The Equity Matters Podcast

Building people power through community organizing and movement-building is a critical solution to the historical and current inequitable distribution of power and resources along lines of race and class. Social movements led by communities most impacted by injustice are perhaps the most effective drivers of change. And understanding that when we center justice and equity with communities that hav...

Photography crosses cultural and linguistic barriers, and is suitable for all abilities. It can describe realities, communicate perspectives, and raise awareness of social and global issues. PhotoVoice is a powerful tool that can be used to build a world in which everybody has the opportunity to represent themselves and tell their own story. Today we join Laura Lorenz, PhD, Co-Founder of Photovoic...

The “war on drugs” launched a global campaign to increase federal drug control agencies in order to reduce production, distribution, and consumption of illegal drugs. Fast forward nearly 50 years, this campaign still has lingering effects today - the U.S. prison population skyrocketed, and Black and Latino communities were disproportionately impacted by drug arrests and racial profiling. And while...

In the context of employment, social capital can be seen as a positive asset for those who are seeking to find work or change jobs within the market. It can also be considered in terms of creating opportunities for career progression and job retention. Though commonly identified as a positive asset, social capital can also be seen as a disadvantage for marginalized groups. Today, we join Dr. Gina...

Successful career development requires much more than technical and job-related skills. Mentors can help professionals develop additional competencies and build key relationships. Research reveals that having a designated person to talk to, share concerns with and even vent to is extremely beneficial—it helps relieve stress, gain a clear, new perspective and make more informed decisions. Today, we...

Compared to affluent white communities, lower-income communities and communities of color are missing out on the advantages urban greenery provides. Negative environmental factors can compound social and economic conditions and lead to higher levels of chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension for minorities and low-income communities. Today, we join Lacee Satcher, PhD to...

There is one number that may determine how healthy you are and how long you will live. It's your address. In communities with parks and playgrounds, grocery stores, and other assets, you are more likely to thrive. And where those things are missing, the opposite is true. Today we join Desiree D. Powell, MCRP, Urban Planner and Designer to discuss the relationship between healthy places and healthy...

Far too often, Black girls are described as “troubling” or “disobedient” yet having isolated occurrences. When you review the existing data, you notice the trends that in some U.S. public schools, Blackgirls are six times more likely to face suspension, three times more likely to be restrained, twice as likely to endure corporal punishment, and three times more likely to experience law enforcement...

We have learned the architecture of racism in the social work profession is embedded in practice, research, and education. As practitioners, we must deepen our awareness and then recognize our responsibility to disrupt the growth of racist ideas. Today, we join Josh McNeil, Doctoral Student at the University of Alabama, historian, and co-host of the Melanated Social Work Podcast to discuss his pat...

The primary aim of social work is eliminating social inequalities by advocating for racial, social, and economic justice for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. In many ways, white supremacy has shaped how many social workers navigate the system, what to expect, and what they believe is possible. Today, we join the Dope Black Social Worker AKA Kim Young, LCSW to discuss...

The LGBTQ community’s rate of addiction is concerning, as are the various challenges and obstacles these individuals face on a daily basis that can contribute to a substance abuse problem. As they cope with stigma, harassment and even rejection by their families, LGBTQ folks are more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ peers to abuse drugs and alcohol. Today, we join Dr. Carl Highshaw, Chief Executive Of...

More and more, studies reveal that people want to feel represented in the media they consume - and it’s up to us to respect and celebrate our consumer’s identities. When the existence of different identities, skin tones, body shapes and abilities is not taken into account, that is an act of the erasure of that community. This is why representation matters .Today, we join Michae and Quintell Allen,...

Financial literacy describes a person’s ability to comprehend and use financial skills for things like budgeting, investing, and personal finance. Unfortunately, the relationship between income and physical health demonstrates that financial health is an important social determinant that has a vast array of implications. Today we join Nicole Lewis, LCSW to discuss how she includes financial litera...

We've all heard it before - young children are ‘too young’ to understand race, racism and discrimination or you don’t want to ‘put ideas in their heads. Racism in early childhood is real and it has concrete life implications which affect children disproportionately, depending on their social, political, cultural, economic, geographical and other positionings. Today, we join Marquita LaGarde, LCSW...

The horror genre has a long-standing history of critiquing social norms, asking us to find the alternative, deeper meanings beyond the surface plotlines. This quality makes horror films one of the most powerful, and highly underrated, tools for social commentary. Today, we join fellow horror enthusiast Patrick Harris to share our appreciation for the genre, what it means to be Black in horror and...

People of color and all those whose lives have been marginalized by those in power experience life differently from those whose lives have not been devalued. They experience overt racism and bigotry far too often, which leads to a mental health burden that is deeper than what others may face. Today, we join Lauren Reliford, MSW, Political Director at Sojourners to discuss the link between racism a...

Too often, data is collected and presented in a way that perupates disparity and deficit. By decolonizing data, indigenous communities determine the information they want to gather, think through why they are gathering it, and know who is interpreting the data and if the interpretation is being done in a way that serves the community. Today we join Autumn Asher BlackDeer, MSW, Decolonial Scholar t...

Culture makes us who we are. In doing project evaluation, it is also important to consider cultural context in which the project operates and be responsive to it by fully describing and explaining the context of the program or project being evaluated. Today, we join LaShaune Johnson, PhD, Assistant Director with Creighton University at Highlander to discuss how to be responsive to the needs and pe...

Although there is no commonly agreed upon definition for community engagement, at its heart community engagement means mutual decision making through collaboration. People, organizations, and government working collaboratively to create, realize and sustain visions for their community’s future. Today, we join Jodi Cunningham, PhD, Director of Health and Housing at the Community Builders, Inc. to d...

For far too long, communities of color and low-income communities have borne the brunt and burden of pollution to the air, water, and soil they rely on to live and raise their families. Research further goes to tell us that in low-income communities, homes averaged 25 to 60 percent more energy use per square foot. But why? Today we join Jamal J. Lewis, MPH, Director of Energy, Health, and Climate...

The environmental movement of the 1950s and 1960s raised awareness of the dangers posed by pollution and environmental degradation. Fast forward sixty years, we understand these environmental problems impact certain locations and people more than others - racial and ethnic minorities and the poor. Today, we join Juanita Hernández-Caudron, LCSW , Environmentalist and Social Justice advocate to disc...

On July 29, 2020 we released “Long Time Coming” - the first episode of the Equity Matters. Fast forward 365 days, and we have completed 38 episodes, with countless guests and remarkable conversations. On today’s special Instagram live episode,  Dr. James Bell III, host of the Equity Matters Podcast reflects on the good, the bad, and the ugly of podcasting, and what to expect in the coming year fro...

The Community of Practice: A Story to Tell w/ Shimon Cohen MSW, Dr. Marquitta Dorsey, and Dr. Jonathan Singer   There is a clear reason that storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication. Stories create an unparalleled sense of connection between storyteller and listener. Fast forward to today, podcasting has emerged as a new vehicle to promote inclusion by valuing and unearthing real,...

Decolonizing education goes beyond changing the content of curricula and it's not just about adding different voices. It begs us to question the production of knowledge and relearning the way we understand these perspectives. Who is the narrator? Who is being painted as the savior? Who is being othered? All of these questions should be considered as we empower students to embrace other knowledge s...

With more incidents of police brutality against Black and brown Americans, and more colleges contending with their racist legacies by renaming campus buildings and removing statues that memorialize white supremacists, it's clear that colleges and universities must take a bold stance on the importance of becoming anti-racist institutions. But do students feel comfortable reporting racism? And how e...