Life is for the Living

In this bonus episode, host Rebecca and producer Marco chat about the first six episodes and what they have learned so far from the guests as well as give some hints about what is to come on the rest of the season 

In our final single guest episode, we meet Susie Schaefer, social worker, multicultural community activist, reproductive rights advocate, environmentalist, peace activist,  disabilities advocate. Susie has seen the rough side of life both personally and professionally, and has never hesitated to dive in to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.  

Author and leadership coach Belinda Clemmensen did always think of herself as an activist. But then she scrap her leadership coaching company and began again, founding the the Women's Leadership Intensive. Now she focuses on changing the world by changing not only who gets to lead, but how they lead.

Websites: https://www.womensleadershipintensive.ca | https://leadercoachintensive.com

IG: @womens.leadership.intensive | @leadercoachintensive

 Belinda's Book:  Women, Leadership & Saving the World, Why Everything Gets Better When Women Lead

Image provided by Belinda Clemmensen

Jessica Xavier came out as a trans woman in the 1990's and has been fighting to make trans people safe and healthy since then. Her main tool: data. She has been instrumental in getting trans people counted in surveys, allowing them to gain access to key medical resources. She is also a musician and Wiccan High Priestess.

You can check out other interviews with her in the LGBTQ Policy Journal and Outwards, as well as listen to her song Love Your Body on Spotify.

Former member of the Young Lords and Black Panthers, AIDs research and activist, professor of anthropology and women's studies, Denise Oliver-Velez has been in the wars and lived to tell the tale. We talk about her grounding in her family history, her use of art in activism, how she got drafted into the Young Lords, and how she ended up getting a PhD despite all of her efforts not to.

You can follow Denise on Twitter and Spoutible as @Deoliver47 as well as read her blogs on the Daily Kos.


Image: Denise Oliver Velez from the Revolutionary Peoples' Communications Network speaking in front of Reverend C.K. Steele's church - Tallahassee, Florida. Photographer: John Buckley Date: Photographed on November 26, 1971. Public Domain.

Jan's upbringing by activist parents and her membership in the Universal Unitarian church drives Jan as she tries to make the world a better, more equitable place. We discuss her childhood, her peace activism, and her work with immigrants, the prison system, and unions among other things. 

Image provided by Jan Thompson

Hello, and welcome to the third season of Life is for the Living! This episode starts us off in the activist focused season by introducing the 5 guests:  Jan Thompson,  peacenik, LGTBQ, immigration and prison reform activist and union organizer; Denise Oliver-Velez, Young Lord, Black Panther, AIDs activist and more; Jessica Xavier, Trans and LGTBQ rights activist; Belinda Clemmensen, author and founder of The Women's Leadership Intensive; and Susie Schaefer, community organizer, reproductive rights, disability rights, environmentalism, and more. 

In the upcoming season, we will dig into their lives, their causes, and their advice for all aspiring activists.  

Come join us for a behind the scenes look at how Season 2 came to be with Rebecca Richman (host) and Marco Burlo (producer). We chat about our most memorable moments, our biggest challenges and, as per tradition, we celebrate our host with a fun blooper reel. 

In the last episode of the season, I ask our guest for advice on how to live and how to survive hard times. 

A millions thanks to our guests: Claudia, Debbie, Crisaida, Ghada, Makram and Hannah for sharing their time and stories with us. And thanks to you for coming on the journey! 

In this episode we hear five stories: One from Crisaida about finding the will to continue when she was a rock bottom,  two from Makram--one on life under Saddam Hussein, and one about calling out prejudice, a story of a health scare from Debbie, and story of illicit lasagna from Claudia.