TrekTivism

Does returning to the Moon bring us closer to a Federation future?  Witnessing Artemis, many of us felt our Trek spirits glow as four astronauts orbited the Moon bringing hope to a troubled Earth. But this "new space" industry, to which Artemis, belongs is also fueled by colonialism, nationalism, and a disregard for ecological damage. In this episode, Professor Mary-Jane Rubenstein - author of "As...

Eddie Phanichkul is an entrepreneur, founder of medical protection device company VIDA, and a trained legal observer - a role which documents interactions between law enforcement and citizens. With ICE deployments in Minneapolis and the use of lethal militarized force against civilians, we explore legal observation as a way to push back. Links: https://www.mobilize.us https://shopvida.com/en-ca/pa...

During the TREKtivism panel at STLV (Trek to Las Vegas), Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein raised the point that "Capitalism doesn't exist in the Federation. And we can't volunteer and fundraise ourself out of capitalism . We need to start thinking about system reform." In this episode, we continue that conversation with Dr. Prescod-Weinstein ( our first ever repeat guest!) to talk about reforming our...

Like many other fans, your Trektivism hosts are headed to STLV this week!  This seemed like a good time to drop our discussion from TrekTalks 4, moderated by John Champion of Roddenberry Podcasts, giving you a primer into Trektivism and what helped your hosts turn the corner from fandom to activism.  Join us in person at STLV, 9 A.M. Sunday morning (August 10th) in The Lounge at Vic's Bar, to shar...

Colonel Bree Fram shares her story, from her first experience with Star Trek to her career in astronautical engineering and as a Space Force Colonel. In an emotional conversation, Bree opens up about the pain of the Trump administration's ban on transgender people serving in the military, how it directly impacted her career and life, and how she's moving forward. Links: https://www.breefram.com/ h...

"How would you describe yourself to someone who couldn't see?" asks Bruce Horak, Engineer Hemmer on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.  Bruce joins us to talk about his work as an actor, painter, and now filmmaker with his upcoming documentary Boldly Going for which there is currently an active IndieGoGo campaign.  Boldly Going is described as "a groundbreaking documentary that chronicles Bruce Horak'...

We are excited to be joined by Jarrah Hodge of the legendary Women at Warp podcast which recently just wrapped with its final ever episode. In addition to co-hosting and producing Women at Warp, Jarrah is also a communications, advocacy and engagement specialist with extensive experience in the non-profit sector and labour movement. She is now serving as the communication lead at the Canadian Alli...

Library for the Kind and Trek Long Island founder Stefanie Gangone and Paul Adams, Director of Diversity Programming and Convention Operations at TLI, appear on the podcast to talk about the history of both organizations and what to expect from the upcoming Star Trek-focused event happening May 30 - June 2.

This month's guest is science fiction author, science communicator, and host of The Big Sci-Fi Podcast, Adeena Mignogna. Adeena is currently spearheading a grassroots fundraising campaign by the "Star Trek Family" online community group. which is providing financial relief to those impacted by fire damage in Los Angeles. The Star Trek Family campaign has already raised nearly 7,000 dollars! You ca...

Scientists are superheroes!  And those scientist superheroes can be and look like anybody. That's the message of STEAM Superheroes - an organization that creates content, programs, and an upcoming comic book series designed to inspired and motivate youth to pursue careers in STEAM. In this episode, we speak to STEAM Superheroes team members (and Star Trek fans) Linda Zaruches, Dr.  Aidyl Gonzalez-...

October is both Mental Health Awareness and National Antibullying Month. Chase Masterson stops by the show to talk about her 501(c)3 nonprofit Pop Culture Hero Coalition , its history, as well as her own super hero origin story. Pop Culture Hero Coalition uses evidence based video and tools with engaging pop culture references to teach behavior health skills in ways young people find relatable, te...

In our special Trek the Vote episode, Heather Rae Barker interviews Emily Levy, founder and director of Scrutineers, an action-oriented, nonpartisan online community working for USA election fairness & transparency. Heather and Emily talk about the history of the organization and how they help educate, train, and mobilize nonpartisan election scrutineers. For more information or to donate to Scrut...

In late September, we were invited to host a TREKtivism panel at Thunder Bay's ThunderCon! Thunder Bay is Matthew's hometown and he was honoured to be invited back for Canada's first TREKtivism panel and our first TREKtivism booth at a convention! We were joined by Patrick Kwok-Choon of Star Trek Discovery, the Ontario Klingon Cosplaying group of Peter and Caelan Hutchison, and ThunderCon represen...

Catrina Dennis is both a Star Trek and Star Wars fan. Producer, Entertainer and Community Activist, she's championed and spearheaded multiple fundraising initiatives by animating science fiction and table top gaming communities and recently became a character in Star Trek Online. Catrina's fundraising efforts include producing Roll for the Arts in support of the Entertainment Community Fund during...

John Billingsley hosts a spirited conversation with a live audience about the values of Star Trek and how to nurture community spirit. Guests include Jonathan Frakes, Chase Masterson, Kitty Swink, Trektivism team members Matthew Cimone, Heather Rae Barker, Laurie Ulster, and Yvette Blackmon Tom and guests Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Efaon Cobb, and Randy Frank! For more information: Hollywood Food C...

We are joined by Heather Wood (CEO/Chair) and Sonyl Nagale (COO/Vice Chair) of To Proudly Go! To Proudly Go is a 501c3 nonprofit organization formed on March 1, 2021 for the purposes of creating safe and supportive spaces that celebrates science fiction, promotes the LGBTQIA+ community and partners with important community causes to empower and foster a kinder and better world. The organization ha...

This month, we're honored to welcome Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein to the TREKtivsm Podcast. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein, author of  "The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred"  is an Associate Professor of Physics and Core Faculty Member in Women's and Gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Essence Magazine recognized her as one of 15 Black women Who A...

Heather Rae and Matthew interview Efaon Cobb, previous Trektivism panelist and Deputy Director for the ACLU. Efaon discusses his life story, what led him to practicing law, and how he became involved with the ACLU. CW: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault and police brutality. ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties For more information: Hollywood Food Coalition, Roddenberry Foundati...

Todd Stashwick stops by the show to talk about his D&D campaign livestream fundraiser for The Pablove Foundation . Todd's event will be streamed live on Twitch.tv/MiniTerrainDomain  on Saturday, April 20 starting at 5:00 PM Pacific (8:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 AM BST).

Heather and Matthew interview Kitty Swink, Armin Shimerman, and John Bilingsley about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the upcoming Purple Stride event. You can support the Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer Team by going to www.purplestride.org  click donate, donate to a team, and search for "Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer" as your chosen team. The team is also high in the leaderboard which y...

Heather, Rae Barker and Matthew Cimone interview Mike Simmons, founder, and CEO of Astronomy for Equity. Astronomy for Equity uses the proven ability of astronomy to foster inclusive programs that inspire, educate, and provide hope for unserved communities. The discussion explores Mike's personal history with astronomy and why he founded his organization; the importance of building community and h...

Heather Rae Barker and Matthew Cimone recap TrekTalks 3 followed by their TrekTalks panel "Trektivism as Community Building" featuring Yez from LA Away Team ; Mel from Sid City Social Club ; Mark from Star Trek Family; and Ethan from Trek The Vote. For more information: Hollywood Food Coalition, Roddenberry Foundation

Matthew Cimone and Heather Rae Barker introduce the concept of Trektivism, its history, and evolution of the podcast, as well as a bit about their own backgrounds and efforts in activism. For more information: Hollywood Food Coalition, Roddenberry Foundation