In this bonus episode from the Top of Mind archive: "The Other Talk." Most kids of color in America grow up talking about racism at home, but most white children don't. They should, though, says author Brendan Kiely. His new book is a guide for starting the conversation about race at home. Then, a short, inspiring chat with a doctor who collects flower arrangements and delivers them to patients in the hospital where she works.

We're featuring another one of our great BYUradio podcasts on Top of Mind. The Lisa Show discusses how we can navigate life and parenting. And in this episode, host Lisa Valentine Clark seeks advice on how to be a good parent when the internet and technology are ever-changing.

Once a child is placed in foster care, reunification with a parent or guardian happens less than half of the time. But many child welfare agencies say reuniting families is the primary goal of foster care because placing a child in the care of strangers is always traumatic – even when it’s necessary. Why doesn’t reunifying families happen more often? Is there a solution that both protects children and prioritizes families? In this podcast episode, we’ll discuss how the foster system could do more to strengthen families and protect children while ensuring children and teens find stable homes with loving caregivers.

Podcast Guests:

Aby, a Mother who reunited with her child

Dalton Shump, Permanency Case Worker, KVC

Molly Tierney, Managing Director, North American Public Sector at Accenture, Former Director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services

Lynn Price, Founder, Camp to Belong

Sixto Cancel, Non-Profit Founder, Think of Us

As colleges across the country are seeking to increase student diversity, is affirmative action the solution? What is the impact of affirmative action on college admissions? The US Supreme Court has repeatedly held that some amount of race-based discrimination is okay in college admissions, if the goal is to create a more diverse campus. And affirmative action policies have benefited college applicants from certain minority groups. But, no one wants to be rejected from their dream school because of something they can’t control – like their race, or their parents’ income. In this podcast episode, we’ll explore the effects of affirmative action and consider other ways to create diversity in higher education.

Podcast Guests:

Zachariah Chou, author of USA Today op-ed "My race may have played a factor in my college rejections, but I support affirmative action"

Wenyuan Wu, Executive Director of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation

Monica O'Neal, psychologist in Boston and faculty at Harvard Medical School

Rick Sander, economist and law professor at UCLA

Audrey Dow, Senior Vice President of The Campaign for College Opportunity

One out of every 95 people on Earth has fled their home because of conflict or persecution. With thousands of people fleeing their countries and seeking asylum around the world, what can we learn from stories of refugees in America? What is the experience of leaving – when you’d rather stay – and resettling in a place where everything is foreign? Refugee stories give us a glimpse into the perseverance needed to find home again in a foreign place. In this podcast episode, people who came to America as refugees share their stories of heartbreak, healing, and new friendships as they seek to build a better life in a new country.

Podcast Guests:

Warda Mohamed Abdullahi, Somalian refugee, author of "Warda: My Journey from the Horn of Africa to a College Education"

Mackenzie Wellman, Warda’s mentor

Luma Mufleh, founder of Fugees Family, author of "Learning America: One Woman's Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children"

Liz Jevtic-Somlai, Associate Director at Their Story is Our Story

Aden Batar, Services Director at Catholic Community Services of Utah

18 years. That’s how long Anthony Graves spent in prison for a crime he never committed. Unfortunately, his story is not uncommon in this country. Wrongful convictions happen all the time in America, and they could happen to anyone. Data indicates that the number of exonerations happening each year the United States has dramatically increased the past few years, highlighting just how many people have been wrongly sentenced for crimes they didn’t commit. How do we stop innocent people from going to prison? Or are they just the price we pay to keep communities safe? In this podcast episode, we look at how big mistakes are made in the American justice system and current efforts to prevent wrongful convictions.

Podcast Guests:

Anthony Graves, exoneree, author “Infinite Hope: How Wrongful Conviction, Solitary Confinement, and 12 Years on Death Row Failed to Kill My Soul”

David Rudolf, defense attorney, author of “American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System”

Emily Galvin-Almanza, co-founder of Partners for Justice

Walter McNeil, sheriff of Leon County, Florida

Before we were a weekly podcast, Top of Mind was a daily radio show. We were on the air – live - for two hours every weekday. And we did that for seven years. This means there’s a ton of great material in our archive. So, today we’re giving you a taste of that archive. First, we take a deep dive into the history of organ transplant surgery – and its darker side. You’ll hear how the TV world of Star Trek has influenced real science. We’ll be back with a new episode of the podcast on Monday, May 23rd.

Division is nothing new in America, but the current political divide feels different. Why are we so angry and fearful and ever more deeply entrenched in our safe little bubbles of like-minded people? Disagreement, conflict, and differences in opinion are normal and are often a healthy part of democracy. But the way we handle our differences in beliefs, attitudes, and opinions can do more harm than good. Does polarization in the United States pose a threat to our political system? And, most importantly, is there a way to end this toxic polarization in American politics? In this podcast episode, we discuss the root causes of toxic polarization in America today, practical advice on bridging our differences, and the story of one man trying to change the narrative one difficult conversation at a time.

Podcast Guests:

Dylan Marron, author, “Conversations with People Who Hate Me”

Amy Chua, Yale Law School professor, author, “Political Tribes,” and “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”

Peter Coleman, social psychologist, Columbia University, author, “The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.”

The social stigma surrounding mental illness is very real. What would happen if we changed our perspective on mental illness and how we treat it? We typically think that the way to treat mental illness is through therapy and antidepressants. But the Western medicine perspective on mental health doesn’t always fit. More and more people are taking antidepressants, but rates of depression aren’t declining. Meanwhile, some unconventional methods, like indigenous practices and psychedelics, are helping people cope with mental health symptoms and problems. In today’s podcast episode, we show the power of thinking differently about mental illness and how changing our perspective on treatment methods could open new paths to healing.

Podcast Guests:

Sam, mental health patient

Terrie Moffitt, clinical psychologist, professor, Duke University

Joseph Gone, cultural clinical psychologist, professor, Harvard University

Reid Robison, chief medical officer, Novamind

Millions of Americans move each year in search of a better house, neighborhood, job or quality of life. Is leaving the only way to live some place better? And do great cities just happen? It’s easy to think that great cities are the product of a healthy economy, strong infrastructure, or a safe community. But what’s our role as residents in making a city great. Today on the podcast, we crisscross the country and check in with Top of Mind listeners about what makes a city great. You may be surprised to hear that great cities are less about the buildings, roads, and environment and are more about us.

Podcast Guests:

Majora Carter – Author of “Reclaiming your Community”

Jim and Deb Fallows – Co-authors of “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America”

Melody Warnick – Author of “This is Where You Belong” and “If You Could Live Anywhere”

Lynn Kreutz, Hayley Trotter, Reed Wolfley, Erika Layland, Jenny Van Stone, Kim Parati – Top of Mind Listeners