The-Rehumanisation-Station

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I vibe with our Pragmatic InnoViber Dan Wood. Born and raised in County Durham, Dan works as a strength & conditioning coach and performance nutritionist, based currently at Durham University. Dan is passionate about championing local athletes through schemes such as the Durham Institute of Sport, where Dan leads the physical performance support of elite athletes in County Durham and as an S&C Coach for NE-XV which provides a platform for female rugby players to showcase their talent at the highest level without having to move out of the region. Outside of work, Dan is an advocate for neurodiverse and working-class voices in higher education, sport and the arts. His ambition is to promote these and voices of a northern identity on the national level. He seeks to do this not only through his career in sport but as a writer working on his first novel; which tackles issues such as intersectional identity, neurodivergence and the effects of economic decline under late-stage capitalism on rural working-class communities. Vibe-in with Dan and I about him growing up in the Northeast, being community-driven, enhancing his S&C experience, and navigating neurodivergence. Love thyself,Dr. XSupport the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I speak to our Dub Viber, Ennis Thomas. Ennis is a basketball trainer and entrepreneur from Ohio who is vibin’ with life one step at a time. He played Division II basketball on a full scholarship and later began working in banking. Guided by his faith and supported by family and friends, he eventually came to Durham University as a student‑athlete, where he had a fantastic season and graduated with a degree in Business and Marketing.Please vibe with Ennis and I around his journey navigating Basketball and Black Entrepreneurship, specifically his journey playing at Durham university, his Basketball training and clothing brand Hunger that he created with a few of his friends. Is Ball Life to Ennis? Vibe in and see. :) Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I vibe with our enrichment Viber, Ian Hewitt. Ian Hewitt is a husband and father from Durham (Brandon) England. For his career he is a coach and Manager. Specifically, coaching the Team Durham university Men’s 1 basketball team, and the Strategic Manager of Sport and Enrichment at Bede Sixth Form College. Much of his roles are around enhancing the lives of young people and adults to become leaders navigating this complex world.Vibe in to get a sense of Ian’s story and the ways in which social contracts are understood and flipped for young people and leaders.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailChristopher reflects on recent events in his life and the ways in which time plus attention are some of the most important things you can give someone #lovethyselfsundaysSupport the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I vibe with Durham university alumni Levi Lamb and Dante Langley. We speak on their experiences with life prior to Durham University and we also reminisce about studying and playing basketball at Durham University in England. Both percieve ball as a vehicle but also an opportunity to create a better life.Vibe-in to get a better understanding of Levi's and Dante's journey.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailWe are now at our Is Ball Life Series II. In this episode's premiere, I vibe with Adrian and Charlton, who are former teammates of mine from Durham University. Adrian is now a senior programme manager at Amazon, and Charlton AKA CJ  - my lil bro - is an educator and basketball coach at Cinco Ranch High School in Texas. It's been almost a decade since playing for the Durham University Men's 1 basketball team; Since then, they have both continued their basketball careers and ended up establishing a lasting brotherhood. Vibe with us in this heartfelt-hilarious episode, where they speak about their experiences at Durham University in England and how they negotiate 'Is Ball Life.'Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I vibe with our storytelling Viber, who is an Award winning storyteller, award-winning author, and cultural ambassador named Richard O’Neill.Born into a traditional nomadic Romani family and raised across the North of England, Richard brings powerful stories rooted in heritage and community to life in books, plays and songs that inspire audiences across the world, blending humour, wisdom, and heart.Working nationally and internationally as a storyteller, author, and cultural ambassador championing the power of story to drive positive change. Collaborating with communities, businesses, educators, and local authorities, to inspire learning, inclusion, enterprise and social impact.With honours including an MBE for services to education and literature, National Literacy Hero, and a Doctorate of Letters, Richard’s work champions real inclusion through the timeless art of storytellingVibe-in to this episode where Richard and I discuss his background and how he flips the script with storytelling through human connection and meeting people where they are at.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I vibe with our Get Comfortable Viber, Dani Farley. Dani was born in the mid 80s in County Durham where she have lived my whole life. Half of her family came from a small pit town and the other half came from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. Dani was raised in a working class, single parent family – her family were white and so was the community around her. Dani’s Mam has always provided a crucial counter narrative to what she was able to achieve as a black girl. Dani currently works as a Therapeutic Practitioner for Children’s Services for a Local Authority and now represents DBC regionally as Anti-racist champion with her colleague Linda.Vibe into this episode, where we discuss BREACHin’ racism and tearing up the content script, which offers a chance for rehumanisation.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailWe continue getting to know Bambi French. In part 2, she explains how she flips the learning difficulty script by both overcoming masking and building self-advocacy for herself and others. Most importantly, through recognising ourselves as being human that have individual and shared experiences - her definition of rehumanisation.Please vibe with us, like, follow, and subscribe the all F&V platforms. :)Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I vibe with our Valiant Viber, Bambi French. Bambi was born in Northwest London (Camden) and now lives in Durham (Chester-le-street).  Bambi works for a Supported Employment Service run by Durham County Council - the service is called Durham Enable and they support people 18+ who identify with disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health needs find and maintain meaningful paid employment.In part 1 we vibe around Bambi’s story, where her faith, resiliency and partner (Tim) have been at the centre of her experiences, specifically living with Stargardt disease – i.e., a genetic eye condition that causes progressive central vision loss.Please like, subscribe and vibe with The Rehumanisation Station. Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the start of the Free Flow Convo series, where Vibers and I discuss issues related to social justice. In this episode, Dr. Maja and I vibe around her new work on selective allyship and the challenges we face in academic institutions. Ultimately, therapisin' - F&V dictionary -  thyself and working in harmony with others, even through conflict, has transformative results. Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our laid-back Viber James Rowlands. James an Assistant Professor in Sociology at Durham University. Before joining Durham, James was a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Westminster. James completed his ESRC-funded doctoral research at the University of Sussex in 2023. His thesis investigated Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs), a system for reviewing domestic homicides and domestic abuse-related deaths by suicide, which were first introduced in England and Wales in 2011 and are now known as Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews.Before completing a PhD, he originally trained as a Social Worker and then became an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA), working in frontline roles with victims and survivors and also perpetrators of domestic abuse. James also worked in a variety of leadership and policy roles in the domestic abuse sector.Vibe with James and I to understand his story and how his research around Femicide and domestic abuse-related reviews flips the script by utilising holistic preventions.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailThe collaborative praxis series is back for season 2! In this episode, I vibe with our anti-racist viber Ray Addai. Ray is a man of Ghanian heritage who is Black British and born in Newcastle. He is the anti-racist practice lead in social work at the Durham County council. We vibe about Ray’s background (e.g., raising a dual-heritage child), his definitions of racism, White privilege and anti-racism in social work. Specifically, the ways in which the racism in social work script is around problematising Black global majority – as with Gypsy and Roma Traveler - culture in the Northeast of England. Moreover, the best ways to flip this script is by challenging Eurocentric methods and embracing indigenous and anti-racist methods that promote opportunities for reconnecting communities and developing mutual understanding so we can all be empowered.Please tune in to this enlightening episode.  Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I vibe with our altruistic viber, Charlie Jones. My big brother was born and raised in Katy, Texas. Graduated from the University of Houston where he also played Basketball (Division 1). He has been a teacher and coach for 17 years. Of those 17 years, he has been a head coach for 10. Fella is currently the head basketball coach at Katy Jordan high School. In 10 years, he has won 2 district titles, been to three regional tournaments, and been to one state championship. Fella has been married for 14 years to his wife and my sis n love DeeDee Jones who is also a teacher and a coach. They have 2 children, Charlie and Jaia. Charlie offers us insight on how to navigate life and basketball. Specifically, utilising strengths-based strategies to give his family and players as a chance to rehumanise authentically. This is by challenging the normative script that becomes a barrier to young player’s progression in sports i.e., parents pressuring and at times disempowering them and coaches. Please tune in and vibe with us on coaching, parenting, and rehumanisation in sport.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I speak with Paul Elderkin. Paul was born in Durham England and is a breathwork coach and wellness entrepreneur specialising in stress, anxiety, trauma, and grief. Paul studied and competed in basketball professionally at Durham University, going from div3 to the BBL. In 2014, Paul moved to Melbourne Australia to continue playing basketball. Paul then transitioned into corporate life as a project manager in software engineering. After dealing with the traumatic experience of losing his partner to suicide, Paul Spent years focusing on recovery, mental health and the impacts of trauma, using breathwork and personal growth to heal.Furthermore, with two businesses focusing on science- and trauma-informed approaches, he helps people regulate their nervous systems, build resilience, and heal through breathwork. He is also the founder of a white-label wellness app supporting purpose-driven businesses to build community and impact.Please tune in and vibe with Paul and I on breathwork and wellness in society and sport.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our multifaceted sport Viber Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby. Harriet majored in International Affairs and German with a minor in Africana Studies, while competing as an NCAA Division One student athlete. After graduating Harriet knew she hadn’t finished with education and returned to the UK to achieve her dream of being a student at Durham and further pursue both her academic and athletic goals.Harriet’s M.A. in International Relations from Durham, along with her international upbringing, gave her the confidence to pursue a career overseas in the field of Education while also playing professional basketball. Currently, she plays for Durham Palatinates and Team Great Britain.Please tune in and vibe with Harriet and I on how (i) a successful basketball career, (ii) a diverse lived experience and (iii) appreciating the moments in life, instil confidence and appreciation over time. Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our Bubbly Viber, Dr. Evita Otigbah. Evita received her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at King's College London and is a professional powerlifting athlete who recently won the Western European Championships in the U57 class. In our conversation, we discuss how Evita navigates life as a woman who is of dual-ancestry descent, dyslexic and overcomes worrying about the expectations of others. With the support of family and mentors, Evita implicitly offers us an essential tool - i.e., loving thyself - to navigate our complex world.Tune in to vibe wit us and hear Evita's story.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailRobin Walker, also known as ‘The Black History Man’, is an educator considered to be the UK’s most pre-eminent African history scholar. Robin has been teaching and lecturing in African World Studies, Egyptology and Black History in adult education, universities and at conferences for nearly three decades. He is also a best-selling author with over 16 books to his name.Robin is also part of the comprehensive programme ‘The Black Secret Education Project’, which is about ‘Quietly Empowering the People’. Robin leads this amazing course, and their mission and intentions are to engage, enlighten and empower people across the world by shattering the illusion that Africa is just a cultural backwater, and that Black people have contributed nothing to world cultureIn this episode special Robin and I speak about Black History and culture. Specifically, the ways in which society has been programmed to believe Black Africans have contributed little to society and education. Vibe with Robin and I to flip the script on the ways in which African history is everyone’s history, and more importantly the foundations of what we know today.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our train harder Viber Drew Lasker. Drew, a husband, father son and business owner! And that’s not all, a retired professional basketball player who had a successful 16 year career starring for the Plymouth Raiders and Newcastle Eagles. Since retiring Drew has transitioned into a highly sought after public speaker, with expertise in a wide range of sports and leadership development topics. He has also worked as a broadcaster and analyst for Sky Sports over the last 4 years and now he is a Lead Commentator for the Super League Basketball on DAZN.Whilst juggling his busy family life and media career Drew also runs 21 Media and TrainHarder 21 which he started in 2007. You can find out more at 21media.org or drewlasker.comDrew and I vibe around his culturally diverse background growing up in Germany, moving to Texas, playing college basketball in Cali, to then playing professionally for almost two decades in England. We further reveal how his diverse lived experiences relate to representation in sports commentating, and the importance of giving other people opportunities, because there is enough food for everyone to eat! Please tune in and vibe with Drew and I on Opportunities & Belongingness in sport.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailThis is a brief reflection of my thoughts on BHM  - I will have a BHM special episode coming soon - and the current presidential election. I end with introducing the Is Ball Life series.We keep goin...one love <3Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I speak with our psycho-spritual Viber, Dr Jolel Miah. Jolel is currently a Lecturer of Psychology at the University of Westminster and a member of the British Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. As a British Bangladeshi in the Psychology profession, Jolel seeks to understand the outcomes in interventions, equally, Jolel is interested in the psycho-spiritual connection in health, well-being, and our views of the world. “Outside” of academia, Jolel is a co-founder of a charity called 'Our Minds Matter', which is a mental health charity providing education for faith communities. Lastly, Jolel also has a podcast of his own called ‘Psychology cast’ to understand his journey as well as others for empowerment and inspiration.Jolel and I vibe around his background growing up in Luton, his faith, working in the charity sector and the research he does on behavioural change. Jolel uses a psycho-spiritual approach to give agency to resilient minority communities and to flip the health and psychological script, because ‘health is wealth’ and to rehumanise learn who you are to become who you are.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn part 2 of this episode, Sol and I get into how his work flips the script to the transformative narratives around elitism in education and the duality of a worker-consciousness. Specifically, an imperialist education, 'the art of bull********' in the classroom and politics, the ways in which British schools and figures funded elite schools when profiting off of enslaved Africans, and the highs and lows of being a Union exec and academic in the game (Higher educational system).Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with my other PhD supervisor and Union Viber, Sol Gamsu. Sol is a sociologist and a geographer of education with a strong commitment to the politics of education and envisaging alternative futures for education and society more broadly. Sol's interests lie at the intersection of sociology, geography and history and the central theme running through Sol's work is how structures and experiences of power and inequality in education are reproduced over time and through different local and regional geographies.In part 1 of our episode, Sol and I speak on his background as a person who is White and middle-class being inspired by parents and scholars to fight for resilient communities. We specifically speak on Sol’s father working for and with resilient communities, as with Pierre Bourdieu being one of Sol’s biggest academic influences. Tune in to part 1 and vibe wit us to understand Sol’s background and how players (academics/activists) play the game (traditional institutions).Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our Curious Viber Divine Southgate-Smith, who is a trans-disciplinary artist. Divine Southgate-Smith's approach to art-making is medium, non-specific, and collaborative. This is reflected through a trans-disciplinary practice that comprises photographic collage, sculpture, moving-image, text, poetry, and 3D animation. Central to this approach is a meticulous focus on selecting, ordering, and assembling archival material. Southgate-Smith invites us to consider archives as temporal instruments essential to envisioning a future deeply connected to the past. The work evokes an Afro-diasporic counter-memory blending personal, literary, folkloric, and historical narratives to create layered, speculative spaces that map histories beyond prescribed contexts.Divine and I vibe about her transformative work reimagining what her artistry is, how it is used and perceived, and the ways in which an Afro-lens debunks the homogeneity within the arts. For example, we discuss Adinkra symbols such as ‘Sankofa’ and ‘Bi nka bi’, as with understanding the nuances of Afrofuturism, and being a ‘data thief’ - or what we prefer ‘data restorer’. Our conversation attempts to challenge our Viber audiences’ perceptions around art and Blackness, and how the past is closely aligned with the present.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our fantastic viber Sandra Okori who is a 31-year-old social worker from Uganda but is currently completing a master’s degree at the University of Innsbruck in Austria and studying peace, security, development and international conflict transformation. Sandra’s thesis investigates the integration of African migrants in Austria.Sandra and I vibe around her background from Uganda and navigating Austrian (Vienna) spaces as an international student. She speaks on the fear of the dominant group practising discriminatory behaviour towards the "other" i.e., African migrants. Some examples of this behaviour include racism in healthcare and language barriers. Sandra perceives rehumanisation as a way to remove prejudices towards minority groups and accept people's differences for society to grow.  Please tune in if you'd like to flip and vibe with us around African migration and integration.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with our artistic (filmmaker) Viber Anna Laimanee. Anna was born in Korneuburg (situated in Lower Austria) to an Austrian mother and a Thai father. She grew up in Vienna and studied Performing Arts at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, from which she graduated with honors in 2018. Since then she has been working as an actor for the Viennese theatre "Theater in der Josefstadt“ for 4 years. Anna has also played several roles for Austrian TV Series and Cinema, such as "Wie kommen wir da wieder raus“, "Schnell ermittelt“ and  „Beasts like Us“.The fact, that the Austrian film industry lacks diversity in front of, and behind the camera, bothers her. While currently developing her own film project, she wants to address often left-out topics such as class struggle, racism and single-mothers. Anna likes combining autobiographical material with fiction and turning it into comedy.Anna and I flip and vibe around representation and the multi-levels (macro, meso and micro) of filmmaking, specifically from an Austrian and dual-ancestry context. White males are typically the power holders influencing our perceptions within the film industry. Consequently, this is through whitewashed methods in screenwriting and casting. We discuss how utilising intersectional methods as a way of diversifying representation offers agency for people of the resilient majority. Thus, our conversation is crucial for our viber audience from ALL backgrounds to conceptualise and confront the backend of filming, as it correlates to many avenues in our society.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak with my previous PhD supervisor, guardian and compassionate Viber Dr. Vikki Boliver, who is a Professor at Durham University and joined the Department of Sociology in September 2011. Vikki’s research focuses on social inequalities of access to the most prestigious universities. She is a leading expert on the use of contextual data on the socioeconomic circumstances of prospective university students to inform more equitable admissions decisions.Vikki and I speak on her working-class background where attending University was unattainable in her imagination at an early age, but with resiliency and the support of family and teachers seeing her as-yet unrealised potential she flourished in school and university. We then focus on Vikki’s academic experiences and research around access to higher education for underrepresented groups at prestigious universities, and how we must flip the script to traditional narratives such as ‘meritocracy’. Meritocracy suggests ability plus hard work equals automatic success or upward social mobility, but this has proven to be false. Thus, we dive into (i) how meritocratic narratives are a façade for fair access on one end, that creates inequitable outcomes on the other; and (ii) we discuss Vikki’s work on access and admissions making substantial changes in the higher educational sector. Vikki’s story is great for ANYONE, and more specifically students from underrepresented backgrounds, early career researchers, and policymakers in education. If interested, please download and share this episode to understand how Vikki has thrived as a first-generation scholar, mentor, and mother.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, our communal viber Shane McHugh and I discuss collectivism in the workplace (University) and wider community, specifically around the church and LGBTQIA+ at Durham University’s St. Aidan’s (rainbow college). Shane  is a College Administration Co-Ordinator and Co-Chair of Durham University’s LGBT+ Staff and Postgraduate Network. From his past experience in the private accommodation industry and youth provision, Shane has a wide range of experience, interpersonal skills and knowledge surrounding student issues and how to overcome them. Shane has also won and been nominated for various awards from the National Youth Agency.  As a result of the diverse experiences, Shane uses his agency to flip the script and comprehend the layers of inclusivity by enhancing the wider student and local community experience through equity, diversity, inclusion and love.Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailIn this episode I flip and vibe with our enthusiastic viber Maja Kutlaca. Maja is Serbian and an Assistant Professor in Social Psychology at Durham University in England. Maja’s current research specifically investigates allyship and the nuances surrounding it. Our rich conversation draws out the ways in which lived experiences, influential colleagues, and research enhanced Maja’s understanding of how flippin’ the script to traditional/normative allyship becomes a gateway to multiple perspectives. For context, traditional allyship narratives deploy a glorification around individuals and at times focuses on a singular process rather than a collaborative praxis that is not distinctly positive or negative. In sum, allyship is fluid and there are multiple behaviours to interpret what it means to be an ally and how to work with and as one. Please tune in if you want to learn how to rehumanise through allyship. 😊 <3Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailOur wonderful viber Shabana Marshall is a senior lecturer at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, and a PhD student at Durham University’s Sociology department. As an educator of Punjabi origin, Shabana seeks to flip the Britishness script by researching decolonisation and its relation to local history. Specifically, understanding the ways in which teachers teach historical “heroes”, who on one end are celebrated by their wider local community for their accolades, but on the other end are dehumanisers associated with acts of colonial violence (e.g., Captain James Cook). As statues and names of once-celebrated “heroes” are being removed in certain arenas this research is crucial for educational spaces to create an inclusive curriculum and challenge imperial nostalgia. We sum up this conversation by identifying resilient minority (ReM) folks have the rehumanising ingredients for anyone with an appetite for equity, diversity, inclusion and love in education. The best way forward in Shabana’s perceptions is to be open, listen and reflect on people’s stories and the nuances within them. Please tune in if you want to hear Shabana’s personal story and transformative work to rehumanise. 😊 <3 Support the show@christopherx_ab

Send us Fan MailThis is the first episode of The Rehumanisation Station featuring the host Christopher Jones AKA Dr. X, who is the creator of the Flippin' and Vibin' brand. This episode is a brief introduction around their background being a person who is Black, male and a scholarship athlete who has navigated sport and academia collectively and experienced racism and cultural stereotypes intersectionally.  Dr. X also sets the stage of what is to come for their brand and podcast which offers listeners a chance to rehumanise with interviewed guests. Guests will include students, academics, athletes, coaches, and more. Stay tuned for a rehumanising journey of equity, diversity, inclusion and love. :)Support the show@christopherx_ab