Speak Out 253

Today is our last podcast before we head on a hiatus, we’re not sure when we will be back but we have enjoyed talking about Tacoma and social justice during this journey! Listen in for next steps for some of the SpeakOut 253 team, upcoming 253 Club events and a look back on our favorite episodes we recorded.

Mentioned in the pod:

Sonya Renee Taylor’s book – The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love (https://www.amazon.com/Body-Not-Apology-Radical-Self-Love/dp/1626569762)

253 Club’s Tampon Drive (https://www.facebook.com/events/914906515568070/)

This week, Claire and Laine are joined on the pod by Stephanie Land, YWCA’s 2019 Celebration Luncheon Keynote Speaker and [New York Times Bestselling author of Maid](https://stepville.com/books/). In this conversation, we discuss Stephanie’s book, her experience as a mother raising a young child while [overcoming homelessness, government assistance programs and dehumanizing work as a maid](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/opinion/sunday/work-housecleaning-poverty-wages.html?searchResultPosition=2). Her story of resilience and perseverance shares the insight on a daily life known to many but is often never told.

Welcome back to another episode of Speak Out 253! Today we are joined by YWCA Associate Board members Gaby, Samie and Laine to talk about hair care and the intersection of hair and race.

For several years, the Associate Board has organized a 253 Club happy hour event centered around collecting hair care donations for clients living in YWCA’s safe shelter. YWCA Pierce County serves diverse communities and we continually strive to provide options for our clients and the hair care drive is no different. When advertising this event, the Associate Board has struggled with how to communicate that they are seeking inclusive hair care products for all types of hair. You can walk into most drugstores or grocery stores and find a few full aisles of haircare products, but when it comes to haircare items for black and brown people the selection is vastly limited. Not only is this section separated from the ‘normal’ hair care items (and usually tucked away), it’s extremely expensive. This distinction of us versus them reinforces the normalization of whiteness – hair is hair. This idea of normalizing all types of hair drives our conversation today so join in!

Links:

[Hear Elizabeth Acevedo’s poem on hair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I11xCfnzXs)

Robin DiAngelo’s article: [White people are still raised to be racially illiterate. If we don't recognize the system, our inaction will uphold it.](https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/white-people-are-still-raised-be-racially-illiterate-if-we-ncna906646?fbclid=IwAR3BmOxbU1eCsVzfRqY4c7QRD_5KFFtyfkR3EVJH0c8B4XML-Wnem2ZA5RM)

Today we’re talking to Amanda and Aspen, two people involved in SHEnlightens: A Women’s Collaboration Art Project which is currently on display at YWCA Pierce County’s offices. Join us as we talk to these incredible women about the powerful collection of portrait art that they have created alongside other skilled female artists from Tacoma. On April 28th, YWCA Pierce County’s Sunshine Hall will be open to the public for a public showcase.

[To learn more about the art show and attend please visit:](https://www.facebook.com/events/321166338604916/)

[https://www.facebook.com/events/321166338604916/](https://www.facebook.com/events/321166338604916/)

Today we’re joined on the pod by Stella and Mary to talk all about Young Adult books. Stella is a 8th grader who loves books and Mary is a high school librarian at Clover Park High School. Stella and her mom, Lisa Keating, co-facilitate a book club called the Queerest Book Club Ever at King’s Books. Join us for this fun conversation about books that impact us!

**Books Mentioned:**

[Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell](https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Park-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250012570)

[](https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Art-Blending-Angelo-Surmelis-ebook/dp/B0727SCL5B/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Dangerous+Art+of+Blending+In+%E2%80%93+Angelo+Surmelis&qid=1553017295&s=books&sr=1-1)

[The Dangerous Art of Blending In – Angelo Surmelis](https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Art-Blending-Angelo-Surmelis-ebook/dp/B0727SCL5B/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Dangerous+Art+of+Blending+In+%E2%80%93+Angelo+Surmelis&qid=1553017295&s=books&sr=1-1)

[Moxie – Jennifer Mathieu](https://www.amazon.com/Moxie-Novel-Jennifer-Mathieu/dp/1626726353/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Moxie+%E2%80%93+Jennifer+Mathieu&qid=1553017312&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

[Ghost Boys – Jewell Parker Rhodes](https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Boys-Jewell-Parker-Rhodes/dp/0316262285/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Ghost+Boys+%E2%80%93+Jewell+Parker+Rhodes&qid=1553017328&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull)

[Pride - Ibi Zoboi](https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Ibi-Zoboi/dp/0062564048/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Pride+-+Ibi+Zoboi&qid=1553017339&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

[Symptoms of Being Human – Jeff Garvin](https://www.amazon.com/Symptoms-Being-Human-Jeff-Garvin/dp/006238287X/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Symptoms+of+Being+Human+%E2%80%93+Jeff+Garvin&qid=1553017350&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull)

[Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi](https://www.amazon.com/Children-Blood-Bone-Legacy-Orisha/dp/1250170974/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Children+of+Blood+and+Bone+%E2%80%93+Tomi+Adeyemi&qid=1553017360&s=books&sr=1-1)

[Dreadnought – April Daniels](https://www.amazon.com/Dreadnought-Nemesis-Book-April-Daniels/dp/1682300684/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Dreadnought+%E2%80%93+April+Daniels&qid=1553017375&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

[How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation](https://www.amazon.com/How-Resist-Activism-Hope-Generation/dp/1250168368/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=How+I+Resist%3A+Activism+and+Hope+for+a+New+Generation&qid=1553017388&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

[](https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=after-metoo-educators-seek-strategies-to-teach-students-about-consent)

[After #MeToo: Educators Seek Straegies to Teach Students About Consent - Article from School Library Journal](https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=after-metoo-educators-seek-strategies-to-teach-students-about-consent)

[Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World](https://www.amazon.com/Brazen-Rebel-Ladies-Rocked-World/dp/1626728690/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Brazen%3A+Rebel+Ladies+Who+Rocked+the+World&qid=1553017401&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

**Honorable Mentions:**

[I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika Sánchez](https://www.amazon.com/Not-Your-Perfect-Mexican-Daughter/dp/1524700517/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=I+Am+Not+Your+Perfect+Mexican+Daughter+-+Erika+S%C3%A1nchez&qid=1553017416&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr)

[Ghosts - Raina Telgemeier](https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Raina-Telgemeier/dp/0545540623/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Ghosts+-+Raina+Telgemeier&qid=1553017441&s=books&sr=1-1)

[Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson](https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/0312674392/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Speak+%E2%80%93+Laurie+Halse+Anderson&qid=1553017467&s=books&sr=1-1)

Memoirs – A great genre in general for Young Adults 

[Dear Fang, With Love – Rufi Thorpe](https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Fang-Love-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/1101911573/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Dear+Fang%2C+With+Love+%E2%80%93+Rufi+Thorpe&qid=1553017498&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull)

[All the Bright Places – Jennifer Niven](https://www.amazon.com/All-Bright-Places-Jennifer-Niven/dp/0385755910/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=All+the+Bright+Places+%E2%80%93+Jennifer+Niven&qid=1553017511&s=books&sr=1-1)

This week we are sharing a special podcast episode – a live recording of Voices of Courage 2018\. Voices of Courage is YWCA’s annual monologue event featuring true stories from survivors of domestic violence. These stories were written from survivors accounts with help from local Storytellers Megan Sukys and Ken Miller. The stories are performed by volunteer actors as a way to share the voices of survivors of domestic violence while maintaining their confidentiality and safety.

As these stories are true, some of the content might be triggering to some – please listen with this in mind. We hope you are inspired by these brave survivors and will join us for next year’s Voices of Courage – for event information check out YWCA Pierce County’s Facebook page for our DVAM events list in October 2019.

This week we are joined by Associate Board member Jarel Sanders to talk about burnout and self-care. Jarel is a social worker for DSHS and because of this, works in a high-stress workplace that often include traumatic situations. Jarel, Claire, Laine and Jessica talk about how to care for yourself and your mental health when faced with these environments and [why burnout is so common for millennials](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/millennials-burnout-generation-debt-work). We recommend making yourself a nice cup of tea and putting your feet up while you listen to this week’s episode!

What do you do to take care of yourself? Today we’re talking to Rosie Townsend (aka [Rise Yoga](https://www.facebook.com/RiseYogaTacoma/)) about that question and more. Rosie is a yoga teacher who offers two weekly community classes at the YWCA for YWCA staff, clients and community members. This community class is focused on trauma-informed, inclusive practice that is accessible to all in a variety of ways. Join Claire, Jessica, Laine and Rosie in this conversation about taking care of your body and mind with yoga, and how a focus on inclusion and accessibility is vital to Rosie’s yoga practice and the YWCA.

**Body positive and inclusive yoga teachers:**

Dianne Bondy https://diannebondyyoga.com/

Amber Karnes https://bodypositiveyoga.com/

Jessamyn Stanley http://jessamynstanley.com/

Today, Claire, Laine and Jessica are sharing their New Year’s Resolutions that all share an emphasis on making intentional impact with their everyday actions. Join us for this conversation and reflection of how resolutions can go beyond an individual person and create tangible action!

Today we’re talking to Amy Scanlon from the[Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC)](https://www.marybridge.org/services/child-abuse-intervention-department-caid/childrens-advocacy-center/), to learn about the work the CAC does in Pierce County to address and prevent child abuse. The CAC consists of a team of mental health providers, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, social workers, medical staff from the Mary Bridge Child Abuse Intervention Department, as well as representatives from the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Local law enforcement, Child Protective Services and the Attorney General’s Office. Listen to hear more about the Children’s Advocacy Center and their important work in preventing, investigating, prosecuting and treating child abuse.