Dr. Gee digs right into this season's theme of Black Joy by bringing back Dr. Christopher Bass for another illuminating conversation. From the perspective of a psychologist, Dr. Bass gets at the mindset of what it means to have Black joy. They discuss the difference between pursuing happiness in America and knowing joy, and the effect of both.

Dr. Bass refers to the book, Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy, in their conversation. Check it out to learn more!

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In the first episode of Season 6, Dr. Gee breaks down the theme of Embracing Black Joy, gives a historical context, and sets the stage for the new season. As always, Dr. Gee is inspiring while providing his unique perspective.

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On the final episode of Season 5, Dr. Gee has an invigorating conversation with Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings that starts with demystifying Critical Race Theory (CRT) and continues through explaining systemic racism. Dr. Ladson-Billings brings caree-long expertise to the topic of considering how to teach history equitably and how to look at our current cultural landscape as well.

Gloria Ladson-Billings is the former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and faculty affiliate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was the 2005-2006 president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Ladson-Billings' research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. She also investigates Critical Race Theory applications to education. She is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children and Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, and numerous journal articles and book chapters. She is the former editor of the American Educational Research Journal and a member of several editorial boards. Her work has won numerous scholarly awards including the H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship, the NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the Palmer O. Johnson outstanding research award. During the 2003-2004 academic year, she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. In fall of 2004, she received the George and Louise Spindler Award from the Council on Anthropology and Education for significant and ongoing contributions to the field of educational anthropology. She holds honorary degrees from Umeå University (Umeå Sweden), University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the University of Alicante (Alicante, Spain), the Erickson Institute (Chicago), and Morgan State University (Baltimore).  She is a 2018 recipient of the AERA Distinguished Research Award, and she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2018.

Read more about Dr. Ladson-Billings here.

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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. Currently, the debate around Black American history and Critical Race Theory is heating up, so we are returning to an episode that discusses teaching Black history.

Dr. Alex Gee talks with Professor Steve Kantrowitz and Professor Alexander Shashko about their experience teaching Black History. Professor Kantrowitz co-created Justified Anger's Black History for a New Day course with Dr. Gee, and Professor Shashko lecturers for the course. 

Learn more about how you can be part of Justified Anger's Virtual Black History for A New Day Course.

Alexander's Tedx Talk 

Professor Steve Kantrowitz's Books:

All Men Free and Brethren: Essays on the History of African American Freemasonry

More Than Freedom: Fighting for Black Citizenship in a White Republic.

Ben Tillman and the Reconstruction of White Supremacy. 

Professor Alexander Shashko's book suggestions: 

https://www.press.umich.edu/179458/change_is_gonna_come

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312425791

http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/ows/seminars/tcentury/movinglr/longcivilrights.pdf

Dr. Alex Gee has a conversation about pushing back against the legacy of white supremacy still holding on in our institutions with Mya Berry, a college student advocating for racial justice in Wisconsin. Mya Berry has called for changing the name of her former high school because of the memorializing of a slaveholder. Their conversation covers navigating white educational space, refusing to address racist history, and the perpetuation of racial disparities by educators. We must acknowledge how history manifests itself in our present institutions and the impact on new generations of people of color.

Mya Berry Go Fund Me: Support Mya Berry in her Harvard education

High School Name Change Article Read more about Mya Berry's efforts

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The week of this episode, Juneteenth was federally recognized as a national holiday. Dr. Alex Gee takes this opportunity to reflect on the progress that Black people have made in America and what meaning this holiday holds. There are many disparities and injustices facing African Americans today that need to be understood alongside a holiday celebrating Black culture.

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Dr. Gee and Raven Jemison bring raw conversations about race to white spaces where these conversations do not usually happen. Raven discusses the importance in her work of an authentic connection to a community and one that you can have an impact on. Their conversation covers sports as racial harmony that brings people together under a common goal, and the debate over sports players and public figures being allowed to speak out on social issues.

Raven Jemison is a sports business executive with 10+ years of experience in managing multi-million dollar business operations and generating revenue across teams and leagues. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President, Business Operations for the Milwaukee Bucks. Prior to her time in Milwaukee, she worked for the NBA League Office, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Florida Panthers. 

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Did you get the "The Talk" growing up? Have you given "The Talk" to your kids? Dr. Gee riffs on the cultural significance of "The Talk" in the African American community. He tells his story of learning his own racial identity and what that tells us about American culture. 

*Unfortunately, you may hear some crackling and popping noise in the recording this week*

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Dr. Alex Gee has a conversation with Bridgette Craighead, a mother, entrepreneur, and advocate running to represent her community in the Virginia House of Delegates. She shares her story of activism after the racial violence of 2020 and how it connects to the capitol insurrection in January of 2021. Her revealing story of the insurrection connected to her hometown went viral and demonstrated the racism underlying the nation.

Bridgette Craighead's Campaign: https://www.bridgettefordelegate.com

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Dr. Gee reflects on where he was when heard about George Floyd's death and the impact it had on him and the trajectory of the nation over the last year. He then shares 5 steps to have hope about where we move after understanding this point in our racial justice history. This episode is a powerful perspective from Dr. Gee as a Black man working for years to fight racism, invest in Black leaders, and promote Black excellence.

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