White Women Wake Up

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle step into the awkward pause that follows the question, “Are you sure?” They dissect why white women often doubt a friend’s painful account, tracing the habit to quick-fire heuristics. Proximity bias trusts stories that sound like our own. Authority bias treats doctors, pastors, and headlines as default truth. Comfort bias protects the worldview w...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle dive into the hidden power of echo chambers on social media. They compare their own TikTok feeds to reveal how algorithms quietly reinforce race, age, and ideology, even when we think we are curating diverse voices. The hosts unpack how recommendation systems favor anger, diet culture, and other triggers that keep users scrolling, and how that co...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle move beyond theory to confront how a colonial mindset shows up in choices. They define the colonial mindset as believing resources exist for our claiming, elevating Western norms, and embedding hierarchies of power that erase other histories. Recognizing that giving away property overnight is unrealistic, they explore smaller on-ramps: widening w...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 31, Jonelle and Karen zero in on the surge of reverse discrimination claims and why they differ fundamentally from racism. They start by defining racism as prejudice backed by systemic power—something only the dominant group can wield—and contrast it with discrimination , which any individual or group can experience. Drawing on a recent Supreme Court ruling under Title...

Send us Fan Mail After a brief conversation about how cultural backgrounds influence trauma responses, Karen and Jonelle dive into the concept of individualism as a defining feature of American society. They explore how an overemphasis on personal autonomy—evidenced by the United States scoring 91 on Hofstede’s individualism index—can foster colorblindness, political polarization, and a disconnect...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the emotional terrain of being triggered and the deeper layers of trauma shaped by culture, history, and identity. Prompted by a listener's question, they unpack how cultural norms influence what wounds us and how we react. From parking disputes with neighbors to friendship breakdowns and unintentional exclusion, they reflect on how...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply personal episode, Karen and Jonelle explore how colonial patterns have shaped white female friendships, often embedding competition, scarcity, and passive aggression into our closest relationships. They unpack the inherited values of "niceness" and the need to compete, reflecting on how these patterns undermine authentic connection. Drawing from personal s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle go deep on the colonial mindset—not just as history, but as a living framework that still shapes white imagination, entitlement, and fear. Inspired by the books Decolonizing Therapy by Dr. Jennifer Mullan and Louder Than the Lies by Ellie Yang Camp, Karen shares how unlearning colonization has cracked open her own views on...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle tackle the uneasy allure of Southern plantations after a fire destroyed Louisiana’s lucrative Nottaway plantation resort. They ask why a venue built on slavery is still marketed as picture-perfect while weddings at Auschwitz are unimaginable. Their conversation traces the post-Civil War propaganda that turned forced-labor camps into symbols of el...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle unpack the viral images of an all‑white evangelical worship service held in the West Wing—juxtaposed with the same‑day arrest of Black pastors praying in the Capitol rotunda—and ask what these moments reveal about white Christian nationalism. Drawing on their own faith journeys, they explore why so many white women see chu...

Send us Fan Mail This White Women Wake Up episode centers around the 2025 Met Gala’s “Superfine Tailoring” celebration of Black dandyism. Jonelle and Karen trace the style’s lineage from enslaved ingenuity and Harlem Renaissance flair to modern designers reclaiming sharp suits and vivid prints, applauding scholar‑curator Dr. Monica Miller while questioning whether Vogue’s celebrity spectacle can h...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be “too much” in a world that tells you to quiet down? In this episode, Karen and Jonelle wrestle with emotional regulation, not as a healthy coping skill, but as a tool shaped by white supremacy culture. They explore how white norms have defined what counts as “appropriate” emotion, from the weaponization of white women’s tears to the silencing of grief, pass...

Send us Fan Mail In this raw and emotional episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle tackle the hidden biases white women carry about their own bodies—and the deep roots of those biases in white supremacy and patriarchy. From public apologies around ableism to unflinching reflections on internalized fatphobia, they unpack the inherited cycles of shame around body image, thinness ideals, a...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to move through the world in a body that’s always political? In this episode, Karen and Jonelle unpack a powerful statement from a Black speaker—“My body is always political”—and explore the privilege of not having to think about how our bodies are judged, policed, or made into symbols. From airport observations to experiences shaped by body size, sexual orientat...

Send us Fan Mail In this raw and revealing episode, Karen and Jonelle unpack their differing views of protest, rally, or march. They explore how white women often confuse symbolic gestures with real action, and why language matters when organizing for justice. From the power of the 3.5% rule in civil resistance to the emotional toll of corporate boycotts, the episode dives deep into what it means...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful and deeply reflective episode, Karen and Jonelle explore how white women’s proximity to white male power—shaped by sexism—impacts their ability to build genuine solidarity with women of color. What starts as a conversation about problematic idioms quickly evolves into a vulnerable unpacking of how white women are socialized to play the game of white male approval—...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle dive into the unconscious bias embedded in common idioms. Building on previous discussions about colorblindness and cultural gatekeeping, they explore how phrases like "black and white thinking," "ghetto," and "Indian giver" carry deep racial and historical implications. The conversation unpac...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , we dive into the concept of “cultural fit” in hiring and its potential to serve as a form of white gatekeeping. We explore how the idea of cultural fit often excludes diverse candidates by reinforcing a narrow, homogeneous understanding of workplace culture. Karen and Jonelle discuss the biases inherent in these practices, the barriers they...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of White Women Wake Up , co-hosts Jonelle and Karen welcome Dr. Raedene Copeland, a brand strategist and leadership expert, to unpack the complexities of racial colorblindness. Together, we explore how the well-intended idea of "not seeing color" actually erases identity, maintains systemic inequities, and hinders meaningful conversations about r...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle delve into the "Discomfort Cycle" — a recurring pattern of defensiveness, shame, anger, and apathy that often emerges when confronting issues of race, sexism, ableism, and more. They explore personal stories of defensiveness in tough conversations, how white women in particular can struggle with discomfort, and t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle dive into a conversation sparked by the 2025 Super Bowl performance by Kendrick Lamar. What initially seemed like an exciting cultural moment for all turned into a reflection on white entitlement and the subtle ways white people, even progressive ones, can overstep in conversations about marginalized communities. As they u...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle tackle the growing backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They explore how DEI has been weaponized, why diversity remains a scary concept for many, and the irony of the term "white exhaustion." The conversation dives into the frustration some white allies feel due to a perceived lack...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the "one-third rule," a practice used by Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff. This rule emphasizes ensuring that at least one-third of decision-making spaces are occupied by women and people of color to create meaningful representation. They discuss how corporate culture often resists these efforts and how DEI ini...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle dive deep into the concept of white culture, its historical roots, and how it continues to shape societal norms and policies. They discuss the origins of the term "Caucasian," tracing it back to a pseudoscientific study in the 1800s. They also explore how race was constructed in the U.S. after Bacon’s Rebellion i...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of White Women Wake Up , Karen and Jonelle dive into the complexities of authentic allyship. They share personal stories of confronting privilege—one involving the pitfalls of colorblindness in a multicultural workplace and another about shifting deep-seated biases in personal relationships. Through these reflections, they ask tough questions: Are their efforts per...