Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Thomas Sage Pedersen. Thomas hosts the podcast Speak For Change, works as CEO of the award winning music school Everyone's Music School, serves on the Steering Committee for Santa Cruz County’s Black Coalition for Justice and Racial Equity, and is a Certified Kingian Nonviolence Trainer. Thomas and Ashanti share their masks, and their conversation centers mostly around Parker Palmer’s idea of a “Critical Gap” that exists between one’s own world as it is, and one’s own world as he/she wants it to be.

(1:36) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:04) Thomas introduces himself, his podcast, his work as the CEO of Everyone’s Music school, and his community work in Santa Cruz.

(5:00) Ashanti appeared on Thomas’s podcast, and they reflect on the experience as it relates to “taking off the mask”

(8:11) Thomas shares what it was like making a mask, and why he tried the exercise twice.

(10:00) Thomas and Ashanti share the fronts of their masks. Thomas - passion and dedication, empathy and compassion, lightheartedness. Ashanti - funny, caring, hard working.

(10:55) Thomas reflects on how he puts on a "front" during stressful situations, and how re-examining his first mask led to a deeper exploration of self. Ashanti reflects on why caring is an integral part of his personality.

(15:30) Thomas and Ashanti share the back of their masks. Thomas - insecure, playful, sensitive. Ashanti - fear of failure, trauma, mental health.

(17:48) Thomas relates to Ashanti’s experiences with family members that have mental health issues, and shares how mental health issues are symptoms of our societal value system.

(19:50) The two men discuss their insecurities. They discuss how it is hard to be objective about whatever they may be insecure of, since insecurity is an emotional, subjective experience that leads to extreme behaviors - unless we learn to accept ourselves and reframe our self-improvement goals.

(29:25) Thomas and Ashanti discuss Parker Palmer’s idea of a “Critical Gap” between the world as it is, and the world as one wants it to be. They discuss how acknowledging this gap can allow one to make incremental, healthy progress.

(37:33) They then share how embracing one’s identity, one’s strengths and weaknesses, allows for a more authentic and productive life. They also acknowledge the other side, how certain identities and characteristics are connected to gender and gender conformity. Unfortunately, for men, being playful and sensitive leads to negative experiences when rubbing up against the dominant culture.

(52:41) Thomas shares how you can get in touch with him.

---

Connect with Thomas Sage Pedersen

Website: linktr.ee/speakforchangepodcast; everyonesmusicschool.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thomassagepedersen

Facebook: facebook.com/speakforchangepodcast

---

Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch