EWBpod - Educating While Black Podcast

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Jess (IG - @JessOddy) reminisce on the experience of university, (both formally and informally) and how that informed the decision to pursue different paths within education as a profession.

We talk about the colonialist confines of being educated in 'Russell Group' universities and the need to really understand what you want to study as much as where; the decision to leave education in the UK to pursue International Development, and; the reflections of being the darkest person in the room despite identifying as Black-Mixed Race and using privilege of position to redress the balance of who gets to make the decisions on who gets educated.

The conversation includes many reflections on the 'same same, but different' experiences of racism in all its forms. Namely how the experience in the international arena (that is often hidden or obscured behind language or 'customary' ways of working), rings familiar for the more localised explanations and distractions or racism that are experienced by educators and professionals in their settings.

Read Jess's recent article on Talking about Race, Power, and Privilege in the Education in Emergencies Sector here

Trigger warning: This episode speaks about La-Keshia's past witnessing of violent language and physical actions involving Black students.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and La-Keshia (IG - @She_Writes86) have a conversation about the importance of growing one's own personal power of self validation.

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We talk about the 'night and day' impact of being recognised by leadership and the permission it gives others to also 'see you'; the often dumbfounded responses to exceeding or existing outside of the narrow expectations of 'type' and 'fit', and; how triggering experiences for Black educators are dealt with by those who perceive it to be a 'choice' of reaction.

The conversation includes the multiple hat identities that are worn when teaching, whilst also parenting within the very same system. We further unpick an approach to leadership that is all about opening doors and bringing others up to the same level and beyond.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Ish (@madre_ejima) have a conversation about the lessons learned from having many different roles in the development and experience of school students.

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We talk about formative experiences of picking up on the acute needs of students with learning barriers; the interventionist approaches taken to support students in the face of school policies and navigating conversations with parents about having wider expectations of their children.

The conversation goes into speaking about how setting boundaries for adult friendships is important for preventing harm - especially to one’s own children - and the situations where some students are goaded into behaving in a manner that they are harshly punished for, but at a rate that is inconsistent with others who behave in the same way.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Genna (@gengenics) have a conversation about finding a place of comfort and contentment in the world in an education.

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We talk about a decision to throw caution to the wind by upping sticks and moving to Qatar and the confirmation of self, skill and conviction to education that the experience gave. We also touch on the decision to only pursue roles that were of interest, leading to a conscious decision to take up non-teaching pastoral roles.

The conversation also gives light to the positive aspect of using identity to educate others as well as the impact of immersing, while forming ones own cultural identity into new and unfamiliar spaces.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Susan (@MsSkyers - 🐦) have a conversation about getting hip to the ‘game’ of whiteness after having a childhood free of its direct existence/impact. We talk about the ‘appearance’ of happiness being more important than it actually being felt; experiences that began to reveal notions of Britishness, and; what to take from being told by the principal that your career progression within the school wasn’t considered or planned for. The conversation also reflects on having a view of self without a ‘Black’ prefix to it and understanding how pervasive anti-Black racism is, based on the responses received from calling it out in the first place. Follow @EWBPod on Instagram & Twitter.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Jess (@HelloJessBoyd) have a conversation about taking steps to develop yourself, for yourself.

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We talk about the reflections from two early experiences that involved exposure to new cultural settings both at home and abroad and how these reimagined a 'career' as pursuing a meaningful vocation.

The conversation also looks at the choices and compromises that teachers who have young families are often made to make and the importance of developing your own support network who reinforces your own sense of self to see you through difficult challenges.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Steph (@Badass.Shaldas) have a conversation about possessing enough discernment to appreciate the difference between knowing 'your sh--' and 'you're sh--'.

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We discuss how diversity *is* a hireable competency, the need to be pragmatic and flexible enough to absorb from those and that which surrounds you and how even when in possession of a strong sense of identity & a clear track record, imposter syndrome can still seek to derail.

Embracing Blackness and knowing that it can't (and shouldn't) be hidden reduces its ability to be used as a weapon - one can't expose something that has already been accepted and willingly put out there. Having a good sense of self reduces the power that self-doubt and discomfort can have in being tools of distraction that prevent you from getting where you're seeking to go.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Jo (@Jo_Sa_Pheen) geek out on all this history teaching (while Black).

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We discuss our initial reactions to meeting each other as Black educators in similar positions of leadership, the navigation of being 'the face' of history education for other professionals and parents alike and the political nature of constructing narratives of the past.

Reflections on past experiences are always subject to interpretation and revision. Being able to look back and pull out the lessons learned from them are great reminders of overarching purpose and useful when deciding on which battles to fight and when.

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon @SuperMahrio and Jess @JessAndohThayre discuss what it means to pop up in different countries across the globe and leave having learned as much from the experience as was formally taught in classrooms.⠀

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We discuss what temporary immersion into a host culture looks like, the reflective learning taken from 'third culture' children and the importance of promoting representation while resisting buying into the belief that there is conversation fatigue on racial matters in education.

Navigating spaces identifying as mixed-race/bi-racial makes for a nuanced POV and appreciation of how we see ourselves vs how others see us, it's not always a choice of two-binaries.⠀

On this episode from @ewbpod, Mahlon (@SuperMahrio) and Yansé (@CooperYanse) recount moments on the journey of growing into radicalism. 

We talk about having integrity in ones own actions and the blatant hypocrisy of a system that creates and upholds a sense of those who deserve empathy in times of misfortune vs those whose misfortune is weaponised against them.

Having access to people who can provide space to both escape to and be vulnerable with, (while maintaining accountability) highlights the importance of seeking community to weather the growing pains associated with finding our optimal environment to thrive.