This is From Woke to Work: The Anti-Racist Journey. Hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, she talks about what it means to go from a self-proclaimed ally to an effective anti-racist. Whether you’re an ally that’s ready to take action or a Black person looking for a place to direct all those ally questions, this is the podcast you’ll want to keep close at hand.There's something missing about the way that we're talking about allyship. Kamala felt it more acutely than ever in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. In this moment, the biggest global awakening on racism and racial injustice in a generation, more and more white and non-black people started showing up declaring themselves “Anti-Racist”. What were they doing? What were they actually doing besides messages of concern to their black friends and turning your profile pictures Black? What actions were they taking?Kamala started to get mad, but then she got curious. Did these newly “woke” allies know they needed to do things to bring about racial justice and equity? Did they know what to do? She put pen to paper and sketched out an anti-racism journey modeled after the traditional marketing funnel of how we get consumers from unaware to adopters of our product. Over the series of this podcast, Kamala will talk about that journey; how you can go from being woke (i.e. aware of racial inequity and injustice) to actually doing the work and eradicating it.From Woke to Work was produced by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edits were made by Nodalab. Our amazing artwork was designed by Tommy Gomez. And this fire track I’m speaking on was produced by Dave Can Trap.

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism.We can all share a post and use a popular hashtag, but when it comes to taking action, what else are you doing? In the first episode of From Woke to Work, you’ll get to better know your host, Kamala, as she shares her experiences around racism and “woke” folks, what motivated her to start this podcast, and how she assembled her 6 step journey to true anti-racism with marketing principles. From awareness to action, you’ll learn about the steps you’ll be taking in order to become a true ally, and stop being your average performer. Listen now and reflect on the steps you may have missed to actually make an impact in a society where likes are overvalued, yet action is rarely taken.  Jump straight into:(00:46) - Being “woke” is just as good as staring and doing nothing - “Did black death just run on a different news network that only black people got? I don't think so.”(04:23) - The 6 Step Anti-Racist Journey - “Knowledge is not action, only action is action, so let's get after it.”(09:51) - This journey is not about perfection, and it will never stop - “However exhausted you are by talking about racism, just think about how exhausted we are living with it.”Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gómez, and music produced by davecantrap.

This year will be hard to forget, not only have we witnessed a pandemic unfold in front of our eyes, but also social movements that arise in the middle of chaos. The Black Lives Matter movement is especially highlighted, as unfortunate events triggered the rage of the already exhausted black community, who got the support of recently “woke” non-black allies. Awareness is just the first step of the anti-racism journey. On today’s episode, Kamala is joined by an inspiring leader, speaker and black woman, Jovian Zayne, to chat about the role of awareness around racism in the American society. Listen to the perspectives of these two women in this new episode, as they discuss what they are expecting from true allies to fight alongside the black community for the creation of a more just reality.Jump straight into:(0:46) - The perfect year for a pandemic and the sudden (yet awfully late) national realization of racial injustice - “White people finally looked up and realized all at once: Damn... This country is racist!”(10:32) - Awareness opens your eyes, now, open your mind to different narratives - “There is a persistent issue of police violence, specifically against communities of color and even more specifically against black people.”(22:03) - Accept uncomfortable truths to start important conversations - “There are ways to deepen your awareness that don't require fully unloading every question that you have about race on the next black person that you see.”(25:15) - How Black Lives Matter has empowered and raised the voices of an entire community - “The idea that it makes some people so incensed to hear those three words together is because it actually does call out all of American history.”(37:30) - The problem with forced diversity and black representation - “We need the conversation that happens after the change and the commitment that comes after it. That's a pretty important step in the process, but not the whole process.”(42:36 ) - Dealing with non-believers of a very evident problem - “It's such a beautiful time to try to be an anti-racist. Is popular, it is on trend, is accessible and available.”ResourcesOnPurpose MovementHow to Be an Antiracist by Ibram KendiShare the Mic NowThe Power of Vulnerability by Brené BrownBrené with Austin Channing Brown on I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for WhitenessReese Whiterspoon’s conversation with Austin Channing Brown

It only took the video recording of the murder of a(nother) Black man to go viral for the entire world to realize the United States of America has a systemic racial issue. We wish we were joking. There is a… silver lining here though, America is now proudly “woke”, right? The thing is, to the affected communities, this awakening is a bit of a slap in the face, but hey, no hard feelings, if you’re willing to do the work to earn the title “ally” or “anti-racist”.In today’s episode of From Woke to Work, Kamala is joined by Sherice Torres and Barbara Furlow-Smiles, two empowered leaders who live, eat and breathe being Diversity & Inclusion, to chat all about awareness and why it is just the tip of the iceberg in the anti-racist journey. With awareness, comes education. Just a little warning, it ain’t pretty. Future allies have to master the art of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and build their resilience for real talk on race if they are truly committed to changing the world. Are you newly aware? Good! Now it is time for the real work! Jump straight into:(0:45) - Your collective awareness is not enough, so please listen closely -  “You should hold space for what you are feeling, but you need to focus on your Black colleagues, because while you are feeling it, they have been living it.”(13:52) - If you’re doing it for praise and recognition, you better just take a seat - “Allyship, just like sponsorship has to be earned. It's that bridge from awareness to action, what makes the difference in who truly is an ally or not.”(17:10)  - The role of educational learning as an entryway to authentic understanding - “At the end of the day, what we're trying to get is empathy. It's like ‘walk in my shoes!’.”(21:14) - On Search for Racial Equity - “The first step in anyone's entire racism journey is education. You have to educate yourself, it's not going to your black friend or your black colleague and asking them to share their experience.”(28:11) - More real talk, less sugar coating - “A lot of people don't want to hear the truth of their people, but we have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”ResourcesFollow Sherice on Instagram and TwitterFollow Barbara on InstagramThe Search for Racial Equity The 1619 Project Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at

In this episode of From Woke to Work, Kamala talks about sympathy and why it matters that on your way to actually taking action to reject a racist world order, you actually spend some time feeling bad. If the state-sanctioned death of your fellow citizens does not deeply disturb you, there is likely something else going on.Listen as she unpacks sympathy with Crystal Marie, a Marketer and writer who has worked with major brands and who loves writing about everyone’s favorite uncomfortable topics: faith, politics, race, relationships, and current events.Jump straight into:(03:11) - Why having sympathy can change someone’s life - “It's one of those things that you want to believe that is just human nature”.(09:58) - How do Crystal Marie processes the grief around anti-blackness - “I think someone said something about, black lives matter being so divisive. And I said, is it a bad divide though?”.(15:23) - About Tamir Rice’s murder - “My immediate thought was maybe I heard the story wrong. Maybe I'm missing some key information. Maybe the story is being painted in an exaggerated, like yellow journalism type way”.(23:43) - On Social Media and how unsympathetic people can be - “How can you, as an ally leveraging sympathy, think about how you can create space for a black person in your life to take a mental break?”.(29:14) - Push others on reflecting about white supremacy - “It's the frame of, how would you feel if this thing happened to your child? Or to someone that you know, someone in your life.”(33:12) - If you approach your friends for help, do it without creating emotional weight - “How dare you to hold this banner of care? When, when someone that, you know, came to you and had a very polite conversation with you about it, and it didn't matter”.(40:35) - FAQ (Frequently Ally Questions): Why is it wrong to say “All Lives Matter”? - “First off, there's no such thing as a blue life because you can take a uniform off. My husband, my son, myself... I can't take off my Brown skin”Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gomez, and music produced by davecantrap.

On this week's episode, Kamala invited two mentors of hers, Jason White and Amani Duncan, to join her today to talk about the limits of sympathy and why aspiring allies and anti-racists need to go much further than that to actually drive change.As marketing execs, both Jason and Amani know the power of stories to spark awareness and elicit emotion. The tragic and unjust murders of Black people from Trayvon Martin to Tamir Rice to Breonna Taylor to Sandra Bland and of course, George Floyd, have done a lot to build awareness of racial injustice and even elicit sympathy from non-Black people around the world. However, there is a danger that these feelings of sympathy can end up amounting to nothing unless actual action is taken as a result of these feelings.Jump straight into:(01:12) - Is sympathy enough? - “Feelings are not meant to be a substitute for taking action, they are meant to fuel you for taking the right action.”(04:31) - 2020’s racism awareness and “checking on your black friends calls” - “The perception that white people have of me is that I'm not affected that I'm not like them, so I don't need to be checked up on.”(15:12) - How to support your friends and not bring them more burden! - “I just rather not get a phone call, I rather you educate yourself, become a part of the conversations, take action”.(24:10) - What are “white tears” and why the term is so uncomfortable for all - “What these tears create is, is a false centre of where the resources need to go”.(34:00) - From sympathy to solidarity - “I think it starts with just what we're doing right now is just like, we have to call out that critical moment ”.(40:36) - How speaking up proves that you care! - “Teach people the way you want to be treated. So we're not gonna allow people to get a pass on this, but we also have to figure out how to bring people into the conversation”.(53:53) - The FAQ (Frequent Ally Question): What should an ally do when they have a friend who is in the opposite pole of the conversation? - “ You might lose some friends here and there, they might go away for a while and they might come back because they want to do better and be better”.Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gomez, and music produced by davecantrap.

In this week’s episode Kamala zeros in on empathy because it is a critical stop on the journey to ensuring any plans we make to address racism going forward are grounded on an understanding of our shared humanity. Anti-Black racism is not a Black people problem, it is a White supremacy problem. Until non-Black, and especially White people, see the problem as theirs to solve, we can’t make progress. Where sympathy is to share in the sorrow of another, empathy is to feel the sorrow of another as if it were your own while being conscious of the fact that this is a thought experiment. You still know you have your own shoes that you walk in but you mentally or emotionally, envision what it would be like to walk in the shoes of another. It brings us closer to those who may be very different from us. For this discussion, Kamala is joined by Fay Johnson, an ethical behavior change and human-centered design expert, and Chia-Lin Simmons, a successful tech serial entrepreneur. Fay founded Deliberate Discourse in 2015 in response to the ongoing violence against black people in America. Deliberate is an intentional, guided experience that allows people, and especially non-Black people, to engage in deep conversations about racism in America. Chia-Lin is the CEO / Co-Founder of LookyLoo and Co-Founder of Orange Bridge Ventures; most relevant to our discussion today is her personal journey as an outspoken advocate and ally for the Black community, in her professional and personal life.Jump straight into:(00:45) - A brief context around empathy and racism in the United States - “Anti-black racism is not a black people problem, it is a white supremacy problem.”(04:56) - How everyone has the right (and obligation) to stand up against racial justice - “I remember feeling in my body that very visceral response that I needed to do something. A dear friend of mine, Stephanie, said: ‘You will for sure screw it up, but you should do it anyway because the work needs to be done. Just get going and stop questioning herself about being perfect.’”(16:40) - The importance of empathy and why it is so crucial in the Anti-Racist Journey - “Having that kind of empathy and imagining being in those shoes has really allowed people to help do the bridge into having those conversations in the United States.”(26:34) - How conscious conversations can fight polarization and what racism in the business ecosystem looks like - “People may not be aware of the number of walls and privileges that essentially are structured for white people and against people of color.”(37:10) - How power and privilege prevent people from accessing empathy - “Maybe it's time for some of us to take a step back and put other people forward, because we need to hear their voices.”(44:41) - How to cultivate empathy through “bridging” - “If we are really committed to being good leaders, a good skill to learn would be paying attention to the signals that you're getting from people when they do raise the topic.”ResourcesDeliberate DiscourseLookyLooConnect with FayConnect with Chia-LinThanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow

Empathy is what inspired host, Kamala Avila-Salmon to put The Anti-Racist together; more specifically, it was the LIMITS of empathy that inspired her. While empathy is very important, and for many it feels good, it will not by itself free us from established patterns of shock, outrage, protest, and then complacency. On this episode, Kamala connects with her dear and brilliant friend, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein to address why empathy is not enough.Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. A particle cosmologist by training, she is a dark matter theorist and also conducts research in Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. She is also one of under 100 Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics. She is an outspoken and inspiring voice on issues of race, gender, queer identity, and decolonizing science, and basically how Kamala decides if I’m on the right side of most important social justice topics of the day.Jump straight into:(00:45) - How sympathy is not really empathy, and the racist past and present inside the scientific community - “We can’t afford to rest on our laurels and assume that change will just magically flow from this fount of feelings.”(08:51) - Feelings are not actions: How NOT to reach out to your black friends - “It’s actually anti-work. You're basically asking them to perform emotional labor to be there with you as you process your feelings.”(23:02) - Whiteness and racism: On conversations around white skin privilege - “A lot of people don't want to talk about whiteness, but it’s still operating between two people, even if you think you're on the same page.”(27:23) - How empathy can turn into white empiricism - “What a strange thought! A movement for black people without black people. What is that?!”(32:09) - The Frequent Ally Question: How to do the work without either burdening or excluding black people? - “ You're not obligated to read everything, but you're obligated to do something.”ResourcesChanda Prescod-WeinsteinPreorder The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-WensteinThanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gomez, and music produced by davecantrap.

Welcome to a special edition of From Woke to Work: The Anti-Racist Journey. On this episode, host Kamala Avila-Salmon, interrupts the journey through the funnel to RAGE on what happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 or as it felt, December 37th in the unending trash year known as 2020. What the HELL happened at the Capitol on Wednesday if not a flagrant representation and affirmation of the potency of White supremacy in our country. And as a Black person in this country, who has been consistently critical of our country for good reason, Kamala was forced into the awkward position of having to appear extra patriotic in her outrage against the Trumpsters who tried, pretty embarrassingly it must be said, to overthrow our democracy.As the insurrection was taking place, Kamala describes the phases of what she was feeling: shock, anger, disgust. With those feelings boiling, it was important to get her on the mic, because anyone aspiring to be an ally or anti-racist, needs to REALLY understand the levels of White privilege on display at the Capitol and how it’s connected to Black Lives Matter.Joining her on this week's episode are two powerful and inspiring voices, Ebele Okobi and Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey. Ebele is the Public Policy Director for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey at a major tech company and prior to that she has been the global head of human rights at Yahoo, the head of marketing for Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a senior director of advisory services at Catalyst in Silicon Valley and Amsterdam.Dr. Quartey started creating change as a 13-year-old student organizer for Oprah’s Angel Network and has been sought out ever since for his skills in organizing social change and influencing organizational leadership on strategic initiatives with a consciousness around racial equity and LGBTQ inclusion. During the 2020 election cycle, Dr. Quartey served as Senior Policy Advisor for the OUT for Biden Initiative of the Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign. He also lives and works in DC so what unfolded last week took place in his backyard.Jump straight into:(00:44) - The foundations and undeniable potency of white supremacy in the US - “Had these men and women, these insurrectionists, these domestic terrorists been black, we all know what would have happened next: we would have been watching a massacre on the steps of the Capitol.”(16:00) - How anger and rage are privileges granted to white people only - “The level of force that they bring to meet us unarmed is just nowhere near the level of force that we saw with people actively trying to overthrow the government.”(25:09) - This is America: On the normalized subjugation of black people - “If it is your natural state to be in a state of subjugation, then you should feel joy that even a couple of you have escaped, because this is the place where you're meant to be.”(28:57) - Enough is enough: The hypocrisy and cynicism of “concerned” politics for their own convenience - “They were in positions of power, in positions of authority and they use their power and authority to uphold white supremacy. You don't get to run away from that. That's who you are. You are a white supremacist.”(36:20) - The magic of Black Twitter, moving forward, and the lessons learned from the white insurrection at the Capitol - “In the same way that white people have educated themselves about so many other things, they can do this as well. Educate yourself about this. “ResourcesConnect with

The idea for the Anti-Racist Journey came to host, Kamala Avila Salmon, this past summer when everyone you know was getting “woke” and almost all the Black people you know were feeling exhausted by all the “woke” talk without action. The journey is arranged as a funnel, based on her past as a marketer - it is meant to mimic the marketing conversion funnel of taking consumers from unaware of your product to deciding to become customers. After sketching it out, her career coach asked her a very simple question: “What about relationships? People need to truly be in COMMUNITY with the groups they are aiming to be allies too.” It was a lightbulb moment for her, and leads us to this episode because the subject of many of her initial writings about race revolved around the importance of interracial friendships where honest conversations about race could take place.For this episode she invited a couple of her best friends who, as she humbly brags about as “total BOSSES!” Dr. Monica Huerta, author, Co-Director at Organizing Stories, and  English and American Studies Professor at Princeton, and Jessica Massa, storyteller, people leader and activist at BuzzFeed. Monica is Mexican-American and Jess is White and of Italian heritage. While they both have done work relevant to the topics of race, inclusion, and equity, they were mostly invited because they have diverse circles of friends of all races and backgrounds, regardless of where they live and work. Note Kamala is NOT THEIR ONLY BLACK FRIEND. Enjoy the episodeJump straight into:(00:45) - The silent racism: How genuine relationships with diverse people are needed to do the work - “No amount of love or respect for any specific person of color can, on its own, make you an anti-racist, because racism has always been able to accommodate exceptions.”(15:47) - The problem with avoiding uncomfortable conversations around racial injustice - “How is it that you’re so ambitious and so successful, yet this is a part of the world that you weren’t moved to think about?”(24:22) - The importance of aiming for diversity - “You have to make life choices that are going to put you in contact with people who are not like you if you’re white.”(33:49) - The role of media in a racist system, and how proper representation will inspire uncomfortable but needed conversations - “Being called out for doing something racist doesn’t mean that now I’ve put you in the category in my head of “terrible person I don’t want to interact with”. Those people I don’t even bother to call out, actually.”(43:45) - How to diversify your friend group without being a performer - “If you think you’re friends with a black person and you’ve only really interacted with them in mostly white spaces, then you’re not actually as close as you think you are.”(54:33) - The comfort of white supremacy - “By the way, people of color don’t feel comfortable in America, that’s not a thing.”(59:53) - How to co-create a diverse space that functions as the foundation for a true community - “Be intentional about making sure that the very specific people who are in the room are feeling respected and seen.”ResourcesMonica Huerta PhDOrganizing Stories Follow Jess on Instagram

As we drive into this episode of From Woke to Work: The Anti-Racist Journey, let's first level-set where we are in our journey. We took a detour the last 2 weeks to take a WTF break to process the White Trumpian insurrection at the Capitol and then to talk about the importance of relationships in the quest for anti-racism. We're now moving into the back half and it will be important to take the discussion on relationships with you. The next 3 steps are rarefied air. By definition, a funnel gets less populated as you go deeper into it.REFLECTION, in particular, is the level that will likely have the steepest amount of drop-off, because it is about going beyond the facts you know and the feelings you have, and finally confronting yourself. For non-Black people, and especially White people, this can be the most challenging step of all. This is the point you have to stop looking outward, and instead look inward; What role do you play in White supremacy? None of us sits outside of the system- we are all in it. Kamala is joined on this episode by her friends and allies, Ashley Abercrombie, author, podcaster and clergy leader, and Caroline Brown, who recently launched the Up To Us Project, to highlight the importance of this stage in the formation of future allies. Listen now to learn about the importance of pondering on your own involvement within white supremacy, why white people should never take their voice for granted, and how to stand up and leverage your own privilege to impact the communities that need it the most. Don’t miss this authentic, vulnerable and inspiring conversation!Jump straight into:(00:45) - First comes reflection, then comes allyship - “We all have work to do because we've grown up and benefited from the system from day one.”(09:13) - On white supremacy and why colorblindness does more harm than good - “An excellent way to take no action on racism is to try and not see race. That's the perfect setup for leaving everything exactly as it is.”(17:43) - Veganism and anti-racism: How commitment, proactiveness and strong communities are needed to do the work - “Trying to do this work in isolation, especially as a white person, trying to be a single island of allyship in a culture of white supremacy is almost a recipe for failure.”(22:59) - The conversations around racism inside Christian circles - “I have seen change and I have seen people go the distance and become autonomous and learn to think for themselves.”(29:04) - The importance of questioning beliefs and leveraging your own privilege - “Think about all of the things that a black person can't control about, like their skin color and a number of other items that compound and have a negative impact on their outcomes.”(39:00) - The Frequent Ally Question: Can you have white privilege, even if you aren't rich and can you still be guilty or complicit of racism, if you have never acted in ways that you yourself see as individually racist? - “There's an opportunity to really think through the way in which the system has benefited you, and the way that by default, you have gotten certain advantages or opportunities that others may not have gotten.”ResourcesFollow Ashley on InstagramWhy Tho Podcast

Welcome back to FROM WOKE TO WORK: The Anti-Racist Journey. On the last episode, we talked about the fourth stage of this journey- REFLECTION. If this is your first time joining us, STOP and go back to Episode 1.Now that we have made the case for reflection, Kamala does what she always does- lights a fire under your collective butts so you don’t just chill here, thinking and thinking and thinking again, but actually start to move FORWARD and take some action. The key thing you need to remember when it comes to the limits of reflection is that thinking and planning and contemplating is not solving racism. At some point, you will need to DO SOMETHING. With the benefit of reflection, you will hopefully do the RIGHT something but you should not be seeking the “best ally” award just for being thoughtful.In this episode, Kamala is joined by Jon Alston, former NFL player and awarded filmmaker for his short film Augustus, and Vince, co-host of the While Black Podcast, to speak up towards racial injustice, highlight why reflection is not enough and how to keep moving forward.Jump straight into:(00:45) - The limits of reflection: why you must speak up - “It’s so important for an ally to feel empowered enough to take this message of allyship and racial understanding back to the groups of people you and I can’t reach.”(08:03) - The huge difference between “allies” and true accomplices - “I want you to be invested, otherwise, any movement that you colonize will only go as far as you want it to go.”(13:00) - The problem with still “doing research”: How much time do you need for your progress or to take action? - “Why are we being held accountable for progress in a world where we’re not the ones lagging behind?”(22:53) - The importance of deep reflection and why it is so crucial to take action today - “No matter who you are, your experiences or your belief system, with the combination of true introspection and deep reflection the human in you has to kick in. There has to be an awakening that forces you to look at the world through a different set of lenses.”(30:35) - From performance to positive progress through reflection - “Reflection, and action don't need to be adversaries, actually, they should really be close friends.”(37:23) - How to become a more active and effective accomplice - “Don't use racial bias for your own advantage.”ResourcesFollow John on Instagram and TwitterKeep an eye on Augustus through InstagramAugustusFollow Vince on InstagramThe While Black Podcast 2Pac 1994 InterviewAmerican SkinThanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow

Welcome back to FROM WOKE TO WORK: The Anti-Racist Journey. On this episode host, Kamala Avila-Salmon, discusses the next level on the journey, ALLYSHIP. Let's be clear, you are not an ally just because you think you are. You are also not an ally just because you would like to be. You are not an ally because you have Black friends. You are not an ally because you think the cops that killed Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and Jacob Blake and so many others should be locked up and stripped of their badges immediately. That is because ally is a verb. It is a set of consistent actions to interrupt and disrupt the status quo of systemic racism and anti-Blackness when you see it. It is DOING things- it is not feeling things or thinking things or reading things. It is ACTION, not words.To have this discussion about the importance of real, true allyship, Kamala is joined by a powerhouse panel of guests: actress, producer and director Terry Vaughn, Overbrook Entertainment Producer and Development Executive, Dougie Cash, and marketing professional Michael Hoffman specializing in the cross-section of entertainment and digital communities.Jump straight into:(00:44) - The definitions of true allyship - “Ally is someone who will speak up and go to bat for you when opportunities present themselves that fit you. An ally is really someone that puts their caring into action.”(09:57) - The intersection between marginalized communities - “Sitting in that place of privilege within my own marginalized community helps make me aware of the importance of making time and space to support those around me who don't have those experiences.”(16:41) - It was the year of 2020: The sudden (and quite upsetting) US’ racial awakening- “It made me think about just us as a race and how much trauma we've all been carrying.” (27:04) - Tokenism, allyship and the needed empowerment of the black community - “Somebody that literally stood up and said: ‘I want her, I want to give her this opportunity, I've seen her work. I know how much time she's put into this craft of hers. I want her.’  Everyone that has ever done that for me is black.”(36:10) - How tangible is your allyship? - “Where are the spaces where what you're doing as an ally is hard? Where are the spaces where it actually is requiring you to give something up and to sacrifice?(44:20) - The Frequent Ally Questions: On performative allyship and non-black saviors - “Don't take some of the things that are being said personally as if you're being attacked, try to hear it for the context in which it's being spoken. Understand it’s okay to disagree.”ResourcesFollow Terri on Instagram and TwitterFollow Dougie on Instagram Check out the We Might Need Counseling PodcastFollow Michael on InstagramThanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a...

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism.This is the penultimate step of our anti-racist journey, and in this episode, Kamala will tackle everything around allyship and why it just isn’t enough. When it comes to being an ally, white people look at it as if it was some sort of badge of honor, that they can even grant to themselves just by “not lynching” black people, basically. But the truth is, effective allyship comes with great discomfort, a lot of work, and big sacrifices. Being an ally means being of service, it means teaming up and proactively conspiring to dismantle the racist nature of our families, education and our overall system. Today, Kamala is joined by Black-British actress and director, public speaker, fierce dancer and athlete, and the Say Your Mind podcast host, Kelechi Okafor, to have a rich and unapologetic discussion around allyship, its limits and what it takes for non-black people to make changes in favor of a more diverse and inclusive society.  Jump straight into:(00:46) - On the cynical racism of Hollywood and the clear limits of useful allyship - “Feels limited because the ‘ally’ will always retain their privilege.”(07:45) - The ridiculous hypocrisy of self-proclaimed allies and the nonsensical attempts to censor black people’s voices - “It's no longer about feeling great. And if it is about feeling great, why must the greatness that you feel be at the expense of other people who are usually darker than you?”  (17:51) - Why allyship should never feel too comfortable - “It's full of clowns, as far as I'm concerned, because if we're talking about true allyship, you cannot do that without the willingness to lose something.”(21:54) - The role of diverse, deep relationship in the anti-racist journey, and why cis white males will difficultly become allies - “These things that I consider from good natured white men who try to help, they lack really an understanding of the complexities and the nuance around just how violent whiteness can be as a construct.” (30:35) - The huge difference between interrupting versus dismantling racism - “The system is easy because you can remove your emotions from it, go to the place that hurts, your household, because when you can do that, you're indestructible, and then we can take on this whole system together.”(38:12) - From being performative to becoming a better ally and how to effectively diversify the workplace - “If you're really wanting to go the distance, then this is how you do it, get your energy levels up, because it's not an easy walk.”ResourcesFollow Kelechi on Instagram and Twitter Say Your MindKelechi’s take on the Tiffany Haddish Grammy scandalThanks

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism.We have now reached the last step of our journey together: anti-racism. As a refresher, this is not the kind that just means you’re not a fan of racism. We’re talking about true, effective, committed anti-racism; the kind that actually changes you and how you show up in the world. The team behind this, especially our host Kamala, is thankful to each and every one of you listening right now for rocking with us all season long. You were pushed hard, but you stuck around anyway.To wrap up this season and talk about what anti-racism can and should look like, Kamala has invited two people whose work in the space she deeply admires. Glenn Singleton has devoted over thirty years to constructing racial equity worldwide and developing leaders to do the same.  Author, thought leader, and strategist, he is the creator of Courageous  Conversation™ a protocol and framework for sustained, deepened dialogue about race, and Beyond Diversity™, the curriculum that has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to use it. JLove Calderon is a coach, creative and lifelong antiracist activist. She has coached organizers and activists, social entrepreneurs and artists, corporations and media companies – all leading to her co-founding Inspire Justice, a social impact and creative agency supporting celebrities, influencers and Hollywood in shifting a very toxic culture into a culture where everyone can truly thrive, and new narratives centering justice and equity become normalized.Enjoy this conversation and then listen to it again and as often as you need to.Jump straight into:(05:58) - Kicking it with the hard stuff: Anti-racism is not a feeling, it’s a lifestyle - “It’s not about trying to keep the peace, it’s actually about trying to actively disrupt the peace, because the peace is white supremacy.”(11:03) -  A level up from allyship: Knowing about anti-racism is not the same as being anti-racist - ”We need to couple that with action and action means putting your body on the line for racial injustice.”(15:11) - The moving walkway into racism - “Some people get on that walkway and they don’t wait, they’re running down that walkway, they get to that destination much faster, deeper into racism, but anti-racism feels like you actually turn around on the walkway.”(20:49) - This is not a perfect island of anti-racism: Hidden places of complicity and anti-blackness - “The search to find people who can actually elevate me, push me, put me in discomfort and challenge me is so necessary”.(27:27) - Learning in both directions: Intergenerational discussions and Courageous Conversation - “In 1990 when I wrote Courageous Conversation it was to recognize that there were a lot of people at the time, believe it or not, who knew that we needed to have a conversation.”(33:05) - “I'm a white woman!” On JLove’s journey - “I have to consistently do my work and be in deep practice, and that includes honing and evolving my politics, that includes being in deep community with black and brown folks and paying attention.”(39:04) - The last step from allyship to anti-racism - “Four actions every week: an action for your body, an action for your mind, an action for your money and an action for...

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism. We made it all the way through our journey from awareness to sympathy, through to empathy and reflection and all the way to allyship. And finally, anti-racism not to mention our detour stops to talk about the importance of relationships and anti-racist work and processing that attempted coup at the Capitol.In this episode, Kamala goes solo to provide 5 steps to take action and keep moving forward in the antiracist journey. Enjoy and however you start, keep going.Jump straight into:(00:46) - We’ve made it through this series but... is it enough? - “My hope for the future really rests in more and more non-black people, and especially white people, deciding that figuring out how to talk about race and how to actually see and address racism is worth it to them. “(03:54) - Now what? 5 steps to take action and keep moving forward in the antiracist journey - “Wherever you are right now is okay, knowing where you are is what matters because if you know where you are, you can make a plan for how to get to where you want to be.”(10:02) - One last thing: Please discard “white neutrality” - “When we go to a white person, they are not giving us an objective point of view, they are giving us a white frame to point of view via the lens through which they inhabit and exist in the world.”ResourcesCode Switch Podcast The Nod PodcastThe Read PodcastShadow & ActThe GrioEssenceEbonyThanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gomez, and music produced by davecantrap.

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism.Our journey together, at least this portion of it, is coming to an end. Now that we have fully unpacked the anti-racist journey, we want to end with FAQs. If you’ve listened before, you know that our FAQs are not “frequently asked questions” (though they are) but instead stands for “frequent ally questions”, which are questions that Kamala has heard a lot in her time cultivating intentional conversations about race and racism. When you’re learning something new, it’s normal to have questions and I think having lots of questions CAN be a sign of high-engagement. Notice we said they CAN be- sometimes, they instead function as excuses to not take action, as reasons why it’s too hard, too complicated, or not practical. Examples of those include “I know we need to talk about Black issues but what about….(insert some other group here?” Or “Don’t you think White people face just as much racism as Black people now?”In today’s episode, we will focus on genuinely offered, highly constructive FAQs. The ones that come from people who really want to do the work and I invited back a few of our amazing guests from past episodes to help me unpack the best ones. Welcome back Jovian Zayne, the powerhouse who kicked us off in the Awareness episode, Chia-Lin Simmons who helped us sort through the importance of empathy, and Terri J Vaughn, who joined us for a discussion on Allyship. Jump straight into:(02:15) - I said or did something perceived as racist, what should I do now? - “If you're more concerned about being right than getting it right, you will continue to make mistakes and sit in it in a way that doesn't move the work forward”(11:36) - Strategies and tactics to increase commitment to hire diverse talent… or create one - “You're going to have to examine policies and procedures and examine the relationships you have that help to bring in exceptional people of color, and we're everywhere.”(23:03) - Do we really need more data to know that diversity is good business? - “They already know the impact of our culture, of our voices, of our fashion, of our style… I think that it's just embedded in their culture to find ways to impact our influence by saying stuff like, well, they don't sell over the seas.” (34:37) - Who should I be supporting? Vetted leads of organizations that are tackling racial equity issues  - "One that comes to mind for me is the Equal Justice Institute. Changing systems, as opposed to solely focusing on individual cases or individual anecdotes. I think we have to really look at the root causes and the root systems."(36:26) - Why it takes a lot more than just creating a Diversity Chief Officer, goals and metrics to educate inside an organization - "Empathy is so necessary for us to see each other. You've got to fund this work. You can't say, 'we want to allocate $10,000 for this work over the year, or even for a day of training'… that just doesn't work. D&I work helps people to be fundamentally better."(43:46) - Stop clapping yourself because you marched. On diversity clauses in the VC world and other ways to give real crap about these issues - "When was the last time that you bought something from a black owned business? […] No more writing checks...

A black square on Instagram doesn’t make you an anti-racist, but there is a path to follow. Welcome to From Woke to Work, the Anti-Racist Journey, a podcast created and hosted by Kamala Ávila-Salmon, with the mission to make an impactful dent in people’s understand of how to actually combat racism. Whether you’re an ally ready to take action or a black person with a bunch of ally-related questions, this podcast will draw a clear path for you to follow towards true anti-racism.Kamala is back at the mic, sooner than anticipated, to do her part in helping us have the conversations we need in order to advance racial justice. “Enough is enough!” and #StopAsianHate. To be clear- what is happening to Asians and Asian-American people in our country right now is not okay. While this podcast centered stories around Black experiences and anti-Blackness specifically, the goal is anti-racism and effective allyship and that applies to ALL of us. This is a goal that is truly universal because White supremacy attacks all people of color for the purpose of advancing and elevating Whiteness, period. To share the mic and have a discussion, she  invited some really extraordinary guests. First up is Marla Teyolia, a first generation Mexican woman who is the CEO and Founder of Culture Shift Agency. Next is Kim Trin, her friend and former colleague, who is the embodiment of a co-conspirator and a practitioner of cross-racial solidarity and advocacy. Finally, we are beyond privileged to have Dr. Jennifer Ho, the daughter of a refugee father from China and an immigrant mother from Jamaica; she is the director of the Center for Humanities & the Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she also holds an appointment as Professor of Ethnic Studies.Enjoy this powerful, necessary discussion.Jump straight into:(00:45) - The spike in violence and discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans - “White supremacy attacks all people of color for the simple purpose of advancing and elevating whiteness.”(04:11) - Cross-racial nuances: 3 important facts you NEED to understand - “We have a common enemy and it is not each other. That is yet another one of the lies of white supremacy.”(07:09) - Asian-hate is old news: Why is it getting media attention now? - “It's always going to be a matter of keeping us obedient and ensuring that if we knew that we were important enough to have an opinion that should be heard, we would become too loud for white supremacy to be able to drown us out.”(13:31) - Why is it so hard to stand with Asian-Americans? - “White society has such a limited attention span and so if they're not talking about black people anymore then we're forgotten, and now they're talking about this other group.” (20:23) - The Model Minority Myth is not a compliment, it’s a disservice - “The model minority myth is trying to drive a racial wedge between Asian-American and Pacific Islanders and black indigenous and Latin X people.”(24:51) - The reasons we don´t know about the historical cooperation and coalition between black and Asian communities - “We have bought into this idea that Asians and Asian-Americans are good, they are accepted, they are where we're trying to get to and they're blocking us.”(33:33) - White people need to do the work about racism at the workplace - “What you're actually afraid of is not the rejection of people of color, you're afraid of the rejection of white people.”(42:22) - What’s it like living in this moment being an Asian American woman - “I'm just worried. My mother goes out to get her morning cup of coffee, will she return?...