Have you ever wanted to make a change in your community and not known where to start? Do you have children? Have you ever cared about traffic or where alcohol can be sold or food insecurity or mental health or flu vaccinations or access to books? Your community public schools are the place where you can have an impact on every one of those issues and so much more. In this episode, I spoke with Kate Noble, President of the Santa Fe Public School Board and CEO of Growing up New Mexico about public Schools as the foundation for community wellness. Kate is brilliant and funny and deeply passionate about public education. 

Kate Noble was born in Santa Fe and got a wonderful education in the Santa Fe Public Schools. She graduated from Santa Fe High School and attended Columbia University in New York City, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies. Kate spent 10 years at the BBC’s Business News Desk as a producer, reporter and anchor. She then returned to Santa Fe and began working for the City of Santa Fe in economic and community development, where she focused on growing local businesses and local talent. She joined Growing Up New Mexico, an early childhood community organization, in 2018, and became CEO in 2023. She is proud to have her son in the Santa Fe Public Schools and considers him her greatest teacher.

Kate has spent the last eight and a half years serving on the SFPS Board. She believes in the power of running a good meeting, and values the different viewpoints of fellow Board Members. She is proud of the progress made during her time on the Board including increases in graduation rates, and raises for staff. 

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

What would you do if a house is on fire and the firefighters on the scene not only refuse to put it out, they joyfully add fuel to it while joking about how great it was to start the fire in the first place? After talking with today’s guest, Shiwali Patel, Senior Director of Education Justice at the National Women’s Law Center, about protecting students under Title IX, this is the scenario that came to mind for me. Thankfully, when faced with the endless challenges of navigating systems that are being increasingly weaponized against the very people they were meant to protect, Shiwali doesn’t run from the fire. She is equipped with years of experience, a deep well of passion, and a belief that even as systems are falling apart around us, we can still make meaningful change and protect students. 

Shiwali Patel (she/her) is the Senior Director of Education Justice at the National Women’s Law Center where she oversees advocacy addressing sex-based harassment in schools and works to strengthen civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ students and advocates broadly for civil rights in education. Previously, she was at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), where she worked on policy and guidance interpreting Title IX protections, including schools' responsibilities in responding to sexual harassment, protections for transgender students, and the rights of girls of color. Shiwali was also an Administrative Judge at the U.S. Department of Energy, a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C. in the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, a judicial law clerk, and a community educator at the D.C. Rape Crisis Center. Shiwali currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Education Task Force and on the Board of Directors of Callisto. She is also an adjunct professor at American University where she teaches Gender and Law, and Sex Discrimination in Education at the law school.

Links:

The Lawyer who Can’t Let it Go

Defending Trans Women’s Rights

The Midlife Crisis of Title IX

Don’t Believe Betsy DeVos

The Proposed Title IX Rules Make No Practical, Moral, or Legal Sense

Years Later, We Must Amend Title IX to End Sex-Based Harassment in Schools

Ending Sexual Violence 50 Years After Title IX

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

“We don’t have a problem with support for sex ed in this country, we have a problem with prioritizing it, and making it an issue that they want to stick their neck out on. We have an action problem”

In this episode, I had the absolute joy of speaking with Jaclyn Friedman, author, organizer, and Executive Director of EducateUS, a movement working to bring about a complete transformation of K-12 public sex education in the United States, in order to foster a new generation of Americans who are secure in their own bodily sovereignty, recognize and respect that sovereignty in everyone else regardless of race, place, creed, class or gender, know all the essential facts about how bodies work, and are fully prepared to build loving relationships with themselves and others.

Jaclyn and I took a deep dive into comprehensive sex ed as a liberatory and anti-authoritarian tool that creates change far beyond the high school classroom. 

EducateUS is led by Founder and Executive Director Jaclyn Friedman, a lifelong activist, advocate and organizer. Friedman’s work has globally popularized the affirmative consent standard of sexual consent. Her first book, Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and has inspired new laws in five U.S. states, as well as policies on countless campuses across the country and the world. She also spearheaded the legendary #FBrape campaign, which forced Facebook to address and exclude content that promotes or trivializes violence against women under their hate speech policy, and is founder and former executive director of Women, Action & the Media (WAM!).

LINKS:

Drinking and rape lets wise up about it

Educate US Action 

Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Power and a World Without Rape

Unscrewed: Women, Sex, Power, and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All

What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl's Shame-Free Guide to Sex and Safety

Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World

Sex Ed For Social Change

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In my time doing prevention, I have spent an unreasonable number of hours thinking about why people can’t just get it! Why can’t they see that our positions on violence and oppression are rational and moral and just…right!? Well, it turns out that when it comes to social change, how we communicate an idea is often just as important as the idea itself. Today's guest, Dr. Julie Sweetland is a sociolinguist and a senior advisor at the FrameWorks Institute. She is an expert in framing research and strategy, and in this conversation, she was able to answer those questions for me and give me a clearer path forward in framing that actually works. 

Since joining FrameWorks in 2012, Dr. Sweetland has designed and led reframing initiatives on climate change, education equity, childhood adversity, and more. Her skill in translating framing research into communication strategy has helped advocates, policymakers, and scientists drive change at the national, state, and grassroots levels. Since 2017, Julie has worked primarily with the public health sector, bringing the science and strategy of framing to health topics like health equity, tobacco control, maternal mortality, and childhood vaccination.

Prior to joining FrameWorks, Julie spent over a decade working in education reform as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and advocate. At Center for Inspired Teaching, she designed an innovative teacher residency which has since trained hundreds of progressive educators who work throughout DC public schools.

Julie’s linguistic research has focused on the intersection of language and race, with a particular focus on how language can be used to disrupt racism in schools and beyond. Her research has appeared in Journal of Sociolinguistics, Educational Researcher, and she is the co-author of African American, Creole, and Other Vernacular Englishes in Education.

Dr. Sweetland is a graduate of Georgetown University and completed her MA and PhD in linguistics at Stanford University.

LINKS:
Frameworks
Compassion Fatigue
Water use in Santa Fe, NM over 20 years.

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Many individuals and organizations across the country have been working for years to enact policies that ensure workers are able to do things like care for themselves or a loved one when they are ill, be home with a newborn during those crucial first few months, spend time with a dying family member, or heal from the trauma of sexual or intimate partner violence - And all without worrying about losing their paycheck. While to many, policies like Paid Family Medical Leave and Paid Safe Days seem like a basic human decency that we all deserve, the fight for such policies has been anything but easy. 

Today's guest, Josephine Kalipeni is one of the leaders navigating this fight across the country. From a local organizer, to consulting, to executive level leadership, Josephine Kalipeni has been working in economic, racial, and gender justice policy and advocacy for more than 20 years. Born in Malawi and raised in the Midwest by immigrant parents, (and as the oldest of six children) Josie has personally navigated immigration, a bicultural identity, caregiving, and racism in Africa and North America. She initially worked in social work, where she witnessed systemic issues that drove her into progressive advocacy, particularly on issues of Medicaid, elder care, and caregiving. Josie is working to rethink traditional systems of work and leadership and ensure that everyone can give and receive care on their own terms.

In this conversation, Josie and I explore how policies that increase economic supports for families are deeply connected to sexual violence prevention. More than that, though- we really dive into the idea that this country has decided who is and is not deserving of dignity when it comes to rest and care, and what we can do to change that. 

LINKS:
Don't Leave Your Friends Behind - Victoria Law and China Martens
The Need for Paid Safe Leave & Model Legislative Language
Emergent Strategy - Adrienne Marie Brown 

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In March of 2020, today's guest, Sarah Viren published a piece in the New York Times Magazine that left me seriously questioning some of my long-held beliefs about false accusations of sexual violence. It was an engrossing story that read like some kind of mystery or detective novel—except it was all true and had all happened to Sarah and her wife. And at the heart of it was this deeply nuanced conversation  that I had never considered about false accusations being used to target the very people that laws like Title IX were created to protect.

From that piece came a podcast, and eventually a book that leaned into the complicated and very human narratives that can surround false accusations. In this episode, Sarah and I talk about why it was so important for her to tell her story, the larger implications of overly-simplified narratives, and how (like we often do over here at Both/And!) we can sit in the discomfort of many things being true at once. 

Sarah Viren is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of two books of nonfiction. Her essay collection Mine won the River Teeth Book Prize and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her memoir To Name the Bigger Lie was a New York Times Editor's Choice and named a best book of the year by NPR and LitHub. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and a National Magazine Award finalist, Viren teaches in the creative writing program at Arizona State University. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with her partner, two kids and adorable rescue dog Oki. 

LINKS:
Learn more about Sarah Viren!

To Name the Bigger Lie - A Memoir in Two Stories

The Inbox - Part of The 11th, a podcast series from Pineapple Street Studios

The Accusations Were Lies. But Could We Prove It? - Sarah’s New York Times Magazine piece 

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong in movement space because you didn't have all the "right" language? If so, you are very much not alone! In this episode, Janae Sargent and I moved through the idea that some of the language that can be so helpful in grant applications and public health spaces can also limit our ability to reach the communities we know should be centered, and become a barrier to talented and passionate people getting in and staying in prevention. 

Janae Sargent (she/they) received Bachelor's Degrees in Journalism and Fine Arts from Pacific University, Oregon. After working in print and broadcast journalism for several years, she transitioned into the anti-violence field in 2018, as a community organizer and prevention practitioner. Her work has primarily included TGI justice, reproductive justice and community-level prevention. At VALOR, she coordinates the day-to-day activities of PreventConnect and advances policy initiatives through the Solis Policy Institute. When she is not working, Janae spends her time outside on the trails, snuggling her pup and illustrating. 

LINKS:
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded

Measuring Love as Violence Prevention

Prevent Connect

ValorUS

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Who told you you weren’t a good artist? That is the question that ended up driving today’s episode with Indi McCasey as  we explored what transformative arts education can look like in the context of prevention. 

Indi McCasey (they/them) is a facilitator and community catalyst who believes that creative learning experiences can generate a collective sense of purpose and belonging. They have spent the past 15 years working at the intersection of arts, education, and community health with non-profit organizations and school districts in Boston, Santa Fe, and the San Francisco Bay Area. As a Creative Education Consultant, Indi facilitates professional learning communities of local, national, and international educators, thought leaders, and organizations. They are a faculty member of Alameda County Office of Education's Integrated Learning Specialist Program and Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom.

LINKS:
Learn more about Indi's work

Destiny Arts Center

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

Emergent Strategy - Adrienne Marie Brown 

Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero- Making Learning Visible

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In part 2 of a conversation on restorative justice with Anushah Jiwani and Ana Maria Hurtado, we dug into some of the barriers to implementing restorative justice in the movement to end gender-based violence, reframed what success can look like in this context, and deepened my own understanding of the role shame plays in all of our lives (and especially when someone has caused harm). 

Anushah Jiwani (she/they) is a Certified Professional Coach, community organizer, poet, and facilitator based in Albuquerque. As a Pakistani immigrant who grew up in the U.S., Anushah is passionate about serving communities and BIPOC individuals in their journey to self-discovery, decolonization, and liberation. More recently, Anushah has been leading presentations and sharing their own experience with restorative justice as a survivor of sexual assault. In fostering community care, Anushah has a coaching practice, called Morning Angel Coaching & Consulting, a safe space for folks to rebuild their relationship with self. Anushah writes poetry to preserve their language and cultural heritage, but also to process the ways in which white supremacy, assimilation, and capitalism have impacted their lineage and land. Anushah has a B.A. in English-Creative Writing and International Relations from Hendrix College.

 Ana Maria Hurtado is a collaborator for restorative practices in Colombia through the Ahimsa Collective Born and raised in Colombia with a multicultural educational background, Ana Maria was introduced to Restorative Justice while she was completing her Master’s Degree on East and West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Restorative Justice has added another layer of meaning to the work she does in the world and an opportunity to reconcile with paradox. She is also a SoulCollage® and Guided Imagery Facilitator and is committed to holding space for soul and spiritual inquiry. Ana Maria is also convinced humor is a key component to healing.

LINKS:
Learn more about The Ahimsa Collective
Miriame Kaba - We Do This 'Til We Free Us

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In this 2-part episode, I spoke with Ana Maria Hurtado and Anushah Jiwani about the basics of Restorative Justice, some misconceptions I had going into this conversation, personal experiences as a participant and facilitator of a restorative justice process, and how growing  restorative practices could impact our world in both deeply personal and systemic ways. 

Anushah Jiwani (she/they) is a Certified Professional Coach, community organizer, poet, and facilitator based in Albuquerque. As a Pakistani immigrant who grew up in the U.S., Anushah is passionate about serving communities and BIPOC individuals in their journey to self-discovery, decolonization, and liberation. More recently, Anushah has been leading presentations and sharing their own experience with restorative justice as a survivor of sexual assault. In fostering community care, Anushah has a coaching practice, called Morning Angel Coaching & Consulting, a safe space for folks to rebuild their relationship with self. Anushah writes poetry to preserve their language and cultural heritage, but also to process the ways in which white supremacy, assimilation, and capitalism have impacted their lineage and land. Anushah has a B.A. in English-Creative Writing and International Relations from Hendrix College.

 Ana Maria Hurtado is a collaborator for restorative practices in Colombia through the Ahimsa Collective Born and raised in Colombia with a multicultural educational background, Ana Maria was introduced to Restorative Justice while she was completing her Master’s Degree on East and West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Restorative Justice has added another layer of meaning to the work she does in the world and an opportunity to reconcile with paradox. She is also a SoulCollage® and Guided Imagery Facilitator and is committed to holding space for soul and spiritual inquiry. Ana Maria is also convinced humor is a key component to healing.

LINKS:
Learn more about The Ahimsa Collective
Miriame Kaba - We Do This 'Til We Free Us

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. www.nmcsap.org
Need support? Call, text, or chat the NM Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-NMSAHLP | 1-844-667-2457 | www.nmsahelp.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com