Nothing Without Us

Angie Browne welcomes back Dr Penny Rabiger to discuss how racism and whiteness show up in conferences and events in the education equity space, especially amid a post–George Floyd “snapback” where speaker lineups and audiences have become “lightened” again. Penny explains her role as an “elephant pointer,” the different costs of naming what’s obvious, and how she developed facilitation guides after repeatedly seeing the same harmful patterns. They explore event design beyond panels, including speaker care, pay, content coordination, audience curation, and practical inequities like toilet access. They critique performative, marketised “promoting anti-racism,” closed networks of repeat speakers and attendees, and deficit-ideology tropes. They argue for clearer intention, shared inquiry, constructive disruption, and better accountability for event dynamics.

You can find out more about Penny and contact her via her website https://educationemail02.wixsite.com/pennyrabiger 

This week, we're reissuing a solo episode from April 2024, where Angie shares an essay on allyship and advocacy in the context of global atrocities and the war in Gaza, and how these events intersect with educators’ roles and school conversations about the Middle East. She argues that passive allyship and apathy have catastrophic impacts, urging listeners to face the horror of dehumanisation—citing events including the Hamas killing of 1,200 Israeli civilians, the Tigray War, ethnic cleansing in Sudan, mass killings in Syria and Ukraine, and the Israeli invasion of Gaza with at least 30,000 killed—and to respond with rehumanising advocacy. Angie offers examples of advocacy from personal check-ins to organisational policy reviews and public speech, and connects international conflict to rising UK Islamophobic and antisemitic hate crimes, calling for solidarity and strategies to mitigate faith-based discrimination.

Angie Browne reflects on International Women’s Day and how it has shifted from its socialist, working-class origins into a more corporate, marketing-friendly celebration, using narrative literacy to examine which stories are told and which are erased. Browne then applies narrative and relational literacy to Theresa May’s 2011 Violence Against Women Action Plan, acknowledging policy advances while also naming the harms of austerity, cuts to specialist services, refuges, and a hostile environment, and offers questions for how organisations mark IWD and who is centred or excluded.

Angie Browne shares an essay written in response to the BAFTAs and the BBC broadcasting the N word during a time-delayed edit, while reportedly editing out an acceptance speech that included “Free Palestine.” She argues for lineage consciousness, urging listeners to see the incident not as a one-off but as part of a long pattern of institutional behavior by BAFTA and the BBC, citing previous controversies involving racism, disability, and organisational culture. Angie explores how unclear values and a lack of a lived culture of care create spectated lawlessness, and introduces relational literacy and Sarah Ahmed’s Sticky Emotions to explain how shame, fear, anger, and disgust circulate and attach to people, fueling pile-ons that distract from institutional accountability. 

To read the article in full, subscribe to Angie's Substack at https://beingluminary.substack.com/p/tending-emotional-currents-and-sovereignty?r=51drxi

Angie Browne reflects on Minette Batters becoming the first female president of the UK National Farmers Union in 2018, and uses her story to explore women’s exclusion from land, farming, and decision-making. She outlines Batters’ path from being discouraged by her father, to building a tenant farming business and leading the NFU, and considers what tenant farming reveals about wealth, power, and concentrated land ownership in England. Angie connects these dynamics to colonisation, imperialism, and the narratives that positioned men as rightful owners and lawmakers while relegating women to unpaid domestic and farm labour. Drawing on her ideas of lineage consciousness and legacy consciousness (including “seven generations” thinking), she celebrates women’s longstanding relationships with growing and stewardship, questions why women farmers are treated as unusual in the UK, and imagines a future where women and girls have secure, collective access to land and are no longer bearing the burden of others’ profit.

In this episode Angie Browne discusses the 2018 Haiti earthquake scandal involving Oxfam, highlighting moral failings and institutional accountability. Angie explores themes such as spiritual literacy, dignitary authority, and liberatory literacy, while analyzing Oxfam's internal culture and response. She questions the organisation's moral superiority, temporal sovereignty, and how they handle harm. The importance of learning from past mistakes and prioritising the dignity of impacted communities over institutional reputation is emphasised. Angie invites listeners to reflect on their own organisations' values and practices.

You can sign up for Angie's Substack newsletter here https://beingluminary.substack.com/

Angie Browne delves into the complex history of women's suffrage in the UK, particularly focusing on the centenary in February 2018, which marked 100 years since some women were granted the vote. Browne critiques the celebratory narrative by exploring how the 1918 Representation of the People Act still excluded many women, especially working-class and marginalized groups. Using narrative literacy and relational literacy, she analyses the interwoven stories of policy, power, and social hierarchies. She encourages listeners to reflect on modern narratives and examine who is truly included in triumphant stories of progression.

In this episode, Angie Browne analyses the events of the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting from December 2020, which went viral in February 2021. Browne explores the chaotic Zoom meeting where Jackie Weaver, an external facilitator, faced backlash from council members for attempting to restore order. The episode delves into the background of the conflict, the roles of key figures, and the subsequent investigation. Additionally, Browne introduces the concept of 'rules as stories,' urging listeners to consider the narratives behind organisational rules and their impacts on authority and dignity. The episode emphasises the importance of interrelational humility and explores how viewing rules as negotiable stories might lead to more equitable practices in organisations.

In this week's episode, Angie Browne explores the myth of Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year, and its origins as a marketing ploy by British Travel Agency Sky Travel in 2005. She delves into how narrative intelligence can be used to critically examine and deconstruct this and other pervasive societal narratives. By highlighting multiple perspectives, including historical context and lived experiences, Angie challenges the simplistic equation driving Blue Monday and underscores the importance of recognising the true complexities behind mental health and societal well-being.

In this episode, Angie discusses the 2017 Women's March and its implications on equity, feminism, womanism and social justice. She explores the origins and purposes of the march, which arose as a response to Donald Trump's rhetoric and policies. Browne highlights the march's focus on unity and inclusivity across various identities and struggles, despite criticisms regarding unequal representation and accessibility. She introduces the concept of liberatory literacy, emphasising the importance of understanding power dynamics and ensuring safety and inclusion for all participants. The episode calls for designing events with a keen awareness of diverse positionalities to better share risks and promote true equity.