Black Like Me

Because of recent events that are bringing greater attention to issues that impact African Americans, Black Like Me is highlighting past episodes that are relevant to the current national conversation. Be sure to also listen to Robin DiAngelo's return to the podcast in Episode 126.

Dr. Alex Gee brings you an important figure in the White Allyship conversation, Dr. Robin DiAngelo. Their conversation is insightful, truthful, and challenging to the system of racism. Dr. Gee and Dr. DiAngelo share the ability to speak from life experience, both personally and professionally, in an episode that is not to be missed.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo is the Affiliate Associate Professor of Education at the University of Washington. Her area of research is in Whiteness Studies and Critical Discourse Analysis, explicating how whiteness is reproduced in everyday narratives. Dr. DiAngelo has numerous publications and books, including Is Everybody Really Equal?: An Introduction to Key Concepts in Critical Social Justice Education, co-written with Özlem Sensoy, and which received both the American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Book Award (2012) and the Society of Professors of Education Book Award (2018). In 2011 she coined the term White Fragility in an academic article which influenced the national dialogue on race. Dr. DiAngelo's book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism was released in June of 2018 and debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Dr. Gee welcomes back Robin DiAngelo for a conversation about the racial atmosphere of the last year. Dr. Gee asks what DiAngelo would tell his white listeners that may feel like things will be better now in our country? What is the role of white progressives in the racial environment? DiAngelo gives some clarity to how systemic racism adapts and how a sense of complacency is dangerous.

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Dr. Gee brings back his friend Justice Jill Karofsky to give perspective on recent events. They cover voter suppression, the Washington Capitol insurrection, and mass incarceration. Justice Karofsky gives honest views of how important mental health is to judicial decision-making, the vitality of all elections, and diversity on the bench.

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With recent events bringing more attention to Asian and Asian Pacific racism and violence, we wanted to re-share this episode that discusses many of these issues. Just as with racism against African-Americans, this racism against the Asian community is not new. Let's use the exposure of the pandemic and recent events to keep the conversation going.

Dr. Alex Gee sits down for a return visit with his good friend Peter Ahn to share about the Asian-American experience during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Gee and Peter discuss connections between their cultures, how it has shaped them and their friendship, and shed light on racism in their communities. They want to help guide the way with their shared experiences during and beyond this crisis.

Anthony Cooper returns to the podcast to discuss his recent pardon by the WI state governor. Wisconsin State Public Defender Kelli Thompson also joins the conversation to comment on the importance of pardons in shifting the narrative on an individual's life. Anthony Cooper, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Reentry Services, is always a passionate advocate of those pushed aside in society and not letting people's mistakes define them.

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Dr. Gee brings Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Chair, back to the show for a conversation on elections. They cover the role of Black voters, the power of Black women organizing, voter suppression, and the vital position of Wisconsin in the election. This is the election and voter perspective that you aren't going to hear other places.

Ben Wikler was raised in Madison, Wisconsin, where he now lives with his wife, Beth, and their three children. Ben has spent his life fighting for economic, social, and racial justice. In his work, most recently for the progressive group MoveOn.org, Ben has played a leadership role in some of the most critical political fights of recent years—from the successful battle to save the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, to the defense of Dreamers, immigrants, and refugees, to the rise of the Blue Wave of 2018. While working across the country, Ben has always stayed connected to his Wisconsin roots, recently working to help elect the Evers/Barnes ticket and sounding the alarm about the GOP power grab after their victory. Now the Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, he believes we can supercharge grassroots energy in every part of Wisconsin to fight for our progressive agenda, and secure Democratic victories all the way up and down the ticket for years to come.

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Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. returns to the show to catch up with Dr. Gee about a traumatic year for Black people. As Black men and husbands, they commiserate on self-care and family life during the pandemic and the racial unrest of 2020. Their conversation then moves towards the insurrection and "how white people need to clean up the mess they made."

Also, don't miss a short discussion about Eddie Moore Jr.'s National White Privilege Conference as guest speaker Robin Di'Angelo joins in.

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., currently serves as Director of The Privilege Institute (TPI) and The National White Privilege Conference (WPC), both founded under his direction to provide opportunities and possibilities for research, publications, speaking and collaborations by those committed to true social and institutional change. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa and under his direction and inclusive relationship model the White Privilege Conference has become one of the top national and international conferences for participants who want to move beyond dialogue and into action around issues of diversity, power, privilege, and leadership.

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In a candid interview, American Family Insurance CEO and Chairman, Jack Salzwedel shares his racial equity journey with Dr. Gee. While exploring his leadership and career, Jack Salzwedel discusses witnessing redlining, creating inclusive company culture, and his own pursuit of equity. Listen to hear another open and insightful conversation from Dr. Gee.

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Dr. Gee discusses Dr. Jasmine Zapata's involvement in the COVID-19 vaccine research at the University of Wisconsin under the leadership of Dr. William Hartman. Their conversation highlights the importance and rarity of including African Americans in the research process. This important topic explains the mistrust of the Black community for health care services and the impact of COVID on African Americans.

Dr. William Hartman is an anesthesiologist at UW Health and an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is the Medical Director for the UW Health Preanesthesia Assessment Clinic. He is leading a UW Health study looking at whether plasma transfusions from people who have recovered from COVID-19 will help others who are still fighting it.

Dr. Zapata is a dynamic author, physician, health educator, speaker, youth empowerment specialist, and community leader known both locally and internationally. She is a board-certified pediatrician as well as a preventive medicine/public health doctor. Her focus is on ways to get outside the clinic walls to impact health outcomes for children and families on a community-based level. Her research and community work focuses on racial disparities in infant mortality, upstream determinants of health, youth resilience, public health approaches to violence prevention, and innovative methods of community engagement and health promotion. She is the founder of the Beyond Beautiful International Youth Empowerment Movement as well as co-founder of the Madison Inspirational Youth Choir among other roles.

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Dr. Gee brings back Psychologist Dr. Christopher Bass just in time to help him process the stress and hurt that is sadly building up with current events. This stress has compounded for Black folks since the Pandemic has brought greater disparities and systemic racism to the forefront. Whether you need to hear how to address underlying stressors for the Black community or want to better understand the conditions facing people of color in our current environment, this episode is enlightening.

Dr. Chris Bass has served clinically in a variety of posts including; Clinical Director at a residential treatment facility for adjudicated late adolescent males, Psychologist for the City of Atlanta and Senior Psychological Partner at The Bass Medical and Psychological Consultants firm LLC. He has held faculty appointments on the campuses of Hampton University, Morehouse College, University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University and others. He continues to serve as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Clark Atlanta University.

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