1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Hey, lady, is doctor dom here. If you like this 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: show and you want to make your own, let me 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: tell you about the free platform Anchor. It's a creation 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: too that allows you to record and edit your podcast 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: right from your phone or computer. You can add songs 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: from Spotify and create any type of content that you 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: are looking for. Anchor will distribute it all for you 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: so it can be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: Download the free Anchor app or go to anchor dot 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: fm to get started. 11 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: On this week's episode in her Space. 12 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: If I'm having a conversation with a friend or someone 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: that I feel close and connected to, then how I 14 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: dive into that conversation may be a little bit different. Right. So, 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: I know that if I'm going into a conversation with 16 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: a friend, the consequences of if this conversation doesn't go 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 1: well is different than the consequences of if the conversation 18 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: with my boss doesn't go well. 19 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 3: Right, And so I. 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: May be more willing to take more risks and be 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: really and truly more open minded in the conversation with 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: my friend versus my boss. 23 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 4: Today's episode is sure to provide you with motivation, inspiration, 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 4: or even a fresh perspective. If you have any AHA moments, 25 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 4: or if you feel comforted throughout the episode, Lady, please 26 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 4: leave us a review and tell us what we're doing 27 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 4: right so we can stay on track. Also, we release 28 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 4: episodes every Friday, so be sure to subscribe on iTunes 29 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 4: and visit Herspace podcast dot com and enter your email 30 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 4: address to get updates about our live events and all 31 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 4: the new beginnings that we have for this year. 32 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to her a podcast dedicated to uplifting women like you. 33 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: We're your hosts, Doctor Dominique Broussard, a college professor and psychologist. 34 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: And Terry Lomax, a techie and motivational speaker. In a 35 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: world where black women are often misrepresented and misunderstood, please 36 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: join us as we initiate authentic conversations on everything from 37 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: fibroids to fake friends and create a safe space where 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: black women can just be. 39 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 5: Hey, Lady, is doctor Dom here from the Herspace Podcast. 40 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 5: Do you have a burning question you're dying to get 41 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 5: feedback on. Do you want an unbiased perspective on a 42 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 5: situation you're facing. If so, visit herspacepodcast dot com and 43 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 5: click ask doctor Dom under the start here option. Every Tuesday, 44 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 5: I'll choose a few questions and answer them at random. 45 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: Okay, our quote of the day. Not everything that is 46 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until 47 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: it is faced. That quote comes to us from James Baldwin. So, team, today, 48 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: we are diving into a conversation that is inviting us 49 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:33,279 Speaker 1: to face some things that can be a bit challenging, 50 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: can be a bit uncomfortable. 51 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 3: And so when I think about this topic. 52 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: Of having conversations with white people, particularly around microaggressions and 53 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: the current racial climate, what are your thoughts? 54 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: I will say, dom one thing that came to mind 55 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: first when we were having this conversation or when we 56 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: planned to talk about this, is that, I mean, we 57 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 2: know that black people are not monolithic. You and I 58 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 2: what we're going to share today is not representative of 59 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: the black community. And Lady, I just want to say, 60 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: as you're listening today, you may have you may be 61 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: a black person with a white partner, right. You might 62 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: be one of those black people with lots of white friends. Right. 63 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 2: We all have different upbringings and environments that were raised 64 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: in or you might even have a white parent, and 65 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 2: so our experiences are processing it will vary but hopefully 66 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: you can take something away. And I think for me, 67 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 2: Dom it makes me think about, you know, what has 68 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: my experience been like with white people, because over the years, 69 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: my experiences have shifted drastically. And so in order to 70 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 2: answer that question, it takes me back to my childhood, 71 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 2: right being raised in San Diego, where I had a 72 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: very diverse group of friends. One of my best friends 73 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: was white, one of my other best friends was Mexican, 74 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: and then we had so many different races, you know, 75 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: nationality people, you know, just various people that I grew 76 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 2: up around. And I remember being raised in this now 77 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 2: white area and I would like call home to Philly, 78 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: like speak to my family, and they'd be like, you 79 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 2: sound like a white girl. And so I had a 80 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: very different experience as a black person being raised in 81 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 2: that type of environment. But then when I moved to 82 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 2: Philly when I was a preteen, I was just like, 83 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 2: oh damn, am I really black? Because I went to 84 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: school in the hood, and so I didn't really you know, 85 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 2: fit in with my people. And it's been a very 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 2: interesting journey for me, I'll say. And so for me, 87 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 2: you know, being raised in San Diego, being this black 88 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: valley girl right, and then moving to the hood in 89 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 2: Philly or going to a hood school in Philly. It 90 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 2: was a huge culture shock, and so for me don 91 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 2: it was sort of like an identity crisis where I 92 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 2: was like, where do I fit in with black people? 93 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 2: Because I know I'm not white. They say that I'm white, 94 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: and I talk white and I'm you know, a square 95 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: and all this stuff, But then I don't fit in 96 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: with my own people even though we have the same color. 97 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 2: So for me, it's been a very interesting journey of 98 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: figuring out where I fit in, figuring out, you know, 99 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 2: how to interact with white people after, you know, having 100 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: been in this public like you know, Philly school system 101 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: where it was sort of like a different culture than 102 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 2: I was accustomed to. And so I think for me, Dom, yeah, 103 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 2: I mean, the best thing I can say is like, 104 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 2: it's been a journey, and I know we're gonna dive 105 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 2: in deeper into that. But I'm curious to also hear 106 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: about your experiences too, because I also think about church, right, 107 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 2: I had a lot of black leaders in church, but 108 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: when I think about my schooling, a lot of the people, 109 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 2: a lot of the authority figures in life outside of church, 110 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: were white people, whether it was the teachers, whether it 111 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: was and this is kind of a mixture of in church, 112 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 2: but whether you're in my Bible school and you see 113 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 2: a white Jesus up in there, which is like hmm, 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 2: you know, you see all the authority figures are white, 115 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: whether it's the cops come into your house because of 116 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 2: domestic violence, which is something that was in my past. 117 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: So I think it really shapes it. And so that's 118 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 2: kind of like an overview, Don, But I'm curious to 119 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 2: hear what has your experience been like just with white 120 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 2: people in general. 121 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: You know, I'm from New Orleans, and New Orleans has 122 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: been predominantly blessed for a really long time, right, And 123 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: I say really long time because I'm not a historian 124 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: and I don't know the exact dates, but I know 125 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: also now with gentrification, the numbers of black folks in 126 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: New Orleans are decreasing. And that's a whole nother story 127 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: for a whole nother day. But what I can recall 128 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: growing up is that I was in public school where 129 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: the majority of the people, I'd say over ninety percent 130 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: of the people that I were around were black. We 131 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: had a mix of teachers but we had an overwhelming number. 132 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: The majority of our teachers were also black, So I 133 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: think I had a different experience than some other people 134 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: across the country, right. And I think that the times 135 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: when I was most around white people was at church 136 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: because I grew up and the church that we went 137 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: to was a mixed church, and so there were a 138 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: lot of black families as well as a lot of 139 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: white families there. As I got older and when I 140 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: started college, college was probably the first time when I 141 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: was in a space where I could look around and 142 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: count on one hand the number of black students in 143 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: the classroom. 144 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 2: Wow. 145 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: Then getting jobs at like college, graduate school, having jobs, 146 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: the majority of those spaces were white, except for when 147 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: I taught at Texas Southern, which is in HBCU. 148 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 3: But there were white folks that work at TSU. Right. 149 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: So It's not that I've never gone without interacting with 150 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: white people, but I've also been privileged to be able 151 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: to be around people who look like me. And I 152 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: know that that's not always everyone's experience, because even in 153 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: spaces where I could count on my hand the number 154 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: of black folks, there were opportunities for me to engage 155 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: with people who looked. 156 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 2: Like me, that sounds amazing, actually, Don, because I think about, 157 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 2: you know, from a young age, being the only black 158 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 2: in my class right now, the only black woman or 159 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 2: a girl, but the only black person. And you know 160 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 2: those times of the year when we it was Black 161 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 2: History Month and we talked about slavery, those were the 162 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 2: worst because you know, everybody looking at it. You like, 163 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 2: you can provide live experience of you know, your time 164 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 2: in that era, and it's just like, yo, what what 165 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: are you doing? So I think that sounds amazing your experience, 166 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 2: and that's new for me because I didn't really know 167 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,599 Speaker 2: that was your background. I will say, Don. For me, 168 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 2: after going to the hood school, you know, then going 169 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 2: back to the suburbs and going to a predominantly white school, 170 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: I was kind of back and forth in these different 171 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 2: spaces that I felt pretty comfortable being in a diverse 172 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 2: space because that's kind of what I came from. After 173 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 2: those experiences of being in schooling. It wasn't until I 174 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 2: moved to Silicon Valley and started working in tech that 175 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 2: I began to have like white acquaintances and friends as 176 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 2: an adult. And for me, that was a new experience 177 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 2: down because this is not I mean, ever since my 178 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 2: best friend who was I mean, we were in grade 179 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 2: school together. So ever since that white friend that I had, 180 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 2: I never really had any super close like white friends 181 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 2: that I cared about until adulthood. And so for me, 182 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 2: this has been a new journey for me because I 183 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 2: think many of us have grown up in households where 184 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: it's like, we don't trust no white people. That's just 185 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 2: what you're taught because of the history, because of you know, 186 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 2: the ways in which people that we know have been 187 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 2: slighted by them in the workplace, right they may you know, 188 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 2: hold information or you have this air sometimes that it's 189 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 2: like it's a business relationship, even if you thought it 190 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 2: was a friendship. So there are many things that have 191 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: happened to people that we know, lots of trauma, lots 192 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 2: of bad experiences. And I'm sure other people can say 193 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 2: the same thing about black people, right. I know a 194 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 2: lot of friends where in their household dark skinned people 195 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 2: and black people, you don't bring a black person home, 196 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: right to date, and there are other conversations that happen 197 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 2: in their household about black people, and many of us 198 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: black people were taught the same thing about white people. 199 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 2: I know some of the black guys in my family. 200 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:16,680 Speaker 2: When I was grown up, it was like, don't bring 201 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 2: no white girl home, right, And so I think about 202 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 2: me being faced with all these things that I heard 203 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 2: growing up, But then now I having white people that 204 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: I care about deeply, It's like, WHOA, this is interesting. 205 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: You know. I think what the conversation that we kind 206 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: of want to dive into today is considering the current 207 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: climate that we're in, right, the current racial and political climate. 208 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: I know that what I've seen on the internet would 209 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: conversations that you and I have had conversations that I've 210 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: had with other friends and colleagues over these last couple 211 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: of months around Okay, now it feels as if a 212 00:11:58,360 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: couple of things. 213 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 3: One white people want to engage us. 214 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: In dialogue, right, and then two we still have to 215 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: deal with being black in the workplace. There are still 216 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: moments where we experience microaggressions, we experience discrimination, we experience 217 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: aggressive acts of racism against us. 218 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 3: So where do we begin? 219 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 2: T Where do we begin? That's a good point, dom. 220 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 2: I mean, it's definitely uncomfortable, it's tough, but I'm with you. 221 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 2: I have also realized that the white people in my 222 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 2: life now are definitely open to having these conversations. So 223 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 2: when it comes to having these conversations, Dom, I think 224 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 2: about what are the types of conversations that we might 225 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 2: have with them, right, And so I know one is 226 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: like explaining microaggressions, and microaggressions are basically those I want 227 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 2: to say, commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, right, whether it's 228 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 2: intentional or unintentional, because your intent doesn't really you know, 229 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 2: always align with the impact. And so these are things 230 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 2: that typically communicate a hostile, derogatory, or negative attitude toward 231 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 2: a stigmatized group. 232 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: Right. 233 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 2: So for example, Dom being in the workplace and trying 234 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 2: to explain to this person why it's not okay to 235 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 2: touch my hair, right, or why it's not okay give 236 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 2: me a hip hop nickname that I didn't ask for 237 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 2: and call me like t Dizzle out of nowhere, and 238 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 2: it's just like that's not appropriate, and that is microaggressions, right, 239 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: And so it's like, how do you have those conversations? 240 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: So that's one thing that comes to mind for me, Dom, 241 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 2: I want to give you just a little list and 242 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 2: maybe we can talk about the tips, but I want 243 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 2: to hear what difficult conversations come up for you as well. 244 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 2: The next I would say is racism. And I think 245 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 2: that's a tricky one because you know, I've noticed lately 246 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 2: Dom there are lots of white people that I've had 247 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 2: to unfollow that I may have gone to school with 248 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 2: because the true colors show. And I remember this guy 249 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 2: I went to school with. He was really buying into 250 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 2: this respectability politics, and he's like, yeah, you know something 251 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,599 Speaker 2: like if black people were to just do x y z, 252 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 2: you know, pup their pants and do this thing, then 253 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,559 Speaker 2: they be successful and da da dad, And I was 254 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: just I damn, Like that was just so hurtful for me, 255 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: because it's like, you really don't understand how deep white 256 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 2: supremacy and racism runs in this country. We can be 257 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 2: those perfect citizen and still be murdered by police officers. 258 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 2: There is no excuse. But I think a lot of 259 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 2: people are bamboozled and they believe that, oh, well, black 260 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 2: people could just do x y z. Some black people 261 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 2: even believe it, right, black people could just do x 262 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: y Z, then all the problems will be solved. No 263 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 2: black people are at the bottom of the totem pole for 264 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 2: a reason, you know, And so I think conversations about race. 265 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: And then also, this is another one that's really interested dom, 266 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 2: especially for white people. They're white to us, and they're 267 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: white in the US because the US has changed who 268 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: they deem is white over the years to allow a 269 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: larger majority to fit into the white class. I want 270 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 2: to say, but there was a time where Jewish people 271 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 2: were not considered white, right, And I think about the 272 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 2: black plight and that being another difficult conversation to have 273 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 2: with certain white people because when you think about, you know, 274 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 2: me being a woman from a very tough upbringing, right, 275 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 2: and then a black woman at that, there's just a 276 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 2: certain level of you know, trauma and struggle that I've 277 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 2: had to experience. But I remember talking to a white 278 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 2: woman at one of my previous jobs, and she had 279 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 2: a rough upbringing, like she had a rough upbringing, and 280 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 2: she was just like, she didn't understand how, you know, 281 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: people could just make this assumption about white people and say, oh, well, 282 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 2: you're better off or you have some type of privilege, 283 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 2: and she's like, no, but I had to struggle. My 284 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 2: family was poor. And she didn't get it until someone 285 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 2: had shared an analogy with her about a baseball field 286 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 2: and basically letting her know, yes, you may have struggled. 287 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 2: No one's taken that away, but you were born on 288 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 2: second base. Black people, many of us were born in 289 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 2: the parking lot, so we had to walk to the 290 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 2: fucking field try to get her space. And so it's 291 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 2: just a difference as far as you may not feel privileged, 292 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 2: but it's like your skin color affords you a certain 293 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 2: privilege that you may not be aware of. So those 294 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 2: are three conversations that come to mind for me. You know, 295 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 2: the microaggressions, racism, and then the black plight in general 296 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 2: that are typically really tough. And I know we'll talk 297 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 2: a bit more about that, but I want to hear 298 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 2: from you. What are conversations that have historically been difficult 299 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: for you when it comes to chatting with white people. 300 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: Well, I think about the conversations that more recently are 301 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: coming up, right of white folks reaching out because you know, 302 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: right at the start of the summer, when the protests 303 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: regarding George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were taking off, and 304 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: there were all these things on the internet about check 305 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: on your black friends, right, so then you have white 306 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: folks reaching out to their black colleagues and their black 307 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: friends to kind of say, oh, I acknowledge what you're 308 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: going through. I'm sorry that you're dealing with this as 309 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: a black person. And there's layers to it for me personally, right, 310 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: I can't speak to how other people respond, and we 311 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: can dive into later on, we'll dive into tips on 312 00:16:56,280 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: how to navigate those conversations. But for me, those conversations 313 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: are different. My intention and approach when I'm engaging a 314 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: white person who I know or have a closer relationship 315 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: with is different than how I'm going to engage a 316 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: white person who I'm not as close to and so, 317 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: and I think that that's an important distinction as well. 318 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: I think that the other types of conversations that can 319 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: be difficult are those conversations when you have a white parent, 320 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 1: or a white partner, or a white family member. That 321 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: hasn't been my experience, but I know that that is 322 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: a difficult conversation that lots of other black folks are 323 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: having to engage in because those are people that they 324 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: truly love. And so, how do you engage in the 325 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: dialogue with someone who's in your household, right, someone who 326 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: you may share children with, who you share a bed with. 327 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 1: How do you engage in those difficult dialogues. 328 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 3: So those are the two that come up for me. 329 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 2: That makes sense toime. Those are really good examples. And 330 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 2: I will say I know that our girl, Rachel Cargo 331 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 2: look corrupt. She has resources. I remember her posting a 332 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 2: resource maybe a couple of years ago about how to 333 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 2: have those conversations about race at like Thanksgiving, and so 334 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 2: go to her page. She has tons of resources about 335 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 2: how to chat with white people about those difficult topics. 336 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 2: But I do want to say, dom I want to 337 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:33,640 Speaker 2: shout out some of the white people in my life 338 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: because I messaged them late last night, like, hey, can 339 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 2: I get your perspective on this, because I know I 340 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 2: could bring my own assumption on what white people think 341 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 2: about and how they interact with black people. So I 342 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 2: did get some feedback from a few white people in 343 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 2: my life, and I just want to shout them out 344 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 2: and appreciate and just share my appreciation for them being 345 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: vulnerable enough for me to just like send them this 346 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 2: message and share. So one person said that he sees 347 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 2: the discrepancies and racism and tries to be mindful not 348 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 2: to offend. Gave me an example of being in the 349 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 2: workplace and stating how if he had a white colleague 350 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 2: that was giving a presentation and if he did something 351 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 2: very impressive and like broke down a certain system, he 352 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 2: would feel comfortable going to that colleague. And he doesn't 353 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 2: find an issue with saying, man, that was so articulate, 354 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 2: you did a great job x y Z. But based 355 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 2: on his experiences and what he knows about how that 356 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 2: word can be offensive to black people, he said he 357 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 2: would definitely think twice about saying it to me or 358 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 2: another black colleague. He knows the weight that it holds 359 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: for us because of yeah, and some people don't know that, right. 360 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 2: Some people don't know. And I've had people say I 361 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 2: was articulate, and there was a time in life where 362 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, cool, thanks, And then as I 363 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 2: began to learn more about the nuances behind that, and 364 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 2: I just noticed that oftentimes in my experience, I didn't 365 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 2: see white people saying it to other white people. And 366 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 2: so then in my eyes, I was like, well, you're 367 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 2: saying you're articulate. It sounds like there's this unspoken for 368 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 2: a black person behind it, you know what I mean exactly, 369 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 2: And so that was one point of feedback that I 370 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 2: got that I thought was really interesting from pretty aware. 371 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 2: I want to say, most of the people I chatted with, 372 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 2: they were white. They're pretty aware white people, so just FYI. 373 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 2: But the next person said that these were all men 374 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 2: that happened to get back to me. The women I 375 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 2: didn't hear back from them because I guess it was 376 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 2: a short timeline. But he said that he realizes his privilege, 377 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 2: and he said, you know, he sees the inquality. It's 378 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 2: one thing to hear about it, but when you see 379 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 2: people are going through it, you know, it's definitely tough 380 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 2: to see. But he was saying, when and how do 381 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 2: we have these conversations because for him, it doesn't feel authentic, 382 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 2: like you were saying, dom to reach out every time 383 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 2: a black man is murdered and say, oh, hey friend, 384 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 2: I hope you're well. I see you. This shit happens 385 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 2: so often. It's like his question for me was like, 386 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 2: how do we have these ongoing conversations that are important? 387 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 2: But how do we have them in a way that's 388 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 2: authentic and in a way that doesn't have to sort 389 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 2: of follow a tragedy? If that makes sense. How can 390 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: this be an ongoing thing? I don't have an answer 391 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 2: for that. But I think this is a good question 392 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 2: that needs to be considered, right, like how do we 393 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 2: have those conversations? And then he was also saying how 394 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 2: some of the white people that he knows, they may 395 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 2: see the injustices, but they're scared to offend and don't 396 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 2: even know where to start or what to say, because 397 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 2: I think for I will say, for the well intentioned 398 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 2: white people, yes, there are a lot of white supremacists 399 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 2: and racist out there right For the well intentioned white people, 400 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 2: I think one of their greatest fears is being labeled 401 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 2: racist when that's not how they're trying to show up, right. 402 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 2: So that's his feedback. And then the last thing, Don 403 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 2: the last person, said that the question that I asked 404 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,199 Speaker 2: him about providing feedback for this, it was a big 405 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 2: question for him and it brought up a lot of 406 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 2: stuff which I can imagine based on personal experiences. But 407 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 2: he said that you know, right now in the world, 408 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 2: we want more honest and authentic communication. And many of 409 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 2: us have empathy and curiosity and some trauma. And when 410 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,919 Speaker 2: we come together, when people come together and their trauma 411 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 2: intersects with each other, you get misunderstandings, you get some hurt, 412 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 2: and you also get perpetuated injustices, and I thought that 413 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 2: was really a great way to sort of phrase that, 414 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 2: because we're all coming to the table. Yes, we as 415 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 2: black people, we have our own experience, and I've never 416 00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 2: really it's been very hard for me Dom to see 417 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 2: the plight of white people, like white people that are 418 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 2: not well off, like I was giving you the example 419 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 2: about the woman who came from upbringing. For me, sometimes 420 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: I am so blinded by the black plight and what 421 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 2: I go through that it is sometimes hard to see 422 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 2: what white people go through. Some white people, and then 423 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,959 Speaker 2: also Dom, I think that sometimes there's this very strong 424 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 2: frustration because for so long I think we have been unseen, 425 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 2: we have been unheard, and to see people sometimes I 426 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 2: don't know if it's envy. I have to maybe explore 427 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 2: this within myself. But sometimes I remember being on Bart 428 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 2: and there was this white guy just lying back with 429 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 2: his head back and his mouth open, and he was 430 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 2: knocked out. I was so angry, and I think this 431 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 2: was around the time that Nia Wilson had got murdered. 432 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 2: The young black girl who had got murdered on Bart, 433 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 2: I would say suspected white supremacist. He stabbed her and 434 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 2: her sister, but killed Nia Wilson. And now I remember 435 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 2: looking at that white guy, and I just had so 436 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 2: much anger. And that's my own personal stuff. I had 437 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 2: so much anger because I was like, damn, it must 438 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 2: be fucking nice. It must be nice to be able 439 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: to just lie back in public with not a care 440 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 2: in the world and just sleep. I could never, Okay, Like, 441 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 2: I would never, I would not ever do that because 442 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 2: I have to be mindful of my safety. And so 443 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 2: I think sometimes there's a frustration that damn, white people 444 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 2: just don't get it, or you just don't know what 445 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 2: we experience, you know. And so I think for me 446 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,640 Speaker 2: sometimes it makes those conversations difficult because of the lack 447 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 2: of understanding and also because of the privilege. 448 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: You know, yes, and I think you know, there's multiple 449 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: responses that I have there that you received, right. So 450 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,400 Speaker 1: I think the first thing that we have to acknowledge 451 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: is that we are living in a country that operates 452 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: in white supremacy. 453 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 5: Right. 454 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: Because we are operating in a country that focuses or 455 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: that lives in white supremacy, I think it's important for 456 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: us to always acknowledge that each one of us has 457 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: a role in that. Right, whether we own up to 458 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: it or not. Right, we all are like kind of 459 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: complicit in this white supremacist country. 460 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 2: Wait, don dive in Moore, what does that mean? 461 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 1: So to me, how I look at it is that 462 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: when you have this system that's set up, every person 463 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: who is a part of that system has a role 464 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: right and so as black people, the thing that we 465 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: are constantly battling against is trying to fight to reduce 466 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: white supremacy. But part of what we have to acknowledge 467 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: within ourselves in order for us as black people to 468 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 1: make change is that there are ways in which we 469 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: are complicit in uplifting white supremacy. 470 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:46,239 Speaker 3: You know. 471 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: So, for instance, if I engage in respectability politics and 472 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: trying to police other black folks, and I'm engaging in 473 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: the this respectability politics, where is this respectability politics coming from? 474 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: What is it rooted in? It's rooted in white supremacy. 475 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: So in that moment, I am complicit. 476 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 2: So you're saying if you say things like, oh, if 477 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 2: only black women will stop twerking, if only black women 478 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: will pull their pants up, if only so, making excuses 479 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 2: for why black people are where they are based on 480 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 2: their behavior, which is not true. 481 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: Exactly exactly, And so I think that once we can 482 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: acknowledge that, then that allows us to take the conversation 483 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: a little bit further, right. I think the other part 484 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: of the conversation that can be uncomfortable is for white 485 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: folks to acknowledge that because their role in white supremacy 486 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: affords them privilege, but that there will be times in 487 00:25:54,520 --> 00:26:00,120 Speaker 1: which their actions are perceived as racist. Every single white 488 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: person in America, I don't care how progressive or liberal 489 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: you are as a white person in America, because of 490 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: your inherent privilege, there will be times in which something 491 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: you say or do is racist. 492 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 3: Now again, I'm. 493 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: Not saying that that's your intention, but intention and impact 494 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: are two different things. 495 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 2: And Tom, can you give a few subtle examples on 496 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,919 Speaker 2: like when those situations happen that may just like go 497 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 2: over something like a white person's head if they're like, wait, 498 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 2: I'm not racist, but I did a racist thing, right 499 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 2: or I thought in a racist way. Can you give 500 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 2: a few examples on that. 501 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: You're sitting in your car doing whatever you're doing in 502 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: your car, right, who knows, and it's broad daylight and 503 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: you see a black person walking down the street and 504 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: your first instinct is to check to make sure your doors. 505 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: That's racist, because what is your assumption in that moment. 506 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: Your assumption in that moment is that that black person 507 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: is a danger to you. And that thought that black 508 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 1: person is a danger to you is rooted in white 509 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: supremacy and is rooted in that the narrative. Right, And 510 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: if you're unsure about what that narrative is, go back 511 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: and listen to our episode from last week where we 512 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: talk about what the narrative is and the detrimental impact 513 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,360 Speaker 1: that it has on us as black folks. Another instance, 514 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: let's say, now this is a pre COVID example, but 515 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: let's say you work in the department store Bloomingdale's. Okay, 516 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: young black woman is walking around Bloomingdale's and you work 517 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: in the perfume department and you see her walk by 518 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: and something catches her eye and she stops. You stop 519 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: chatting with your co workers to watch her, and you 520 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: don't take your eye off her the entire time. Meanwhile, 521 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: five other customers have walked by you. Yeah, that's racist, right. 522 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, those are good examples down. It also makes me 523 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 2: think about the unconscious bias. And we did this our 524 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 2: diversity lead at work, had us do this well. We 525 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 2: did an unconscious bias training and she gave us an 526 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 2: example of how there are these two resumes exactly the 527 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 2: same content, but one person's name is like Jamal and 528 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,399 Speaker 2: the other person's name is like John and literally like clockwork. 529 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 2: Employers chose John over Jamal in a great degree based 530 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 2: on the name. And there was another one with like 531 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 2: I want to say, stereotypical black woman name as opposed 532 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 2: to a stereotypical white woman name. And I think about 533 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 2: situations like that too, and it's like that is racist, 534 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 2: you know what I mean? Or wouldn't it be racist? 535 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 2: Or is it unconscious bias? 536 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 3: Oh? 537 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 2: Okay, cool, Okay, I'm like, I think, so, okay, just 538 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 2: make it sure. 539 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: Racism can be rooted in unconscious bias and conscious bises. 540 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: But I think that oftentimes the people that engage in 541 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: that have these unconscious biases don't view themselves as racists exactly. 542 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: And the reality is that every one of us have 543 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: unconscious biases right that shape how we engage with other people. 544 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: And so I think the thing is is that to 545 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: engage in these uncomfortable conversations, it takes all of us 546 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: being aware of what we are coming into the room with, right, 547 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 1: So as a black person, me being aware of how 548 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: I'm being perceived and what the other person may be 549 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: coming in with, as the white person, being aware of 550 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: your positionality and how you may be perceived in that moment. 551 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 3: Right. 552 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: And I think too, that what makes it so uncomfortable 553 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: is that as black folks, we are doing so much juggling. 554 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: I think that there is a lot of emotional labor 555 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: that we carry as black people that we should not 556 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: have to carry. And so for me, being mindful of 557 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: not wanting to continue to carry that emotional labor is 558 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: what kind of guides how I approach these conversations because 559 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: I recognize that what happens is that we experience racial 560 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: battle fatigue, right, which is this constant feeling of exhaustion. 561 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: So let's say that we are in a works environment 562 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: or maybe our home environment where we are daily engaging 563 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: in these conversations about race or having to justify our experiences, 564 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: and as we are constantly having to justify our experiences. 565 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 3: That breeds exhaustion. 566 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: Every day you're having to explain to people why you 567 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: are deserving of being treated like a human being. That's exhausting. 568 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: We should not have to engage in that conversation. And 569 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: maybe it's not explicitly stated, Hey, white person, I need 570 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: you to treat me like a human being. But when 571 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: we have to have that conversation around don't touch my hair, 572 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: or we have to have that conversation around yes, we 573 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: do need to look at Keisha and Jamal's resumes and 574 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 1: why we need to look at their resumes, or when 575 00:31:55,360 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: we have to explain that we don't need to know, oh, 576 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: this black person's entire life story to believe what they 577 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: just shared with us. That leads to racial battle fatigue, 578 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: and that affects our physical, mental, emotional well. 579 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 2: Being and amen. 580 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: And when we are constantly engaging in that, I could 581 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: see where it makes it hard for us to feel 582 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: motivated to engage in some of those uncomfortable conversations. 583 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 2: You know, when I think about the black community, there 584 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 2: are some of us who are I want to say, 585 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 2: not fit to have some of these conversations. And what 586 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 2: I mean by that is like, for me personally, I'm 587 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 2: not interested in having raised conversations with white people. That's 588 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 2: just not where I'm at. I think I need to 589 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 2: do more work on myself personally in order to have 590 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 2: those deeper conversations, and honestly, with my mental health plan 591 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 2: and where I am right now, I just don't have 592 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 2: the capacity or interest to do that. However, there are 593 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 2: other uncomfortable conversations that I may have around, you know, 594 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 2: things in the workplace and addressing the microaggressions and maybe 595 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 2: being a bit more reactive. But there are some people 596 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 2: I think about Rachel we mentioned earlier, that's her work, 597 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 2: that's her life's work, that's what she does, and so 598 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:16,040 Speaker 2: sometimes it's okay to forward people over to the experts 599 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 2: to have that conversation so that you don't have to, 600 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 2: you know, expend that emotional labor. I will say, we 601 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 2: have quite a few tips on having uncomfortable conversations with 602 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 2: white people. Dom and I both sort of compiled our 603 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 2: own tips here, and so there may be some tips 604 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 2: that you know, one of us has shared that the 605 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 2: other one's like, well, no, I thought about this one. 606 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,480 Speaker 2: And that's all good because these are tips that you 607 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 2: can take from based on how they resonate with you. 608 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 2: And there are other tips where we're like, yes, girl, 609 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 2: like I'm glad you added that. So now I'm going 610 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 2: to pass it over to you to dive into our 611 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 2: first one and I'll take the next one. 612 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, So I think you know the tips that we compiled, 613 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: Like the first tip right out of the gate is 614 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: what sets the stage for both of us, right, and 615 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: how we approached these tips in general. So the first 616 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: tip is to know your audience and context. And I 617 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 1: think t that goes right back to what you were 618 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:20,239 Speaker 1: just saying about, Okay, knowing where you are and who 619 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: you're going to be engaging with and whether or not 620 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: you need to refer them to someone else. 621 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 5: Right. 622 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:32,279 Speaker 1: So, if you know that the conversation you're about to 623 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: dive into is with your boss and you don't feel 624 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 1: comfortable having a full on dialogue because that's your boss 625 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 1: and they're in a position of evaluative power over you, 626 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: then you don't want to totally avoid the conversation, but 627 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,720 Speaker 1: you don't have to get into a full on deep 628 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: dive because you want to protect your energy, you want 629 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:12,480 Speaker 1: to respect your positionality. So know your audience and the context. 630 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:14,800 Speaker 2: I love that, don That is spot on. That's a 631 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 2: great grounding tip to to begin with the others. I 632 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 2: would say number two is being open minded. And the 633 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 2: reason I say that is because in my conversations as 634 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 2: hard as it is. I said this before. One of 635 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 2: my big struggles was, I want to say, not letting go, 636 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 2: but sort of holding the black plight and understanding things 637 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 2: from someone else's perspective. I've been able to do this 638 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 2: in my personal life with people who look like me, 639 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 2: but it has been very challenging for me to, like 640 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 2: I said before, see things from a white person's perspective 641 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:48,160 Speaker 2: or understand or not even understand, but hear them out 642 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,839 Speaker 2: as far as how they did not understand their ignorance 643 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 2: or their lack of you know, acknowledgement or understanding about 644 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:57,879 Speaker 2: a black person's experience. And so that's why I say 645 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 2: be open minded, because I think that if the goal 646 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 2: of the conversation is for learning and understanding, it is 647 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 2: important for us to also show up correctly if that's 648 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:09,840 Speaker 2: what we're doing in this conversation, right, and so be 649 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 2: in a place of you know, openness, so that we 650 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 2: can receive here, learn, grow and evolve. So I think 651 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 2: that is important because we all do have different experiences. 652 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: Okay, So tip number three is to think ahead regarding 653 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: consequences of your words and actions. 654 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:28,479 Speaker 3: And so. 655 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: With that one, I think that kind of goes back 656 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 1: to Terry what you were saying about being open minded, right, 657 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:43,359 Speaker 1: and also knowing your audience and your context. So if 658 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: I'm having a conversation with a friend or someone that 659 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:51,240 Speaker 1: I feel close and connected to, then how I dive 660 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: into that conversation may be a little bit different. 661 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 3: Right. 662 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 1: So I know that if I'm going into a conversation 663 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: with a friend, the consequences of if this conversation doesn't 664 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 1: go well is different than the consequences of if the 665 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: conversation with my boss doesn't go well, right, And so 666 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 1: I may be more willing to take more risk and 667 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:30,280 Speaker 1: be really and truly more open minded in the conversation 668 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:35,480 Speaker 1: with my friend versus my boss. And so just you know, 669 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:40,239 Speaker 1: remember to think ahead regarding your consequences of your words 670 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: and your actions because you know, also, I do want 671 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: to add a caveat too, that if you're willing to 672 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 1: go all out and you know that your actions may 673 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 1: lead to you maybe going to jail, right, because sometimes 674 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: we're there, right, I think about every person that's out 675 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 1: there protesting, that's a risk. And so but that is 676 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: a risk that we are willing to take when we 677 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,880 Speaker 1: go out there and we protest. So just thinking ahead 678 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: and knowing what the potential consequences are going to be 679 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:15,760 Speaker 1: before you dive into that dialogue or that action. 680 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 2: I love that great tip there, Dom. I would say 681 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 2: number four is setting ground rules or safe words, and 682 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 2: that all depends on what type of conversation you're having. 683 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 2: The reason I chose this tip is because I envisioned 684 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 2: a world where, at some point in the future, I 685 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 2: may want to, you know, pull one of my white 686 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 2: friends aside and say, hey, let's have a conversation about race. 687 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 2: Because I'm very a curious person. I want to understand 688 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:37,280 Speaker 2: what it's been like from your perspective. And so I think, 689 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,880 Speaker 2: because I can be sensitive about some of those topics, 690 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 2: it might be nice to have some ground rules or 691 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 2: a safe word so that if we get to an 692 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:47,319 Speaker 2: impasse and we're like, we're not seeing idea I have. 693 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 2: This is such a sensitive topic that's filled with so 694 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:53,880 Speaker 2: many emotions, we may need to use that code word 695 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 2: or safe word and then take a break right or 696 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 2: we may need to let the person know, you know, 697 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 2: in a safe way, that I feel triggered and maybe 698 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 2: we need to like shift or move in a different direction. 699 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 2: So that's why I chose that one. If it's those 700 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,400 Speaker 2: types of conversations. 701 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,919 Speaker 1: Let me ask a quick question on that one, though, 702 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 1: would you recommend this particular tip if we're having a 703 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 1: conversation with an employer. 704 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 2: I think it depends, like I'm trying to think of 705 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 2: an example of like what that would be. I'm trying 706 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 2: to think dumb, I'm trying to think of a real 707 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 2: life Do you have a real life example, because that 708 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:25,360 Speaker 2: would help me. 709 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 3: I don't. 710 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 1: I'm just curious about, like, is it so I'm having 711 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: a difficult dialogue with my boss, how would that look 712 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 1: to set ground rules or safe words or is this 713 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: a context? Is that an example where maybe that's not appropriate. 714 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: See, I'm down for like anything as possible. I think 715 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 2: there is a world where it could be appropriate in 716 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 2: the work setting. The first thing comes to mind for 717 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 2: me for tip number four would be like if it's 718 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,240 Speaker 2: a diversity or unconscious bias training where you have a 719 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 2: you know, a group of people and you're going to 720 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 2: be having these difficult conversations. That is the place in 721 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 2: the work environment where I can one hundred percent, hands down, 722 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 2: see you use safe words and setting ground rules because 723 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 2: differing perspectives coming to the place but if I'm chatting 724 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,799 Speaker 2: with my manager about something, I think maybe a disclaimer 725 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 2: of like this is a sensitive topic. But it depends 726 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:12,920 Speaker 2: on the manager too, Like I don't know how ground 727 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,720 Speaker 2: rules me coming into the conversation with the ground rules 728 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 2: might be perceived to the manager. And that kind of 729 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 2: goes back to what you were saying about, like, know 730 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,840 Speaker 2: your audience. But I do think we had, Lady, if 731 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 2: you have an example, you have the idea. I do 732 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 2: think there's a world where it could exist. That's a 733 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 2: good question though. 734 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,439 Speaker 1: Okay, so I agree that it goes back to knowing 735 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: your audience, and if you had that type of relationship 736 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:37,840 Speaker 1: with your manager, then yes, you could set ground rules 737 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: for the conversation. So tip number five is to keep 738 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: the focus of the conversation away from comforting the other person. 739 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:53,560 Speaker 1: So for me, that tip came about based on white 740 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: folks reaching out to check in, right. For some white people, 741 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 1: them reaching out to check is for them to assuage 742 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 1: their guilt. They want to be let go of the 743 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:11,040 Speaker 1: guilt of being a white person in America right now, right, 744 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,920 Speaker 1: And so they reach out to you to see how 745 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 1: you're doing. But it's not necessarily genuine. 746 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, do I'm also that, but then 747 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:23,240 Speaker 2: also the sort of good Samaritan vibe where it's like, okay, cool, checkbox. 748 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:24,680 Speaker 2: I reached out to a black person today, All right, 749 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:26,440 Speaker 2: let me get back to work. I feel good, you 750 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:27,920 Speaker 2: know what I mean. So I think it could be 751 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:30,080 Speaker 2: a combination of those one or two you know what 752 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 2: I mean? Right? 753 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: I agree, And so I think then it becomes a 754 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: matter of again knowing your audience, right. 755 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:39,320 Speaker 3: But the key is. 756 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: Whether they are genuine or not to keep the conversation 757 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:50,240 Speaker 1: away from comforting them. As black folks, particularly as black women, 758 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 1: we have been socialized to believe that we have to 759 00:41:55,280 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: take care of and comfort everyone, and we don't have 760 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:06,720 Speaker 1: to in that moment because in that moment, again, whether 761 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 1: they're being genuine or not, the assumed intention is for 762 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:12,399 Speaker 1: them to check in on. 763 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 2: Us real quick, Tom, because I know we're almost at 764 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 2: the end of our episod. Can you give an example 765 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,279 Speaker 2: of what it looks like to comfort someone while they're 766 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:21,279 Speaker 2: reaching out about that? Just I want to make sure 767 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 2: that we're clear on that. 768 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:27,480 Speaker 1: So someone reaches out to you and they say, hey, Terry, 769 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 1: I just wanted to check in on you, you know, 770 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:35,319 Speaker 1: with everything happening. I wanted to see. 771 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 3: How you're doing. 772 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 1: I just feel so bad about everything that's going on 773 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 1: right now. Your instinct to comfort them would be to say, oh, 774 00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: thank you for checking on me. I'm so sorry that 775 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:54,879 Speaker 1: you're feeling this way. Pause, hold on, m hm, let's 776 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:59,400 Speaker 1: step back, because their intention is supposed to be to 777 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:04,759 Speaker 1: check on ups us. So instead of responding with thank you, 778 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 1: because one saying oh, thank you, that's giving them praise 779 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:13,799 Speaker 1: right in that moment, we don't necessarily have to do that, 780 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 1: we are not obligated to do that. And then two 781 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: when we the next piece is when we step in 782 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,799 Speaker 1: to say, oh, I'm so sorry you're feeling that way. 783 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 1: What usually comes next the conversation then shifts to them. 784 00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:30,919 Speaker 1: So in that moment, instead of saying those things you say, 785 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:35,600 Speaker 1: your response can be something as simple as yes, things 786 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:36,520 Speaker 1: are really. 787 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,080 Speaker 3: Tough right now. 788 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:39,359 Speaker 1: I think what's going to be most helpful for me 789 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: is to take a break from all of it. And 790 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,279 Speaker 1: here's how you can help me if that's what you 791 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,200 Speaker 1: want to do, right If you're looking to give them 792 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: a tip on how to help you out. 793 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 2: I appreciate that down too, because it sounds like oftentimes 794 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 2: we rob ourselves of an opportunity to be cared for 795 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,160 Speaker 2: or comforted by putting it on the other person. So 796 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 2: I'm glad that you painted that example beautiful. And the 797 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,400 Speaker 2: next one, number six is have a purpose or goal 798 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 2: in mind. And what I was thinking here is for me, honestly, really, 799 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,359 Speaker 2: with anything in life at this point, I'm always like, Okay, 800 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 2: what is the purpose? What is the goal? I don't 801 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,360 Speaker 2: like to just go into a conversation without having like 802 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 2: an end result. Am I trying to educate the person? 803 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 2: Am I trying to learn? Am I trying to you know, 804 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,880 Speaker 2: let them know how they've offended me? I think getting 805 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 2: clear on that will allow you to sort of build 806 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:28,840 Speaker 2: out your conversation appropriately and make sure that you focus 807 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:30,799 Speaker 2: on your main point. So I think always having a 808 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:34,319 Speaker 2: purpose or goal in mind for specific conversations, especially if 809 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 2: it's like in the workplace, you don't want to kind 810 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:38,319 Speaker 2: of ramble and go off on tangents. I think being 811 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 2: very clear on what am I here for and what 812 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:42,240 Speaker 2: is the goal of this conversation is important. 813 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 1: Yes, I agree, I think that that is a good 814 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 1: one to because again it helps you. Also, having that 815 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 1: goal in mind helps you to also focus on Okay, well, 816 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: what are the potential consequences here? How do I engage 817 00:44:55,719 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: in this dialogue? Like it really helps set the tone. 818 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 1: The next tip is to use eye statements. And eye 819 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:07,719 Speaker 1: statements can be really hard for some of us, but 820 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:13,920 Speaker 1: I would encourage us to really try hard to use 821 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:17,839 Speaker 1: those eye statements in those conversations because what that does 822 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:21,200 Speaker 1: is it allows the focus to center on you and 823 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:24,279 Speaker 1: what it is that you are thinking and feeling and 824 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 1: what it is that you need, while also making it clear, 825 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:33,879 Speaker 1: hopefully that how you're speaking is from your perspective and 826 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:36,800 Speaker 1: not representative of all black people in America. 827 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 2: Love that and also takes the person off the defensive 828 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:42,840 Speaker 2: because no one can deny the way that you feel 829 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 2: right right, So that's powerful. Number eight is leaning into curiosity. 830 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 2: I think it's always important to lean into curiosity because 831 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:53,719 Speaker 2: when we make assumptions, sometimes that can cause division and 832 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 2: sometimes we can, you know, just bring a certain energy 833 00:45:57,080 --> 00:45:59,759 Speaker 2: to the conversation. So I love to ask questions to 834 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:02,359 Speaker 2: get clarity, like what did you mean when you said this? 835 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:02,680 Speaker 5: Right? 836 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,000 Speaker 2: So I want to understand your perspective before I'm like, yo, 837 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 2: you racist pieces I gave me understand what did you 838 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:09,120 Speaker 2: mean when you said this? Because that will give me 839 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:11,080 Speaker 2: more insight and sometimes I know for me, when I 840 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,280 Speaker 2: shut the hell up and listen, I get some gems. Okay, 841 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:15,600 Speaker 2: So lean into curiosity. 842 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,279 Speaker 1: Yes, I love that because I think that allows us 843 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:22,760 Speaker 1: to really learn more about their perspective and that allows 844 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:26,680 Speaker 1: us to see is their attention genuine or not exactly, 845 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:30,440 Speaker 1: which can change how we might approach the conversation. And 846 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:36,399 Speaker 1: our final tip is to pour into yourself before and 847 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:41,439 Speaker 1: after the conversation. Now, granted, I know that sometimes those 848 00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:43,600 Speaker 1: conversations come out of nowhere, so you might not be 849 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 1: able to pour into yourself before, right, But if you 850 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:53,400 Speaker 1: know the conversation is coming, you pour into yourself before 851 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:57,360 Speaker 1: and after the conversation is done. And what that looks like, 852 00:46:57,560 --> 00:46:59,719 Speaker 1: at least for me, and what I like to tell 853 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:05,160 Speaker 1: other folks to do, is to one go through all 854 00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:08,399 Speaker 1: these tips that we've already outlined, right, So think about 855 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,360 Speaker 1: how you're going to approach each of those tips, but 856 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:15,880 Speaker 1: to take some deep breaths to really ground and center 857 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:22,040 Speaker 1: yourself into the moment that's approaching. Maybe it may also 858 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:25,839 Speaker 1: mean listening to some uplifting music. Whatever you need to 859 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 1: get you into the headspace to dive into that dialogue, right, 860 00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: and then afterwards, if you can, giving yourself some space 861 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:42,040 Speaker 1: to just breathe, because again we know that diving into 862 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:47,720 Speaker 1: these difficult conversations can require a lot of emotional labor 863 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:51,799 Speaker 1: on our part, right, And so you want to make 864 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,760 Speaker 1: sure that as this conversation is pulling out of your cup, 865 00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:00,839 Speaker 1: that you are doing something to replenish your cup. One 866 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:04,719 Speaker 1: thing I like to recommend is to, if possible, not 867 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:08,920 Speaker 1: have another intense meeting set up right after it, to 868 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 1: really give yourself some space to decompress, because even if 869 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:17,719 Speaker 1: the conversation goes well and you don't experience in the 870 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:24,480 Speaker 1: moment like heightened emotions, chances are because it's an uncomfortable dialogue, 871 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:31,319 Speaker 1: your emotions are heightened. Your body is probably tense, and 872 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 1: you're just because you're in it, you're not necessarily aware. 873 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:39,440 Speaker 1: So after that dialogue, give yourself some space to breathe 874 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:42,960 Speaker 1: and relax and decompress. 875 00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:45,400 Speaker 2: All right, ladies, So we have quite a few tips 876 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:47,920 Speaker 2: for you today, so be sure to listen to our 877 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:51,640 Speaker 2: recap and take what resonates and leave the rest. So 878 00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:55,359 Speaker 2: number one is know your audience in context. Number two, 879 00:48:56,080 --> 00:49:00,080 Speaker 2: be open minded. We all have different experiences. Number three 880 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:04,040 Speaker 2: think ahead regarding consequences of your words and actions, and 881 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:08,359 Speaker 2: number four setting ground rules or safe words. Number five 882 00:49:08,480 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 2: is keep the focus of the conversation away from comforting 883 00:49:11,600 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 2: the other person. Number six have a purpose or goal 884 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 2: in mind. Number seven use those I statements. Number eight 885 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:24,880 Speaker 2: lean into curiosity, and number nine probably the most important, 886 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:31,720 Speaker 2: pour into yourself before and after the conversation. Hey lady, 887 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:34,319 Speaker 2: it's Terry here from the Hersby's podcast and I have 888 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:36,960 Speaker 2: a question for you. Do you want to start your 889 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:40,520 Speaker 2: own podcast? Have you been thinking to yourself? You know what, 890 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:43,120 Speaker 2: I want to start a podcast, but you just haven't 891 00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:47,239 Speaker 2: taken the leap. If that's you, I got you. I'm 892 00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:50,560 Speaker 2: hosting a free podcasting masterclass where I'm going to teach 893 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:53,600 Speaker 2: you how to create your own podcasts from start to finish. 894 00:49:53,920 --> 00:49:56,120 Speaker 2: So visit Terry Limax dot com and click on the 895 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:59,040 Speaker 2: pink link in the middle of your screen and register 896 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:02,400 Speaker 2: for my free pot podcasting masterclass. 897 00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:06,320 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us today in her Space. Please note 898 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:10,759 Speaker 1: that our show may contain conversations about self help, advice, 899 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:14,520 Speaker 1: self empowerment, and mental health, but it is by no 900 00:50:14,719 --> 00:50:17,960 Speaker 1: means meant to be a substitute for an ongoing formal 901 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:22,759 Speaker 1: relationship with a trained mental health provider. If you are 902 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:25,680 Speaker 1: someone you know is in need of mental health care, 903 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: please visit the Therapy for Black Girls directory Psychology Today 904 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:32,800 Speaker 1: or contact your insurance provider. 905 00:50:33,360 --> 00:50:35,000 Speaker 2: If you liked what you heard and want to keep 906 00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:38,440 Speaker 2: the conversation going, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and 907 00:50:38,560 --> 00:50:43,440 Speaker 2: Twitter at her space podcast or check out our website 908 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:47,720 Speaker 2: at herspacepodcast dot com. And before we meet again, repeat 909 00:50:47,719 --> 00:50:51,520 Speaker 2: after me. I am not limited by any past thinking. 910 00:50:52,239 --> 00:50:54,040 Speaker 2: I choose my thoughts with care. 911 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:56,239 Speaker 3: We'll see you next week, Lady