Ep. 165: Jessie Daniels "Nice White Ladies", Author Interview

in , ,

We are back to it with our #readlessbasic book club selection. Unlike previous book club conversations, we were lucky enough to connect with author Jessie Daniels to kick off this season’s book.

However, we start this episode with a brief note about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine right now.

We geeked out in this incredibly engaging conversation about historical perspectives on white women's roles, contemporary manifestations of white womanhood, and the complex interplay between whiteness, womanhood, and the perpetuation of white supremacy. We explored societal implications and personal reflections on breaking the cycle of generational whiteness. Lastly, Daniels discussed how her book aims to challenge readers to question and redefine their understanding of these entrenched societal structures.

There were many many references in this conversation so we will continue to add to this list.

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: One of the recs in this book is to examine who you’re surrounded by – read more than white folks; make non white friends; go to activities & events w/ nonwhite folks  

  • Megan: Do the work on yourself to make sure you are not going to take up the space when you occupy non-white spaces. Your whiteness has automatically centered your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in most spaces your whole life. I mean this in the kindest but most direct way possible, your feelings are not the most important in the room. 

  • Jessie: Take inventory of the spaces you occupy. Start by paying attention to your environments and how that creates feelings for you.

    • Join our #readlessbasic book club by reading NWL. Download the NWL Discussion Guide and get together with some friends. 

Ep. 164: White Women Trying To Fight White Supremacy

in ,

Before we get into this week’s episode, we wanted to take a moment to talk about what’s happening in Palestine and Israel.

EQ: What actions can white folks (esp white women)  take to hold themselves accountable for the historical perpetuation of white supremacy, and what steps can we collectively take to reconcile our past and build a more equitable future?

Guests: Katy Swalwell and Mandy Griffin, co-host is the Our Dirty Laundry Podcast. Katy was a former guest on the show back in 2020 on Ep 64: Why We ALL Need an Equity Framework

It felt fitting to play a quick round of yeah, no yeah before jumping into the topic at hand–white women making a mess of things. Katy and Mandy share more of their story and the origins of the Our Dirty Laundry podcast.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 163: College Success is a Community Affair

in , , ,

EQ: How can we enhance college readiness for Latinx students and bridge the educational opportunity gap to ensure their success in higher education?

Guest: Jael Rodas is a Mount Tahoma graduate and current  junior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Thanks to Channel 253 members Craig and Veronica Craker, we were introduced to Jael. In this episode we define what it means to be “college ready”, what this looks like specifically for Latinx students, what programs exist in the high school to support students’ success in higher ed, and what challenges are facing these students in degree completion. 

Programs Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Hispanic Heritage Month book rec (Sept 15-Oct 15 but you can read all year)–anything with Elizabeth Alcevedo “Clap When You Land” “With Fire on High”

  • Megan: check out these programs and find a way to support them!

  • Jael: support these program (financial or even volunteer)

Ep. 162: It's Fall Ya'll

Essential Question: What is it about fall traditions and the allure of pumpkin spice that brings people together and ignites a sense of nostalgia and comfort (or disgust) every year?

A special report from our fall correspondents…

In this silly episode we rank the worst fall seasonal signs, describe what fall means to us and a bunch of other nonsense. Most importantly, we launch our special fall correspondents series! Our first correspndents are the one and only interchangeable administrators, Jen and Kevin Zamira who give a report of pumpkin spice red vines.

Ep. 162: So Long Summer

in

Essential Question: What lessons, memories, or moments do we want to remember from the summer of 2023?

As the sun sets on the summer of 2023, how do we want to remember the last several months? To celebrate the launch of the IWL_Podcast Instagram account, we are going to use some Insta lingo to help us categorize the events of the summer months. What would we use as our “lessons I learned from my summer” topics in a back-to-school assignment in a creative writing class? What do we want to bury deep in the recesses of our minds, never to think about again (aka permanently delete)? In this episode we save, archive, delete, and repost. 

Resources Referenced:


Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope & Megan: create your metaphorical “save”/archive for later and make a plan to revisit those monthly to keep your spirits up, grounded in joy, etc.

Ep. 161: On Burn Out, Trans Rights Advocacy, and Youth Allyship w/ Stella Keating

EQ: What can we learn from trans youth about advocacy and allyship in 2023?

Guest: Stella Keating, a special guest with her mother on Ep 33. “Shut Up & Listen to Youth Voices”

In this episode, we catch up with Stella Keating about her life, her advocacy work, and what she believes are the pressing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, specifical trans folks. She also share her perspective on activism and the how to be a better ally.

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Lavender Rights Project in Seattle–Black trans women (legal support & housing justice)

  • Megan: 17% percent turn out–vote and be aware of the calendar–local elections matter!

  • Stella: go to olympia!

Ep. 160: New Lunch Bag, Who Dis?

in , , ,

EQ: How can we navigate the evolving landscape of education to ensure a successful and fulfilling return to school for students, educators, and families?

We are baaaack to school. Full disclosure, this is an educator centered episode so those of you who want to skip to the next episode, we don’t blame you! In this episode we discuss various feelings about the return to school. Megan opens up about her current state of affairs and Hope is already back in the classroom! This year she is focused on the role of psychological safety in collegial relationships. 

Related Links:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: approach this year with openness to others–how can you improve the psychological safety of your students and colleagues by your behaviors, interactions, etc? 

  • Megan:

Ep. 159: Troll, Troll, Troll Your Boat

in , , , ,

EQ: To what extent does the audacity of mediocre white, male opinions forced upon women cause us to NGAF about their opinions rather than convince us to listen to them?

In this episode we engage in a “critical reading” of a letter a former Tacoma Public School educator sent to Megan in response to her recent op-ed published in the Tacoma News Tribune. We break down the writer’s argument, offering counterclaims, different evidence and perspective on the issues at hand.

Related Links:

Ep. 158: The Edge of the Glass Cliff

in , ,

EQ: What is the glass cliff phenomenon, and how does it impact women and minority leaders in various industries?

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Megan: go read some of the articles linked above!

  • Hope: take inventory of your role in the workplace and how you can use your privilege to support those impacted by the glass cliff

Ep. 157: IWL LIVE!!!! Bored Housewives and the White Women Industrial Complex

in ,

EQ: To what extent is the white lady industrial complex aka the white women consumerism pipeline demonstrative of the death-grip that the far-reaching tentacles of the patriarchy have on society?

This is a special LIVE episode recorded at the Channel 253 Fest a few weeks ago. The cast of characters included Megan Holyoke, Hope Teague-Bowling, and the one and only Annie Jansen. Enjoy our witty banter and social commentary about the white women industrial complex!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Subscribe to Channel 253!

Ep. 156: SCOTUS Goons Never Die

in , ,

DISCLAIMER: Despite our extensive research, we were not aware of the mummerings about Lori Smith and the 303 Creative LLC v Elenis case being built upon fake evidence. Now of course, the information is everywhere as folks are picking apart the ruling and the case. Deepest apologies that we didn’t know about this prior to our conversation otherwise we would’ve addressed it. It further proves how absolutely ridiculous this case/ruling are.

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

Just last episode we gave an update on recent SCOTUS rulings. Today we meet again to discuss some of the most unsurprising decisions and what they might mean for us. If you haven’t listened to our previous conversations check them out “the SCOTUS goons” and SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In.

Related Articles:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: The book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.”

  • Megan: Follow SCOTUSblog for nerdy, indepth cover of the Supreme Court.

Ep. 155: SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In

in ,

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

In March we discussed what “the SCOTUS goons” were up to in an episode reviewing some significant cases. This episode we check-in on recent rulings, sharing surprises and reactions. Things may have changed since the recording but hopefully it’s still an insightful conversation.

Related Resources:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Check out this book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.” or his NPR Interview

  • Megan: Sign up to be a Channel 253 member and come to our live event on  June 29!

Ep. 154: People Shouldn't Have to Wait for Quality Care

in , ,

EQ: How can community-based healthcare initiatives effectively address the unique healthcare needs of diverse populations?

Hope is joined by a local Tacoma professional, Dr. Gena Poling co-founder of the Link Community Clinic,  Her passion for education, public  health, and justice drives her daily practice. In this episode, we learn more about her journey from teaching into the medical field, the origin story for the Link Community Clinic including how they weathered being a pro-vaccine institution in a pandemic. 

Shout out to Space Works for all their support!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

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

in , , , , , ,

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. 152: Sensible Gun Laws: A Marathon Not a Sprint

in , ,

EQ: To what extent is the WA state gun control conversation reflective of the national conversation and how might activists engage in making our state safer from gun violence?

Following our very dire previous episode on American fascism and gun violence, Hope and Megan are joined by two organizers and activists from Moms Demand Action, Rebecca Elbaum and Amy Newcomb. In this episode they discuss the landscape of gun violence and activism in Washington, make national comparisons, and dig into the recent legislation passed, sharing stories of hope and change in what many feel is an ocean of discouragement.

Bills Referenced in the Episode:

Get Involved!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 151: Sliding into Fascism One Bill At a Time

in

EQ: In what ways is the US political landscape a foreshadowing  of fascism?

In today’s episode Hope and Megan discuss how the political climate feels like a slide into fascism. In particular, they center the conversation using Tim Snyder’s 20 Lessons from the 20th Century. By framing it this way, they also encourage listeners to find ways to fight this slide.

Snyder’s 20 principles are listed below:

1. Do not obey in advance.

2. Defend institutions.

3. Beware the one-party state.

4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. 

5. Remember professional ethics. 

6. Be wary of paramilitaries.

7. Be reflective if you must be armed.

8. Stand out.

9. Be kind to our language.

10. Believe in truth. 

11. Investigate.

12. Make eye contact and small talk.

13. Practice corporeal politics.

14. Establish a private life.

15. Contribute to good causes. 

16. Learn from peers in other countries.

17. Listen for dangerous words.

18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.

19. Be a patriot. 

20. Be as courageous as you can. 

Playbooks On Fascism:

Topics referenced:

Ep. 150: Fake It Until You Make it & Other Imposter Struggles

in , ,

EQ: How does the intersection of different identities and societal expectations contribute to the development and experience of imposter syndrome?

Guests:

  • Crissy Calera, educator and former guest on Episode 98 our #readlessbasic book club episode on Caste, 

  • A new fresh face is the talented, provocative Mr. Israel Calera aka. Izy.

Today’s episode is brought to us by the New Yorker article Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It. We define the idea of imposter syndrome, including it’s perhaps surprising origins. We explore the role of upbringing and family in developing our sense of acceptance, belonging, and search for community. As always, we consider the roles of gender dynamics, racial implications and socialization.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Read “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome”; Dunning-Kruger Effect

  • Megan: reflect on your spaces–where you feel is your most authentic self? Then consider places you have power to create/replicate this feeling for others

  • Izy: Looking for areas where you can relieve someone from feeling like an imposter; encourage someone else by being vulnerable

  • Doug: Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes & support them in their “thing”

  • Crissy: Spend time in building self-confidence and self-affirmation; make a list of your successes and accomplishments

Ep. 149: Ride the Wave of the Bean

EQ: How can coffee and the outdoors empower young people to create positive change?

Guest: Quincy and Whitni Henry, Campfire Coffee
“We don’t claim to be coffee experts, we’re not coffee snobs. We appreciate a good roast, we love a rich single origin and a fun blend but if cream and sugar is how you roll it’s how we roll. We respect the nuances of coffee but even more, we respect that everyone has their thing. ✊🏾”

We were delighted to be joined today by Quincy Henry, co-owner of Tacoma’s Campfire Coffee. The audio is a little unstable and cuts out at times but we felt the conversation was extremely important for listeners to be a part of.

From the origins of campfire roasting methods to the lack of diversity in outdoor companies, programs and spaces, Quincy shares his story and experiences merging two things he loves–coffee and the outdoors. 

To support this work, please swing by their store in Tacoma, pick up a bag of coffee at Trader Joe’s or visit their website Campfire Coffee.

Congrats for recently being named Puget Sound Business Journal Family Business Awards honoree! 

Ep. 148: The SCOTUS Goons Have Been Busy

in ,

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

Today we dig into the various cases in review by the Supreme Court, discussing the implications of a ruling in one direction or other. 

Related Sources:

Champagne & Real Pain:

🥂Mo Amer, Palestinian-American comedian came to Abu Dhabi for a show!

🥂 Jon Stewart!

👎🏻Desantis

Ep. 147: An IWL State of the Union

EQ: What exactly is the state of this union right now?

Megan and Hope convene for the annual IWL State of the Union. We kickoff the episode discussing the “official” SOTU and favorite and most absurd traditions from the event. We also talk about their own  “Dumpster Fire’s” from the previous year, like the potential Republican POTUS nominees for 2024, but also highlight the “Glimmer of hope” that come along with these things. The second half of the episode is focused the effort to avoid performative outrage and avoiding “basic” activism and allyship. We discuss how easy it is to get caught up in cyclical outrage and how it is important that we not, because the real people that are impacted by these issues go on being impacted even when the public stops paying attention. We share that we are going to be recording follow-up episodes about these key topics in the coming weeks and months. Starting with revisiting Residential Schools in both Canada and the United States.


If you have any helpful/relevant information of know somebody who would make a good guest for any of the following topics, please reach out to Hope (hope.teague@gmail.com) or Megan (megan.holyoke@gmail.com) :

  • Banning of books in classrooms/educational laws in Florida

  • The water crisis in Flint, MI and/or the Ohio train crash environmental crisis

  • Immigration and border crisis regarding the children separated from families at the border

  • Chinese Residential Schools for Tibetan Children

Related Articles: