Anti-racism work is critical to creating the community that we all want, and those of us who have been called to lead this movement are carrying a heavy load. In this episode I share a few ways that you can come alongside anti-racist educators and share that load. 

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

First Name Basis Patreon Community

“Invisible Labor: Valuing the Unseen Contributions of Women” by Julie Hanks

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood

You probably learned in school all about the story of Francis Scott Key watching the “rockets red glare” and “bombs bursting in air” as a prisoner on a British warship and turning the experience into “The Star Spangled Banner.” But, in reality, there is a lot more to this story than you learned about in history class — and a lot of what you did learn in school was false. 

In this replay of one of our Untold Stories episodes, we unpack the man behind “The Star Spangled Banner,” how it became our National Anthem, and whether it truly represents American values. It’s the perfect episode to revisit ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

Annotated National Anthem

“The Short History of the War of 1812 in Maryland” 

“Star Spangled Bigotry: The Hidden Racist History of the National Anthem” by Jason Johnson 

“What So Proudly We Hail,” Documentary from Morgan State University 

“Francis Scott Key Opposed ‘Land of the Free’” by Jefferson Morley, Zinn Education Project

“Where’s the Debate of Francis Scott Key’s Slaveholding Legacy” by Christopher Wilson, Smithsonian Magazine

“Star Spangled Banner Born From a Drinking Song 200 Years Ago,” NPR

“The Fight for the Anthem” by Felicity Knox, Towson University

Oscar Stanton De Priest 

“Mississippi Lawmakers Pass Resolution Paving Way to Remove Confederate Symbol from State Flag” by Brittany Shammas, The Washington Post

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood

There have been many different types of reactions to the calls for racial justice that are going on in our country right now. If your social media looks anything like mine you’ve probably noticed a lot of spiritual bypassing. Spiritual bypassing is a term coined by psychologist John Welwood in 1984, he describes it as, “a widespread tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks.” 

It is calls for “prayer,” “unity,” and “love” without a commitment to action. It is the message that “we are all different and God loves everyone” and statements like “I’m not listening to the voices of the world anymore, I’m only listening to God.”

Spiritual bypassing may look harmless on the surface, but it is actually a form of violence because it shuts down conversation and allows people to distance themselves from the responsibility they have to be part of the solution, which in turn perpetuates racism. In this episode we discuss how to spot spiritual bypassing, what makes it so dangerous, and what you should do when you see it.  

Human Nature, Buddha Nature: On Spiritual Bypassing, Relationship, and the Dharma by John Wellwood 

Spiritual Bypassing, White Privilege, and Black Lives Matter

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood 

Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the abolition of slavery here in the United States. Every year on June 19th families come together to celebrate the resilience of our ancestors who survived and persevered during one of the darkest times of our nation’s history. We take time to reflect on where we are as a family, a community, and a nation and how we can work together to better live out our country’s values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Listen in to hear the history of Juneteenth and how your family can take part in this powerful celebration. 

Make sure to take a photo and use the hashtag #fnbjuneteenth so that we can see how your family is celebrating this powerful holiday!

Join the First Name Basis Patreon Community 

Members of our Patreon community come together once a month to learn together and ask me and my husband Carter their pressing questions about anti-racism, inclusion and what’s going on in the world. To learn more about becoming a Patreon member, visit patreon.com/firstnamebasis.

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 1, Episode 3: “Talking To Your Children About Slavery”

Juneteenth Printable Cards & Lemonade Recipe

Juneteenth History

“Free At Last! Stories and Songs of Emancipation” by Doreen Rappaport

“Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin*

Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery (the website where you can transcribe the newspaper ads of formerly enslaved people looking for their family members)

“Hot Links & Red Drinks: The Rich Food Tradition of Juneteenth” by Nicole Taylor, The New York Times

1619 Podcast 

President Lincoln Quotes 

“Black Codes,” History.com

“What is a white saviour complex?” Faima Bakar

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood 

Right now our country is reeling from the murders of our Black brothers and sisters. You may be confused by all of the uprising and rebellion, but you need to understand that they, in the words of Dr. King, “...are not the creators of tension” they are “merely bringing to the surface the tension that is already alive.”  Black people have been unfairly killed and systemically disenfranchised since we were kidnapped and brought to this country against our will. 

If you are looking for answers and want to be part of the change you need to build your foundational knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of what racism looks like as a whole. Many people are very confused and believe that racism is simply intentional acts of meanness done to another person based on race, but in reality racism is much more complicated. Racism is made up of three components: implicit bias, overt interpersonal racism, and institutional/systemic racism. These three components work together to create “a system of advantage based on race” (“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria,” p. 87).

In this episode we unpack each of the three components of racism and analyze how all three of them worked together to contribute to the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and many other members of the Black community here in the United States.  

What can you do about all of this?

• Vote for candidates who have committed to creating anti-racist policies.
• Donate to organizations who have boots on the ground and are working for change. Our family chose to donate to Color of Change, a racial justice organization that works to “create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.”
• Make a call. We learned last night that the responsibility for prosecuting the murderers of George Floyd has been transferred from DA Mike Freeman to Minnesota AG Keith Ellison. Three of the four murderers have not yet been arrested and he needs to know that we as citizens expect more. You can let him know by calling (651) 296-3353 or (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay). Be respectful but firm. You will probably get a busy signal the first 5 or 6 times you call.  Keep calling.  Even just keeping his line busy sends him a message.  Leave a voicemail if you must.  Then call again.  Call several times a day until he does the right thing.  When the system fails to produce justice let's hold the system accountable.  

If you are listening to this episode at a later date it is important to note that these issues always need our voices and attention. There are so many things you can do to be part of the solution. One of them is to join Color of Change and support their movement to hold local prosecutors accountable.  

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

“White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo 

“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Understanding Implicit Bias 

Chipping Away at Implicit Bias

“Being Anti-racist,” Talking About Race

First Name Basis Podcast: Season 2, Episode 8: “How the Coronavirus Pandemic Unmasks Inequality in Our Society”

“University Of Minnesota Cuts Ties With Minneapolis Police After George Floyd Death”

“Minneapolis school board, teacher union call on district to cut ties with police”

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood

Celebrating the people around us and their unique cultures can be exciting and incredibly enriching! But where is that fine line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? When we take elements of someone else's culture without permission or compensation we can unintentionally cause a great deal of harm. In this episode we discuss four steps you can take to ensure that you are appreciating culture instead of appropriating it. 

1. Consider the power dynamics at play 
2. Remember that your impact is greater than your intent 
3. Be sure that any money you spend is going directly into the pockets of people who are from the culture you are celebrating 
4. Ask yourself: Do I understand the significance of this cultural artifact/food/art?

Henry Ford English School 

Article about Native American Boarding Schools: Death By Civilization 

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad

Pencil Test: Black Hair-Bridging a ‘Code of Conduct’

Texas Teen Banned by High School From Attending Graduation After Refusing to Cut Dreadlocks 

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood

Recently the church that I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, published an announcement that they are going to regulate the artwork that is displayed in our meeting houses. This was an exciting announcement because all of the paintings that they chose depict our Savior, but it was also really disappointing because the artwork is not inclusive of the people in our church. In every painting Jesus is portrayed as a white man and there are very few People of Color. 

Here is the article with the announcement, it includes the approved artwork. 

In this episode Michelle Franzoni Thorley from @florafamiliar and I discuss the importance of making the art in our meeting houses more diverse and inclusive. Michelle shares amazing insight about the power of displaying art that represents the congregation that we hope to have, rather than just showing reflections of those in the congregation who align with the dominant culture. 

We also give ideas about action that can be taken by church members who would like to see more inclusion in LDS art. 

Michelle’s Instagram Platform: @florafamiliar

Michelle’s Article: Diversity in LDS Art

Conversations and Questions About Art at Church by Esther Candari

Latter Day Saint Women of Color Art Scholarship

Vision of the Arts Mother Artist Grant

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood 

White privilege is one of the strongest pillars that upholds racism. In her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” Peggy McIntosh describes white privilege as: “An invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was “meant” to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.”

If you are white there are privileges that you enjoy each and every day because of the color or your skin. These privileges do not mean that your life hasn’t been challenging or that you are not a hard worker, what it means is that the challenges you’ve faced have not been caused by the color of your skin.

Confronting privilege is an uncomfortable process, but when you choose to face that discomfort head on you will find liberation, not only for you but for the People of Color who have been disenfranchised by the system that has granted you privilege. 

In this episode I get down to the brass tacks of white privilege and answer all of your burning questions:

• What is white privilege? 
• What are some examples of what white privilege looks like in everyday life?
• How can you use it to make change?
• What do you do if someone you know or love denies that they have privilege? 

I encourage you to take a deep breath, listen with an open mind, and lean into the discomfort.

Psychology Today: You are Not a Bad Person: Facing Privilege Can Be Liberating by Dr. Miki Kashtan

Peggy McIntosh: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Tiffany Jewell Author of “This Book is Antiracist” Instagram Account

This Book Is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

Britt Hawthorne Anti-bias/Anti-racist Educator Instagram Account

Bettina Love “Hand on the Pole” Video

Harvard Business Review: Use Your Everyday Privilege to Help Others by Dolly Chugh

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood 

Immigration is one of those things that we really struggle to agree on as a country. No matter your feelings or political leanings, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and that is what we need to teach our children.

In this episode we talk to Abraham and Madison Carrasco, a multiethnic family who has gone through the immigration process. Abraham shares the intimate details of migrating from Mexico to the United States on foot. Both he and his wife Madison open up about the hardships that they faced over many years while Abraham interacted with the immigration system to become a citizen of the United States.

In addition, they share three strategies for talking to our children about immigration: read books about immigration, talk openly about culture, and humanize the issue. 

Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

Madison runs an instagram account called @reading.sinfronteras that promotes bilingualism, multicultural education, and anti-racism. 

No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths), an organization that is working to “stop the deaths of migrants in the desert” 

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood

In this episode you will learn the first three things you can do to talk to your children about racism. 

1. Teach them that race is a social construct that was created to justify slavery 
2. Teach them about implicit bias (Implicit Association Test)
3. Teach them how to respond with humility when someone tells them that they have done/said something racist

This episode was originally aired on 3 in 30 Podcast for Moms, I’m so grateful to Rachel Nielson for letting me share it with our First Name Basis family. 

Song Credit: “Away” by Geographer and “Beach Disco” by Dougie Wood