Episode 120, Siri Carr and Kirsti Carr, Discussion On White Privilege

I want to acknowledge and address the traumatic, heartbreaking reality of our country's anti-black socialization, systemic racism and the internalized racist worldview that is ingrained in being white. I am reaching out, retreating, asking others, asking myself, learning, unlearning, doing, undoing, reflecting, listening, making mistakes, and striving for growth. I truly want to be as present to the discomfort, awkwardness and pain as I can be, of the racial inequality of our shared American history. I've been so moved by the younger generation, particularly my adult children, nieces and nephews as they continue to challenge, stimulate and expand my understanding of racial injustice and what it means to be white. My guests today are 2 of my nieces, Siri Carr and Kirsti Carr. Siri is a teacher of 8th grade writing in a Boston charter school. She cares deeply about making the world a better place, trusting that with love, we are capable of so much more. Kirsti is an environmental biologist, who has studied raptors in California and Nevada and is currently working on a red-headed woodpecker project in Minnesota. She is uplifted by the collective action that is happening across the country and around the world, hundreds of thousands of people standing together,  demanding equal justice. Both Siri and Kirsti invited our extended family into a family Zoom meeting to discuss white privilege. So even though the family Zoom hasn't yet occurred, I wanted to highlight the initiative they took. As I hear so many white people ask what can I do, I hope Siri and Kirsti's efforts might be a tangible thing you could try with your own families. Siri and Kirsti help challenge me to think about how we can openly practice anti-racism in our lives. I know there is a lot of individual and collective work before us and I hope we can inspire each other on the journey. Check out the show notes for links to resources we discuss. Enjoy the podcast! Programming Note: Next Monday, June 22, my guest will be author, director & activist Kimberly Jones. You may have seen her viral video that Joel Cross, Trevor Noah, and others have shared. I'm eager to shine light on Kimberly and the truth she speaks. Links: Teens In Print Storyteller Carolyn Finney "Black Faces in White Places" by Randal Pinkett "America, This is Your Chance" by Michelle Alexander, NY Times