Off Color

Being a parent is tough, being a parent during a pandemic is torture. On this episode we interviewed moms and a dad at various points on the privilege spectrum to ask how they are holding up now that (virtual) school is back in session.

The 2020 election will be here before we know it and it's time to talk about vote shaming, third party candidates, party loyalists and progressive youth "radicals". Not to mention that complications of voting during a pandemic and systematic dismantling of our postal service. Get ready kids, this one is going to be a wild ride.

Special Guests:

Saira Rao- Former Democrat candidate for US House and now registered Independent

Hashim Coates - Vice Chair of AAICD and "card carrying Democrat loyalist"

A very personal and intimate conversation about intersectionality in the activist community including anti blackness, conflict between black and brown organizers and LGBTQIA issues. We get face to face with the the pervasive sentiment in minority activist communities that "We show up for THEM, but they never show up for US!" But at the end of the day, we are oppressed in the same ways with different impacts and as soon as we acknowledge that the sooner we can fight together against a common oppressor.

Special Guests:

Lorena Garcia - Community Organizer, Former Candidate for US Senate,

Tezcatli Diaz - Director of Youth Civic Engagement at Student Voice, Student Vote

Elizabeth Torwudzo - Veteran, March Organizer,

Brianna Hall - Employee at American Indian Science and Engineering Society

Shenika Carter - Actionist, Accountant, President of Caravan for Racial Justice

2: 30 - Guest Intos

12:30 - Why is it ok for allies to be in positions of power in some minority and activist organizations and not in others?

17:30 - I have never been asked "how do you identify" before.

19:00 How do we do it all?

20:40 - We show up for THEM but they don't show up for US!

29:40 - What in the world is Black Lives Matter?

32:30 - We don't know what each other's struggles look like

35:30 - Caravan for Racial Justice

36:40 - Just Show up!

38:10 - I'm preaching to the choir

40:00 The bridges need maintenance

44:00 - Spending time together beyond the marches and protests

45:20 - Compassion and Humanity

47:00 - Simple doesn't mean easy

48:30 - Closing thoughts, hopes for the future

59:10 - Surprise call in guest

Part one was WILD! In part two we get a little more serious in a powerful conversation with a former veteran and public health worker about what gun rights mean to minorities that have seen authoritarian oppression first hand. We discuss the Patriot Act, 4 year olds with swords, cancer, prep-ers and using the military's tactics against them.

Special Guests: Charlie Watkins - Army Vet and NRA certified pistol instructor Nami Thompson- Public Health Planner, Mother and gun owner

Content Links: https://www.redneckrevolt.org/ https://www.facebook.com/AIODefense

America loves guns! When New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the civil lawsuit against the NRA we decided to find some gun owners and ask what they thought about it. This episode is part one of two. Special Guests: Comedian and podcaster Christie Buchele, Food Truck and Army Veteran Damon Tobias and Tai Chi Instructor Brother Sha Bazz

A short bonus episode that expands on our discussion in Episode 3 about going back to school during a pandemic. Covid has teachers and students worried about their physical and mental health, but there are still opportunities and reasons for hope.

A Facebook LIVE conversation about the new name for the neighborhood formerly known as Stapleton in Denver, Colorado. What does it mean to be neutral in a white supremacist culture and how can we move towards anti-racism? Special Guests include, Dr. Apryl Alexander and Vince Bowen of Black Lives Matter 5280, JC Futrell the grandson of John and Edna Mosley, Kim Brewer from #RenameStapleton, and Brian Diggs.

A discussion about what public education means in the United States of America during a global pandemic, recorded on July 18th, 2020. Listen as we get schooled by Vice President of the Denver Public Schools Board and Colorado House of Representatives District 7 Candidate, Director Jennifer Bacon. Then Dr. Tania Reis, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus gives us insight into being a scientist, immigrant and mother of two DPS students during these unprecedented times. 

2:50 - Dr. Tania Reis introduction

5:00 - Director Jennifer Bacon introduction

10:00 - Public schools make rocket scientists

12:00 - How opening decisions were made

19:35 - The ‘rona is amplifying inequities 

20:40 - What about the teachers?

24:00 - How Portugal handled the data

26:30 - Quaran-team pods

29:00 - What schools do for this city

32:30 - “I know what’s at stake!”

37:30 - “Our mind set would have to shift”

39:00 - Antibacterial vs Antiviral memo

41:00 - Cultural shift away from meritocracy and individualism

42:30 - Neighborhood schools

47:20 - We all need to eat, even if it’s not the perfect diet

50:00 - Portugal’s Pie in the Sky

53:30 - All kids can learn, what differentiates them is access and “things”

56:40 - Local Elections Matter!

59:00 - School is not the salvation we think it will be

1:00:00 - We learned these same lessons with AIDs

1:04:20 - The great equalizer

The global pandemic of Covid-19 has left us with a lot of unanswered questions. In this episode we decided to ask a medical professional, and close personal friend, about how we can sort through all of the confusion of misinformation and systemic racism in the medical system. Dr. Benzi Kluger is a researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and Director of the Neuro-Palliative Care Division in the new Palliative Care Research Center. He is also working on a book called "Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit" which will empower the average citizen to take responsibility for their health through information literacy.

Links:

Ibram X. Kendi - How to Be an Antiracist https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1

FLICC- 5 Techniques of Science Denialism: https://www.skepticalscience.com/history-FLICC-5-techniques-science-denial.html

Stephen Law - Believing Bullshit

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Believing_Bullshit/n9oRBTVZdWsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

Time Stamps:

2:28 - DR Kluger Intro

4:50 - How has COvid-19 Affected your work and the Medical Center you are in?

8:00 - Telehealth and Equitable access

10:30 - Dr. Kluger's study on Parkinsons

15:00 - Inner City Rochester or Peru?

16:40 - Intersection of Race and Class

21:25 - Being an antiracist in medical research

26:40 - Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit

31:00 - Building a Basic Bullshit Detector

31:35 - Is Colloidal Silver Bullshit?

35:25 - Which Bullshit should I buy?

38:40 - Science Denialism - FLICC

41:15 - Covid-19 Questions from the "Audience"

41:20 - "Should I wear a mask?"

42:56 - "Should I Wipe Everything Down?"

44:16 "Can Cannabis Prevent Covid-19?"

49:30 - The Last Time You Sh*t Your Pants

Season 4 kicks off with a COVID-19 catch up sesh with the Tan Tigress and her intrepid producer Janece(who gives an emotional pep talk to the Tan Tigress). This episode was recorded remotely on a Friday in July...what day is it anyway? Should we open schools? Should your neighbors pay you for the service of telling them about themselves? What is Truth & Conciliation and why should you take the pledge? These are just some of the questions we know must be on your mind, because they are on our mind. We've missed you Off Color family and we hope this episode will be "a ray of light".

And wear a mask FFS. And vote. Always with the voting.