Stirring Up Shift

Taxes have a long history in this country, shifting further after the introduction of income taxes. Join me in this episode as we hash through the history of federal income taxes, their uses, and their effects in the country. Low taxes and little to no federal protections caused chaos and mayhem for the working classes across the country during the Industrial Revolution and "Gilded" Age, following the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. All culminating as the country shifted toward the Progressive Eras and Great Depression/Prohibition Era. Taxing the rich corporations and “industry leaders” is not a new notion and resulted in many of the few benefits working America’s have access to in this country.     America's "Working Poor" Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs (2020) | GAO Walmart’s Food Stamp Scam Explained in One Easy Chart | Jobs with Justice Walmart and McDonald’s are among top employers of Medicaid and food stamp beneficiaries, report says | NBC Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report | Fox Business   Walmart Check out Nancy Walton Laurie's $300 million superyacht that features a helipad, swimming pool, and aquarium | Business Insider Boat of the Week: Inside ‘Secret,’ the Lavish 271-Foot Superyacht Owned by Walmart Heiress Nancy Walton Laurie | Robb Report How Walmart is Dodging Billions in Taxes | Americans for Tax Fairness   Gilded Age How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Led to US Food Safety Reforms | History.com   Great Depression New Deal | History.com Why Social Security Was the Cornerstone of FDR’s New Deal | History.com Social Security Act | History.com

The power of language, the framing and centering of beliefs and "identities" matter because of their impact on the rhetoric and discourse that influence and construct our society and culture. Join me as I dive into key reminders when going into this Tuesday's election surrounding the structuring of our state and federal governments, the importance of civic engagement for the democratic process and the weight of propaganda and misinformation. A disengaged and disempowered proletariat only serves the few. 

Over 2 years ago, Roe V. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court which opened the door for multiple states to pass abortion bans and continue to test the waters on the extent in which their governments can interfere in the privacy of women's reproductive rights and healthcare. More stories flood the media surrounding women turned away from hospitals and denied treatment, dying or almost dying in the process. What does this all mean? How have we gotten here with the steadily growing concern on preventable pregnant persons' deaths in America?   Resources/Recommendations/References: Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother's Death Was Preventable | ProPublica Rest In Power: A Running List of the Preventable Deaths Caused by Abortion Bans | Ms. Magazine Infants dying, women at risk: Medical literature describes wide-ranging consequences of Dobbs Life Of The Mother | ProPublica Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, are turned away from ERs despite federal law | AP News Doctors Warned Her Pregnancy Could Kill Her. Then Tennessee Outlawed Abortion | ProPublica In Oklahoma, a woman was told to wait until she's 'crashing' for abortion care | NPR Pregnancy-related deaths are on the rise…and sepsis is a big reason | NIH Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them | KFF

Join me as we look into voter disenfranchisement through direct ways or from behind the scenes during the election process. Gerrymandering, Super PACs, and more. Participating in elections feels like a burden to many, more so now than ever, what have been some recently revealed causes? And longstanding practices? What are some small steps we can take to begin to stir up shift?   References/Recommendations/Resources:   Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens (2014) (Research Paper) Gilens and Page: Average citizens have little impact on public policy | PNHP Congress literally doesn't care what you think | Represent Us Influence of Big Money | Brennan Justice Center How Corporate Donors Get Their Tax Breaks and 5 Ways to Fight Back | Center for American Progress (CAP) Dark Money Basics | Open Secrets Dark Money | Brennan Justice Center Super PACs & Coordination | Brennan Justice Center Money in Politics | Common Cause  7 Facts about Americans' Views of Money in Politics | Pew Research Center Money, Power, and the Influence of Ordinary People in American Politics | Pew Research Center How Big Money Corrupts the Economy | Democracy Journal It Takes Lots of Money to Win Elections. Here's What You Need to Know | NPR How Jim Crow-Era Laws Suppressed the African American Vote for Generations | History.com History of Voting Rights The Man Who Rigged America's Election Map | Vox (Video) Gerrymandering Definition | Britannica Democracy Lab | TedED 'The Great Hack': Cambridge Analytica is Just the Tip of the Iceberg | Amnesty International History of the Cambridge Analytica Controversy | Bipartisan Policy Center Citizens United Explained | Brennan Justice Center Summary How States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist | National Conference of State Legislatures Political Action Committees (PACs) | Federal Election Commission Summary of The Mueller Report, for Those Too Busy to Read It All | Harvard After Mueller Revelations, How to Protect Election Integrity in 2020 (Video) | PBS News Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box | ACLU Removal of On-Campus Voting on Election Day Sparks Uproar at Purdue | Inside Higher Ed NC Election Officials Removed Nearly 750,000 Ineligible Registrants Since Start of 2023 | North Carolina State of Election Boards Texas officials say they've scrubbed the voter rolls. Here's how to check if you're still on them | Texas Tribune Democracy Diverted: Polling Place Closures and the Right to Vote | The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights    

The discourse surrounding the celebration of Indigenous People's Day vs "Columbus Day" continues as the country denies reckoning with its own history of its founding. This history exists past and present as the fruits of colonization remain largely unacknowledged or blatantly ignored. The recentering of indigenous peoples in this narrative is crucial for our society to come to terms with the oppression, assimilation, and appropriation of indigenous communities and culture.     References/Resources/Recommendations:   Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology: Am I Using the Right Word? | National Museum of the American Indian   Federal Boarding Schools Origin of Names of U.S. States | U.S. Dept of the Interior Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative | U.S. Dept of the Interior Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative | U.S. Dept of the Interior Video: Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools (Part One) | PBS Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools (Part Two) | PBS Struggling with Cultural Repression | National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian U.S. Indian Boarding School History | The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition   "Indian" Removal Act Remembering the Trail of Death and its Impact on the Potawatomi People The Potawatomi Trail of Death | The History Museum Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History: Native American | Library of Congress Trail of Tears | History.com The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears | National Geographic (Video) How the Brutal Trail of Tears Got Its Name | Smithsonian Channel (Youtube)   Christopher Columbus Was Christopher Columbus a Hero or Villain? | Biography.com Why Columbus Day Courts Controversy | History.com Christopher Columbus | Britannica.com   Sand Creek Massacre (Video) UNUM Short: Remembering the Sand Creek Massacre | PBS Sand Creek Massacre | Britannica.com   Osage Murders How Marriage and Murder were Used to Steal Osage Oil Riches | History.com   Additional Butchered Tongue Lyrics (Hozier) | Genius Lyrics Understanding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Beyond Individual Acts of Violence Indiana Statehood | IN.gov Oklahoma | History.com Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins | Merriam-Webster A Legacy of Negligence: The Historical Mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples in the United States | Berkley Public Policy Journal

Welcome back for the latest season! This episode lays the groundwork for later episodes as I utilize this message and practice of "Choosing Love." While it is quick to consider the transactional notion of this word and practice, I focus on continuing the effort and shift to re-envision what can be meant and taught surrounding this word and all connecting ideals. All forms of love are not something to be earned through "respect" and "authority" but is in actuality connected to the intrinsic value already within each of us and all other aspects of nature. Love is an act and a practice, not something owed or held; it's a way of life that is cultivated and developed throughout our lives. The "Choose Love" Movement by the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation is an exceptional example of this idea in practice. Visit their linked homepage to learn more about the foundation, their impact, and their movement or if you're interested in utilizing their curriculum.      References/Resources/Recommendations:   Choose Love Movement Official Homepage Choose Love Movement Program Overview Choose Love Movement Educator Guide

Have you ever wondered why some parts of health are easier than others or why others are able to have better health than you? It may not just be a you problem. Join me in the season finale as I discuss what is meant by the social determinants of health, what goes into them and examples, and what that means for us.    References/Resources:  Social Determinants of Health | Benton-Franklin Health District Social Determinants of Health | Healthy People 2023 Understanding Social Determinants of Health | Illinois Department of Public Health

What is advocacy? What is activism? Why can protestors be so annoying? If you have thought or questioned this in light of current events, check out this week’s podcast as we cover the topic and famous movements throughout history.   Resources/References What is the Difference Between Advocacy and Activism? | Commons Library Activism Defined: What is Activism | Masterclass The History of Student Activism in the United States | Teen Vogue In pictures: A lookback at student protest movements in the US | CNN    

What’s up with maternal health and healthcare in the US? What is going on with EMTALA? While states with abortion bans be able to ignore this federal policy? Do you live in a maternity care desert? Why is the maternal mortality rate increasing in the US? If you’ve asked any of these questions or want to find out the answers, join me in this week’s podcast episode!

Agree or disagree, Roe V Wade has changed the landscape of healthcare in many states that support or oppose the decision — out of state travel bans, lawsuits for inadequate healthcare, and concerning statistics from states with restrictions or total bans. 

What does the military industrial complex and the militarization of our country’s police forces have in common? Did Kaepernick kneeling bother you? What about BLM? Join me in this week’s episode as I discuss this and so much more!

Have you ever wondered what was meant by the “military-industrial complex” or who popularized the term? Or how former-President Eisenhower is involved in the current affairs of our country? Join me as I discuss this and much more!    Resources/References: Military-Industrial Complex | Britannica Military-Industrial Complex | History.com Eisenhower Farewell Address Resources Eisenhower Farewell Address (Reading Copy)

What is the current state of our criminal justice system? How do we compare to the rest of the world? What’s the prison industrial complex? Tune in to have your questions answered about a “crucial” system that helps maintain “law and order,” in our country and many more!   References/Resources: Prison Industrial Complex Definition | Merriam-Webster Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands | AP News War on Drugs | Britannica Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2024 | Prison Policy Initiative Families in disbelief after hundreds of bodies found buried behind Mississippi Jail | PBS News Hour ‘The law is clear’: Families of deceased inmates missing organs demand answers | WVTM13 The United States Criminalizes People Who Need Health Care and Housing | Vera   Recommendations:  The 13th (Netflix Documentary) 60 Days In (TV Series) The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Equal Justice Initiative Angela Davis’s Collected Works

What do you think of when you hear behavioral health? Do you think of it’s close relative, mental health? Join me as I continue the discussion on mental health through behavioral health — what it means, some recent struggles and changes in the country and considerations for the future.    Resources/References Behavioral Health | Healthline Mental Health vs Behavioral Health | Healthline Behavioral Health | CMS Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) | SAMHSA

Have you or someone you know struggled with mental health in the past or currently is? What is mental health? What does that even mean? Why should I even care?  If you said yes or asked yourself or someone else any of these questions, join me in my discussion on mental health, what we can do to support it, and why it is most important now more than ever to put in the work and address the mental health crisis in our country. **If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the emergency lifeline.**   References/Recommendations/Resources:  Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits | NIH Caring for Your Mental Health | NIH What is Mental Health | SAMHSA Mental Health By The Numbers | NAMI Quick Facts and Statistics on Mental Health | MHA Mental Health | CDC Mental Health | WHO Mental Health Definition | APA The Lifeline and 988 | 988 Lifeline Help Someone Else | 988 Lifeline  

What happens in the home and community doesn’t necessarily always stay there, it can get carried around with a person into adulthood. Join me as I discuss adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). What are they? How can they happen? What are the risks and outcomes associated with them? How can we prevent them?  We know better, so, now, we all need to do better.   References/Resources/Recommendations: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | CDC Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | Kaiser Permanente Explore Your Number (ACEs Number Quiz) | NumberStory.Org What ACEs/PCEs Do You Have? | ACEs Too High ACEs Prevention Strategy Plan | CDC

Come along as we explore the history of public health and a few of its biggest advances. Where did the idea of public health come from? How has it changed the world and changed with the world? Why were we asked to quarantine, isolate, and wash our hands?    Resources/References:  A Brief History of Public Health It Took Surprisingly Long for Doctors to Figure Out the Benefits of Handwashing | History Channel 5 Advances that Followed Pandemics | History Channel

Join me this week as we wrap up our Black History Month Episodes briefly highlighting Black Inventors and their inventions! Do you know who created the three-way traffic signal? What about the clothes dryer?     References/Resources: George T Sampson Dr. Charles Drew Richard Spikes Garret Morgan George Crum 8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier | History Channel African American Inventors II | National Geographic African American Inventors III | National Geographic Top 101 Black Inventors 15 African-American Inventors to Remember this Black History Month and Beyond Black Inventors and their Inventions Black Inventors and Inventions

Join me in this week’s episode as I discuss four accounts of the dark side of healthcare and medical experiments. Which case did you already know about? Which one surprised you the most?  1. The founding of modern gynecology 2. The “Immortal” Cells of Henrietta Lacks 3. Holmesburg Prison (Philadelphia, PA) 4. Arkansas Detention Center   Resources/References/Recommendations: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A Washington   Modern Gynecology The ‘Father of Modern Gynecology’ Performed Shocking Experiments on Enslaved Women | History Channel Medical Exploitation of Black Women | Equal Justice Initiative   Henrietta Lacks Medical Exploitation Henrietta Lacks: Science Must Right a Historical Wrong | Nature Henrietta Lacks’ descendants reach settlement over the use of her ‘stolen’ cells | npr   Holmesburg Prison Philadelphia apologizes for experiments on Black inmates| npr   Arkansas Detention Center Arkansas jails’ ivermectin experiments recall historical medical abuse of imprisoned minorities | the Guardian

Have you heard of these historical events: 1. The Overthrow of Hawaii’s Monarchy 2. Seneca Village, New York City 3. Oscarville, Georgia 4. The Battle of Blair Mountain 5. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study If not, come join me as I discuss these overlooked moments in America’s history. They may be regionally and locally known in their communities but to the larger public, they tend to be uncommonly known. What’s their significance? How do they impact us, even today? The moments aren’t just any one’s history but, indeed, America’s history — only 5 have been highlighted of the many more that do exist out there. Moments that we all cannot allow to be erased or sanitized. History is uncomfortable when lessons are to be learned so the mistakes or misgivings aren’t repeated. However, that takes learning about and knowing the full depth and happenings of monumental events that have changed the course of history, no matter how big or small it’s been deemed. There’s a story to be told and heard — all it takes is for us to just listen.    References/Recommendations: Hawaii Overthrow of Hawaii’s Monarchy Census: Most Native Hawaiians now live in continental U.S. | Spectrum News   Seneca Village Before Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village   Oscarville Forsyth 1912 | Atlanta History Center Forsyth 1912: The Truth About Lake Lanier and Oscarville   The Battle of Blair Mountain West Virginia Mine Wars — The Battle of Blair Mountain What Made the Battle of Blair Mountain the Largest Labor Uprising in American History   The Tuskegee Syphilis Study The USPHS Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee | CDC The Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee Timeline | CDC      

Join me as I discuss how whiteness or white racial identity extends beyond white supremacy and how we think of it. Episode 5 starts us off for Black History Month discussing how white supremacy is related to the social construction of race, white supremacy that goes beyond extremist hate groups. How whiteness and white supremacy sets the stage for the expectations and treatment of nonwhite persons.    References, Resources & Recommendations:  Talking About Race: Whiteness | Smithsonian Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man | Emmanuel Acho Jane Elliott Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race | Reni Eddo-Lodge White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness by Maurice Berger White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo Angry White Men by Michael Kimmel White Rage by Carol Anderson Fatal Invention by Dorothy Roberts Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Born a Crime by Trevor Noah I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown The Price of the Ticket by James Baldwin The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram Kendi The Black Image in the White Mind by Robert Entman & Andrew Rojecki The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein   

Have you ever wondered what was meant when someone said that race is a social construct? What does this phrase mean? How does it impact me? Where does it come from? These are all questions I hoped to answer in this week’s episode as we continue to navigate and make sense of today’s world and political climate.    Resources The Origin of Race in the USA (Video) 220 Years of census data proves race is a social construct | Vox Race and Racial Identity | Smithsonian Abandon “Race.” Focus on Racism | Frontiers in Public Health Race is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue | Scientific American The Myth of race, debunked in 3 minutes (Video) Race as a Social Construct — An Explanation (Video)    

This episode we discuss the contentious topic of patriarchy as the word stems from feminism to explain gender inequalities within certain societal structures, specifically a patriarchal one. However, despite common assumptions, the this structure is perceived as not only harming women but also poses as a detriment to men.    References:  Patriarchy Understanding Patriarchy | bell hooks Patriarchy, The System | Allan Johnson 10 Patriarchy Examples

Today, in celebration of what would have been Dr. King’s 95th birthday, this year’s national holiday, we challenge the commonly retold aspects of his legacy and branch out to include the radical and most often unheard truths to his larger message and vision for the future of this country.    References:  Why We Can’t Wait Where Do We Go From Here Chaos or Community? Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare The Whitewashing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | The Black Wall Street Times   Other Recommendations: MLK is revered today | The Guardian 10 Historians on What People Still Don’t Know About Martin Luther King Jr. | Time The FBI Surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr FBI Records: The Vault — Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK/FBI (2020) FBI Suicide Letter to MLK | Vox

Welcome to season 2 of Stirring Up Shift!   This season’s first episode is all about escapism and how it can play a role in our lives and society as a means for us to shelter ourselves from uncomfortable realities whether it be our own or other’s. Facing the full truth is not easy but it can be done by each and every one of us when we look at and listen to alternatives to ourselves or what we are being shown. This idea is played out in Plato’s Allegory (Simile) of the Cave, which then was either referenced in or inspired the works of Hozier, Ray Bradbury, and others. Join me as I bring awareness to our cruxes and distractions in everyday life — are you living or just going through the motions? Are you thriving or surviving? Do you find things to genuinely enjoy in life that bring you solace and happiness or to numb and dull or distract? These are important considerations to reflect on where you are in life, where you go from there is all up to you.   References:  The Republic by Plato The Republic by Plato (Free Online Ebook) Masterclass | Plato’s Allegory of the Cave Explained Hozier — Sedated Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury The Matrix (1999) The Truman Show (1998) Room (2010) by Emma Donoghue   Additional Resources:  TedEd | Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (Video)

A sneak peak into what’s in store from host, Mickella, in this new season’s message as “taboo” and contentious topics are up for discussion.

For the closing of this special edition series, the focus was to revisit some previous topics from earlier episodes in season 1: complacency, conformity, and cognitive biases. While briefly covered for reference, this time, the connection of each was directly discussed and the new topic of moral disengagement was introduced because of how much of a role it has with all three. Please be advised, go back to the previous episodes on those topics to refresh your memory or to learn about them, if you haven’t already. Continue to educate yourselves and others and challenge your worldviews; experience life outside your sphere of influence. Below you can find sources referenced, additional resources, suggested accounts to follow, and other helpful links and/or materials.   Accounts to Follow (Instagram): *Not an exhaustive list but some to get you started* @eye.on.palestine @motaz_azaiza @plestia_alaqad @byplestia @wizard_bisan1 @malaloul @motasem.mortaja @hzabusabra @osama_y_saleh @sbeih.jpg @imamomarsuleiman @shaunking   Complacency Complacency|Cambridge Dictionary Complacency|Merriam-Webster Dictionary Complacency|Britannica Dictionary   Cognitive Biases 6 Biases That May Subconsciously Affect Your Thinking   Conformity Conformity|American Psychological Association Conformity|Psychology Today   Complacency, Conformity, and Responsibility The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail Theme Analysis Some context of Thoreau — excerpts from biographies   Moral Disengagement How to Be Creatively Maladjusted Moral Disengagement in the Perpetration of Inhumanities Moral disengagement: How people do harm and live with themselves (Please note that this is an abstract. The book is available for purchase) Moral Disengagement|Encyclopedia.pub   Other Add another heat records to the pile: Earth is historically and alarmingly hot. Now what?|USA Today Earth just had its hottest year on record-climate change is to blame|Nature Great Pacific Garbage Patch|National Geographic Microplastics in Water: Threats and Solutions|Earth.org Planet Vs. Plastics, You Are What You Eat: Plastics In Our Food|Earthday.org Antarctica’s Floral Awakening: How Climate Change is Transforming the Continent’s Ecosystem|Earth.org  

As the episode title implies, history is there so it can be learned from and applied to the present and the future. When we ignore our actions and our larger history, we are inclined to repeat past mistakes or allow for them to be repeated by others. During these current tragedies, it’s easy to remain indifferent and even complacent but that does not benefit anyone, not even yourself. American society is in its own state of chaos and disorder, left largely unaddressed to continue to fester and spread to the rest of the world. History will be unforgiving to our country due to the current complicit actions of our elected officials and other actions throughout our country’s history — none of this developed in a vacuum. We’ve been blindly accepting and obedient from a place of fear and patriotism, an ironic combination. Use your displeasure for your current situation to motivate and inspire you for the change we desperately need to see in this country and the world at large because despite larger disapproval, the state of our country reflects the state of the world due to our involvement and unmatched influence. Use your voice and talk truth to power.    References and further resources: Great March of Return Gaza’s Great March of Return Protests explained Great March of Return: Scores of People Killed and Injured Over One Year Ahmed Abu Artema on the Palestinian Great March of Return   Pledge of Allegiance How the Pledge of Allegiance Went From PR to Gimmick to Patriotic Vow Understanding the Meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance Words   US Military The student debt crisis is fueling the poverty draft Should We End Military Recruiting in High Schools as a Matter of Child Protection and Public Health? Military Recruiters are Exploiting High School Students’ Financial Insecurities The Military Targets Youth for Recruitment, Especially at Poor Schools Pentagon report reveals disturbing details about White Supremacists in the ranks   CCR’s Fortunate Son Credence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Fortunate Son’ Now Has Its First-Ever Video Treatment “Fortunate Son” — Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)   Muhammad Ali How Muhammad Ali Risked His Boxing Career to Protest the Vietnam War   Pat Tillman FAMILY DEMANDS THE TRUTH/ New Inquiry may expose events that led to Pat Tillman’s Death The Inconvenient Truth About Patrick Tillman   Subsidization of Corporations “Working-Poor” Amazon, DoorDash, Walmart, trapping workers in poverty: UN rights expert Extreme poverty and human rights Gig Work Wages in U.S. Are So Bad They’re a Human Rights Issue, U.N. Poverty Expert Says   US Influence American Eugenics and the Nazi Regime White Rights: What Apartheid South Africa Learned from the United States How the Nazis Were Inspired by Jim Crow Apartheid Outside Africa: The Case of Israel Jim Crow is alive and well in Israel  

I’ve taken great care in crafting my intended message to deliver to you all. This should not be a controversial take. During tragic events like those currently unfolding, we must collectively remember ours and other’s humanity as this is the basic tenet for the preservation and sanctity of human life. We are experiencing another unprecedented and monumental historical event that did not develop in a vacuum but through the culmination of numerous and largely overlooked events by our society. I especially, and maybe even you, have been majorly uneducated and sheltered on the full truth, depth, and gravity of it all. Take heart and talk truth to power — educate yourself, contact your elected officials, hear others out, and remember your humanity. Do not condone or engage in anti-semitism or Islamophobia. Political ideologies don’t make a religion. Demand a ceasefire. Demand no more tax payer funding of state-sanctioned war crimes and genocide. Demand the end to apartheid. Demand the release of hostages. Demand aid and other resources to be delivered to Palestinians.  Be a voice for the voiceless.  References: UN and Palestine History:  History of the Question of Palestine   The Nabka: (Video): How Palestinians were expelled from their homes (Vox)   Death Toll (2008-2020): Infographic: The Human Cost of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict   Countries Around the World Criticizing Israeli Attacks: Which countries have criticized Israeli attacks on Gaza?   Egypt Forewarning on Attack: Egypt warned Israel of Hamas attack days earlier Israel War: Egypt gave warning about Hamas attack, McCaul says   Apartheid System: Human rights in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories Israel: 50 Years of Occupation Abuses Born Without Civil Rights A Threshold Crossed   Journalist Death: Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed a year ago UN experts demand justice for Al Jazeera journalist on one year anniversary of her killing Israeli police beat pallbearers at journalist’s funeral Israeli police attack funeral procession for shot journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh   Blockade: Crisis in Gaza: why food, water and power are running out Food, water and medicine run low in Gaza amid deadly Israeli airstrikes, delayed aid Gaza ‘soon without fuel medicine and food’ — Israel authorities Humanitarian crisis for food insecurity, lack of water supply about to begin in Gaza, experts say UN agency warns food, fresh water rapidly running out in Gaza ‘Our children drink salt water’: Gaza running out of water, fuel and food   Dehumanization: Israel Defense Minister Calls Palestinians ‘Human Animals’ Amid Israeli Aggression Israeli Defense Minister Announces Siege On Gaza to Fight ‘Human Animals’ (Video): “We are fighting human animals” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant   Evacuation Order: Gaza’s flee their homes after an Israeli evacuation order but have few places to go Gaza City residents flee south amind IDF evacuation orders with number of displaced reaching 1 million They followed evacuation orders. An Israeli airstrike killed them the next day. Israel’s Gaza evacuation order could breach internal law — UN Israel must rescind evacuation order for northern Gaza and comply with internal law: UN expert Photos: Evacuation of Gaza City   Hamas Funded and Encouraged by Israel: (Video): C-SPAN: Ron Paul (2009): Israel Encouraged and Started Hamas Blowback: How Israel Went From Helping Create Hamas to Bombing It How Israel Helped to Spawn Hamas Another Concept Implodes: Israel Can’t Be Managed by a Criminal Defendant (Archive) (Original Article: Another Concept Implodes: Israel Can’t Be Managed by a Criminal Defendant)   Open-Air Prison/Concentration Camp:  Gaza: Israel’s ‘Open-Air Prison’ at 15 Israel occupation makes Palestinian Territories ‘open-air prison’, UN expert says Gaza as an Open-air Prison Explained | How Gaza Strip became the ‘world’s largest open-air prison’   Biden on US’s interests in Israel/Middle East Biden’s pattern with Israel: public support, private scolds C-Span (Video): Senator Joe Biden in 1986 Rare 1986 document reveals Biden’s views on Israel and Saudi Arabia   US Support to Israel: 75 years of US support for Israel, briefly explained How much aid does the US give to Israel? US Foreign Aid to Israel (2023)   Unverifiable reports of babies beheaded: Unverified reports of ‘40 babies beheaded’ in Israel-Hamas War inflame social media Israeli official says government cannot confirm babies were beheaded in Hamas attack ‘Beheaded Babies’: When war propaganda is pushed by US president   UN Definitions of Ethnic Cleansing, Genocide, War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity: United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect   History of Investigations/Probes into War Crimes: Israel Won’t Cooperate With UN War Crimes Probe, Accuses Chair of ‘anti-Israel Agenda’ (2022) UN rights chief: Israeli strikes in Gaza may be war crimes (2021) UN rights investigator accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ (2014) UN investigator accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ (2014) Parliamentary question | UN Human Rights Council: ‘Israel engaging in ethnic cleansing’ (2011) ICC launches war crimes probe into Israeli Practices (2021)   War Crimes:  UN experts condemn attacks on civilians in Israel, Gaza as ‘war crimes’ Gazans bombarded by Israel have no hope and no escape With Gaza under siege, Palestinians caught in the destruction have nowhere to go   Collective Punishment:  UN experts say Israel’s strikes on Gaza amount to ‘collective punishment’   Genocide: Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza Israel committing “textbook” case of genocide,” holocaust historian says   Ethnic Cleansing: UN expert warns of new instance of mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, calls for immediate ceasefire   Mandela on Palestine Liberation: Nelson Mandela — Speeches — Address by President Mandela at Internal Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People, Pretoria   Mandela on Terrorist Watchlist: Mandela off U.S. terrorism watch list   FBI and the Civil Rights Movement: ‘Discredit, disrupt, and destroy’: FBI records acquired by the Library reveal violent surveillance of Black leaders, civil rights organizations   COINTELPRO: Shining a light on COINTELPRO’s dangerous legacy   US-Israel Police Training:  ADL considered scrapping its US police training trips to Israel, decided not to Where Do Many Police Departments Train? In Israel   US previous vetos of 2-state solution/self-determination: UN Security Council rejects Palestinian resolution (2014) General Assembly Votes Overwhelmingly to Accord Palestine (2012) UN Panel votes 163-5 in support of Palestinian statehood, end of occupation (2020)

In light of recent world events and the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in Palestine (Gaza) and Israel, this episode is offered with the intention of being a brief and informative introduction, from experts, into the conflict that has spiraled toward unprecedented violence. This is not a situation to sit idly by on as more information comes to light — willful ignorance, silence, and indifference will not end favorably in regard to being on the right side of history.  It’s not a matter of one’s personal feelings and loyalties, this is beyond that. Beyond identity politics and into the realm of one’s unequivocal humanity. Stay tuned for the next episode as I discuss my full perspective on the matter.  Video recommendations: Conflict in Israel and Palestine: Crash Course World History #223 The Israel-Palestine Conflict: a brief, simple history How Israel was Created How the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Began   Sources: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Tracker | Global Conflict Tracker What are the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict?   *Disclaimer: entities discussed on this channel and in this episode are not affiliated with or assumed to support my statements as these are of my own and do not reflect them. All information cited as a source is purely for educational purposes*

Listen in on this season’s final episode as I discuss stigmas and stereotypes as an unofficial part two to last week’s episode. Discover what is meant by stigmas and stereotypes, why they happen, and why it matters to be aware of them. 

Join in on the discussion of common cognitive distortions and biases, what they are, the types, and why they matter especially when we are forced to navigate this ever polarizing society. 

Join in on the discussion of selective outrage, what it is it, what it looks like and how to combat it!

What merit does Robert Paxton’s 1998 paper hold 25 years later? What stages of fascism relate to current event without our acknowledgement as a country? Where do we go from there?  

Join in the discussion on the similarities and differences between patriotism and nationalism, what patriotism should and shouldn’t look like, how some related terms come into play and my critique of the United States and it’s own patriotism.

Join me as we discuss the origins and original use of “woke” or “stay woke” and how it has evolved into this so-called buzzword for identity politics.

Join as we celebrate the lives and works of various African-Americans and how their stories can continue to inspire us for our own resilience. 

Join as we celebrate the lives and works of various African-Americans and how their stories can continue to inspire us for our own resilience. 

What is Juneteenth and its historical significance in America? How can we celebrate this holiday as it is now federally recognized?

Interchangeable in most instances, institutional, structural, and systemic racism have historical roots in the country with present-day manifestations and lingering ramifications. 

Currently, used as a political buzzword to describe an education movement, critical race theory has taken on a life of its own since it’s formation in the 1980s from earlier origins in the 1960s and ‘70s. What is there to fear when addressing the country’s institutions from historically encompassing perspective?

Join in as we discuss school shootings and violence. When enough is truly enough we’ll see meaningful change in this country, until then, every day policy and change need to be demanded instead of thoughts and prayers. #NeverAgain should young lives be taken due to school shootings. Support the movements to make sure they progress forward as students march for their lives. Not to be forgotten, this issue, also, is impacting universities. Action is needed, now, and we as a country should not settle for less for the future of our students’ lives.

Join the discussion as we stir up shift on book bans and censorship in the America. Let me know if any of the titles mentioned during the episode surprised you are is a favorite of yours to read.  For more background on the extent of book bans and challenges check out the provided link, as data was cited from PEN America: https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/

What is conformity? What are norms and normative influence? Social deviance? Join me as we discuss each and how they relate to our every day lives and society’s structure.

Join me as I discuss my take on complacency and the importance of knowing its effects on our lives and in society.

Let’s learn more about your favorite host and what’s in store for the show!