse race track and its iconic tasting trail. You'll hear about the Scenic City's famous train depot and its most delicious dessert. You'll also discover where to find Civil War history and Southern rock ‘n' roll in the heart of Georgia.  What You'll Learn:(2:47) The Kentucky Derby experience (4:12) Basking in Bourbon in downtown Louisville (10:20) The quaint Tennessee city with something for everyone(15:27) A must-eat sweet treat in Chattanooga(15:59) Where music, nature, and culture meetConnect with Caroline Eubanks:https://carolineeubanks.com/InstagramXConnect with AAA:Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaa-auto-club-enterprisesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises

Lynyrd Skynyrd was a success with their debut album, and continued to build a fan base when they opened for The Who on their Quadrophenia tour.  Many of the songs on their debut album were staples of their concerts in Jacksonville, Florida, where they had built their style over the years since the 60's.  Therefore it was not a sure thing that they would be able to sustain their success over time.  Those concerns were put to rest when they released their second album.Second Helping, a southern colloquialism for getting more of the same thing at the dinner table, cemented Lynyrd Skynyrd as the flag bearer for the Southern Rock genre.  At a time when a number of British artists - most notably the Rolling Stones - were digging into the rock and blues music of the American South, Lynyrd Skynyrd was the real thing.  They rode the power of their triple guitar set and the wit of Ronnie Van Zandt's lyrics to a commercial success, with the album going to number 12 on the Billboard 200 chart and certified as gold by September 1974.  While contemporary critics were more lukewarm, those reviews have been revised way upward over time.  Second Helping also contains the biggest hit of the group as well, the Southern anthem "Sweet Home Alabama."Lynyrd Skynyrd would go on to produce many more hit songs and records in the southern rock genre before tragedy took front man Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines in October 1977.  But Second Helping is the album that solidified their standing as an internationally successful band.Wayne takes us through this album for this week's podcast, and Brian Dickhute joins us in Bruce's absence. The Needle and the SpoonThis song would not be the only anti-drug track in the Skynyrd discography.  The lyrics describe a man coming out of rehab, and makes use of a wah wah pedal effect that was not common to most of Skynyrd's music, but fit with the heroin subject of the song.  Swamp MusicAlthough not released as a single, this song got plenty of air play on FM radio, as did most of the tracks on this album.  This fast -paced track describes life in the Florida swamps.  The members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were well acquainted with outdoor life, fishing for catfish, hunting, and other "redneck" activities.Sweet Home AlabamaEveryone knows this anthem of Southern rock.  This song was written in response to Neil Young's "Southern Man," in which the band felt like the entire Southern United States was blamed for slavery.  Between the hook of the leading riff and the catchy lyrics, this song has become a staple of classic rock. This is Skynyrd's only top 10 hit, as it went to number 8 on the US charts.  Interestingly, none of the band members are from Alabama.Don't Ask Me No QuestionsGary Rossington and Ronnie Van Zandt wrote this song during a fishing trip.  Many think this is about a relationship, but it was a message to the record managers who were apathetic towards the band during the early days, but who turned demanding after they were a success.   ENTERTAINMENT TRACK: Main theme from the television series, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."In this sitcom spin-off from "The Andy Griffith Show," Jim Nabors plays the lovable but naive Gomer Pyle, now enlisted into the Marine Corp.  Frank Sutton, who played Sergent Carter in this series, passed away in June 1974. STAFF PICKS:Help Me by Joni MitchellRob starts the staff picks with a single from Mitchell's sixth studio album, "Court and Spark."  This track is Mitchell's biggest single, and her only song to crack the top 10 in the US, going to  number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics describe a singer who knows she is falling for the wrong man, but is either powerless to stop it or doesn't want to call things off.Dancing Machine by the Jackson 5Brian brings us a song that hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a multi-year dry spell.  The Jackson 5 appeared on "Soul Train" performing this song, and Michael Jackson introduced the world to "the robot" dance routine.  The Jackson 5 had a Saturday morning cartoon which kept the group in the public conscious.Waterloo by ABBALynch features the song that made ABBA a household name when the Swedish group won the 1974 Eurovision Song contest singing this tune.  The lyrics compare falling in love to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.  The name "ABBA" comes from the first letter of each of the singers' names.Tell Me Something Good by RufusWayne presents a funky song from a group featuring Chaka Kahn as lead vocalist.  Rufus is a one-hit wonder, with this song peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Stevie Wonder wrote this song about a woman looking for a deeper relationship, not just a one night stand.  It was the first hit song that utilized the vocoder.  INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Dance with the Devil by Cozy PowellWe close out with a drum instrumental based on Jimi Hendrix' "Third Stone from the Sun."  Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rev. Dr. Adrienne Johnson and Rev. Bill Green. She has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in Ghana, West Africa and her son leads the Southeast chapter of national non-profits committed to building a more sustainable and equitable local food system. Reverend Adrienne Johnson launched Wo Ye Bra in 2017 to keep girls in school who would otherwise stay home because they lack access to sanitary supplies during their periods. To date, she has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in West Africa. Reverend Bill Green maintains a sustainable and equitable local food system. Responsible for a team of sales and operations professionals in connecting communities to local, fresh food produced by small family-owned farms within GA, AL, SC and TN. Conduct outreach on behalf of historically underserved farmers with schools, universities, hospitals, retailers, government entities, restaurants and community organizations in order to address food access challenges in metro Atlanta and other major cities throughout Georgia and Alabama. Manage 60,000sf SQF-certified facility, logistics and warehouse team where local food is aggregated from local farmers and distributed to partner institutions. Also leads the development team in raising over $1.9m in local funds from 2022 to 2023. Successfully distributed over five million pounds of food to over 166 community organizations as part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program in 2020. Currently leads the USDA’s Local Food Procurement Assistance Cooperative Agreement in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Agriculture delivering over $5m of locally sourced food to Georgia’s eight food banks. Gives public presentations and serves on panels regarding importance of local food systems in nutritional, economic and ecological health. #BEST #STRAWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rev. Dr. Adrienne Johnson and Rev. Bill Green. She has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in Ghana, West Africa and her son leads the Southeast chapter of national non-profits committed to building a more sustainable and equitable local food system. Reverend Adrienne Johnson launched Wo Ye Bra in 2017 to keep girls in school who would otherwise stay home because they lack access to sanitary supplies during their periods. To date, she has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in West Africa. Reverend Bill Green maintains a sustainable and equitable local food system. Responsible for a team of sales and operations professionals in connecting communities to local, fresh food produced by small family-owned farms within GA, AL, SC and TN. Conduct outreach on behalf of historically underserved farmers with schools, universities, hospitals, retailers, government entities, restaurants and community organizations in order to address food access challenges in metro Atlanta and other major cities throughout Georgia and Alabama. Manage 60,000sf SQF-certified facility, logistics and warehouse team where local food is aggregated from local farmers and distributed to partner institutions. Also leads the development team in raising over $1.9m in local funds from 2022 to 2023. Successfully distributed over five million pounds of food to over 166 community organizations as part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program in 2020. Currently leads the USDA’s Local Food Procurement Assistance Cooperative Agreement in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Agriculture delivering over $5m of locally sourced food to Georgia’s eight food banks. Gives public presentations and serves on panels regarding importance of local food systems in nutritional, economic and ecological health. #BEST #STRAWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we dive deep into the heartworm epidemic sweeping the Southern United States. Joined by Dr. Chris Duke, a leading expert in veterinary medicine, we explore the causes, challenges, and solutions to this devastating disease affecting countless dogs. Learn how to protect your furry friends, the importance of prevention, and the steps communities can take to combat this crisis. Don't miss this vital discussion on safeguarding canine health and wellbeing.

This episode is a collection of impromptu interviews that occurred on the Bigfoot Society TikTok channel Live - https://www.tiktok.com/@bigfoot.society (FOLLOW US THERE AS WELL!)Join host Jeremiah Byron as we dive into a series of intense and vivid Bigfoot encounters from the Southern United States. Hear firsthand accounts from Northern Minnesota to San Antonio, Texas, and the mountains of Arkansas. Witnesses recount their experiences with this elusive creature, sharing tales of eerie sounds, powerful smells, and terrifying close encounters in remote, wilderness areas. Discover ghostly interactions, unexplained phenomena, and stories that will make you question reality itself, including a chilling encounter at Lake Ouachita where a family outing turns into a life-altering Bigfoot sighting.Resouces:Tatę Hieronymus and Ron Read's Native Giants podcast episode with Les Stroud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6CP7NzFbOsWatch Sasquatch: A Search for Sabe documentary series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo8O4rvywzE&list=PLNJQ3FPV8_IDthdb3-mWjTmtoyej5cm9c

This Day in Legal History: First Year with No LynchingsOn December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute released a landmark report marking the first recorded year without a lynching of African Americans in the United States since the institute began keeping records in 1881. The grim practice of lynching—extrajudicial killings often carried out by mobs to enforce racial subjugation—had claimed thousands of lives, becoming a chilling emblem of racial terror, particularly in the Southern United States. Tuskegee's data captured the scope of this violence, documenting nearly 4,000 lynchings of Black individuals over the prior seven decades.The significance of 1952 as a year without reported lynchings underscored the impact of growing civil rights activism, the waning influence of vigilante groups, and increasing legal accountability. This milestone also reflected shifts in public attitudes and the effectiveness of organizations like the NAACP, which tirelessly campaigned against lynching and for federal anti-lynching legislation. Despite this progress, racial violence and discrimination persisted in other forms, underscoring that the end of lynching did not mean the end of systemic racism."Strange Fruit," a haunting protest song famously recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939, had kept the horrors of lynching at the forefront of public consciousness. Its stark imagery of "black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze" served as a chilling reminder of the atrocities endured by Black Americans. While the 1952 milestone was a cause for solemn reflection, it was also a call to sustain the fight for racial justice and equality in a nation still grappling with deep-seated prejudices.Rupert Murdoch and other senior leaders of Fox Corporation will face claims from investors alleging personal responsibility for financial harm stemming from false election conspiracy theories aired by Fox News. Delaware Chancery Court's Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster denied Fox's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, stating that the plaintiffs had sufficiently argued that Murdoch could likely be held liable for knowingly permitting defamatory content to be broadcast. The lawsuit follows Fox's record-breaking settlement with Dominion Voting Systems and comes as Smartmatic pursues a separate $2 billion defamation suit. The investors claim that the leadership's actions and decisions led to significant economic fallout, asserting that corporate governance failures allowed reputational and financial damage to occur. While the court's decision enables the case to proceed, it does not guarantee success for the plaintiffs, leaving the ultimate outcome of the claims to trial.Fox, Murdoch, Execs Must Face Election Defamation Payout SuitA federal appeals court upheld a $5 million verdict against Donald Trump in a case brought by E. Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist, who accused him of sexual assault and defamation. The decision, issued by a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, stems from a 2023 jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her in a 2022 Truth Social post. While jurors did not find Trump guilty of rape, they awarded Carroll $2.02 million for sexual assault and $2.98 million for defamation.Carroll has also secured an $83.3 million defamation verdict from a separate jury in January 2024, which Trump is appealing. These legal battles persist despite Trump's return to the presidency following his 2024 election victory. Trump's defense argued that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from two other women alleging past misconduct and included the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape as evidence. Both trials were overseen by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. This case continues to highlight the lack of immunity for sitting presidents in civil litigation unrelated to their official duties, following a precedent set during Bill Clinton's presidency.Trump loses appeal of E. Jean Carroll $5 million defamation verdict | ReutersThe oil and gas industry is facing increasing legal and legislative pressure over its role in climate change. States like New York and Vermont have enacted “climate Superfund” laws, with New York's targeting $75 billion from major polluters over 25 years to fund climate mitigation efforts. Meanwhile, multiple states and cities have filed lawsuits alleging misinformation campaigns by fossil fuel companies about climate change and plastic pollution. These efforts, while separate, are creating a coordinated front against the industry and building evidence to attribute emissions to specific companies.Experts suggest that legislative efforts like climate Superfund laws and lawsuits may bolster each other by generating an evidentiary record for liability. However, there are concerns about overstepping legal boundaries, as courts may reject overlapping claims for damages under federal laws like the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Fossil fuel companies argue that climate-specific laws conflict with existing federal laws such as the Clean Air Act and may face challenges in implementation.The American Petroleum Institute and energy companies have expressed resistance to these legal actions, with a preference for fighting rather than settling claims. While states hope to hold polluters accountable, the success of these strategies remains uncertain as courts, lawmakers, and the industry test the boundaries of new legal frameworks.Climate Liability Laws, Litigation Add to Oil Industry HeadacheThe legal industry is set for another wave of consolidation in 2025, with several major law firm mergers scheduled for January 1. Among these, Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders will merge with Locke Lord to create Troutman Pepper Locke, a firm with 1,600 attorneys and projected annual revenues exceeding $1.5 billion. Similarly, Womble Bond Dickinson is merging with Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, combining to form a 1,300-lawyer firm with $742 million in revenues. Taft Stettinius & Hollister is joining with Sherman & Howard, projecting revenues of $810 million for the merged entity.Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr will combine with Lane Powell, forming a 750-lawyer firm operating in 18 U.S. offices. These moves follow 41 law firm mergers in the first nine months of 2024, with industry analysts predicting continued activity next year. Firms are responding to client demand for broader services and geographic reach, as businesses increasingly consolidate their legal needs with fewer providers. Smaller and midsize firms are pursuing mergers to access new markets and clients, while the most profitable firms focus on lateral hires and internal growth. Rising costs, including attorney salaries and investment in generative AI technologies, are also pressuring firms to consolidate. Transatlantic mergers are gaining momentum as well, with U.K.-based firms like Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills expanding into the U.S. market through deals with Shearman & Sterling and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, respectively. These global mergers highlight the evolving competitive landscape in the legal sector.Law firms' quest for market share drives New Year's merger wave | 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

In honor of World AIDS Day, today's episode features a conversation with public health trailblazer Maisha Standifer, PhD, MPH, Director of Population Health at The Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA.Dr. Maisha Standifer delivers a comprehensive exploration of HIV and AIDS through the lens of health equity, focusing on the complex social dynamics shaping transmission in the Southern United States. With over 15 years of research experience, Dr. Standifer provides an in-depth analysis of the intersecting factors that contribute to HIV risk, emphasizing the critical roles of education, stigma reduction, and community engagement. HIV and AIDS are not just medical conditions, but reflections of deeper societal inequalities that impact sexual health, access to resources, and community well-being.We discussed:HIV prevalence in the Southern United StatesYouth engagement in sexual health educationPolicy's role in community health interventionsDisproportionate impact on young populationsChallenges faced by marginalized communities such as barriers to healthcarePrEP as a crucial HIV prevention toolSocial stigma surrounding HIV and AIDSPsychological impacts of discriminationCulturally sensitive health communicationResources and Further LearningFind Local HIV testing centersInformation on PrEPCommunity health education programsConnect with me on socials- join the Be Well,Sis tribe on Instagram and YouTube!Want to get in touch? Maybe you have an AITA you need solving or a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at hello@editaud.io with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Be Well Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward and Reem Elmaghraby. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert. Be Well Sis is an editaudio collaboration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode features a conversation with Adam Tolmach of Ojai Vineyards, and it's located not too far from Los Angeles in distance. Adam Tolmach lost his estate vineyard a couple decades ago to a vine disease that is endemic to Southern California. This disease has become a serious problem for anywhere in North America that has mild enough winters… and that area is steadily creeping north. This vine disease is known as Pierce's Disease, it is spread by insects… specifically sharpshooters, and as Adam suggests, it was the cause of the death of tens of thousands of acres of vineyards in Southern California, and likely contributed to the contraction of the wine industry here and its move to Northern California by the end of the 19th century.   There are currently only two options for preventing your vineyard from succumbing to Pierce's Disease if you live in an area that has it, which is pretty much the entire Southern United States: you can either spray aggressively with knock-down insecticides – the intense, kill-on-contact kind – OR you can plant varieties of grapes that have inherent resistance to the disease… and those varieties of grapes are the kind that contain the genetics of the native vines that evolved with the disease. In other words, you need hybrids. There are no vinifera varieties that are resistant to Pierce's Disease. So, in 2017, Adam resurrected his estate vineyard by planting a selection of modern hybrid grapes that were bred here in California specifically to be resistant to Pierce's Disease. There are so many really incredible discussion points that come up in this conversation, but I wanted to give some further context to this. Nothing illustrates the truth that hybrids are the future of wine more than this disease. With climate change, the range of this disease is continually spreading further north. It is on the doorstep of 90% of the winemaking in the US, and it knocking louder every year. It was recently found in Humbolt County, which is almost to California's northern border. It is a zero tolerance disease… as Adam says, one bite from an insect that carries the disease can kill that vine within about 3 years. So the choices are pretty stark about what you can do to deal with it: either A) cling to vinifera and nuke your vineyards with really awful chemical insecticides continually, essentially creating a dead zone around your vines, or B) adapt and embrace change and build a wine culture ecologically on a greater diversity of varieties. As I began researching for this conversation with Adam Tolmach, I discovered that there are quite a few vineyards who have planted small amounts of the resistant varieties that Adam grows. Even Caymus in Napa Valley. Nobody is really publicizing it yet, but hybrids are being integrated quietly, almost surreptitiously into our wine culture here. We're in the don't ask, don't tell phase with regard to hybrids in California. Someday soon, we're just going to have to grow up and embrace them as equals. And I'm really grateful to Adam for being one of the folks who's willing to champion them. https://ojaivineyard.com/ You Can Support this podcast by subscribing via patreon. Or by donating or taking action at: Beyond Organic Wine

The Bell Witch or Bell Witch Haunting is a legend from Southern United States folklore, centered on the 19th-century Bell family of northwest Robertson County, Tennessee. Farmer John Bell Sr. resided with his family along the Red River in an area currently near the town of Adams. For three years, “Kate” tormented the family, none more so than John Bell and his daughter, Betsy Bell, who was pinched, scratched, stuck with pins and beaten, according to legend. But why? Who was Kate and why did her demonic behavior target this family? Anne & Renata will atempt to unravel the secrets behind this enduring legend in this episode of the True Hauntings Podcast. Beware! The Bell Witch - A True Hauntings Podcast SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS THAT SUPPORT THIS SHOW Mythical Meats - To grab the taste sensation sweeping the nation and save 10% go here and use code P60 at check out,  https://shop.mythicalmeats.com/ Mint Mobile - To get your new wireless plan for just15 bucks a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE, go to www.MintMobile.com/P60 Haunted Magazine - https://bit.ly/hauntedmagazine Tarot Readings by Winnie - www.darknessradio.com/love-lotus-tarot Follow Anne and Renata: Facebook: @AnneAndRenata Instagram: @AnneAndRenata YouTube: @AnneAndRenata TikTok: @AnneAndRenata Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Schexnayder, the founder of Southern Gothic Media, joins Adam on today's episode to talk about his podcast, which tells the ghost stories of various communities in the Southern United States. He details his background in the music industry, how he found his way into the podcasting space and what the initial stages were like in creating his podcast. He also discusses some of the most interesting stories he's told on his show and his work with DMOs to tell the ghost stories of their respective communities. Lastly, Brandon gives some insight into how he's been able to grow his podcast and the importance of collaboration in the podcasting space. "At the end of the day though, I have to say the biggest thing that you can do is be involved in the other community of podcasts, period. If you want to grow your show, if you want to grow your content, being involved with other content creators and building that community is going to grow more than anything." - Brandon Schexnayder Southern Gothic Media If you're enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Subscribe to our newsletter! The Destination Marketing Podcast is a part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and produced by Relic. If you are interested in any of Relic's services, please email adam@relicagency.com or visit www.relicagency.com. To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast network and to listen to our other shows, please visit www.thedmpn.com. If you are interested in joining the network, please email adam@relicagency.com.

Join us on the Grazing Grass Podcast as we explore the world of grass-based livestock production, featuring Ted Miller from Delta Dairy in Louisiana. Ted shares his fascinating journey of transitioning his dairy operation from Pennsylvania to the Mississippi Delta, offering insights into his innovative use of virtual collars for cattle management. Discover how the Halter brand of collars has transformed his grazing strategy, and hear firsthand how Ted manages his forages, including the strategic planting of cool-season annuals. This episode provides valuable perspectives for anyone interested in sustainable grazing practices, from dairy farmers to beef, sheep, and goat producers.We also compare the differences in dairy farming practices between New Zealand and the southern United States, highlighting how climate and environmental conditions influence farming decisions. Ted recounts his personal experiences with moving his dairy operation to Louisiana, detailing the logistical challenges and the genetic acclimatization of his herd to a warmer climate. Additionally, we discuss the importance of adapting livestock to local conditions, exploring the role of genetics and epigenetics in cattle breeding and management. Learn about the innovative use of solar-powered virtual fencing and its impact on labor management and forage utilization.Throughout our conversation, we emphasize the need for adaptability and innovation in farming, sharing strategies for forage management and the benefits of rotational grazing. Ted offers his experiences with introducing smart collars to his herd, detailing the process of training cattle to respect virtual boundaries. We also touch on the challenges of maintaining a competitive edge in the commodity milk market and the significance of mentorship and confidence in grass-fed systems. Whether you're a seasoned farmer or new to grass-based production, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for improving farm efficiency and productivity.Links Mentioned in the Episode:Delta Dairy Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative 

As communities across the Southern United States set about recovering from one of the most devastating hurricane seasons ever, we're doing what Mr. Rogers always told us to do when the news is scary: we're looking for the helpers. In this episode, two stories about people who have stepped up for their neighbors, despite their differences.Leave us a voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What does it take to navigate a career change during a global pandemic? Mackenzie Reynolds shares her story of resilience, faith, and divine timing as she transitioned through different jobs and countries. Imagine moving from the comfort of the Southern United States to the high-altitude challenges of La Paz, Bolivia. Mackenzie recounts the hurdles she faced, from severe altitude sickness to language barriers, and how the warmth and hospitality of the Bolivian people mirrored the comforting familiarity of her Southern roots. Her family's journey underscores the crucial roles that faith and community play in overcoming life's most significant transitions, highlighting key moments of emotional relief and divine faithfulness.Upon returning to NorthStar Academy, Mackenzie utilized her skills to assist families and schools with blended learning. Listen in for her reflections on the awe-inspiring ways God prepares and positions us to serve, the global impact of North Star, and advice for students navigating significant life changes.

Deborah Hanson is an independent researcher and historian uncovering hidden stories and documenting oral testimonies of the Black family's educational and entrepreneurial experiences in the early 1900s. In sharing these stories, Ms. Hanson's goal is to provide encouragement and inspiration on how the faith and determination of our ancestors can be the driving force for us to pursue our highest dreams. In this episode, we explore the powerful and often untold story of the movement to build schools for Black youth in the Southern United States between 1914 and 1932. Deborah Hanson, an independent researcher and historian, joins us to shed light on the incredible faith, determination, and resilience of Black families during this period. She highlights how communities came together, despite the era's racial oppression, to create educational opportunities that laid the foundation for future generations. Ms. Hanson's research uncovers the inspiring stories behind these efforts and offers valuable lessons on how the past can fuel our pursuit of greatness today.

In this episode of "Right About Now," host Ryan Alford welcomes guests Brianna Hall and Chris Hansen for a lively discussion on the cultural significance of college football and the growing impact of media censorship. Ryan kicks off by sharing his excitement for the upcoming college football season, especially Clemson University's games. Brianna and Chris delve into the sport's deep-rooted passion in the South, exploring how it shapes regional identity. The conversation then shifts to Mark Zuckerberg's recent revelations about government pressure on content moderation, sparking a broader discussion on the implications of media censorship for both the public and businesses. The episode wraps up with a call for listeners to critically engage with the media they consume.TAKEAWAYSCultural significance of college football, particularly in the Southern United States.Personal anecdotes related to college football and its impact on social events.The business aspects of college football, including financial implications for players and institutions.Discussion on media censorship and its effects on information dissemination.Mark Zuckerberg's admissions regarding content moderation on social media platforms.The consequences of suppressed information during the COVID-19 pandemic.The relationship between media censorship and business operations, especially in advertising.Trends in the real estate market, including rising home prices and market cancellations.The impact of housing affordability on employee satisfaction and work ethic.Changing attitudes toward work and employee expectations across different generations.TIMESTAMPSIntroduction to the Episode (00:00:00)Ryan Alford introduces the podcast and sets the tone for the episode.Welcome and Guest Introductions (00:00:23)Ryan welcomes Brianna Hall and Christopher Hansen, discussing the excitement of the upcoming college football season.College Football Excitement (00:01:00)Ryan shares his enthusiasm for college football, reflecting on personal fandom and expectations for Clemson.Cultural Significance of College Football (00:03:55)The guests discuss the serious nature of college football in the South and its impact on social events.Business of College Football (00:04:02)Ryan highlights the financial aspects of college football and how players are now compensated differently.Censorship in Sports and Media (00:04:31)Discussion on the implications of paying college athletes and the need for regulation in the evolving landscape.Mark Zuckerberg's Admission (00:08:00)Ryan talks about Zuckerberg's recent letter acknowledging censorship pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the election.Impact of Censorship on Information (00:10:09)Christopher expresses frustration over censorship during COVID and its potential consequences on public knowledge.Political Implications of Censorship (00:11:08)Ryan discusses how censorship could have influenced the 2020 election and the importance of transparency.Media's Role in Censorship (00:12:31)The hosts question the motives behind media censorship and the implications for public trust.Change in Media Landscape (00:14:09)Ryan and Christopher discuss the shift in media narratives and the challenges in discerning truth from conspiracy.Responsibility of Media Platforms (00:15:54)The conversation addresses the responsibilities of media platforms in reporting factual information without bias.Division in Media Narratives (00:17:12)Discussion on how media narratives often create division and the necessity for a more balanced perspective.Censorship Experiences (00:19:01)Ryan shares personal experiences with censorship on social media platforms regarding the Second Amendment.Business Implications of Censorship (00:20:01)Ryan explains how media censorship can affect businesses, emphasizing the importance of independent platforms.Real Estate Market Overview (00:22:20)Discussion on the collapse of home deals due to high prices and election uncertainty.Personal Real Estate Experience (00:23:38)Ryan shares his experience selling a house with significant price appreciation over ten years.Concerns About Housing Prices (00:24:47)Discussion on whether skyrocketing housing prices are beneficial for the community.Impact of Censorship on Business (00:25:07)Concerns about employees' ability to afford homes affecting business stability.Miami Real Estate Insights (00:25:51)Christopher discusses Miami's real estate market and new developments in foreclosure.Kamala Harris's Housing Plan (00:26:51)Mention of Kamala Harris's proposal to build 3 million new housing units.Affordable Housing Crisis (00:27:21)Discussion on the shortage of affordable housing and its implications for buyers.Homeownership Challenges (00:27:34)Challenges faced by individuals looking to buy homes in today's market.Income vs. Housing Prices (00:28:18)Debate on whether incomes have kept pace with rising housing prices.Chinese Investment in Real Estate (00:29:19)Concerns about Chinese companies purchasing land and housing in the U.S.Land Purchases Near Military Bases (00:30:50)Discussion on the implications of foreign ownership of land near military installations.Generational Work Attitudes (00:31:10)Comparison of sick leave usage between Gen Z and Baby Boomers.Post-COVID Work Culture Shift (00:32:36)Discussion on changes in workplace attitudes towards health and attendance post-COVID.Flexibility in Work Environments (00:33:09)The importance of flexibility in work to reduce unnecessary sick days.Work Identity and Culture Shift (00:34:55)Exploration of how employee loyalty and work identity have evolved over time.Company Culture and Worker Loyalty (00:36:16)Discussion on the changing dynamics of employee loyalty and company culture.Inflation's Effect on Business (00:39:00)Impact of inflation on business operations and employee incentives.Disillusionment with Employment (00:40:26)Concerns about employee disillusionment regarding long-term care and retirement benefits.Final Thoughts and Sponsorship (00:41:03)Closing remarks and promotion of the show's sponsor. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan's newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE. Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding. Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford.

This week, Goldy and Paul talk to Chandra Childers, a senior policy and economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute and author of their recent report on the Southern economic development model. Although the Southern economic development model is touted as a business-friendly strategy, it has devastating consequences for workers and families in Southern states. Childers explains how this economic model is rooted in racism and economic exploitation and has led to lower wages, weaker safety nets, and fewer opportunities for workers. They also discuss how some Southern states are bucking this trend and attempting to adopt more progressive policies, as well as the potential impact of renewed unionization efforts in the region. Chandra Childers is a senior policy and economic analyst with the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute. Her work is primarily focused on supporting EARN's state and local policy research and advocacy network in the Southern United States. Before joining the EARN team at EPI, Childers was a Study Director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. Twitter: @ChandraChilders Further reading:  Breaking down the South's economic underperformance The evolution of the Southern economic development strategy Rooted in racism and economic exploitation Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick's twitter: @NickHanauer

Guest: Carmen James Randolph, President and CEO of the Women's Foundation of the SouthDiscussion Highlights: Challenges in philanthropy, effective strategies for social change, and success stories from WFS.Key Takeaways: Insights on leadership, the importance of community in philanthropic endeavors, and actionable advice for those looking to make a difference.Call to Action: Learn how to support the Women's Foundation of the South. Visit WFS's website and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.Engagement: Subscribe to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, share this episode, and join the movement towards an empowered and equitable South.Tune in for an enlightening discussion that not only highlights the pivotal role of women in leading social change but also inspires each of us to contribute to a more just and equitable society. Join the Movement with RISE Urban Nation Podcast

Guest: Carmen James Randolph, President and CEO of the Women's Foundation of the SouthDiscussion Highlights: Challenges in philanthropy, effective strategies for social change, and success stories from WFS.Key Takeaways: Insights on leadership, the importance of community in philanthropic endeavors, and actionable advice for those looking to make a difference.Call to Action: Learn how to support the Women's Foundation of the South. Visit WFS's website and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.Engagement: Subscribe to the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, share this episode, and join the movement towards an empowered and equitable South.Tune in for an enlightening discussion that not only highlights the pivotal role of women in leading social change but also inspires each of us to contribute to a more just and equitable society. Join the Movement with RISE Urban Nation Podcast

From the inspiring faith of little Charlene Richard, a twelve-year-old girl who died of Leukemia and is now on the path to canonization, to the enduring resilience of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia during the Civil War and the culture wars of today, Catholicism in the South is far from just a cultural norm—it embodies a story of suffering and sanctity. Fr. Korey LaVergne, pastor of St. Edward's Church in Louisiana and Charlene Richard's home parish, and Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP, offer profound insights into the vibrant and joyful reality of Catholicism in the Southern United States. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Laprisha Berry Daniels' grandparents left the Southern United States and migrated north to Detroit in the 1950s — a move that could be considered a big "climate change." Now, as a public health social worker, Berry Daniels mines the survival strategies of her grandparents to think about how we can all learn from the past to better prepare for current and future environmental climate change.

Laprisha Berry Daniels' grandparents left the Southern United States and migrated north to Detroit in the 1950s — a move that could be considered a big "climate change." Now, as a public health social worker, Berry Daniels mines the survival strategies of her grandparents to think about how we can all learn from the past to better prepare for current and future environmental climate change.