First Name Basis Podcast

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means that us parents are faced with the question of what to tell our children about this (somewhat controversial) holiday. You probably remember having a part in the annual school play reenacting the "First Thanksgiving" and you know that's no longer (and never was) appropriate because it paints a pretty inaccurate picture of what happened all those years ago. But if that's not what happened, what did? In this episode I share what I've learned about the untold story of what actually happened during that harvest festival in the autumn of 1621.

I cover:

-The events leading up to the harvest festival, including the initial meeting between the Europeans and the Wampanoag people

-The role of Tisquantum (Squanto)

-The festival itself and the events that followed

-Sarah Josepha Hale-The Mother of Thanksgiving

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-an American poet who carefully crafted the romanticized version of the Thanksgiving story

Download the FREE Harvest: Festivals Around the World E-book

Harvest: Festivals Around the World is an interactive ebook that teachers about 4 different harvest festivals. Each page teaches about a different festival and has links to videos, songs, and art that you can enjoy with your kiddos!

Download the FREE resource guide to share with your child's teacher so that they can accurately teach about Thanksgiving

Join the First Name Basis Patreon Community

Sources used and articles referenced:

Why I'm Not thankful for Thanksgiving by Michael Dorris

Rethinking Columbus

-This book contains the article: Plagues, Pilgrims, and the Truth About Thanksgiving by James w. Loewen

Beyond Heroes and Holidays

Plimoth Plantation

Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: Sarah Josepha Hale & Godey's Lady's Book

Sidedoor: A Podcast from the Smithsonian

Episode: That Brunch in the Forest

The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Song Credit: "Sleeper" by Steve Adams" and "Dive Down" by VYEN

On the surface cultural appropriation might not seem very harmful, but when you peel back the layers it is clear that cultural appropriation is a function of racism and perpetuates white supremacy. In this episode I have a real and unfiltered conversation about the intersection between cultural appropriation and white supremacy with Michelle Franzoni-Thorley from @florafamiliar.

The Spanish Caste System:

The Racial Caste System in Colonial Spanish Mexico

Pride & Anxiety in New Spain

When Worlds Collide: The Caste System

Join the First Name Basis Patreon Community

Song Credit: "Sleeper" by Steve Adams" and "Dive Down" by VYEN

Cultural appropriation can be so confusing. We all want to learn about and celebrate other cultures while making sure we don't cross any lines or embrace stereotypes and caricatures. In this episode I answer the 5 most common questions that I get from you about cultural appropriation. We cover everything from authentic cultural artifacts to costumes. This episode will bring you the clarity you need to make sure you are appreciating and not appropriating.

1. When I ask cultural insiders about appropriation I always get different answers, how do I navigate that?
2. How do I avoid appropriating when it comes to children's costumes?
3. When is it acceptable to wear authentic cultural artifacts?
4. How can I support the Black economy without appropriating?
5. What do I do if I realize that I've been purchasing appropriated items?

First Name Basis Patreon Community

First Name Basis Instagram

First Name Basis Podcast, Season 2, Episode 16: "How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation"

First Name Basis Podcast, Season 2, Episode 11: "Cinco De Mayo Is NOT Mexican Independence Day"

Think Before You Appropriate

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo*

Arizona's ban on Mexican American studies was racist, U.S. court rules Arizona judge declares ban on ethnic studies unconstitutional

Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes) by Mindy Kailing

How to dress your Pākehā child up as Maui or Moana without appropriating Pasifika culture Please don't tell your kids they can't dress as Moana this Halloween

Opposition to my opinion on costumes:

PSA: Don't Let Your Kids Dress Up In These Costumes

Why your white kid probably shouldn't dress up as Moana for Halloween

Traditional Cultural Clothing:

Little Koto's Closet by Emi Ito

Appropriation of Indigenous Culture

Podcast with Robin Wall Kimmer

The Complicated History of the Moccasin

4 Ways to Honor Native Americans Without Appropriating Our Culture

Alternatives to Freshly Picked Moccasins:

LL Designs

Wiwinu

*affiliate link

Song Credit: "Sleeper" by Steve Adams and "Dive Down" by VYEN

I have heard from so many of you that this election season has left you feeling confused and overwhelmed. That is completely understandable —2020 has been a year full of uncertainty and turmoil, to say the least. Even though there is so much going on around us it is critical for all of us to cast our vote and use our voices during this election season.

Voting is a precious right and it is our responsibility as citizens to go to the polls with as much information as possible. In this episode I will walk you through my 4 step action plan to become an informed voter! My hope is that after listening to this episode you will feel empowered to confidently complete your ballot and fulfill your civic duty.

• Step 1: Put time on your calendar
• Step 2: Decide on your non-negotiables
• Step 3: Use your voting tools
• Step 4: Write down who you voted for

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

Download the FREE Voting Action Plan

Media Bias Chart: Static

Media Bias Chart: Interactive

3 in 30 Podcast: "How to Have Grace-filled Political Conversations"

Dr. Martin Luther King Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Our little Holly Jane was born on August 14th and in this episode we share her birth story! It was absolutely magical (even though we are in the middle of a pandemic) and we are so excited to be a family of four.

CDC-Racial and Ethnic Disparities Continue in Pregnancy Related Deaths

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Now more than ever women and girls are being encouraged to share their gifts, talents, and intelligence with the world in spectacular ways! So what does it look like to have a wildly successful career all while raising a family? This week on the podcast I sit down with my mom, Dr. Leslie Telfer, a clinical psychologist who spent 30 years working at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Dr. Telfer specialized in serving veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and she shares in the episode that this is no coincidence. Listen to hear how she found her way to psychology and how she balanced working in trauma with being a mother, wife, daughter, and friend.

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Representation is critical for all children in all spaces. Children can't be what they can't see, so they all need to see and experience people of many different backgrounds leading happy and successful lives.

This week on the podcast I have the opportunity to interview Mijha Godfrey, the founder of Jambo Books. Mijha is a former affordable housing developer, lawyer and founder of Jambo Books. Jambo, which means both "hello" and "welcome" in Swahili, is a book subscription service for children aged 0-13 where all the books feature lead characters who are children of color. The stories in Jambo Books focus on the beauty of childhood, the joys of friendship and family, the thrill of new adventures, the wonderful tapestry that is the life of a Child of Color.

Mijha is passionate about helping parents raise children who won't need to be taught how to tolerate people who are different from themselves because they will expect and enjoy healthy inclusion. Jambo Book Club members will recognize the same humanity in those who may not share their experiences that they see in those who do.

During the interview we discuss:

• The origin story behind the Jambo Book Club
• The power of representation for all children
• The importance of reading books about Children of Color that do not focus on race/social justice and just depict children leading everyday lives
• The balance between teaching children about the realities of racism while also giving them opportunities to experience joy and just be kids

Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

Jambo Book Club

Jambo Books on Instagram

Jambo Books on Twitter

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Our country is in the midst of a social revolution. People everywhere are standing up and fighting for racial equity and part of the protesting has included taking down statues of people who have had a hand in the oppression of marginalized communities. In this episode we discuss the founding of our country, the violence that accompanied that founding, and why we have to take that violence seriously. Listen to hear a perspective you may not have considered about what these statues represent and how we can change them to better reflect our community as a whole.

How Slavery Affected African-American Families

Genetic Consequences of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the Americas

Slave Nation: How Slavery United the Colonies and Sparked the Ameican Revolution

How the Constitution was Indeed Pro-Slavery

GOP Senator Under Fire For Comment that Slavery was 'Necessary Evil'

1619 Project

Whose Heritage? 153 Years of Confederate Iconography

Princeton & Slavery: James Madison

The Founding Fathers and Slavery

Why Thomas Jefferson's Anti-Slavery Passage was Removed from the Declaration of Independence

George Washington, Slavery, 'The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret'

Advertisement for the Capture of Ona Judge

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Cancel culture is difficult to define and widely viewed in a negative light. It could be defined as a modern form of protest or boycott and therefore it has an important role to play in fighting for justice.

In this episode — the second part of our three-part series on cancel culture — we will:

• Define cancel culture and discuss when it's called for.
• Examine the role of social media in cancel culture.
• Provide suggestions of what to do if you get canceled.

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

"What It Means to Get 'Canceled'"

"Americans tune in to 'cancel culture' — and don't like what they see" by Ryan Liza, Politico

"A Letter on Justice and Open Debate" by J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky, David Brooks, Malcolm Gladwell, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem, Fareed Zakaria, et al, Harper's Magazine

"The Misplaced Hysteria About a 'Cancel Culture' that Doesn't Actually Exist" by Danielle Butler The Root

"Obama's Very Boomer View of 'Cancel Culture'" by Ernest Owens, The New York Times

Additional reading

"A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate," The Objective

"Wall Street Journal staffers asked the editorial board for more accuracy. The board bemoaned 'cancel culture'" by Allyson Chiu, Washington Post

Hagi, Sarah. "Cancel Culture Is Not Real -- At Least Not in the Way People Think" by Sarah Hagi, Time

Yassmin Abdel-Magied's Instagram account

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

In this first episode of our 3 part cancel culture series we lay a foundation for the conversation by getting clear about the difference between calling someone out and calling someone in. We get down to the brass tacks of when it is your responsibility to call someone in/out and how to do it. The episode concludes with helpful guidelines about what to do if you get called out for a mistake you've made.

This Book is Anti-Racist By Tiffany Jewell

Season 2 Episode 21: How You Can Support Anti-racist Educators

Firstnamebasis.org

Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Make sure to tune in next week for the second episode of the series where we break down cancel culture and the effect that it is having on our community and the movement.

Interested in a collaboration? Please email [email protected]