In this episode, I discuss the topics from the first week of the calendar. When I was deciding what books, movies, and people to list for the month, I wanted to focus on how black people see the world. I wanted to show that we aren’t monoliths. That while some of our experiences are shared, some are different, so I wanted to paint the picture of educated, informed, and successful people. Often when we see movies that win Oscars or get the most screen time, they’re about the struggle of people within the community that paints our lives as one way. This then impacts the way we are seen globally because those movies become what people who may never meet black Americans reference when they think of us. The number of people I have met that have told me that Gone with the Wind is their favorite movie and that they don’t understand why black people are complaining about slavery because the characters in the movie are happy is entirely too high for my comfort level. No, it’s not black America’s job to go out and correct these misconceptions, but we can offer an assist by highlighting movies, books, and people that better explain our situation in its totality. That focuses on our accomplishments as well as the struggles. In all things, balance.
Time Stamps
Day 1: "How We Fight For Our Lives" by Saeed Jones: 2:35
Day 2: Plessy Vs. Ferguson: 5:00
Day 3: How to be an Ally: 13:08
Tip 1- Know your privilege: 17:30
Tip 2- Actively Listen: 17: 44
Tip 3- Speak up not over: 19:02
Tip 4- Let us speak: 20:00
Tip 5- Apologize when you mess up: 21:00
Tip 6- Ally is a verb: 21:30
Tip 7- Respect Safe Spaces: 26: 15
Tip 8- Remember issues are always present: 27:45
How to ask Questions: 29:18
Day 4: Know your boundaries: 33: *Check the episode "What Boundaries"
Day 5: Emmett Till: 34:50