Fierce Compassion

In this Fierce Compassion episode, we welcome  Jennifer Esteen , a nurse, mom, and community activist. Esteen shares her journey from New Orleans to California and how it shaped her into a powerful advocate for working families. We learn how self compassion and empathy informed and motivated her transition from healthcare to political candidacy. Join us to discover Esteen’s deep commitment to advo...

In this episode of Fierce Compassion, we talk with  Mary-Frances Winters , founder and CEO of The Winters Group and author of seven books on antiracism, diversity, and inclusion. During our conversation, Winters shares her journey of self discovery with us: one that spans over 40 years of diversity and inclusion work within organizations and corporations across America. Despite her seniority in th...

In our twelfth episode, we talk with  Dr. Báyò Akómolàfè , the widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist philosopher, and author who, despite all his accolades, defines himself primarily as a father and husband. A Yoruban public intellectual known for his intricate narratives on identity, change, and interdependence, Dr. Akómolàfè challenges us to explore how western conceptions of the...

In our eleventh episode, we explore the inspiring journey of Dr. Rosa García, a Chicana educator and activist passionately dedicated to social justice and educational equity. García, the Executive Director of the Community Learning Partnership and the California Youth Leadership Corps, joins us to share her life story, starting from her roots in a large, working-class Mexican immigrant family in E...

In our tenth episode, we talk with  Jackson Lima , a Brazilian diplomat with a specialization in conflict coaching and resolution. Jackson talks with us about the concrete practices that make compassion and self-compassion possible: something he has a lot of personal experience with, given his experience growing up in the poorest majority Black region of Brazil, and becoming, at 38, a diplomat ser...

In our ninth episode, we talk with Edwin Cleophas : a theologian, psychometrist, and antiracist activist from South Africa. Cleophas has a compelling story: once a gang member in South Africa, he is now an international advocate for social justice with four degrees in higher education. Cleophas speaks with passion and precision about the stakes of antiracism, reparations, his role as a disruptor,...

In our eighth episode, we talk with  Carolyn Michelle Smith , an actor, creator, and mentor with Trinidadian roots who brings the importance of story to her acting and expression. During our conversation, we get to hear about what it's like to be a Black actor and creator, how to participate in the new post-network Hollywood, and the importance of the writer's strike. We also explore the i...

In our seventh episode, we talk with Marx Cassity , a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer artist of Osage/Kaw heritage whose music is a fusion of electronic rock and Native nuances. Their newest work,  2Sacred , is their fourth musical album and releases next month on November 5th. During our conversation, Cassity discusses the inspiration and motivation for  2Sacred : decolonizing harmful narratives of Two-Sp...

In our sixth episode, we talk with  Philip Miller , an activist composer from South Africa, whose whole career has integrated social justice with collaborative music projects. His newest work, NKOLI: The Vogue-Opera, profiles the life and work of Simon Nkoli, a gay anti-apartheid activist who was instrumental in securing civil rights for the LGBTQ community in South Africa and other African countr...

In our fifth episode, we talk with Zillah Eisenstein , an American political theorist and gender studies professor, about her life, her work, her activism, and her writing. Eisenstein's parents were members of the American communist party, and she shares about her experiences growing up as a child of the communist party during the Civil Rights movement, and how that has shaped her politics thr...

In our fourth episode, Roxy and Sarah are joined by author and DEI educator Shakil Choudhury. Together, they discuss the neuroscience of how systemic oppression impacts our brain, as well as concrete strategies to help us reduce bias in our communities. Shakil shares some of the powerful experiences that he has had on his antiracist education journey. His stories provide a window into the challeng...

In this episode, Roxy and Sarah are joined by filmmaker, dreamer, and transformative educator, Dr. Shakti Butler. Shakti gets deep into the unifying power of love, spirituality, and dreams as inspirations and energizers for our creativity and our antiracism work. Together, we travel with Shakti into her early years growing up in Harlem, and learn how she was impacted by both family history and civ...

In this episode, Roxy and Sarah are joined by award-winning beatboxer and nonviolence high school educator, Mike Tinoco. Together, they discuss how Kingian Nonviolence provides a paradigm shifting roadmap for teachers in the classroom. Mike offers lesson plans, tips, and personal stories about embodying this holistic approach to compassion and delights us with a live performance of his award-winni...

In our first episode, hosts Roxy Manning and Sarah Peyton discuss the power of compassion in building an antiracist society. They share common struggles with self-compassion - including their own! Roxy and Sarah also touch on the role of unconscious contracts and unconscious bias as blocks to living our antiracist ideals, and explore the concept of Beloved Community. Roxy Manning , PhD,   is a cli...

Roxy Manning and Sarah Peyton welcome you to the first season of their podcast, Fierce Compassion.