Invisible labor, intersectionality, and bundt cake! (Ep.8)

Content warning: Today's episode contains discussion of racial and sexual violence. Please take care when listening. In Episode 8, the season 1 finale, Laura shares her plans to go on her first mama’s weekend away ever - and Kori’s so proud. But in order to leave - or heck - even on a typical day, there is so much invisible labor involved with womanhood and motherhood (buying clothes, interacting with school, planning vacations and birthday parties). Additionally, Kori and Laura explore kin work (maintaining healthy social ties) and Kori talks about her annual crawfish boil and strategic friendship contributions that make it happen. They reminisce about the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and quote at least 3 lines verbatim. Kori also shares the additional layer of invisible labor related to being a Black woman in America and her choice to live in a predominantly Black community to reduce that burden as much as possible. She discusses a powerful experience during the formula shortage, how tension among women can feel racialized, and how she has to protect her energy in predominantly White spaces, which can lead to feeling unwelcome or further stereotyping. Kori and Laura highlight examples of racism in America in 2023, as evidenced in the NCAA Women’s Championship and the different framing of the same exact behaviors exhibited by Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, the expulsion of the two Justins from the Tennessee legislature, disproportionality in discipline data in schools, how the media characterizes criminals. Yet here folks are banning books and drag shows while we have more than one school shooting each day so far this year. The episode ends with the realization that going out into the world as you are takes courage - particularly for minoritized and marginalized people groups. We call listeners to action to speak up and call out behaviors that lead to these differential invisible burdens when all anyone really wants is to be fully human and embrace their own humanity. Follow us on social media @pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube and @pushpastpolite on Twitter. Please rate, review, subscribe - and share with friends!