Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging

MESSAGE ME HERE! Hang with me and my cohosts from Seasons 1 through 3 in this special episode as we discuss our reaction to the US Presidential Election. Shannon Edwards (Season 1), Jason Mitchum (Season 2), and Carmen Watson (Season 3) join me to talk about our perspectives, our hopes, and our disappointments. Carmen, who is Canadian, gives us her viewpoints as a neighbor from the north. Be safe...

MESSAGE ME HERE! The time has arrived. Election Day in America is here. With me to discuss the significance of this election, the very fulcrum of the future direction of America, is my guest, April Powers. April is the Managing Director of First Impression Rx, a full service consulting firm that helps fortune 500, nonprofits, and government agencies manage differences through training and diversit...

MESSAGE ME HERE! This week I am joined by the cast of Blasian Narratives Vol. I. Some  have gone on to take on a diverse range of endeavors but this project continues to connect them. It has been five years since Volume 1, and now the group is back together to discuss their perspectives on being Black and Asian. Visit blasianproject.org/ for more about the Blasian Project and follow them on Instag...

MESSAGE ME HERE! This week my guest is Therese Kempf, who is a therapist in NYC. She specializes in working with trauma and couples, and has a unique focus in working with Racism as Trauma. Therese is also a body based therapist (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) and helps her clients see the body as a main source of information as well as a primary channel for healing. She has also been featured in a s...

MESSAGE ME HERE! I am happy to welcome Zakiya Mabery CEO of B Global Diversity Inclusion Strategic Planning. In this episode of Our True Colors, Zakiya talks with me about the intersections of being a black woman with disabilities. Zakiya is active in the world of diversity and inclusion  (D&I) and her new book, Diversity and Inclusion in the Age of COVID, will be available for pre-sale at the...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Wanda Booth is a business strategist helping the Million Dollar Business Divas achieve financial freedom and purpose in their online business. She also served 25 years in the US Army where conversations of race, diversity, and equal opportunity are often discussed. Wanda currently lives in Kansas raising her three children to understand their true selves. In this episode, she talk...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Richard Pierre is a filmmaker who was born in the US but is currently living in Toronto, Canada. He joins me to talk about his experiences that led him down the path to film-making and also talks about the day that he became black. Don't miss this episode as we dive deep into the nuances of race and culture and the power of seeing oneself reflected on-screen. Films like What...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Joshua Grant, a researcher working with the Transitional Justice Resource Center in Kosovo, talks with me about his studies in transitional justice. He is passionate about issues of race in international relations as well as what is happening in the US. In this conversation, we compare recent and historical events in the context of what we are experiencing in America and around th...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Welcome to Season 3 of Our True Colors! I would also like to welcome my co-host for this season, Carmen Watson! She was a guest in Season 2 - I encourage you to go back and check out her episode if you haven't already heard it. This first episode of the season further introduces you to Carmen. If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more back...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Cedric Stout is with Carmen and me for this second episode of the season. Cedric, aka Skycedi, is from the United States but is currently living in Seoul, South Korea. He is a filmmaker, photographer, and YouTuber. In this conversation, Cedric talks about what is was like growing up being half-Korean and half-Black. He walks us through the various stages of his identity journey, h...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Jason and I close out the season talking about the experiences we had and the topics covered. Be sure to subscribe or follow so you don't miss the start of Season 3! If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram ! Interested in being a guest? Head to this link to share your st...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Why should you make red beans and rice on Mondays? How did okra make it to the US? As we near the end of the second season, Jason and I take the opportunity to chat with our Aunties and learn about these Creole facts and more! Listen in to this warm, heartfelt convo with Aunt Bianca and Aunt Daphne and immerse yourself in all that is lagniappe . We round out this season's the...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Welcome back to part two of a fantastic reunion story. Join me with my guest Carmen Watson and her cousin, Rebecca Godard, as they discuss their families sweet story of rediscovery. Check out Rebecca's story from a previous episode here.   and if you missed part one, you can find it here .   Enjoy! If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more...

MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode I chat with my guest, Carmen Watson, about her journey of self-identity.  Carmen is Chinese and white and grew up just about all over Canada, in places like British Columbia (BC), Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories. She moved back to British Columbia in 2014, to start university in Vancouver. She holds a BA in History (Honors) and...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Join me this week as I interview author Ashley Boren. We discuss her new book Sounds Perfect and the growth of the two main characters, Kat and Stella. Kat and Stella, both multiracial with Mexican and White ethnic backgrounds, have completely different life experiences. Ashley and I also discuss how people with differing perspectives navigate today's social climate. Ashley i...

MESSAGE ME HERE! This week I am sharing another bonus episode - a Father's Day special! Hang with my dad and me for this Pop-isode where we talk about coffee, current events, and classics. You'll even catch my mom's cameo if you listen carefully. 😄 Enjoy! If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Don't forget to foll...

MESSAGE ME HERE! This week we take a look at how two marginalized communities come together at an intersection. I have this discussion with my guest this week, my son Christian Gann. Together we discuss his experiences being multiracial, what it's like being a member of the black community and the LGBT community, and the challenges that come with it. Be sure to listen all the way through to c...

MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, I joined  Ku'ulani Keohokalole for her webinar to talk about the recent events that have resurfaced blatant issues of racist-driven actions against communities of color the roles that each of us plays when it comes to addressing and acting on solutions to these issues. REFERENCES Healthcare Disparities https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/how-we-fail-black-pati...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Jason is back with me this week to talk with me about my interview with Jamie Keener, a student earning her masters degree in medieval English literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Jamie examines medieval race in texts surrounding Faerie and part-elf, part-human individuals. Her interest in the development of racial identity emerged from her own experiences...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Words cannot describe the struggle we are facing in America right now - a struggle that stems from America's original sin of racism . We are witnessing protesters take to the stree t all around the US and others around the world taking a stand against the injustices demonstrated daily again people of color - particularly black Americans. This brings so many confusing emotions...

MESSAGE ME HERE! What a fun episode this is! I am opening up a little more of my world to you and introducing my younger sister, Titia! You may know that my co-host, Jason, is my older brother, but now with this episode, we are bringing our little sis into the mix. The best part? This is the first time that the three of us have been together on the same call. We haven't all been in the same r...

MESSAGE ME HERE! At the time we recorded this episode, Dr. Jacqueline Chen (Jackie) was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah. She is a California native now living and working in Salt Lake City. Dr. Jacqueline M. Chen is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah. A California native, she now lives and works in Salt Lake City. The majority of her resea...

MESSAGE ME HERE! On this Mother's Day edition of Our True Colors, you get a sneak peak into a mother-daughter convo. Make sure you wish a happy Mother's Day to all the moms in your life! If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram ! Interested in being a guest? Head to this link to shar...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Rebecca Godard is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. She studies stigma and social support, particularly as it pertains to online communities and other forms of computer-mediated communication. In this episode she discusses the importance of her Chinese heritage, especially having spent some of her formative childhood years living in China. We talk about her...

MESSAGE ME HERE! April is the month of the military child, and my guest this week talks about her unique experiences and how they have led her down the path of being an advocate for others. Michaela currently lives in San Francisco living & working in San Francisco and is working for a study abroad nonprofit bringing college & graduate students from US and international universities to the...