Choose Awareness

Recently, I “met” Ezra Washington online in the comments section of an Instagram post that involved Christians, Conservatives, and social justice.

Yes, that’s right! We met on Instagram while discussing differing ideas. And after some friendly back-and-forth, we decided to record our chat so I could share it as a podcast episode.

I’ve personally experienced what I consider to be intolerance from some around me. And I’ve seen an unwillingness to engage in healthy and productive conversations from some with others who disagree. It only exacerbates the divide between people without bridging the gap.

But it was clear to me that even though Ezra and I disagreed on topics, even some that can be emotionally charged and polarizing, we were friendly with each other. We actually listened to each other. And rather than focusing heavily on making our own points and emphasizing our own ideas, I felt like we were truly trying to understand each other better.

And so I thought sharing this recording of our conversation might be something to serve as an example that conversations like this can happen. And thankfully, Ezra graciously agreed.

This is the first of two episodes with Ezra so be on the lookout for part 2 coming soon!

(11/22/2021 - Updated with new title)

Recently, I had the chance to record a conversation with my friends Chinua Hawk and Mark Henderson. They were open and honest and shared their thoughts on things like what racism means to them, their biggest struggle as black men, their experiences navigating predominantly white spaces, and so much more.

They shared stories that I found to be powerful, and they got me thinking about things beyond social justice, things like what it means for us to truly be free.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

For this episode, I decided to do something a little bit different. There's no guest for this one, it's just me!

I wanted to record myself sharing my own thoughts and describing my own personal journey when it comes to three big ideas, three ideas I've decided to label as myths when it comes to understanding racism.

These are things I used to believe but don't any longer, and these are things that I think previously limited not just my awareness of racism but also my ability to truly understand what it means to be antiracist, something I want to strive to be.

Not too long ago I had a conversation with my friend Khadir Richie, who is probably the best example I can think of as far as how diverse his life and circle of friends are.

We chatted about a number of things, but the theme seemed to revolve around how having a diverse circle of people in one’s life is important. It can help humanize and understand people in an entirely different way that perhaps wasn’t possible before getting to know someone.

I always appreciate his thoughts and hearing what he has to say, and I hope you will, too.

My friends Jessica Arnette and Kathy Richardson were so kind and humble recently and spent time having an honest conversation with me about their own antiracist journey. They even shared some vulnerable ideas and personal moments when it comes to their own awareness of white privilege and microaggressions.

Kurt Law is a good friend of mine, and he recently took the time to chat with me and share his perspective of recent events as both a white male and former law enforcement officer. We talked about George Floyd, no-knock warrants, the recent protesting, blue lives matter and black lives matter, the future of policing, and so much more.