All About Change

Ben M. Freeman is an author, internationally renowned educator, and is among the founders of the modern Jewish Pride movement, for which he created the Jewish Pride manifesto, Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People. Ben’s second book Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride looks at internalized Jew-hate and ways to overcome it. Throughout his work, Ben seeks to educate and empower Jewish people to reject the shame of antisemitism imposed on Jews by the non-Jewish world.

In this conversation with Jay, Ben discusses his youth in Glasgow, Scotland as formative in building that Jewish Pride. He also addresses the role of Zionism in Jewish Pride, as well as the historical context and misinformation around anti-Zionism as it relates to antisemitism. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Ben relates his experiences coming out as gay to his developing and continuing Jewish Pride.

Please find a transcription of this episode: https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/podcast-episode/benfreeman/

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Join us for the latest episode of All About Change as Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the independent Center for Human Rights in Iran, discusses the reaction of Iranians within Iran and around the world to the death of Mahsa Amini. Women and students are leading this protest movement that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. How does it fit into the recent history of protest in Iran, what is different about this wave of protests that Ghaemi calls an “evolution,” and what does it mean for Iranians who live there and in the diaspora? 

Hadi Ghaemi is an internationally recognized expert on Iran and human rights. In 2008, he founded the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a leading organization documenting human rights violations in Iran and building international coalitions to support human rights. Born in Iran, Ghaemi came to the United States in 1983 as a student, and later became a professor of physics at CUNY as an expert in nanophysics. His other past work focused international attention on the plight of migrant workers in Dubai, as well as the repression of civil society in Iran. 

Please find a transcription of this episode:  https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/podcast-episode/hadi-ghaemi/ ‎

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Zack Gottsagen is an American actor who made his debut in the film The Peanut Butter Falcon. He is the first person with Down Syndrome to be a presenter at the Academy Awards. Zack was discovered at a summer camp for people with and without disabilities and has appeared in several projects since Peanut Butter Falcon, including God Save the Queens. He is continuing to pursue a career in acting.

Join us for the latest episode of All About Change as Zack discusses his experiences on set during the production of Peanut Butter Falcon, working with big Hollywood stars like Dakota Johnson & Shia LaBeouf, growing up with a disability, dealing with bullies, and more. Zack is proving day after day that when given opportunities, people with disabilities can and should tell their own stories in the film industry.

Please find a transcription of this episode: https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/podcast-episode/zack-gottsagen-conquering-hollywood/

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Gloria Feldt, the CEO of Planned Parenthood from 1996-2005, is a bestselling author and life-long feminist activist. Raised by Jewish immigrants in rural Texas, Gloria became a teen mom at 16 and had three children by the time she was 20. After the birth of her third child, she decided to pursue her dream of getting a college degree. The pursuit of education ended up completely altering her life path.  

Join us for the latest episode of All About Change as Gloria discusses her career - empowering women of all ages and how we can continue to rally forces even as the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade threatens to unravel years of progress.

Please find a transcription of this episode: https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/podcast-episode/gloria-feldt-feminist-icon/.

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 **TRIGGER WARNING. This episode contains conversations about attempted suicide. If you are triggered or would like to talk to a confidential advocate, please dial the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you want to learn more about mental health and find possible resources, please visit this Ruderman Family Foundation link.

On September 24, 2000, 19-year-old Kevin Hines attempted to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Miraculously, he survived the 220 ft jump thanks to a series of contributing factors. Today, Kevin is an award-winning mental health activist, a best-selling author, and a documentarian with an inspirational motto of “#BeHereTomorrow and every day after that”.

Join us for a special episode marking the upcoming World Mental Health Day as Kevin shares his remarkable story of hope, healing, and recovery.

Please find a transcription of this episode here: https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/podcast-episode/kevin-hines-surviving-thriving/. 

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**TRIGGER WARNING. This episode contains conversations about suicide, eating disorders, and other mental health issues. If you are triggered or would like to talk to a confidential advocate, please dial the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you want to learn more about mental health and find possible resources, please visit this Ruderman Family Foundation link.

Anastasia Vlasova was a rising tennis star and social media influencer when she started to develop an eating disorder. As an immigrant from Russia, Anastasia experienced a lot of stigma surrounding mental health from her family. After receiving some misguided advice from a school counselor, Anastasia realized how many adults don’t know how to talk to kids about mental health. She started sharing her experiences with anxiety and her eating disorder, and after being chosen as the keynote speaker at Our Minds Matter’s Annual Ball, Anastasia realized the power of storytelling. Since then, she has teamed up with This is My Brave, a nonprofit that uses performances to combat the stigma against mental health to help others share their stories. Today, Anastasia is an NYU student and host of the podcast Our Turn to Talk. She is also the subject of a documentary of the same name from Principal Pictures, being released this fall.

Listen to the latest episode of All About Change, as Anastasia discusses the pitfalls of social media, how parents can better support their kids, and stories of young people who are changing the mental health conversation.

You can learn more about Our Turn to Talk the podcast and documentary here.

Please find a transcription of this episode here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 **TRIGGER WARNING. This episode contains conversations about suicide, PTSD, and other mental health issues. If you are triggered or would like to talk to a confidential advocate, please dial the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you want to learn more about mental health and find possible resources, please visit this Ruderman Family Foundation link.

In 2008, Jason Kander was an honorably discharged Army Captain and a Democratic rising star. That year, he was elected to the Missouri state legislature and in 2012 as Missouri Secretary of State, making him the first American millennial elected to statewide office. Though he narrowly lost a Senate race against incumbent Roy Blunt, he then publicly acknowledged that he was considering a 2020 presidential campaign with the blessing of President Obama. From the outside, Jason seemed to have it all together. However, on the inside, it was a very different story, as Jason was suffering from undiagnosed PTSD. 

Join us for the latest episode of All About Change, as Jason discusses his powerful memoir Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD, the importance of therapy, and his work with the Veterans Community Project. 

Please find a transcription of this episode here.

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In the late 1980s, there were an estimated 200 lesbian bars across the United States. Now, there are only 21 remaining. These bars, often the only safe spaces for lesbians and other members of the LGBTQ community, are disappearing at an alarming rate. Erica Rose, along with fellow Director Elina Street, immediately jumped into action and created The Lesbian Bar Project. What resulted was a viral fundraiser, with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised, and a documentary to celebrate, support, and preserve the remaining lesbian bars in the United States. This October, The Lesbian Bar Project docuseries for Roku will also be released. 

Listen to the latest episode of All About Change as Erica discusses why LGBTQ spaces are so important and her mission to save the last remaining bars.

Please find a transcription of this episode here.

Photo credit: Jackie Abbott 

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In the late 1980s, Eric Marcus decided to leave his job at CBS and take a leap of faith to pursue a project that required creating an oral history of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. The result would become first one, then two editions of the book Making Gay History. Today, Eric is a celebrated author, journalist, and podcast host. He is the founder and host of the Making Gay History and Those Who Were There podcasts. Revisiting his oral history archives, Eric’s work is celebrated as a profound deep dive into all corners of LGBTQ history.

Listen to the latest episode of All About Change as Eric discusses his favorite known and long-forgotten champions of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, and the importance of keeping LGBTQ history in the public discourse following recent Supreme Court rulings.

Please find a transcription of this episode here. 

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When Tess Barker and Babs Gray started comedically dissecting Britney Spears’ quirky social media on their podcast Britney’s Gram, they had no idea it would morph into something far greater. As the two dove into Britney’s online presence, they started to wonder how willing of a participant she was in her own life? Then they received a disturbing voicemail revealing that Britney had been placed in a mental health facility against her will. Tess and Babs courageously sounded the alarm on their podcast and social media. The response was massive and immediate, and overnight, and the #FreeBritney movement was born. Together with Britney’s loyal fans, Tess and Babs shined a much-needed light on the truth behind Britney's conservatorship, ultimately helping the singer regain control over her own life.

Listen to the latest episode of All About Change as Tess and Babs dive into how a comedy podcast led to #FreeBritney activism, more details surrounding how Britney was kept in a conservatorship for so long, and conservatorship abuse in general.

Please find a transcription of this episode here. 

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