First Name Basis Podcast

Are you feeling a little overwhelmed when it comes to celebrating Black History Month? In this episode I share the key to a meaningful Black History Month celebration. If you're not sure where to start, listen in for some concrete steps you can take to foster a love for Black History and culture in your home and classroom. This episode also includes a sneak peek of the Bite-sized Black History pro...

Unfortunately, Dr. King's dream has not yet come true. In this episode I explain the second phase of his dream that we are still working on today.   Sign up for updates about Bite-sized Black History Bite-sized Black History is a program that empowers you to teach the little ones you love about 12 brilliant Black Americans that have been overlooked by our history books.   Join the First Name Basis...

We have the opportunity to celebrate one of America's greatest heroes this month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the month of January host Jasmine Bradshaw will help you learn about and understand the untold story of Dr. King and give you the tools you need to confidently teach your children about his life and his legacy.  In this episode she covers: -His background and upbringing  -His time in...

If someone asked you "what is racism" how would you respond? Would you be able to help them understand the different ways that racism rears its ugly head in our society? In this episode we are getting back to basics and breaking down the three components of racism: implicit bias, overt interpersonal racism, and systemic racism. I will teach you how to spot each of these components in your everyday...

When we really take a moment to step back and think it's easy to agree that Jesus had brown skin because he was from the Middle East. If that's the case, why is Christ so often depicted as white with light skin, hair, and eyes? In this episode we uncover the roots of white Jesus and explain the impact this depiction has made on us and our communities.    Join the First Name Basis Patreon Community...

Are you serving or trying to save? In this episode I unpack white saviorism and the detrimental effect that it has on communities in our backyard and across the globe. If you want to transform your good intentions into confident action consider these 5 reflection questions: Is the organization I'm partnering with led by BIPOC? Where am I on my anti-racism journey? What preconceived notions do I ha...

You asked and we answered! Carter and I are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the most recent General Conference Church leaders began to speak more directly about racism, unity, and inclusion. Many of you asked us to share our reactions to two talks in particular, so in this episode we break down our thoughts and feelings about President Oaks & Elder Cook's General...

You know that feeling you get when you're surrounded by pine trees, breathing the crisp mountain air, and feeling the stresses of everyday life slowly melt away? Well, unfortunately that feeling is not afforded to everyone. Studies have shown that BIPOC families do not spend as much time enjoying national parks and public lands as white families do. This fact can be traced back to racism, a lack o...

The story that we learned about Christopher Columbus could not be further from the truth. He was a colonizer, enslaver, and sex trafficker who committed genocide against Indigenous Peoples. Don't believe me? Listen in and decide for yourself.   In this episode we discuss: Common myths about Christopher Columbus The 3 reasons why Columbus' crusade was different from others who had traveled to the A...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means that us parents are faced with the question of what to tell our children about this (somewhat controversial) holiday. You probably remember having a part in the annual school play reenacting the "First Thanksgiving" and you know that's no longer (and never was) appropriate because it paints a pretty inaccurate picture of what happened all thos...

On the surface cultural appropriation might not seem very harmful, but when you peel back the layers it is clear that cultural appropriation is a function of racism and perpetuates white supremacy.  In this episode I have a real and unfiltered conversation about the intersection between cultural appropriation and white supremacy with Michelle Franzoni-Thorley from @florafamiliar .  The Spanish Cas...

Cultural appropriation can be so confusing. We all want to learn about and celebrate other cultures while making sure we don't cross any lines or embrace stereotypes and caricatures. In this episode I answer the 5 most common questions that I get from you about cultural appropriation. We cover everything from authentic cultural artifacts to costumes. This episode will bring you the clarity you nee...

I have heard from so many of you that this election season has left you feeling confused and overwhelmed. That is completely understandable —2020 has been a year full of uncertainty and turmoil, to say the least. Even though there is so much going on around us it is critical for all of us to cast our vote and use our voices during this election season.  Voting is a precious right and it is our res...

Our little Holly Jane was born on August 14th and in this episode we share her birth story! It was absolutely magical (even though we are in the middle of a pandemic) and we are so excited to be a family of four.    CDC-Racial and Ethnic Disparities Continue in Pregnancy Related Deaths   Song Credit: "Away" by Geographer and "Beach Disco" by Dougie Wood

Now more than ever women and girls are being encouraged to share their gifts, talents, and intelligence with the world in spectacular ways! So what does it look like to have a wildly successful career all while raising a family? This week on the podcast I sit down with my mom, Dr. Leslie Telfer, a clinical psychologist who spent 30 years working at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Dr. Telf...

Representation is critical for all children in all spaces. Children can't be what they can't see, so they all need to see and experience people of many different backgrounds leading happy and successful lives. This week on the podcast I have the opportunity to interview Mijha Godfrey, the founder of Jambo Books. Mijha is a former affordable housing developer, lawyer and founder of Jambo Books. Jam...

Our country is in the midst of a social revolution. People everywhere are standing up and fighting for racial equity and part of the protesting has included taking down statues of people who have had a hand in the oppression of marginalized communities. In this episode we discuss the founding of our country, the violence that accompanied that founding, and why we have to take that violence serious...

Cancel culture is difficult to define and widely viewed in a negative light. It could be defined as a modern form of protest or boycott and therefore it has an important role to play in fighting for justice. In this episode — the second part of our three-part series on cancel culture — we will: Define cancel culture and discuss when it's called for. Examine the role of social media in cancel cultu...

In this first episode of our 3 part cancel culture series we lay a foundation for the conversation by getting clear about the difference between calling someone out and calling someone in. We get down to the brass tacks of when it is your responsibility to call someone in/out and how to do it. The episode concludes with helpful guidelines about what to do if you get called out for a mistake you've...

Anti-racism work is critical to creating the community that we all want, and those of us who have been called to lead this movement are carrying a heavy load. In this episode I share a few ways that you can come alongside anti-racist educators and share that load.  Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode First Name Basis Patreon Community "Invisible Labor: Valuing the Unseen Contri...

You probably learned in school all about the story of Francis Scott Key watching the "rockets red glare" and "bombs bursting in air" as a prisoner on a British warship and turning the experience into "The Star Spangled Banner." But, in reality, there is a lot more to this story than you learned about in history class — and a lot of what you did learn in school was false.  In this replay of one of...

There have been many different types of reactions to the calls for racial justice that are going on in our country right now. If your social media looks anything like mine you've probably noticed a lot of spiritual bypassing. Spiritual bypassing is a term coined by psychologist John Welwood in 1984, he describes it as, "a widespread tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoi...

Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the abolition of slavery here in the United States. Every year on June 19th families come together to celebrate the resilience of our ancestors who survived and persevered during one of the darkest times of our nation's history. We take time to reflect on where we are as a family, a community, and a nation and how we can work together to better live out our...

Right now our country is reeling from the murders of our Black brothers and sisters. You may be confused by all of the uprising and rebellion, but you need to understand that they, in the words of Dr. King , "...are not the creators of tension" they are "merely bringing to the surface the tension that is already alive."  Black people have been unfairly killed and systemically disenfranchised since...

Celebrating the people around us and their unique cultures can be exciting and incredibly enriching! But where is that fine line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? When we take elements of someone else's culture without permission or compensation we can unintentionally cause a great deal of harm. In this episode we discuss four steps you can take to ensure that you are appre...