Ep. 191: Reparations in Action: Building Racial Equity in Tacoma

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In this episode, we sit down with Nicole Jordan, a Black, queer activist with deep ties to Tacoma’s Hilltop community and Laurie Arnold, an educator and longtime social justice advocate focused on racial justice. Together with a cohort of strong women, lead Tacoma Does Reparations, a grassroots initiative dedicated to reparative payments for Black womxn living in Tacoma. This conversation dives into the organization's origins, the scope of their work, and their vision for racial equity. Listeners will hear about the concept of reparations, both broadly and specifically in the context of Tacoma. Laurie and Nicole discuss past reparative efforts as models for the Tacoma initiative, common misconceptions and challenges they’ve faced. Most importantly we explore why reparations are essential to addressing racial wealth disparities. 

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 172: These Conditions Are Not Working For Us

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EQ:  "In navigating the challenges posed by increasingly restrictive policies in the U.S. education system, how can educators strategically and actively build alliances to foster a more inclusive and just society?"

Guests: Candra McKenzie and Elana Eisen-Markowitz

In this episode, we discuss what it means for teachers to build alliances with peers and the community. Both Candra and EM have a wealth of knowledge as educators, activists, and organizers in their schools and respective communities. We discuss how schools have changed in the last 15 years and how the system continues to perpetuate inequalities and marginalized the traditionally marginalized. We touch on union involvement, teacher recruitment and retention, and the need to support educators of color and queer educators. 

Related Resources:


Reading Recommendations:

Do Your Fudging HW:

  • Hope: Black History Month–grab a book and get your read on

  • Candra: find something new to do & do it!

  • EM: Examine our policies for who is at the center (let’s challenge the conditions that exist that put people in these positions).

Ep. 153: The DEIJ Collaborative--Working Towards Justice In International Schools

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EQ: What does social justice and education work look like in international spaces?

We jumped back overseas with today’s conversations, meeting with international educators Meredith Klein and Sherri Spelic. This is a very education centered conversation but we hope there’s a gem of thought for every listener. Throughout the episode we unpack various education acronyms such as CEESA and AEILOC. We hear the origin story of the Diversity Collaborative they started and the ways they hope it will impact teaching and learning across Europe. 

Lastly, if you are interested in reaching out you can connect with Meredith via LinkedIn, follow Sheri  @edifiedlistener, sign up for her newsletter Bending The Arc, or snag a copy of her book of essays  Care At The Core 

Champagne & Real Pain

🥂Action Aid International

🥂 AEILOC & Kevin Simpson

🥂Angeline Aow and her book Becoming a Totally Inclusive School

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Sign up for Bending The Arc

  • Megan: Connect to others that can help you be accountable to the work

  • Sherri: Worry less about knowing and get into learning (where can I learn about that? With whom can I learn about that?)

  • Meredith: DEI Deconstructed by Lily Zheng

Ep. 138: If We Want Equity, We Have to Put It in Contracts

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EQ: To what extent would re-writing seniority clauses in teacher union contracts promote retention of educators of color and better serve our students?

In this episode of IWL, we are joined by Chris Stewart, the Chief Executive Officer of brightbeam, to discuss the recent change in the Minneapolis Teacher Union contracts. Chris was part of the first campaign to protect Black teachers (and other teachers of color) back in the early 2000s when he was on the school board. We discuss what this current provision in the contract means, including implications for other school districts. More importantly, we learn key contextual information behind this provision and how Black educators are fighting for their right to stay and teach the diverse body of students in the Minneapolis school district. 

To learn about Chris’ work check out his website Citizen Stewart and follow him on Twitter @citizenstewart 

Related Links:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope/Megan: Follow @citizenstewart for some thought provoking tweets

  • Chris:

    • Support the local NAACP chapter fighting for Black educators

    • Write to the union president Greta Callahan and tell her you support the protection for educators of color

    • Find a group of friends to learn more about the situation facing Minneapolis educators of color. Read together, discuss and consider how it relates to your local context.

Ep. 120: The Scoop on International Schools Part I

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EQ:  How are international schools uniquely situated to fight, perpetuate or contribute to educational inequities around the world?

Guest: Yvette Santos Cuenco a school counselor at the Edmund Burke Independent School in DC.

In this episode Hope and Megan are joined by Yvette, an experienced international educator and school counselor. We discuss the historical context which led to the establishment of these schools throughout the world.  Listeners will learn a little about who attends, how they are designed, how the culture of the country impacts the school community and much much more. We also dip our toes into the DEIJ/social justice landscape in these contexts, reviewing such things as disparities in these schools, problematic hiring practices and the way they operate as predominantly White institutions often perpetuating (intentionally or unintentionally) white/colonial culture. 

Related Sources: 

Ep. 100: A Centennial Celebration with Special Guest Author S.K. Ali

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EQ: How can we normalize the representation of Muslims in literature and support storytelling that tackles Islamophobia, increasing empathy across cultures and religions? 

For IWL’s special 100th episode Hope and Megan are joined by the very special guest, S.K. Ali. Ali is the author of Saints and Misfits, a 2018 William C.Morris award finalist, and Love from A to Z, an NBC Today Show’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club selection. During this episode they discuss the importance of representation of POC  in literature, specifically around Muslim characters. Ali shares about her journey to becoming an author and reflects on her intentionality of de-centering the white gaze in her writing. 

Author and books recommended in the episode:

  • Randa Abdel-Fattah - Does My Head Look Big in This?

  • G. Willow Wilson - Alif the Unseen

Related Links:

Do your fudging HW:

Ep. 85: Confronting Barriers to Equity In Our Communities w/ Consultant Taniesha Lyons

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EQ: How has the work of diversity, equity and inclusion changed over time and why is this something organizations are still getting wrong in 2020?

Guest: Taniesha Lyons, community advocate, founder & executive director  of Taniesha Cares LLC whose mission is to empower people and businesses through consulting, resources, advocacy, and diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. 

In this episode Hope and Megan are joined by Taniesha Lyons. They start the episode by talking about the importance of representation in all spaces, especially in education. By having spaces that are run by all white leaders, Cultural Imperialism is more evident and prevalent in that space. The conversation focuses on how organizations can and should include more voices in their organizations in order to create more equitable opportunities and representation or all. During the conversation they discuss cultural imperialism, social services and Covid, feelings around the new term BIPOC, and the trauma of code switching and the negative ramifications of school being a white space on students of color. 

Could you or someone you know benefit from some of the services discussed in the Podcast? You can find more information here:

Champagne and Real Pain:

🥂 Ron Banner - Clover Park Superintendent

🥂 Melanie Morgan - Representative for the 29th District  in the WA State Legislature

🥂 Marcus Young - Bethel School District School Board Member

🥂Larry Seaquist - Running for Pierce County Executive

🥂 T’wina Nobles - Running for 28th District 

🥂 Karen Dhaliwal - Bates Apprenticeship Navigator

🥂 Ben Feldbush - TCC Retention Specialist

🥂 Pastor C. Ivan Johnson - Pastor at Greater Destiny Church

🥂 Grant Twyman - Racial Equity Officer for Clover Park School District

🥂 All those writing personal letters to voters encouraging them to vote

🥂 Those having hard conversations w/ family & loved ones to ensure 45 is gone

🥂 Bea Lumpkin - the 102 year old women who essentially wore a hazmat suit to turn in her ballot

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • If you would like to hire Taniesha Lyons or learn more about what she does  you can reach her at her email: Tanieshacares@gmail.com

Ep. 81: Getting Comfortable with Discomfort

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EQ: How can educators intentionally make space for challenging and engaging conversations in the classroom, be it virtual, hybrid or in-person?

Guests:

  • Milton Reynold, a San Francisco Bay Area based career educator, author, equity and inclusion consultant and activist. 

  • Stacey Kertsman, a veteran educator and has worked with schools and nonprofits around the country and internationally developing partnership-based programming for students and learners.  

This episode is a continuation of a panel discussion with Milton, Stacey, & Hope “Engaging Conversations Online and Off” about why we should embrace challenging conversations in the classroom and how to facilitate these dialogues. One theme of the episode is how to hold complexity of thoughts and seeming contradictions when pursuing equity and justice in teaching and learning. We are often socialized for avoidance and white teachers are especially adept at this, particularly if the conversations include analysis of race. Another theme is what it takes to  maintain a sense of urgency while also moving with the ebb and flow of the work. Instead of running towards simple solutions, educators need to grow capacity for discomfort and invest time into the process. Milton and Stacey leave us with practical advice for how to engage in the difficult conversations with ourselves, our colleagues, and our students in the new school year. 

Related Reading:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Stacey---get proximate with someone and push your understanding

  • Milton--wrap your head around eugenics and read Eugenic Nation by Alexandra Minna Stern

Ep. 77: Racial Healing Is A Crucial Component for Achieving Equity

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EQ: Why is racial healing a crucial component for achieving equity in our schools and communities?

Guest: Tovi Scruggs-Hussein is “a visionary educator, author, and award-winning urban high school principal with over 25 years of emotional intelligence training.” Her work on self-transformation and  healing through courageous leadership development can be found at Ticiess. Highlights from our discussion include recognizing that educators can be smart and dedicated but still be racist (and uphold racist infrastructure in schools).  We further discuss how to make long term change, and grow our compassion for colleagues and students. We cannot serve our students unless we are more balanced in our own personal lives and truly understand our racial and cultural identities. In education, we often ignore that both teachers and students experience educational trauma. It’s only through acknowledgement of this trauma and pursuit of healing that we can achieve equity for all students. 

Additional resources:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Annie: Do some additional research about radical empathy!

  • Hope:  Go read about Racial Healing Allies--download the ebook & sign up for an e-course

  • Tovi: Please pace yourself (white folks!) and do not burn out.

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Body is Not an Apology for the #readlessbasic book club

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Ep. 68: Throw Out the White Canon #DisruptText Part II w/ Lorena German

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Note to listeners: This episode was recorded in mid-February as a part II to episode 65 “Throw Out the White Cannon #DisruptTexts

Shortly after this recording, Lorena German was featured in The New York Times “Bringing A New Vibe to the Classroom.”

EQ: What does it mean to teach in multicultural and multilingual classrooms and communities in 2020?

Guest: Lorena German, classroom educator and Chair of the National Council of English Teacher’s Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English and co-founder of #DisruptTexts

In this episode, Lorena explains the origins of The Multicultural Classroom and its mission: “we aim to address the national issue of effectively teaching in multicultural and multi-lingual classrooms and communities. We believe that a culturally sustaining pedagogy can be practiced through targeted professional development.” Lorena also digs into her work on the NCTE Committee Against Racism & Bias and how it’s helped her advance her vision of effective and compassionate teaching in multicultural/multilingual classrooms. She talks about her role in co-founding #DisruptTexts with Julia Torres and Tricia Ebarvia and future projects she’s looking forward to. Read her post “Disrupting Shakespeare”.

Champagne 🥂 & Real Pain 👎🏻

🥂 Ibram X. Kendi

🥂 The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

🥂 Black educators on Twitter (i.e. Kelly Wickham Hurst)

👎🏻 Revisionist history and people beating the drum about white history

Do Your Fudging HW:

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Ep. 67: What A Pandemic Reveals About Education Equity--Teaching & Learning During the Covid-19 Outbreak

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Note to listeners: This episode was recorded on Saturday March 14. Some information may have changed by the date this was published. Unfortunately, due to timezone issues, Annie was unable to join the discussion.

EQ: What has this pandemic revealed about issues of equity and access in education?

Guests: Aaron Shelby, Secondary Curriculum Coordinator, and Amy Daraiseh, Learning Support at the American School of Abu Dhabi.

Weeks ago, educators in East Asia transitioned to virtual teaching, offering synchronous (live) and asynchronous learning opportunities for students kindergarten through university level. Many international teachers kept tabs on this progression, perusing social media for what was inevitably coming to all of us. Concerns about teaching students with special needs, supporting English language learners, and managing poor internet connection across the globe were hot topics on many message boards. For better or for worse, it seemed the US was living blissfully in denial of the impending virus that would sweep the nation and ask educators to re-examine what it means to teach and to learn in the midst of a pandemic. 

To get some perspective on the logistics of remote learning, listen to the conversation  “Teaching Online During the Covid-19 Outbreak” Nate Bowling had with two teachers, Jordan Moog and Michele Curley, from the American School of Abu Dhabi.

In this episode, two of Hope’s favorite colleagues join her for a discussion on the range of equity issues rising to the surface in educating in the “new frontier” of the coronavirus. We discuss special education accommodations, tech access, wrap-around services (food, childcare, medical care), and how to provide social-emotional support to students in a time of crisis. Our conversation has a global framing but Hope weaves in Washington specific data and concerns in order to keep listeners grounded in something more familiar. 

Learn about what’s happening in WA state:

Around the World:

Champagne & Real Pain:

  • 🥂 to Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Community and all the educators making themselves vulnerable to share ideas. 

  • 🥂 Naomi Campbell for telling us to wipe down our seats

  • 🥂 American Community School administration and colleagues

  • 👎🏻 to the ashholes who are hoarding TP and being butts to others during a time of crisis

  • 👎🏻 those who are still traveling which puts others in danger

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: keep sharing your resources, bringing hopeful in the midst of chaos

  • Amy: channel positive energy and spread it to those around you

  • Aaron: be good to yourself and check in on your neighbor

Follow our guests on the socials: Aaron Shelby (Twitter) Amy Daraiseh (Twitter)

Ep. 66: Let Black Folks Do What They Want With Their Hair

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EQ: How is hair discrimination a not-so-subtle manifestation of racism & white supremacy? Why can’t white folks just let black folks do what they want with their hair?

Guest:  Jenna Hanchard is a lifelong community storyteller who has spent her career centering and amplifying diverse voices. Jenna is the leader of Culture & Innovation at The Riveter Co, a women-run co-working and community company poised to become a modern union of working women. She is a three-time Emmy award winner and an Edward R. Murrow award recipient. She was also on the Nerd Farmer Podcast Episode 9 on covering Tacoma and TV News, and Episode 53 “Review in Shadecast”

In this episode, Jenna explains how hair discrimination is rooted in white supremacist ideologies that view hair style as choice rather than understanding the way hair styles reflect culture and history. She shares the story behind Washington state’s HB 2602 (a kind of “Crown Act” bill), led by Representative Melanie Morgan and the intentional language choices in this bill. Jenna gives concrete advice for how to disrupt hair discrimination in the work place (and schools). We hope you leave this conversation challenged and motivated to examine the policies that do/don’t exist in our school districts, our cities, and our states. Call your local legislator using the hotline 1800-562-600 “I’m calling to support HB 2602 because everyone deserves the right to wear their natural hair. Because not passing this bill would directly perpetuate systemic racism in our country.” ALSO, go sign The Crown Act petition!

Context for Hair Discrimination Legislation:

High profile cases for hair discrimination:

Move to pass legislation:

Progress in WA state:

Champagne & Real Pain:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Go watch Hair Love and watch you attitude about people's hair

  • Annie: learn history! Shout out to Teen Vogue for pivoting from vapid fluff to hard-hitting journalism.  

  • Jenna: look and see where your state is--what’s passed, not passed, look at local district policies. If there isn't a bill figure out how to get one started. If there is, go and show up. 

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Ep. 64: Why We ALL Need an Equity Literacy Framework

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Today’s episode is extra special to us as we get to chat with two incredible educators who are shaping the profession through their interrogation of the personal and professional ways educators perpetuate white cultural norms in schools.

Our essential question is: How can we “learn to be a threat to inequity in our spheres of influence” in 2020?

Guests: Katy Swalwell, Associate Professor of Social & Cultural Studies in the School of Education at Iowa State University, and Paul Gorski, founder of Equity Literacy Institute and  EdChange. 

We first heard about the equity literacy framework from our guest Marquita Prinzing in Ep 46: Don’t be a Passive Progressive Educator and were incredibly excited when Katy reached out to us to share how she was using the podcast with her pre-service teachers. We are incredibly grateful she and Paul were able to come on the show.

In this episode Katy and Paul describe how they came to this work, specifically unpacking the idea of equity literacy which “moves us beyond cultural competency.”  They share how schools and districts are approaching this differently than a simple list of strategies and emphasize that this work is a mindset shift. We highly recommend that listeners spend some time with the Equity Literacy Institute directly. 

Finally, we ask Paul to share the story behind his controversial tweet that calls out white liberalism. 

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Ep. 62: Why Social Justice Education Matters in A World on Fire

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EQ: How can social justice education help students and teachers be better global citizens?

Today our guest is Christina Torres also known as @biblio_phile. 

From Teach For America to leading her own classroom at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Torres opens up about her journey as a social justice educator.  Throughout the episode we circle back to three major questions:

  1. What is my work in justice now, given my position of privilege?

  2. How can I make my kids feel safe/heard/comforted at this moment in time?

  3. How can I continuously reflect and grow in my own awareness about matters of justice in the world?

We know that our students will face a variety of challenges, injustices and problems in the world. It’s not about what they will experience but a matter of how they might experience it. Social justice oriented educators strive to equip students with the tools to navigate the challenges (not necessarily solve them).  We help students understand the “danger of a single story.” 

Finally, we explore the tension between staying aware and protecting our mental health/managing tumultuous times through self-care. We share our own strategies for helping students discuss these important issues while managing the array of emotion present in any given classroom.

References & Resources:

      • Build their own understanding of world events.

      • Think about their values and what's important to them.

      • Take learning into the real world.

      • Challenge ignorance and intolerance.

      • Get involved in their local, national and global communities.

      • Develop an argument and voice their opinions.

      • See that they have power to act and influence the world around them.

  • Unesco defines global citizenship in this way, “While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability.”

  • NPR Podcast “Codeswitch”

Bernice

Do You Fudging Homework:

Ep. 61: Fighting for Equity in New Zealand Public Schools

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Essential Question: How is fighting for equity in schools a universal struggle?

Sometimes you attend a conference and one of the most powerful takeaways is a connection with someone from another part of the world. When Hope was partnered with Naketa during a pair-share exercise, she knew this was a conversation that needed to be recorded and shared with a wider audience. This week’s episode is truly a GLOBAL conversation. On December 21, Annie braved floods to record in our Tacoma studio. Our amazing guest, Naketa Ikihele woke up bright and early to record with us on her summer vacation (from her car!). Hope tried not to laugh too loudly at 1 am as she recorded in her sister’s dining room in the Philippines.

Naketa Ikihele is a primary school educator, and coach/consultant with Kia Mahira in Auckland, NZ. To start the show, she introduces herself with a traditional opening common in Maori culture that honors her family, tribe, and land. Throughout the episode, we compare NZ and US education systems, specifically focusing on how teachers fight for diversity and equitable educational opportunities for all students. Naketa shares insight into governance and the effort to revitalize cultural pride in indigenous children. She also describes how NZ systems approach challenges such as the recruitment of teachers and supporting vulnerable students. One highlight is when Naketa shares that developing partnerships with parents is starting with a simple question “what do you dream for your child?”

For further study:

You can follow Naketa’s work by visiting her websiteKia Mahira  or on Twitter @Naketa_NZ

Champagne & Real Pain:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: read one of the links we posted & make room in your mind 

  • Annie: learn more about global poverty from the “We Day” website

    Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Ep. 58: Equity in Science Education

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EQ: Why is equity an issue in science education and what can be done to promote access and opportunity for women, students of color, and young people living in poverty?

Guests: Natalie Reszka and Jen Holm, Masters in Science Education both educators at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. 

Natalie and Jen share their journey into the sciences, including barriers they face as women in this field. They unpack systemic issues current facing low-income high schools and the lack of funding to support well-rounded science programs. They elaborate on concrete ways they help students see themselves as scientists, and why we need to speak up and advocate for our students, calling out disparities in science education.

Related Links:

Donate to Jen and Natalie’s classrooms!

  • For a tax-deductible donation send a check to Lincoln High School addressed to Patrick Eriwn with a note for Natalie Reszka (nreszka@tacoma.k12.wa.us) or Jen Holm (jholm@tacoma.k12.wa.us)

  • Contribute via Venmo @Natalie-Reszka

Champagne & Real Pain:

  • Champagne: first all female space walk!

  • Real Pain: For the DB who think that only men can be scientists or enter scientific fields; those denying climate change

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: How Islamic Scientists changed the world 

  • Annie: read the research about gatekeeping in science and continue to educate yourself about educational disparities. There’s a ton of great research and we need to revive science education to literally save the planet. 

  • Natalie: Watch Before the Flood

Ep. 56: An Interview With Leah Ford On Being a Boob Defender

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Note to listeners: This was our last pre-recorded episode from the summer. We recorded this back in August during National Breastfeeding Month! Enjoy!


EQ: What is the current state of women’s health in Pierce County and why is this a social justice issue?

Guest: Leah Ford,  a TESC graduate, breastfeeding peer counselor, mother of 2 and advocate for women’s health in Pierce County. 

Leah defines the role of a breastfeeding peer counselor, explains why it’s so crucial for breastfeeding moms (especially of color), and why this work is not recognized on  a systemic level. For example, while Pierce County needs more peer counselors it doesn’t offer benefits and supports to generate more interest. For varying reasons, our county doesn’t follow effective models like King County. 

Leah elaborates on the racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding citing important data around why Black Women Higher Risk of Pregnancy Complications and how America Is Failing Black Moms. The conversation includes wrestling with the biggest challenges in health services in Pierce County and what we need to do to overcome these issues. 

A few resources mentioned in the episode:

Champagne & Real Pain:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Annie: normalize breastfeeding by encouraging your favorite local businesses to put up signage or create a comfortable space for breastfeeding parents (not in a bathroom stall, please). 

  • Hope: Deal with your issues if you’re uncomfortable with breastfeeding--if you’re in the medical field, try to use privileges to complain/criticize/critique the system in order to improve it.

  • Leah: support moms by offering breastfeeding rooms; reconsider the time of breaks; make a policy as your office (if you don’t know what this looks like, research tool kits and adopt a reasonable policy). 

Ep. 49: An Interview with Reign FC Forward Darian Jenkins

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EQ: How has the explosive growth of professional women’s soccer changed the conversation about the game?

Guest: Darian Jenkins, #11, attacking forward for Reign FC 

From how she fell in love with soccer and how her degree in English Language & Literature helps her on the pitch to why she loves coaching young women as the Assistant Coach for Reign FC Academy, Darian shares insights into the game and life. We also discuss challenges young women (especially women of color) face in a superficial and beauty focused world.

Find out more about references in the show:

Can’t get enough of Darian Jenkins, read some of the stories below:

Check out these other soccer related podcasts in the Channel 253 Network:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

SHOUT OUT TO DARIAN’S MOM!!!!

Ep. 46: Don’t be a Passive Progressive Educator

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EQ: How are education association leading anti-racist work in education?

Guest: Marquita Prinzing---NBCT, elementary school teacher, mother of a 3 and almost 6 yr old. Director of SEA Center for Racial Equity

In this episode we discuss the role of teachers and unions in leading anti-racist work. We define equity literacy and the ways in which white teachers need to develop their own racial literacy instead of fumbling in their pseudo-wokeness or expecting teachers of color to carry the burden. We also wrestle with what it means to be unapologetic to our students of color.  

Resources to explore:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Don’t forget to subscribe to Channel 253