Active Allyship...it's more than a #hashtag!"

Sunni is away this week so Lisa is hosting solo.  Her guest is David Zucchino is a contributing writer for the New York Times. He has covered wars and civil conflicts in more than three dozen countries and is a four-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for his reporting in Iraq, Lebanon, Africa, and inner-city Philadelphia. Zucchino won a Pulitzer Prize for his dispatches from apartheid South Africa. He is the author of Thunder Run and Myth of the Welfare Queen

Book description:

WINNER OF THE 2021 PULITZER PRIZE FOR GENERAL NONFICTION

From Pulitzer Prize-winner David Zucchino comes a searing account of the Wilmington riot and coup of 1898, an extraordinary event unknown to most Americans

By the 1890s, Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city and a shining example of a mixed-race community. It was a bustling port city with a burgeoning African American middle class and a Fusionist government of Republicans and Populists that included black aldermen, police officers and magistrates. There were successful black-owned businesses and an African American newspaper, The Record. But across the state—and the South—white supremacist Democrats were working to reverse the advances made by former slaves and their progeny.

In 1898, in response to a speech calling for white men to rise to the defense of Southern womanhood against the supposed threat of black predators, Alexander Manly, the outspoken young Record editor, wrote that some relationships between black men and white women were consensual. His editorial ignited outrage across the South, with calls to lynch Manly.

But North Carolina’s white supremacist Democrats had a different strategy. They were plotting to take back the state legislature in November “by the ballot or bullet or both,” and then use the Manly editorial to trigger a “race riot” to overthrow Wilmington’s multi-racial government. Led by prominent citizens including Josephus Daniels, publisher of the state’s largest newspaper, and former Confederate Colonel Alfred Moore Waddell, white supremacists rolled out a carefully orchestrated campaign that included raucous rallies, race-baiting editorials and newspaper cartoons, and sensational, fabricated news stories.

With intimidation and violence, the Democrats suppressed the black vote and stuffed ballot boxes (or threw them out), to win control of the state legislature on November eighth. Two days later, more than 2,000 heavily armed Red Shirts swarmed through Wilmington, torching the Record office, terrorizing women and children, and shooting at least sixty black men dead in the streets. The rioters forced city officials to resign at gunpoint and replaced them with mob leaders. Prominent blacks—and sympathetic whites—were banished. Hundreds of terrified black families took refuge in surrounding swamps and forests. 

This brutal insurrection is a rare instance of a violent overthrow of an elected government in the U.S. It halted gains made by blacks and restored racism as official government policy, cementing white rule for another half century. It was not a “race riot,” as the events of November 1898 came to be known, but rather a racially motivated rebellion launched by white supremacists.

In Wilmington’s Lie, Pulitzer Prize-winner David Zucchino uses contemporary newspaper accounts, diaries, letters and official communications to create a gripping and compelling narrative that weaves together individual stories of hate and fear and brutality. This is a dramatic and definitive account of a remarkable but forgotten chapter of American history.

Lisa is solo today with the incredible Precious Brady Davis. Precious Brady-Davis is an award-winning diversity advocate, communications professional, and public speaker. She currently serves as the associate regional communications director at the Sierra Club. She served for three years as the assistant director of diversity recruitment initiatives at Columbia College Chicago, her alma mater, implementing the campus-wide diversity initiative and providing leadership and oversight of national diversity recruitment and inclusion policy initiatives. She also served as the youth outreach coordinator at the Center on Halsted, the largest LGBTQ community center in the Midwest. During Precious's tenure, she launched a $1.6 million CDC HIV prevention grant, which provided outreach, education, youth programming, and testing services to over three thousand young African American and Latinx gay, bi, and trans youth. Precious is married to Myles Brady and lives in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, where they are raising their daughter, Zayn. In her free time, she enjoys online shoe shopping, travel, and fine dining with friends. For more information visit www.preciousbradydavis.com.

Precious talks about her book, I Have Always Been Me: A Memoir. 

Here is the book description:

Precious Brady-Davis remembers the sense of being singular and grappling with “otherness.” Born into traumatic circumstances, Davis was brought up in the Omaha foster care system and the Pentecostal faith. As a biracial, gender-nonconforming kid, she felt displaced. Yet she realized by coming into her identity that she had a purpose all along.

In I Have Always Been Me, Brady-Davis reflects on a childhood of neglect, instability, and abandonment. She reveals her determination to dream through it and shares her profound journey as a trans woman now fully actualized, absolutely confident, and precious. She speaks to anyone who has ever tried to find their place in this world and imparts the wisdom that comes with surmounting odds and celebrating on the other side.

A memoir, a love story, and an outreach for the marginalized, Precious’s sojourn is a song of self-reliance and pride and an invitation to join in the chorus.

Lisa and Sunni interview Toni Pettus who shares her experience as a Black LBGTQIA+ as a truck driver in the mostly white male dominated industry. 

She also shares her self-care rituals which help her handle the stress of her work environment.

We will be back to our Did You Know" segment in September, 

Lisa is joined by Dr. David Campt.  David is an engaging speaker, a master facilitator, and an expert in the process of transformative dialogue. David also has significant substantive thought leadership in diversity, inclusion and equity areas related to anti-racism. His proficiency in advancing compassionate dialogue to create a more equitable world resulted in offering his thoughts and commentary in numerous articles, radio, podcasts, as well as national television appearances.

Through his exclusive R.A.C.E. Method, David is known most for educating and coaching participants in a disarming, amiable, and practical way. His keynotes and courses provide the following insights that are transferable from the family, to the workplace, and to the community:

Best practices in anti-racism activism

The Power of Dialogue

Persuasion based on neuroscience theories

Conflict resolution through dialogue

Addressing political polarization

Dr. Campt touches on some of these issues in this interview as well as helping Lisa communicate with a friend's husband who watches Tucker Carlson and  talking about his new group on Clubhouse, "White People Whispering." 

Lisa is solo this week and is joined by  Theodore R. Johnson a Senior Fellow and Director of the Fellows Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, where he undertakes research on race, politics, and American identity. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, he was a National Fellow at New America and a Commander in the United States Navy, serving for twenty years in a variety of positions, including as a White House Fellow in the first Obama administration and as speechwriter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His work on race relations has appeared in prominent national publications across the political spectrum, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the National Review, among others.

He is here today with Lisa to talk about his incredible book, When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America.

Below is the book description:  

“Racism is an existential threat to America,” Theodore R. Johnson declares at the start of his profound and exhilarating book. It is a refutation of the American Promise enshrined in our Constitution that all men and women are inherently equal. And yet racism continues to corrode our society. If we cannot overcome it, Johnson argues, while the United States will remain as a geopolitical entity, the promise that made America unique on Earth will have died.

When the Stars Begin to Fall makes a compelling, ambitious case for a pathway to the national solidarity necessary to mitigate racism. Weaving memories of his own and his family’s multi-generational experiences with racism, alongside strands of history, into his elegant narrative, Johnson posits that a blueprint for national solidarity can be found in the exceptional citizenship long practiced in Black America. Understanding that racism is a structural crime of the state, he argues that overcoming it requires us to recognize that a color-conscious society—not a color-blind one—is the true fulfillment of the American Promise.

Fueled by Johnson’s ultimate faith in the American project, grounded in his family’s longstanding optimism and his own military service, When the Stars Begin to Fall is an urgent call to undertake the process of overcoming what has long seemed intractable.

The Did you know Segment… it’s back!  Where is it? What happened to it? Ok, it’s really back, just not this week. *smile* 

Happy belated Father’s Day to our listeners! 

Lisa shares her experience attending the Juneteenth celebration this year versus last year the mood was different for a number of reasons.  Clearly, 2020 was unprecedented on so many levels, no one could’ve foretold the life changing events!

On this episode of Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag! The ladies discuss Juneteenth!  It’s officially recognized as a Federal Holiday!!!!  A huge “Thank you” to Ms. Opal Lee for all of your efforts to make this happen! 

Listen to her story! 

Sunni and Lisa discuss the importance of having this information shared broadly… hint: Critical Race Theory.  This would be a whole other show and we do plan to discuss it in-depth as well.  Trust.

Lisa shares a blog discussing disappointing with the “paid” holiday and what it doesn’t do.  Of course you’ll have to listen to hear the opinion.  Sunni isn’t having any of it… yikes.  Ease up on the current Administration, they came in office with a huge disadvantage, huge!  

Social media will set you up!  Do your research folks, do your research and use trusted sources.  Otherwise, it’s a distraction from the real issues. Don’t be distracted.

How about we all celebrate Juneteenth - having the day off to do better and be better holistically - European Americans can take this as a day of learning, by committing to understanding another community for the benefit of humanity.  

O yea, checkout www.brainpop.com for information that is not whitewashed and offers the real deal! 

If you aren’t already, please follow us on IG|Twitter @activeallyship.podcast! And of course, there’s our Facebook Page, Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag!  Drop us a line or two… Be sure to Listen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Share. the podcast!

The Did you know Segment… it’s back!  Where is it? What happened to it? Ok, it’s really back, just not this week. *smile* 

On this episode of Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag! The ladies converse with Propaganda…

Propaganda was marinated in multi cultural communities in Los Angeles, California. He’s hilarious and gives all the props to his mom for it and his sarcasm. 

Terraform… what is it, is that what you’re inclined to ask?  The book, you’re wondering what’s all this talk about?  Trust us… this book is magical AF!  Sunni had a whole moment with “If Coffee Were a Man”… whew!  You’ve got to listen!  O wait, the story of how it came to be… wow!

This dude is the absolute TRUTH!  His thought process, his ability to bring his thoughts to life, through pen and paper, through voice, through lyrics and melodic tones… so rich in flavor, the flavor of community, of culture, of lived experiences.

The silliness of culture, are you familiar with this term?  Even if you are, you got to listen to this conversation.  Propaganda is a phenom!  He does not disappoint.  Listen to the show, purchase the book, check out his other interviews… indulge… a very rich experience.

And the scarcity model… whew!  So many have been hypnotized by this, without even realizing it!

If you aren’t already, please follow us on IG|Twitter @activeallyship.podcast! And of course, there’s our Facebook Page, Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag!  Drop us a line or two… Be sure to Listen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Share. the podcast!

The Did you know Segment… it’s back!  Sigh… “Karen’s” geez and geez… what’s with the racist behavior… immediately followed by a lame ass apology…and “white” tears!  So, this “Karen” owns a hat store and thought it was a great idea to use the Star of David as an anti-vax symbol…this genius hails from Nashville, TN.  In other DYK news, Amy Cooper is back in the news, you know the lady that called that police on the African American man birdwatching in Central Park and lied and cried more “white” tears.  Well, apparently, she’s suing her former employer for racism.  No words.  Shifting gears… if you have not seen High On The Hog (Netflix), see it.  If you’ve seen it, see it again!  Yes, it’s that good!

On this episode of Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag! The ladies converse with Karen’s Daughter founder - Amy Bauer!  What an incredible conversation, like seriously, no exaggeration! 

On the question of marination, Amy Bauer is working on undoing some of that marination… it really isn’t her truth. What an awaking!

Like who knew?  An actual initiative for the good of humanity titled “Karen’s Daughter”…if you haven’t picked up what’s being put down by now… The name “Karen” has become synonymous with European American women aka white women (and men) behaving badly based on their racist beliefs. But wait, Amy expounds upon “Karen” as a person and a concept, you’ve got to listen!

Just when you thought you knew what “Karen” was all about, here comes Amy Bauer to educate you on the total and complete miseducation of her up close and personal engagement.  How have you dealt with relatives that have propraganda’ish mindsets and behaviors? O wait, wait!  As a European American woman/man - How about healing…have you thought about your own healing journey and how it can be transformative for your role in humanity and being or becoming an ally? 

**Bonus… You’ve got to listen to the story of Amy and the stranger on the park bench… it might make you feel like someone’s cutting onions… but LISTEN anyway… Please.

If you aren’t already, please follow us on IG|Twitter @activeallyship.podcast! And of course, there’s our Facebook Page, Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag!  Drop us a line or two… Be sure to Listen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Share. the podcast!

Our "Did You Know" segment returns shortly. 

On this episode of Active Allyship...it's more than a #hashtag!" the ladies chat with Purpose Coach, Joey Chandler.  Joey helps actors, writers and other creatives develop their characters and get unstuck in their lives. His approach is based on the idea that the more you know about yourself, the more you can bring to your craft. His Purpose Survey is the foundation of his work. It takes less than 5 minutes and you learn more about yourself.  Sunni and Lisa took his Purpose Survey and it was spot on!  Joey goes over the results in this episode.  To take the survey, go here: https://joeychandler.net/purpose_survey

Joey opens up how he realized he was being a "good liberal" but knew he had to go deeper. He feels strongly that anti-racism work and purpose work go hand in hand.  Joey's authenticity really shines through.

Here is an article by Joey Chandler on this topic:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-anti-racism-work-purpose-go-hand-in-hand-joey-chandler-he-him-?trk=public_profile_article_view

If you aren't already, please follow us on IG/Twitter @activeallyship.podcast And of course there's our Facebook page, Active Allyship...it's more than a #hashtag!.  Drop us a line or two...be sure to Listen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Share the podcast!

Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Free Download / Stream:  https://bit.ly/wataboi-cali
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On this episode of Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag! The ladies chat with Christopher Kilgour, founder of Color In The Outdoors, an outdoors DEI activity and advocacy organization.  His organization is focused on creating opportunities for people who either have never spent time outdoors, but didn’t have a good experience in the process OR who consider themselves avid lovers of the outdoor world and want to continue to expand their experiences and skillsets.

Christopher Kilgour was marinated in all things outdoors… being in the outdoors is a part of his core.  Recentering and fine tuning is second nature.  He grew up in Wisconsin, in a family of educators… learning about the land… learning how everything is intertwined and interconnected.

He started Color In The Outdoors around 20 years ago, he was lucky enough to grow up very close to parks and was immersed in the outdoor world. 

The conversation is layered, access and cost may be issues that prevent folks from participating in the outdoor world.  What’s clear is… there are levels to this… the Great Outdoors is expansive and can be experienced in many ways.  Common threads and themes for why people don’t participate in the outdoor world are also discussed.  Let’s just set the record straight… it is not a white thing.

If you aren’t already, please follow us on IG|Twitter @activeallyship.podcast! And of course, there’s our Facebook Page, Active Allyship…it’s more than a #hashtag!  Drop us a line or two… Be sure to Listen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Share. the podcast!

Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream:  https://bit.ly/wataboi-cali
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/qXptaqHIH5g