What Do You Mean By That?

Today, we are celebrating our return from spending time with our children for the summer and so much has happened since we were last with you in real-time! So, in this show, we are going to recap some of our topics from our previous episodes, and also catch you up on our summers! We're also going to be sharing some of the exciting things we have in store for you this fall. So, sit back, relax and...

Join Sara and Misasha as they "dish" on school lunches: affordability, why kids are going hungry, and a public comment period that's open until September 23rd, 2019. Federal assistance may potentially be cut for 500,000 kids, so what happens to lunch if that happens? Finally, you don't want to miss Sara and Misasha sharing their favorite childhood school lunches, as well as what their kids eat! Sh...

Sara and Misasha sit down with Kibi Anderson and explore the topic of HAIR! Growing up in a country like America, where a lot of standards of beauty are not centered around African culture and African qualities, has a profound influence in the black community. Join us as we examine and understand how significant hair is in our development. Kibi is a black woman, which is relevant to today's conver...

Our hair is undeniably connected to our identity, but what does it mean when random people feel compelled to touch the hair of another, without asking permission? Why do we perceive this as a threat? Why must we be made to feel "other" by someone's words and actions? Today, we are going to be discussing hair and identity: black hair, its history in the United States, discrimination around black ha...

Throughout history, women have consistently faced more scrutiny in the public eye. While we've made tremendous progress, we've also made detrimentally large steps backward.   Caster Semenya, an Olympic gold medalist, is one of the many women who can attest to the direct discrimination and violation females face in sports. As an athlete, Caster has experienced years of double-standards, invasive me...

Creating an atmosphere that celebrates and encourages individuals no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, or political views is the vision we are all collectively striving to achieve. The Alphabet Rockers have taken the initiative to expand that vision and bring social and racial awareness to classrooms.   Today's interview with band member, Kaitlin McGaw, unpacks the importance of imple...

Today, we're going to be sharing some reports with you, such as this one released just this year by the Southern Poverty Law Center, titled "Hate at School". Teachers told SPLC in informal surveys that in many cases, Trump's name was being invoked or his words parroted by children who were harassing others based on race, their ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. They noted a disturbing upt...

Have you heard of redlining? If so, do you know what it means today? And are you aware that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), created by President Roosevelt in 1934, actually institutionalized the system of discriminatory lending in government-backed mortgages in America?   Today, we're talking about redlining. In the 1930s, government surveyors, developed by the Homeowners Loan Coalition,...

Did you take the information in your textbooks as the be-all and end-all of everything when you were in school? Have you ever really thought about that? Have you ever wondered who actually controls history, especially in our schools, and online?   In past episodes of the podcast, we have often discussed the diversity of narratives in this country, and the importance of understanding the viewpoint...

Raising kids can be really hard at times. And as a white mom raising black kids, it's a uniquely challenging experience.   Debbie Scheer is Sara and Misasha's guest on the show today. Debbie is a humorist, a speaker, an MC, and a woman-about-town in Denver. She has presence, intelligence, observational skills, and she's also a white mom raising two adopted boys, one black, and one bi-racial.   The...

Are you aware of the horrors that are going on in concentration camps at our borders? And did you know that although kids are dying there and families are being separated, our government is still pushing for this under the not-so-hidden agenda of white supremacy? Be prepared to open your hearts today, because it is possible to have an impact, and to bring about some change, just by having a conver...

We have a special bonus episode today, about some big news coming from the state of California. We're talking about hair. In today's bonus episode, we will be discussing a ban on discrimination against natural hair that was recently passed in California. The act banning this discrimination was introduced by the Democratic senator, Holly Mitchell, and it is changing the course of history in America...

Today we bring you 2 hot issues coming out of the Supreme Court, as of the end of June: 1) the citizenship question on the 2020 census and 2) gerrymandering and how voting districts are going to be drawn in the future. The first timely topic is the inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 census and Supreme Court rule that the census will NOT be including that question, based on the groun...

Have you ever thought about why character matters? And have you ever wondered what it is that makes people influential and powerful? Today we're talking about Tiger Woods and LeBron James, two very influential people who have been in the news a lot, and they were recently named by Time Magazine as two of the 100 most influential people of the year.   The bigger question to ask is really why everyo...

Are you aware of the racial disparity that exists in the US healthcare system? And did you know that some people are actually dying unnecessarily as a result? Today, Sara talks to Dr. Monique Rainford, an OB/GYN from Jamaica, who recently did a phenomenal TEDx talk, called America's Maternal Nightmare, about black maternal health in America. In her talk, Dr. Rainford peeled back the layers and ver...

Today, we continue with our conversation about the Ku Klux Klan, the history of hate in America, and why we're seeing the current resurgence of hate groups. There is so much wrapped up in all of this, so it is really very important for us to understand why it happened, and also, what might be happening now. Fraternal organization structures, like the Freemasons, started becoming very popular in th...

It's interesting to know that in 2018, there was a 50% increase in the number of hate groups in America. Currently, the Southern Poverty Law Center is tracking more than 1000 hate groups, so hate is certainly not a thing of the past. In fact, it has actually increased in recent years. So, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the history of hate in America and why we are seeing the current...

As women, it's important for us to advocate for other women, but it's difficult for us to do that if we're unaware of other women's experiences. According to statistics only 62% of Americans even believe that there is a pay gap between men and women, but data shows there is. When it comes to women's equality there seems to be a lack of awareness all across the board.   Today, Sara and Misasha disc...

We all have our own preconceived notions - it's part of being human, but how we choose to challenge and question those biases is what's important. Today's episode contains interviews with three individuals with unique narratives, who have experienced the backlash of others' misperceptions. Brittany, Brandon, and Golnaz all have distinct differences in their stories but also share an array of commo...

We've seen a major shift to becoming more accepting as a society over the years, but implicit biases and micro-aggressions still occur more often than you'd think.   Today, Misasha and Sara discuss what makes up a micro-aggression and how to identify words or actions that may be unintentionally offensive. It's important that we all grow in our awareness and continue to reflect on our own views by...

Have you ever had a thought that didn't feel completely your own? Have you ever had to counter your initial reaction to a situation? It's likely that those ideas were stimulated from your subconscious and they are trying to protect you. But from what?   Today, Sara and Misasha discuss the psychology behind implicit bias and the impact of our unconscious thoughts. To hear more about the role bias p...

Mental illness is a topic that society is becoming more comfortable talking about, but there is still a stigma that prevents many people from getting the help they need. Individuals who don't struggle with generalized mental illnesses may have a more difficult time empathizing or grasping the idea of mental illness. Since May is Mental Health Month, Sara and Misasha are going to help shed some lig...

Today's episode includes special guest, coach and scholar, Adebisi Adebowale. Adebisi joins Sara and Misasha in a discussion regarding the college admissions scandals. They share their thoughts on what these transgressions mean in regards to white privilege, society's definition of success, and how to approach large scale misconduct. To hear more thoughts about the impact of these scandals and how...

Practicing feminism is something most women are proud to participate in, but white women, in particular, tend to be unaware of how exclusive feminism itself can truly be. Intersectional feminism is a term that isn't widely used, but should be widely practiced. Today, Sara and Misasha discuss what it means to be an intersectional feminist and why practicing it is so important. To better understand...

While women have come a long way in regards to rights and gaining positions of influence, the fight for women's equality is still ongoing. Although, when it comes to feminism it's easy to dismiss the fact that it's not only a matter of sexism, but a matter of racism.   Today Sara and Misasha discuss what it looks like to be completely bought into women's rights, the influence women have in society...