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

MESSAGE ME HERE! I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with Dr. Chanel Meyers, who at the time of this recording, was currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at York University. In this episode, she shares her fascinating story of her personal journey of multiracial identity as it applied in the various settings where she has lived and how it influenced her professional life, as well. Is she white? Asi...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Just about everyone around the world has been impacted by COVID-19. Are we able to suppress our selfish human tendencies and look out for others. This crisis of this coronavirus will pass but there will be other crises of nature, just as there has been in the past. Ask yourself: who am I valuing ? Listen in on this convo as Jason and I discuss this with return guest, Sarah Bacerra...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Join Jason and me as we discuss my time with my guest, Tahishia Powell. We continue the conversation about the appropriation of terms, specifically the word "tribe", but the conversation takes a turn and we discuss privilege. Tahishia is the co-author of the Facebook Page Mixed Messages which is dedicated to combating racist behavior as well addressing the biases and pro...

MESSAGE ME HERE! We all know words matter. Words have power - there's no doubting that. But...where is the line between what we want words to mean and what the words mean to others? Join Jason and me this week as we welcome Andrew and Lisa and we discuss our thoughts on this issue and how it relates the change of the shows title from Tribe and True to Our True Colors. This episode features Li...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Welcome to Season Two, Y'all! So happy to be back and thrilled to introduce my co-host for the season, Jason Mitchum. Jason is my big brother and here to chat all things OTC with a focus on family as the theme in this second season. In this first episode of the season we talk about our personal experiences of racial ambiguity and also the coolness of slippers! If this is your...

MESSAGE ME HERE! In the final episode of the season, Shannon and Shawna discuss the predicament of the beloved prince and princess of Sussex. Harry and Meghan (H & M) may no longer be addressed with their royal titles, but this is of their own volition. In an effort to escape the craziness of publicity and tabloids, the royals have decided to take a step back from their roles. Was the move in...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Analia Albuja is a PhD candidate in social psychology at Rutgers University who joins me to talk about her academic research, which explores the identity denial and identity questioning experiences of biracial and bicultural people. She has studied how frequently these experiences happen, how people interpret them, and the associated psychological outcomes that come as a result. ...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Father and Daughter, both multiracial, come together this week to talk about what it was like growing up during their time. Shannon and I weigh in as Sarah Bacerra, an activist and with Women's Marches, and Troy Chapman, jazz guitarist, discuss the differences and the similarities of their experiences. Sarah Bacerra is an inclusion advocate, speaker, and activist in San Diego...

MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna and Shannon head down to the National Mall in Washington DC to ask people to share their thoughts about the upcoming 2020 US Census with respect to the race questions. How do people in our nation's capital feel about the possible inclusion of ethnicity? Should race be a question included in the census at all? Why or why not? Come along as catch the vib...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Dating is tricky enough without throwing racial ambiguity in the mic, would you agree? Shawna and Shannon discuss the awkwardness of dating while racially ambiguous. It's been a little while since Shawna has been in the dating scene, but she discusses her experiences earlier in life. She even shares a little bit of dating advice. Come along for the chat! If this is your first...

MESSAGE ME HERE! This week, Shannon and I continue our discussion about DNA testing and racial identity. We continue to react to the insight provided by Dr. Anita Foeman, a professor at West Chester University. Her studies racial narrative and identity with regard to DNA ancestry results provides a fascinating backdrop to the decisions that people make regarding their identity and even how, withou...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Dr. Anita Foeman shares the details of her DNA Discussions Project and talks with me about how one's racial narrative may or may not change based on the results. Should you be extended certain rights dependent upon what the DNA test reveals? What if the results are completely different than what you expected?  Shannon and I react to the insight and ponder the possibilities. D...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Ever feel the frustration of trying to find your place in society - constantly straddling racial or cultural lines? What about when others try to tell you where you belong? Join Shannon and I as we discuss the puzzlement and pressure of having to BE in some "place". Let's talk about it! If this is your first time with OTC, check out  EPISODE 1: START HERE for more b...

MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode we discuss the studies of Dr. Sarah Gaither, who studies multiracial identity. Though we don't know a lot about the development of our racial identities, there have been some very interesting insights - including physical reactions to racial situations. Dr. Gaither is an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in North Carolina an...

MESSAGE ME HERE! Let's get to know Shannon Edwards, my guest co-host for season one. We will touch on the many experiences we have had as racially ambiguous women from the perspectives of varying generations. 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...