The DäBU

Today we share part two of our amazing conversation with Dr. Keila Lopez, as we explore the reality of COVID-19 in America and how the pandemic has underlined the inequalities that have been present for a long time. Keila's insight and wisdom are truly inspiring and eye-opening. To deepen our understanding of the topics discussed in part one of this series, we delve into more of Keila's philosophy, work history, and views on systemic racism as it pertains to healthcare in the US.

If you have not yet listened to our first episode with Keila, be sure to go back and catch up on that! Today we hear about Keila's thoughts on the vaccine, social determinants of health, and so much more that you are not going to want to miss. We also get into the personal aspects of Keila's life, like her religious views, and the message she has about advocacy for minorities.

Looking back on the last few unstable years in American and global history, it is these kinds of perspectives and conversations that need to see more light. Keila is a staunchly rational and committed scientist, deeply connected to her roots and community, and if ever there was a time that we needed dedication to truth and compassion, it is now. Make sure not to miss this passionate and illuminating conversation with this wonderful guest.

We are back with another great conversation, as we continue this amazing second season of the podcast! Today we are joined by the amazing, inspiring, and humble Dr. Keila Lopez, and we really cannot wait to share this episode with all of you, it is just that profound! Our focus is on the COVID-19 pandemic and how structural racism has impacted the reality of the last year and a half. Dr. Lopez answers some fundamental questions on coronavirus and COVID-19 before diving into more specific and scientific data around the vaccines, viruses, and the latest findings in healthcare. 
This conversation provides so much essential clarity and demystification, which are vital to all of us in the question to make better-informed decisions around our health and wellbeing. We also get to hear about some of Dr. Lopez's background, training, and early years in medicine, with a strong focus on what it took to succeed in a field historically stacked against women and people of color. 
Other themes that are explored during today's chat are health management and the determinant power of policy, the reach of structural racism within institutions, personal determination (or as Keila likes to call it 'perspiration over aspiration'!), and some illuminating thoughts on the way that scientific information evolves over time. This episode is essential listening on so many levels, so make sure to join as to hear it all!

As we get into the meat of our second season, we have another heavy hitter guest for all of you today! Kathryn McLay is the Chief Executive Officer at Sam's Club US and is an inspiring leader whose wisdom we cannot wait to share with our listeners. Kath was promoted to this position at the company just before the pandemic hit and we get to hear all about her journey leading up and during this period. 

Kath unpacks the strategies and actions that have helped her and the team manage and take advantage of the uncertainty we have all faced before we get into deeper thoughts on leadership, gender, and race. Our guest also talks about her earlier years, time spent at Woolworths in Australia, and the roots of her business and leadership philosophy. 

We like to think of Kath as a humble unicorn, someone firmly grounded in bringing authenticity and grace to her role. Listeners can expect to come away from this fantastic conversation with some wonderful insight into the inner workings of a high-level professional and her organization, as well as some inspiring ideas on what it takes to get the most out of a team during tumultuous times.

We are back with Season 2 and we promise this is going to be just as engaging and thought-provoking as the first, if not more so! We have a whole lot of special surprises in store for you with a star-studded lineup of guests sharing their life stories and perspectives on everything you have come to know and love about our content so far.

To kick things off today, we are joined by none other than John Furner, the President, and CEO of Walmart US! This means that John is in charge of strategy and performance for more than 4700 stores, for the world's largest company! John was also the CEO of Sam's Club from 2017 to 2019, and his work and legacy there stand as a testament to the type of man he is. One of the most remarkable things about John is his journey with Walmart, starting out in 1993 as an hourly associate and working his way up and through as many positions as you can imagine, to his role in leadership today.

Our guest has also spent time in China and Mexico during his career and we get to hear his reflections on the lessons these periods abroad provided for him. In our conversation, John talks about leadership in the current era, the impact of the conversation about racial injustice and the murder of George Floyd, and leaves us with a message about balancing reality and hope. So for all this and much more from a beacon of light in the business world, join us on The DäBU today!

Today we wrap up our Best of Season 1 series and while these subjects are more often upsetting and confusing than not, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and we try our best to end things off on a high note. Here's to another great season of The DäBU Podcast in the near future and also celebrating what we have already achieved in this short space of time. We kick things off looking back at the recent final verdict in the trial of George Floyd's murder, taking some time to reflect on some different opinions regarding the weight of the result and then some reactions to the conviction of his killer. 

 This takes us into some perspectives on the storming of Capitol Hill in January of 2021, Trump's role in these events, and the mind-boggling reactions of the armed forces to this terrorist attack. Other highlights we run back include segments on systemic racism in the police force, outwardly racist statements by political figures on the right, how misdirecting information can be when spread in certain ways, and some disturbing echoes of The Red Summer, that occurred over a hundred years ago. 

 We finish off with our customary path to resolution segment, attempting to brighten the heavy mood that seems so prevalent in all things American these days, talking about the amazing example of Derek Black, as well as the inspiring story of an initiative to actually help homeless people instead of harassing them. So for all this and then some, be sure to join us for our season finale!

For this episode, we spend some time looking back at the highlights of our two-part series on masculinity and how we can begin to redefine it in more healthy ways for everyone. As you may remember from these two popular episodes, we used the striking example of Mike Tyson and his unique public persona to explore the conversation that has been evolving on masculinity and in particular the dangers of toxic masculinity. One of Mike's biggest messages is around his fear of vulnerability and this is an area we pay particular attention to.

We start off remembering DMX, one of the most iconic and successful rappers to ever do it, whose recent passing at the age of 50 sent shockwaves around the world of hip hop and beyond. Perhaps it is fitting that we use this as an entry-point into today's topic, as DMX, birth name Earl Simmons, was one of the more complex examples of a modern man, with many difficulties and contradictions all centering around his messages of strength and hope. In the meat of today's discussion, we examine masculinity from many angles, drawing on biblical comparisons, contemporary ideas, and literary depictions to try and unpack what it means to be a man today, and more importantly, a good one.

Towards the end of this show, we draw some interesting links between masculinity, patriarchy, white supremacy, and how this all ties back into fear and vulnerability. The central tenet of today's episode is around the essential part that vulnerability plays in a good form of masculinity and how important it is for us as a society to begin to shift the conversation in this direction. For all this and a whole lot more hard-hitting conversation and honest sharing, join us today!

We have reached the end of the first season of The DäBU Podcast and what a powerful experience it has been so far for ourselves!  We hope it has been equally as impactful for our listeners too. There have been so many difficult but important issues covered and we decided to collect the best of them in a Four Part Series beginning with Part 1 today. The systemic racism that permeates all parts of American society urgently needs to be challenged, and as listeners have heard many times before, this is our mission in this show. We put a lot of careful thought into the issues we discuss here on The DäBU. The stories we share are not collections of anecdotal information but plain and simple facts.

We kick things off on today’s show with the story of how the show started.  We decided to take the conversations we were having in real life and put them on air so people of all backgrounds and racial groups could listen in and engage in our conversation.

After that, you will hear sound clips from our past discussions on the show, as well as from across the internet, that highlight their main concerns about American society today. We get into police violence, discrimination in the workplace and healthcare system, and the weaponization of whiteness against Black people. We also touch on respectability politics, the different severities racism can take and the danger of the so-called minor forms, and the impacts of discrimination on the psyche of human beings across the racial spectrum. As always, we end off with a few paths to resolution, so please join us today for some of the most impactful moments of the show so far.

Welcome back to part two of our discussion about the January 6 insurrectionist protest. In today’s show, we continue to unpack events on the day of the storming of Capitol Hill. We also pull up several clips that demonstrate the continuation of systemic racism in America as well as a contrasting movement pointing toward a more equitable future for all.

Our conversation begins with an appreciation for the exemplary policing Eugene Goodman demonstrated by diverting the January 6 mob. We then get discuss the role social media plays in pushing people with ‘benignly alternative’ beliefs toward groups like QAnon where they end up trying to overthrow the government. Next, we move onto a demonstration of the way systemic racism is still alive in the U.S today, using samples of interviews that highlight the racist views of white leaders. Our exchange moves to focus on the history of white-committed bloodshed against Black lives with no consequences and we connect this to calls from the GOP for no prosecutions to occur after the January 6 protest.

Toward the end of the show, we consider some paths to resolution. These scenarios all demonstrate movements and actions in the U.S. that shine a light on the idea that while systemic racism is being perpetuated, some change for the better is occurring alongside it. We consider the decriminalization of homelessness in Austin, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner's move to weed out corrupt ADAs and cops, and ex-white supremacist Derek Black’s comments about the power white people have to combat racism.

The U.S. government’s response to the January 6 storming of Capitol Hill by Trump supporters is one of the most significant examples of racial double standards from our current moment in history. In this episode, we discuss this issue, exploring contrasts in leadership styles between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Donald Trump, and contrasts in the federal response to protesters who occupy different racial and political groups seen in the U.S. today.

We kick the show off by honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our discussion covers his brilliance as a student, fearlessness in the face of so much hatred and danger, and strong gifts for oration. From there, we talk about recently hearing Professor Ibram X. Kendi speak and the powerful ideas to be found in his books.

After setting the stage for what virtuous leadership can look like, we then cast our attention to Donald Trump and the tactics he used to incite the violent mob of insurrectionists. In this segment, our main point is about how it came to be that these protesters were able to accomplish what they did in a country with the most sophisticated military in the history of the world. Here we highlight the racial double standards behind largely peaceful responses to white mobs inciting violence in contrast to violent responses in the face of peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors, sharing different clips from across the media that elucidate this idea. Tune in today and be sure to join us for part one of this discussion.