IN HONOR OF REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
America has historically and conveniently left out many of the realities of the work Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did in his short lifetime.
Many of us are tempted to sum up his work with pull quotes that inspire us from his I Have A Dream speech.
What we know now — and to be clear, some of us have known for longer, others of us are now learning — is that MLK was much more than that, and that often times the parts of his work that solicited discomfort (especially for white people) are silenced.
To honor his work, and as a part of my own learning, I wanted to share several podcasts I’ve tuned into and would recommend you checking out as well. Each of these podcast episodes are hosted by or featuring black and/or POC’s voices and focus in on the overarching topic of race in America.
Let these stories, ideas, and realities challenge you, break you, and inspire you to act, speak, and do the work in pursuit of becoming an antiracist.
[Shoutout to Laura Edmondson who shared 9 Quotes You Probably Won’t See on MLK Jr. Day over the weekend. Check the post out for more.]
Words of Advice on Code Switch with Shereen Marisol Meraji & Gene Demby
If the player below doesn’t work, you can find the episode & stream directly on NPR’s website here.
About Code Switch: “Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. "We're talking to people who have been marginalized and underrepresented for so long, who are so hungry to see themselves represented fully and with nuance and complexity," says Shereen Marisol Meraji, co-host of Code Switch, Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year for 2020.” (via NPR)
2. Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist on Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
If the player below doesn’t work, you can find the episode & stream directly on Brené Brown’s website here.
About Ibram X. Kendi: “Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. He is an Ideas Columnist at The Atlantic, and a correspondent with CBS News. He is the author of four books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and the New York Times bestsellers How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored with Jason Reynolds. His next book, Antiracist Baby, will be published in June 2020.”
In case you’ve never tuned into Unlocking Us, it’s a podcast of Brené Brown’s where she facilitates conversations that unlock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart.
3. Sweet, Sweet Fantasies on Still Processing with Wesley Morris & Jenna Wortham
If the player below doesn’t work, you can find the episode & stream directly on the New York Times’ website here.
“Step inside the confession booth of Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, two culture writers for The New York Times. They devour TV, movies, art, music and the internet to find the things that move them — to tears, awe and anger. Still Processing is where they try to understand the pleasures and pathologies of America in 2020.” (via Apple Podcasts)
Read this article about Still Processing here.
4. What “they” didn’t teach you about White Supremacy & Feminism with Rachel Cargle on Cultivating H.E.R Space: Uplifting Conversations for the Black Woman with Terri Lomax & Dr. Dominique Broussard
If the player below doesn’t work, you can find the episode & stream directly on Anchor here.
About Rachel Cargle: “Rachel Cargle is an Akron, Ohio born public academic, writer, and lecturer. Her activist and academic work are rooted in providing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood. Her social media platforms engage a community of over 1.8 million through which Rachel guides conversations, encourages critical thinking and nurtures meaningful engagement with people all over the world. Her upcoming book, I Don’t Want Your Love and Light with The Dial Press/Penguin Random House, is an examination of feminism through the lens of race and how we are in relationship with ourselves and one another.” Read more.
Learn more about Cultivating H.E.R. Space here.
5. Brené Brown with Austin Channing Brown on Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness on Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
If the player below doesn’t work, you can find the episode & stream directly on Brené Brown’s website here.
About Austin Channing Brown: “Austin Channing Brown’s anti-racism work is critical to changing our world, and her ability to talk about what is good and true about love, about our faith, and about loving each other is transformative. She is a writer, a speaker, and a media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. In this episode, we connect on her book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, and talk about her online television show, The Next Question.” (Read more.)
In case you’ve never tuned into Unlocking Us, it’s a podcast of Brené Brown’s where she facilitates conversations that unlock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart.
Warmly,
Kaia
