Real Talk: A Diversity in Higher Ed Podcast

Join KC, Danielle, Saieda, and Zoe, along with our special guests, Dr. Mary Boudreaux and Brandon Lovene, for the podcast's very first live show! Recorded before an audience of 1,200 incoming students at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, this episode delves into the challenges and opportunities of joining a new and diverse community, tackling the important topic of bias and providing valuable tips on how to thrive in college. Plus, we take live questions from our engaged audience!

In the exciting Season 7 premiere, KC, Saieda, and Danielle reunite for a lively conversation, reminiscing about their college experiences and sharing valuable insights on what they wish they'd known back then. Plus, stay tuned for hints about the upcoming episodes you won't want to miss.

KC, Saieda, Danielle, and Zoe talk with outgoing SCSU President Joe Bertolino about the challenges and opportunities facing higher ed. Reflecting on his 7-year tenure at the university, they grapple with legacy, and reflect on the work ahead for aspiring social justice universities.

KC, Saieda, and Danielle talk with Dr. Sami Schalk about her new book, Black Disability Politics. Learn about the ways we have not recognized disability justice work in Black liberation movements, the importance of making scholarship accessible and useful to activists and communities, and taking pleasure activism seriously!

Follow Dr. Schalk on Twitter @DrSamiSchalk, on IG @fierceblackfemme or check out her website http://samischalk.com/.

Link to free open access copy of Black Disability Politics: https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/3091/Black-Disability-Politics.

Saieda, Danielle, Zoe and KC reflect on the season, some of their favorite moments, and talk about what it takes to be a podcaster.

Saieda, KC, and Danielle talk with undergraduate student Kyle Magri about spirituality, religion, and connection with others. Kyle hosts the group Monthly Magic at Southern Connecticut State University, a diverse and inclusive community dedicated to finding the sacred in the people, places, and things where most religious institutions refuse to look. The conversation moves through healing religious wounds, healing journeys, the divine feminine across faiths, and what college students are looking for in spiritual community.

In this episode, Danielle, Saieda, and KC talk with school social worker and dance instructor Chelsea Little-Hughes about paths to meaningful work, community education, and creating connection, discipline, and joy in her dance studio. To learn more about CR & Co. Dance Studio, see https://www.crandcodance.com/.

Zoe, Danielle, and KC talk with Milford Public School’s transition program student Johnny Vaccino and two of his teachers. Eric Paradis is the head of Special Ed for MPS and is joined by colleague Erin Williams to discuss disability rights, the challenges of moving through the world with disabilities, the contributions of disability rights activists, and what needs to happen next for true disability justice to occur.

KC, Saieda, and Danielle talk with New Haven journalist Lucy Gellman and UW-Madison journalism professor Dr. Sue Robinson about engaged journalism, the changing media landscape, and the future of the field. You can read Lucy’s work at https://www.newhavenarts.org/ and see more about Sue at https://journalism.wisc.edu/news/staff/susan-robinson/.

The team talks with Dr. David Robinson-Morris about radically reimagining the structures of higher ed, polite disruption, and the healing necessary for these times. For more on Dr. Robinson-Morris, visit https://www.drmphd.com.