Voices on the Side

Sarah is a Tony-winning performer, writer, and director and the host of the America, Who Hurt You? podcast. As a Black woman from a multicultural background, she is devoted to building a movement that promotes collective healing and affirmation for all people, starting with Black women and femmes.

Our conversation was in the wake of the election results, and both Sarah and I were navigating the weight of what was to come. Sarah’s guidance to stay grounded through grief and fear is crucial for all of us in this current moment.

We talk about the intersection of politics, identity, trauma, and wellness, as well as the over-saturation of information, misinformation, and disinformation. 

Sarah’s ultimate call is one of hope: What is the healing that will bring us home to ourselves and to each other?

Some thoughts as we enter into this year.

May we all find ourselves and one another.

We’ll be back with full episodes soon.

Let’s stay in touch: Substack or my blog

Jonathan is a father, writer, professor, astrologer, numerologist, and diviner. This was a magical conversation about so many real life issues through the lens of spirituality and through nerding out (in Jonathan’s words) about astrology.

From politics to systemic oppression to spiritual practice, we exchange thoughts on all the intersecting aspects of being human. Jonathan gets real about his own emotional state post-election and we talk about the need to connect with those that we are in disagreement with. 

Jonathan shares his analysis on the much talked-about Pluto in Aquarius season we are now in. The revolution is here, it is inevitable, and it is becoming irresistible.

Book a reading with Jonathan

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Rolla is an award-winning filmmaker, a Sundance alumna, and a Palestinian American with deep, maternal roots in Jerusalem. She is the founder of the Safina Filmmaker Project, an initiative to raise the voices of Palestinian filmmakers through free artistic mentorship.

We talk about what it takes to continue to ignore and be silent about the suffering and oppression of others, the way we as a society are lulled into complacency, and the hope we have in seeing the world come together as it has never before. Rolla’s storytelling is rooted in heartbreaking truths as well as inspiring artistry, which we’ll surely be seeing in her next feature film, The Visitor.

Rolla's joy in her Palestinian heritage is palpable and I am honored to share our conversation with you here.

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Devon is a father, musician, and one of my favorite voices of collective liberation. At a moment in time where the divide and conquer method of the oppressor seems to be at an all-time high, Devon’s analysis on the need for moral consistency through all our various struggles is incredibly important.

We talk about what it means to be living in a propagandized country and having empathy for those who are still asleep. Devon talks through the difference between performative “activism” versus truly challenging systems, and how this work starts with the minority laying the ground work for the majority. 

Devon reminds us that collective liberation means that everyone and society as a whole will be better off, and that this work comes from a genuine love for humanity.

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Lena is a Palestinian Christian in the diaspora whose roots go back to Bethlehem. She is a mother, trauma therapist, and author. 

Our conversation weaves in and out of our thoughts about what true solidarity means, the way our relationships have changed over these last 14 months, and what being Palestinian means to Lena. As a mental health professional, Lena’s perspective on what motivates someone to speak versus stay silent is illuminating. As a Palestinian, her stories about her history and her culture are beautiful, and important to keep telling to fight erasure.

Lena’s website

Lena’s books

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Alisha is a Korean adoptee, mother, therapist, and educator. She was born in South Korea, grew up in Michigan, and now lives in NYC, where she has a private practice and small-batch pasta business with her husband. Alisha was the Korean American Story 1st Place Winner earlier this year for her piece “Loss, Love, and Liberation.” 

Alisha talks to us about growing up as a transracial adoptee in a small, rural town and the internalized whiteness that she started recognizing and healing from once she went to college. She references a PBS documentary called South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning, which examines fraud and abuse allegations in South Korea’s foreign adoption industry.

We also discuss our respective postpartum periods and mental health challenges, the healing and grieving that motherhood brings, and how we cannot help but see our own children in the children of Gaza. As powerless as many of us feel in stopping wars and genocides, I believe that it matters how we raise our children and how we show up in solidarity in day to day life. Alisha and her family are a particularly poignant example of all of us being connected as they are raising a Korean Jewish daughter, who I can’t help but see my own daughter in. Because we are all ultimately one human family.

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Sarinya was the first ever Asian woman firefighter in the FDNY and is the founder of Angry Asian Womxn, an organization centering safety, wellness, and community for women, femmes, and gender expansive folks affected by anti-Asian racism and Islamaphobia. Angry Asian Womxn is currently running a fundraiser for mutual aid to Gaza until 11/22/2024, and especially for any Sanrio lovers - I highly recommend checking it out!

We talk about Sarinya’s experience almost stumbling into organizing as well as navigating her racialized and marginalized identity in the workplace. We also discuss Palestinians and Muslims being within our AAPI community therefore deserving of our solidarity, as ever a reminder that collective liberation means liberation for all. 

Sarinya reminds us that we have the power to use our voices and take action to bring about the change and justice we want to see in the world. 
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Angry Asian Womxn’s linktr.ee

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Kiki is an author, illustrator, and geographer whose parents immigrated from Guatemala. Her book, Palestine 1492: A Report Back, takes us on a journey through history, geography, and political theory through the language of memoir.

In our conversation, we share our personal stories about who we used to be, how we woke up, and who we are becoming. In this reflection, we emphasize the need for compassion, understanding, and forgiveness for those who don’t yet see the Truth. 

Kiki shares her thoughts on academia, trauma, and what organization and resistance can look like, such as planting literal watermelon seeds. Kiki’s teachings and worldview are the medicine our soul need in this moment.

Kiki’s website

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Toi is an impact strategist and single mother to four boys. She is the founder of Loving Black Single Mothers, an organization creating ecosystems of care centering the needs and the support of Black single mothers. Through all of Toi’s work, she is building new ways of living, being, and caring for each other. 

We talk about motherhood and the nuclear family as institutions held up by the patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. Toi directs us to identify where our issues, challenges, struggles come from, and to then create another way. 

Toi’s focus is on using what we have learned and are continuing to learn about systems of oppression to inform our choices. How can we move differently through the world? How can we hold multiple truths and not get stuck in our grief - as valid as this grief is? Who can we be in community with?

This is the vital next step in liberatory work. 

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