Who Belongs?

EP 58 - Belonging Without Othering: A conversation with john a. powell and Stephen Menendian

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:12:02 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from OBI Director john a. powell and Assistant Director Stephen Menendian about the recently released book they co-authored, called Belonging without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World. The interview was conducted by Ivan Natividad, who is OBI's assistant director of communications. Learn more at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belonging-without-othering

EP 57 - Land, Culture, and Belonging: Place-based Community Advocacy

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 23:28:06 -0000

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Land, Culture, and Belonging: Place-based Community Advocacy." It looks at the redevelopment of the Henry J. Kaiser Center in Oakland, which was the location of our conference. A private developer who was granted a long-term lease by the city to reopen the venue had negotiated a community benefits agreement with a coalition of local artists. And some of the artists and leaders involved in that process are among the panelists invited to discuss the issue and how it speaks to broader issues of land, culture and belonging. Panelists include Nikki Bas, who is the President of the Oakland City Council; Thomas Cavanagh from the group BANDALOOP; Cristy Johnston-Limón, who leads the City of Oakland’s business development activities; Ayodele Nzinga, who is an artist, actress, playwright, and poet; and Kev Choice, who is a pianist and community advocate. The session was moderated by Eli Moore, who directs OBI's Community Power and Policy Partnerships Program. Eli co-curated this session with OBI's Sarah Crowell. You can find more episodes from this podcast series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-land-culture-and-belonging-place-based-community-advocacy

EP 56 - Leaning into Paradox: How We Can Block, Bridge & Build Our Democratic Future Together

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:48:04 -0000

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Leaning into Paradox: How We Can Block, Bridge & Build Our Democratic Future Together." It includes two speakers from the Horizons Project who engage the audience on those three seemingly paradoxical approaches: how to come together to block the threats to our democratic values; the need to bridge across differences to foster broad-based movements, and to build together the future we want to see. Those speakers are Julia Roig, who is the Founder & Chief Network Weaver at the Horizons Project, and Jarvis Williams, who is the organization's Director for Race and Democracy. You can find more episodes from this podcast series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-leaning-paradox-how-we-can-block-bridge-build-our-democratic-future-together

EP 55 - Democracy in Crisis: The Courage to Re-Humanize One Another

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 20:49:40 -0000

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Democracy in Crisis: The Courage to Re-Humanize One Another." It focuses on a project called Bridging for Democracy (B4D), which is developing strategies for grassroots organizations working in different parts of the country to bridge across racial, ideological, and urban-rural divides and to strengthen democratic norms at a time of deep social fragmentation and dehumanization. The panelists include Bassem Kawar, who is the Political Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Lalo Montoya, the Civic Engagement Director with Make the Road Nevada; Ashley Dixon, who is the Rural Georgia Campaigns Lead Organizer at Southern Crossroads; and Ponsella Hardaway, who is the Executive Director of MOSES. The panel was moderated by Mansi Kathuria, who is the Field Strategy and Research Analyst at OBI. Mansi and OBI's Network for Transformative Change curated this session. You can find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of this episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-democracy-crisis-courage-re-humanize-one-another

EP 54 - Using Data to Advance Belonging without Othering

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 22:28:41 -0000

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Using Data to Advance Belonging without Othering." It looks at a set of domains at the intersection of data and civil society, such as racialized policing and surveillance, housing and eviction, and belonging metrics. Panelists include Amy Lee, who is an organizing member of the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project; Matyos Kidane, who is a community organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition; and Shadrick Small, who is a researcher at OBI. It's moderated by Stephen Menendian, who is assistant director at OBI. The panel was curated by OBI's Equity Metrics team. You can find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-using-data-advance-belonging-without-othering

EP 53 - Expressions of Belonging

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 19:13:59 -0000

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Expressions of Belonging," and it offers a mix of stories, insights, and diverse approaches to advancing belonging at an array of organizations at different scales and locations. It includes panelists David T. Hsu, who is a Director at Omidyar Network; Liz Baxter, who is the CEO of the North Sound ACH; Cary Simmons, who is the Director of Community Strategies at Trust for Public Land; and Judith Mowry, who is the interim Deputy Director for the Office of Equity and Human Rights in the City of Portland. The discussion was moderated by Ashley Gallegos, who is OBI's Belonging Coordinator. You can find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-expressions-belonging

EP 52 - Xenophobia, Resistance, and the Future of the Immigrant Rights Movement

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:13:39 -0000

Episode Note

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Xenophobia, Resistance, and the Future of the Immigrant Rights Movement." It includes panelists Annette Wong, who is the Managing Director of Programs at Chinese for Affirmative Action; Karim Golding, founder of the Law Library; Lawrence Benito, who is the executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; and Carlos Perea, who is the Executive Director of the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice. It was moderated by Tracy La, the Executive Director of VietRISE. The panelists share lessons they learned from their years of organizing in the immigrant rights movement, the changing faces of xenophobia in the context of migration, and stories of local communities challenging traditional notions of representation and belonging by winning the right to vote for noncitizens. This session was curated by Tracy La, OBI's Rio Gonzalez, the OBI Network for Transformative Change. You can find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-xenophobia-resistance-and-future-immigrant-rights-movement

EP 51 - Resisting Austerity: Keeping Public Infrastructure Public

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 22:33:57 -0000

Episode Notes

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Resisting Austerity: Keeping Public Infrastructure Public." It includes panelists Donald Cohen, founder and executive director of In the Public Interest; and Joey Algier, who is the Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator for The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. The panel looks at ways some communities are responding to austerity by restructuring the private sector's relationship with public assets. It was moderated by Wendy Ake, director of Just Public Finance and OBI. You can find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-resisting-austerity-keeping-public-infrastructure-public

EP 50 - Bridging Through High School Ethnic Studies

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 21:41:13 -0000

Episode Notes

This episode is part of a series of talks and panel discussions recorded during the breakout sessions of our Othering & Belonging Conference that took place in Oakland this past April. This session is titled "Bridging Through High School Ethnic Studies," and was curated by OBI's Hossein Ayazi. It includes panelists from the UC Berkeley High School Ethnic Studies Initiative, Julie Yick, Mike Espinoza, Jason Muñiz, and antmen pimentel mendoza. Together with the audience they explore concepts that are essential to high school ethnic studies courses, discuss what those concepts look and feel like, and how to effectively bring them into the classroom. The discussion is facilitated by Victoria Robinson, the director of the American Cultures Center at UC Berkeley. Find more episodes from this series on our website at belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-bridging-through-high-school-ethnic-studies

EP 49 - Does Integration Close Racial Disparities?

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Darrell Owens, who is a policy analyst at California Yimby, and a writer on Substack who focuses on housing, planning, displacement, mobility and other issues. He just authored a new piece called Segregation or Integration which combines data on housing policy with his personal experiences growing up in Berkeley living in different neighborhoods. And we also have with us Stephen Menendian who will give us his thoughts on the article. Stephen is our assistant director here at OBI who has published extensively on issues related to segregation and housing. Read Darrell's article here: https://darrellowens.substack.com/p/segregation-or-integration

For a transcript of this episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-does-integration-close-racial-disparities

EP 48 - Building Bridges Over the Hills

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:30:00 -0000

In this episode, we speak with Sharon Dunn and Gwen Johnson — two members of Hands Across the Hills (HATH), a grassroots group working to build bridges between communities in rural Western Massachusetts and in the Eastern Kentucky coal country. Formed in the wake of the 2016 election, this group seeks to build empathy and unity between diverging perspectives through structured dialogue and cultural exchange. Sharon and Gwen share their experiences and the lessons they draw, illuminating how a breaking dynamic can shift to bridging — and move towards belonging — through deep conversation, care, and resiliency.

This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B) and typically hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. However, this episode is hosted by OBI Summer Fellow Nicole Li. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series. For a transcript of this podcast, click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-building-bridges-over-hills.

Intro and outro music are by Chad Crouch.

Find out more at http://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs

Cultures of Care, ep. 2 | Naima Green and Rich Medina

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 18:38:25 -0000

Welcome back to Cultures of Care, a special new miniseries from Who Belongs? hosted by Evan Bissell and Giovanna Fischer. This series celebrates people that practice collective care in unconventional and insurgent ways. Visit the project, read more about our interviewees, and check out transcripts for this episode at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/cultures-of-care. In this episode, we hear from photographer Naima Green and DJ Rich Medina. Naima is an artist, photographer and educator from New York. Her work is an invitation to participate, observe and consider safety, utopia and intimacy. You can view her work here at http://www.naimagreen.com/, and follow her on social media on Twitter, @naimapatrice, and on Instagram, @naimagreen/. Rich is a world-renowned, Philadelphia-based DJ, producer, poet, journalist, and lecturer on hip hop and music theory. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rich has been cultivating a vibrant online space for a globe-spanning community to gather, listen, dance, meditate, and tap into collective joy and release during a time of social isolation. You can see visit his website at https://richmedina.com/ and follow him on Instagram @richmedina. These interviews were edited by Majo Calderon and adapted for podcast by Erfan Moradi, with original music created by Alex Lemire Pasternak. Additional music in this episode is by Mini Vandals, Bad Snacks, Emily Sprague, and Silent Partner. Thanks for listening!

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-cultures-care-ep-2-naima-green-and-rich-medina

Cultures of Care, ep. 1 | Nicki Jizz and Kristina Wong

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 18:16:27 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, we're debuting Cultures of Care, a special new miniseries hosted by Evan Bissell and Giovanna Fischer. This series celebrates people that practice collective care in unconventional and insurgent ways. Care is an essential, immediate and practical way to create belonging. Perhaps most vitally in our urgent times, at the heart of each profile you will find provocations that are seeds for reshaping society and how we relate to each other and the world. Visit the project, read more about our interviewees, and check out transcripts for this episode at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/cultures-of-care. We spoke with Nicki Jizz and Kristina Wong for this episode. Nicki is a Black, San Francisco-based drag queen who founded Reparations: an all-Black Drag Show in June of 2020. In the monthly online show, Nicki creates a vibrant online space centered around beautiful, hilarious, thought-provoking and sensual performances by Black performers. Check out Reparations at Oasis here, https://www.sfoasis.com/reparations, and follow Nicki on her social media to keep up with her work: @nicki_jizz on Instagram and @nickijizz on Facebook. Kristina is a comedian and performance artist who founded the Auntie Sewing Squad, a network of hundreds of Aunties across the United States who have sewn and shipped tens of thousands of masks to First Nations, farmworkers, migrants seeking asylum, incarcerated communities and poor communities of color. Learn more about the Aunties here at their website, http://auntiesewingsquad.com/, and keep up with Kristina's work here at https://www.kristinawong.com/. These interviews were edited by Majo Calderon and adapted for podcast by Erfan Moradi, with custom music created by Alex Lemire Pasternak. Additional music in this episode is by Emily Sprague, Puddle of Infinity, and Silent Partner. Thanks for listening!

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-cultures-care-ep-1-nicki-jizz-and-kristina-wong

EP 47 - Returning Citizens

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:00:06 -0000

In this episode we speak with two of the founding members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the President Desmond Meade and the Political Director Neil Volz. Together, Desmond and Neil have been working on restoring the rights of people who have a prior felony conviction, referred to as returning citizens. In 2018, they were successful in passing amendment 4 that restored the right of over 1.4 million Floridians to vote. How were they successful getting 65% of Floridians to support this amendment? Bridging. In this episode Desmond and Neil discuss their personal path into this work and how they successfully led a campaign through bridging that returned citizens and accordingly restored their right to vote. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and this episode is hosted by strategy analyst Gerald Lenoir. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-returning-citizens

EP 46 - Co-creating a future where everyone belongs

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 16:00:00 -0000

In this episode we speak with Reverend Ben McBride. Ben McBride is a spiritual leader and longtime activist for peace and justice in the Bay Area. McBride serves as a national leader around reconstructing public safety systems and gun violence prevention work. In 2014, McBride launched the Empower Initiative to support bridging and belonging work across the country. McBride shares how he conceptualizes the building, bridging, belonging, and becoming frameworks. He outlines how cultural and structural belonging can occur, and the role that we each can play in creating a world where everyone belongs. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and this episode is co-hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez and EJ Toppin. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-co-creating-future-where-everyone-belongs

EP 45 - Co-Creating Public Spaces of Belonging

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 16:00:02 -0000

In this episode we interview with Debbie Lacy. Debbie is the founder of Eastside for All, which serves communities outside of Seattle, WA including Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah and Sammamish. Eastside for All has a mission to transform East King County into a place where racial, economic and social justice are realized, and belonging is made possible for communities of color. Debbie shares about her Build for Belonging Initiative and specifically her use of the co-creation framework as she advocates to build a cross-cultural center with belonging in mind. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-co-creating-public-spaces-belonging

EP 44 - Belong Circles

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:00:04 -0000

In this episode we speak with Angel Mortel and Aleena Gonzalez. Angel is a lead organizer with LA Voice, which is a multi-racial and multi-faith community organization that awakens people to their own power and trains them to organize together. LA Voice has been implementing the Belong Circles with their partner network, including at Dolores Mission Church. Aleena Gonzalez is a high school student that is part of the Dolores Mission community who has participated in Belong Circles and is now leading circles with other young people. In the last episode we spoke with Ashlin Maluuf-Gashaw from PICO California about the design and intention of the Belong Circles. Angel and Aleena will both share with us what the Belong circles have meant to them as organizers and participants. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belong-circles

EP 43 - The Belong Movement

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:00:09 -0000

In this episode we speak with Ashlin Malouf-Gashaw. Ashlin is the Chief Formation Officer at PICO California, the largest multi-racial faith-based community-organizing network in the state. PICO is leading The Belong Movement, which aims to address the polarization and racial anxiety across California by bridging across race, faith and status through facilitated Belong Circles. Ashlin shares the intention and design behind the Belong Circles, and how anyone, including our listeners can implement them in their own community. To learn more about Belong Circles go to picocalifornia.org. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belong-movement

EP 42 - Belonging in Oakland

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:00:01 -0000

In this episode we speak with Roberto Bedoya. Roberto is the Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Oakland in California. He developed the City’s Cultural Plan, titled, Belonging in Oakland. Throughout his career Roberto has consistently advocated for inclusion and belonging in the cultural sector. In our conversation, Roberto shares how he’s utilized belonging in his city planning work through intentional grant giving, and encouraging city departments to re-think how Oakland residents interact with each other and with physical spaces around the city. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belonging-oakland

EP 41 - On being seen and heard: Students reflect on their high school experience

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:00:01 -0000

In this episode we speak with Tamia Dantzler & Dashley Concepcion. Tamia is an alum and Dashley is a current student at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. In a previous episode we spoke with Frances Lucerna, founding principal of El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. We heard from Frances about the school design and intentions, in this conversation Tamia & Dashley share with us their personal experience. They tell us what it has meant to be students at a school that makes them feel seen and heard. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-being-seen-and-heard

EP 40 - Belonging in Schools: The Story of El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:00:04 -0000

In this episode we speak with Frances Lucerna. Frances is the founding principal of El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice is a public school located in the Southside community of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. El Puente is Spanish for ‘the bridge’ - which is exactly what the school is doing: creating bridges between the school and students, parents and the community. Frances shares how she and other community leaders created and designed a school environment that fosters a true sense of belonging among all students and their families. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-belonging-schools

EP 39 - Black and Native Folks in the Climate Justice Movement

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 15:00:04 -0000

In this episode we interview two of the founding members of The Wind & The Warrior, Ife Afriye Kilimanjaro and Nana Korantema. In 2020, The Wind & The Warrior led a Sacred Waters Pilgrimage to connect Black and Native culture-bearers and advocacy leaders working to address the climate crisis for ritual and conversation. Throughout the pilgrimage, they made 7 stops along the Mississippi River. In each stop The Wind & The Warrior coordinated with local Native womxn to connect through ritual and conversation. Ife Afriye Kilimanjaro and Nana Korantema share with us how their journey allowed them to create bridges between Black and Native womxn and between humans and Mother Earth. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-black-and-native-folks-climate-justice-movement

EP 38 - Looking to Belong: A Conversation with a Diaspora Dialogue Participant

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 15:00:04 -0000

In this episode we interview Byb Bibene. Byb is a professional performer, choreographer, dance artist, director and dance educator originally from the Republic of Congo. Currently he lives in the Bay Area in California. Byb has participated in the African Diaspora Dialogues hosted by Nunu Kidane and Gerald Lenoir. In our last episode, we got to hear from Nunu and Gerald about what it means to organize dialogues. In this conversation, Byb shares his experience as a dialogue participant and how he’s incorporated bridging into his own professional work. To learn more about Byb Bibene’s work please go to mbonguifest.org and kiandandadt.com. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-looking-belong

EP 37 - Different Histories, Parallel Stories: Bridging African American and Immigrant Communities

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:45:49 -0000

In this episode we hear from Gerald Lenoir and Nunu Kidane about their work on bridging African American and African immigrant communities through dialogues. Gerald is OBI’s identity and politics strategy analyst and was the founding executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). Nunu was a founding member of BAJI and is currently the director of Priority Africa Network. Gerald and Nunu share their experience facilitating Diaspora Dialogues, which are intentional conversations used to bridge African American and immigrant communities. Listeners will learn how the dialogues are organized and get tips on how to replicate this work. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-different-histories-parallel-stories

EP 36 - Developing a shared vocabulary: Introduction to Othering, Bridging & Belonging

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 20:31:28 -0000

In this episode we interview UC Berkeley Professor and OBI Director john a. powell. john a. powell is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, structural racism, housing, poverty, democracy, and othering, bridging and belonging frameworks-- which he has been critical in developing and translating between academia and fields of practice. In this interview, Professor powell breaks down the definitions of othering, bridging and belonging. Through storytelling he elucidates how both interpersonal and structural othering occurs, and how people and organizations have been successful in addressing it. He gives advice to listeners so that we can all play a role in co-creating a society where everyone belongs. This episode of Who Belongs? is part of a new series of podcasts focused on telling bridging stories. Throughout the series we’ll talk to leaders implementing bridging work and individuals who have experienced the bridging transformation. This project is led by OBI’s Blueprint for Belonging project (B4B), and hosted by program researcher Miriam Magaña Lopez. This project is funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc. Visit our website at https://belonging.berkeley.edu/bridging-belonging-case-series to explore all of the case studies in the Bridging to Belonging series.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-developing-shared-vocabulary

EP 35 - The economic case for a $15 minimum wage

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 23:35:06 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we look at the impacts of minimum wage increases with Michael Reich, a Professor of Economics and Chair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at UC Berkeley. The federal minimum wage has been frozen at $7.25 an hour since 2009. That's an annual income for a full time worker of just $15,000. But a few weeks ago Senator Bernie Sanders and other progressive legislators introduced the 2021 Raise the Wage Act, which would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. After 2025 the minimum wage would continue to increase to keep up with inflation without having to introduce new legislation every few years. The lawmakers had been trying to get this act included in the coronavirus relief package so it could be passed with a simple majority, but on Thursday we learned that's probably not going to happen because of an archaic Senate rule, meaning it would need to be introduced as a standalone bill and require 60 votes to pass, which is unlikely. Our guest Michael Reich is a leading expert on minimum wage research and has published extensively on the topic, including a recent study on how minimum wage hikes reduce racial wage gaps between black and white workers. So we'll discuss that, as well address some of the common critiques of minimum wage increases.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-economic-case-15-minimum-wage

EP 34 - How ICE uses tech to target immigrants

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 04:35:27 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Jacinta González, an organizer with Mijente, a non-profit which leads campaigns to educate and organize around issues concerning immigration, detentions and deportations. Jacinta explains how ICE and other law enforcement agencies are using surveillance technologies to target immigrant communities and other communities of color, and gives us her take on what the new administration in Washington must do about it. This interview was conducted by Emnet Almedom, a policy analyst here at OBI.

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/ice-tech

EP 33 - Storming the Capitol and the dilemma of Trumpism with john a. powell and Ian Haney López

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 17:00:20 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, we hear from three thinkers and members of the OBI faculty — john a. powell, Ian Haney López, and Emnet Almedom — on the situation unfolding in the wake of the Washington D.C. riots. This past week, we saw remarkable scenes of violence take place at the country’s Capitol Building. Our guests will help us make sense of what happened, how race and class politics shaped the events, and what social solidarity can offer us moving forward. This episode is a recording of a live Q&A titled “Storming the Capitol: Trumpism’s Last Stand” which took place on January 8, 2021. The recording has been lightly edited for concision. john a. powell is the Othering & Belonging Institute director and Professor of Law. Ian Haney López is a Professor of Law and author of the book Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America. Emnet Almedom, an analyst at the institute, moderated this event. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/storming-the-capitol

EP 32 - The struggle against Islamophobia in France with Houria Bouteldja and Yasser Louati

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 01:54:51 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, we speak with two activists based in France — Yasser Louati and Houria Bouteldja — about the intensification of Islamophobia and state repression unfolding in the country following Samuel Paty's gruesome murder. Our guests help us understand the current situation as it relates to the country's history of racist marginalization and terror attacks, what strategies affected communities must embrace to combat Islamophobia, and what this means for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Yasser Louati is a human rights advocate and head of the Justice & Liberties for All Committee. Houria Bouteldja is a decolonial activist, author, and founding member of the Party of the Indigenous of the Republic. The music heard at the introduction is “La carte de residence” performed by Algerian singers Sliman Azem & Cheikh Nourredine. For a transcript of this episode visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/Islamophobia-in-france

EP 31 - 'A Kick in the stomach': Lara Kiswani and Theresa Montaño on Newsom's ethnic studies veto

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 17:07:55 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Lara Kiswani, Executive Director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center based in San Francisco, and Theresa Montaño, professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at California State University, Northridge, to discuss the efforts to develop an ethnic studies curriculum in California. On September 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 331 which would have made ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement across the state. For more than a year, Professor Montaño has been a part of an advisory committee tasked with drafting a model curriculum based on the anti-racist principles of ethnic studies. The curriculum provides sample lesson topics on things like housing segregation, Central American immigration, Filipino labor organizing, and indigenous struggles over land, just to name a few. Lara Kiswani’s organization, AROC, is part of the coalition promoting the inclusion of lessons related to the experiences of Arab Americans. The guests help us understand why ethnic studies is needed, why the bill was vetoed, and what comes next. For a transcript of this episode visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/why-newsom-vetoed-ethnic-studies

EP 30 - Can social housing provide a solution to a looming mass eviction crisis? with Carroll Fife

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 20:49:29 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, we speak with Carroll Fife, an organizer, mother, and director of the Oakland office of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, also known as ACCE. Earlier this year, she was involved in coordinating the #Moms4Housing campaign in which the five Black women took over a vacant home on Magnolia Street in Oakland. She joins us to speak about the history of speculative housing and its impacts on the Black community, the looming eviction crisis, houselessness, and police violence. For a transcript of this episode visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/eviction-crisis-speculative-housing-carroll-fife

EP 29 - Trump attacks fair housing: What does the end of AFFH spell for integration?

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:57:43 -0000

Last week Trump announced he had eliminated an Obama-era fair housing rule put in place in 2015 to reverse patterns of residential segregation that have been in place for many decades. The move was widely seen as both an attack on integration and also a racial fear mongering strategy to appeal to his white base of supporters three months before the election. To talk about the purpose of the 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, the consequences of its elimination, and what we need to do now to support integration we hear from two guests. The first is Richard Rothstein, who is the author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. He's also a senior fellow at our Institute. The second guest is Stephen Menendian, our Assistant Director and co-author of the Institute's Racial Segregation in the San Francisco Bay Area report series. For a transcript of this interview visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/trump-attacks-fair-housing-affh

EP 28 - Settler colonialism, the insurrections of the 1960s, and today with Professor Gerald Horne

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 16:57:21 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Gerald Horne, Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston, and author of more than 30 books. Professor Horne has written on a spectrum of issues and events including the early settler colonial period of the US, the Haitian and Mexican revolutions, labor politics, civil rights, profiles of WEB Du Bois and revolutionary artist Paul Robeson, just to name a few. His most recent book is The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century. In our interview we focus the discussion on the uprisings of the 1960s, structural racism, and the transformative currents of today. For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-settler-colonialism-insurrections-1960s-and-today

EP 27 - Can we have a future without police? with Professor Erin Kerrison

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:32:10 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Erin Kerrison, an Assistant Professor of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, to discuss her thoughts on transforming social structures and imagining futures beyond police following the murder of George Floyd. Professor Kerrison’s work investigates the impact of structural disadvantage, concentrated poverty, and state supervision on health outcomes of individuals and communities marked by criminal justice intervention. For more information and a transcript of this interview visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/future-without-police

EP 26 - Why are people around the world knocking down old statues? Adam Hochschild explains

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 01:27:37 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Adam Hochschild, a prominent historian, journalist, and a best selling author who wrote King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa, among many other books. He's also a lecturer in Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. Professor Hochschild gives us his take on the efforts around the world to topple statues and other monuments that memorialize historical figures known for their brutality and racism, including the campaign in Belgium to remove statues of their former king, King Leopold II, who plundered central Africa, leading to the deaths of millions of people. For a transcript visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/adam-hochschild-toppling-statues

EP 25 - "It's not just murder. It's terror." #GeorgeFloyd #Minneapolis

Sat, 30 May 2020 01:53:54 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we’re bringing back john a. powell, our director at the O&B Institute, and professor of Law and African American studies at UC Berkeley, to talk about the ongoing events in Minneapolis following the police killing of George Floyd, and why he’s remaining optimistic about some of the glimmers of hope he sees in an otherwise very upsetting and traumatic situation. For a transcript visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/george-floyd

EP 24 - Prof. john a. powell on the clash over shelter-in-place, and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery

Fri, 08 May 2020 19:05:00 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from john a. powell, a professor of Law and African American studies at UC Berkeley. He’s also the director of the Othering & Belonging Institute. In the interview professor powell offers historical context for the conflict over this question of when to reopen the economy, and the government’s authority to impose shelter-in-place orders. This issue has been framed as one that pits freedom against equality, but as profesor powell points out these two notions haven’t always been seen as in opposition to each other as concepts of freedom have evolved over time. We’ll also talk about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, the young Black man who was gunned down in February by two white men in Georgia.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-freedom-v-equality-john-powell-clash-over-shelter-place-and-its-roots-slavery

EP 23 - Racism and COVID-19: The historical, political, and social foundations

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 01:11:43 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from a three-guest panel of Berkeley faculty who provide various perspectives on the different forms of racism we’ve been witnessing since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hear about the experiences of Asian Americans who are facing a surge in hate crimes, the disparate impacts on black and brown communities in terms of the rates of death, and about how politicians are using the crisis to engage in racial fear mongering. But the panelists don’t focus so much on the incidents themselves as on the structures that have created the conditions for these forms of racism to emerge with such force. The panelists examine these issues by placing them in historical, social, and political contexts so we can think about how to respond to the crisis in ways that doesn’t reinforce the structures that set the stage for what we’re currently experiencing. The guests are Catherine Ceniza Choy, who is a Professor of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, and Comparative Ethnic Studies; Ian Haney López, who is a Professor of Law and Director of the Racial Politics Project, and the author of Dog-Whistle Politics, and the more recent book Merge Left; and Osagie K. Obasogie, who is a Professor of Bioethics and chair of our Institute’s Health Disparities research cluster. For a transcript of this episode visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/covid19-racism

EP 22 - How this Bay Area food bank is responding to a surge in demand; with Alex Boskovich

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 21:40:46 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Alex Boskovich, who is the Government Relations Officer at the Alameda County Community Food Bank based in Oakland, which collects and distributes food and other resources to about 300 partner organizations throughout Alameda county, including food pantries, churches, senior centers, schools, and other organizations. Just prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 the food bank had partnered with the Othering & Belonging Institute’s Civic Engagement Narrative Change project for some trainings on cultivating inclusive messaging and developing an identity that can bridge across community to build voice and power. The focus of the interview is on the sudden and very powerful impact that pandemic has had on the demand for the services provided by the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Alex’s observations on how the crisis has magnified the gross inequities in society in how different populations are experiencing the pandemic when it comes to access to food. For more information and to access a transcript visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/food-bank

EP 21 - ICE raids, farmworkers, & COVID-19 w/ Seth M. Holmes, Miriam Magaña López, and Vera L. Chang

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 22:46:09 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we’re looking at the reality facing undocumented immigrants and migrant farmworkers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hear from three researchers who discuss some of their recent and upcoming articles that look at ICE raids targeting immigrant communities despite shelter-in-place orders, as well as the conditions of farmworkers who are putting themselves at risk in order to keep the country fed. For articles mentioned in this episode visit: 1. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/31/ice-raids-coronavirus-n95-masks 2. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/14/will-we-have-food-coronavirus-pandemic 3. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdfplus/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305704 The guests are: Seth M. Holmes, PhD, MD, is on faculty in the Division of Society and Environment and the Joint Program in Medical Anthropology. A cultural and medical anthropologist and physician, he has worked on social hierarchies, health inequities, and the ways in which such asymmetries are naturalized, normalized, and resisted in the context of transnational im/migration, agro-food systems, and health care. He has received national and international awards from the fields of anthropology, sociology, and geography, including the Margaret Mead Award. In addition to scholarly publications, he has written for popular media such as The Huffington Post and Salon.com and spoken on multiple NPR, PRI, Pacifica Radio and Radio Bilingüe radio programs. Miriam Magaña López is a first-generation immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico. Miriam has a BA in Anthropology from Macalester College and an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. Currently she works as a Research and Policy Analyst at the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, primarily focused on understanding how economic, political and social structures impact the health of immigrant farm workers. Recently, she conducted ethnographic fieldwork among vineyard workers to understand how employment regimes influence vineyard workers’ integration in Sonoma Valley. Miriam is also a volunteer organizer with Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) focused on passing a Driver’s License for all bill and stopping the Hennepin County Sheriff Department from cooperating with ICE. Vera L. Chang is a UC Berkeley Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Doctoral Student; National Science Foundation Fellow; Clif Bar Family Foundation Fellow; and Berkeley Food Institute Researcher. Vera’s doctoral research focuses on agro-food systems, human rights, and social change. She is currently studying how worker-led movements can create shifts in power within U.S.-based corporate food chains. Vera recently completed a Solutions Journalism Network Fellowship to conduct an investigative reporting project on solutions to rampant sexual violence in U.S. agricultural fields. Her research and journalism have been highlighted by the Aspen Institute, Worldwatch Institute, and Center for Science in the Public Interest.

For a transcript of this episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-ice-raids-farmworkers-covid-19-crisis

EP 20 - Ian Haney López on Bernie Sanders and the Race-Class Message

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 00:16:21 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Ian Haney Lopez, a professor of law here at UC Berkeley, about his new book: “Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America.” The book puts forward the argument that the left can re-frame racism as a weapon of the rich by crafting messages that fuse race and class and build a cross-racial movement needed to beat powerful fear-based messaging and racial dog whistles. He gives us his take on the messages he hears coming out of the 2020 Democratic primary contest between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, and what he thinks Bernie needs to do to strengthen his appeal for a multi-racial movement. For a transcript of this interview visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/merge-left

EP 19 - Surveying Black Women in Nevada with Erika Washington and Quintin Savwoir

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 21:00:24 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from two guests, Erika Washington and Quintin Savwoir from a civic engagement group in Nevada called Make it Work - Nevada. In the interview they discuss a recent survey they conducted of black women in their state to learn about the issues that are most pressing to them and how they feel about the candidates running in the 2020 presidential election. Erika is the executive director of Make it Work - Nevada, and Quentin is the group's political director. The organization does year-round civic engagement and policy change work to build the power, health and vitality of black families and communities in Nevada. For a transcript of this interview visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/makeitworknevada

EP 18 - 400 Years of Resistance to Slavery Initiative at UC Berkeley; w/ Waldo Martin & Denise Herd

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:03:45 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from two guests about a year-long initiative at UC Berkeley marking the 400th anniversary of the start to slavery in North America. The initiative includes weekly events with scholars, activists, and artists from around the country reflecting on the enduring legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, looking at the Civil Rights era, our current era, and also trying to imagine a future based on justice, reconciliation, and belonging. The two guests are Denise Herd, and Waldo Martin. Denise is a professor in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley who is leading this campus initiative. She is also our Associate Director at the Othering and Belonging Institute. And Waldo Martin is a professor of US History at Berkeley who is also involved in the organizing around this initiative. To learn more about the initiative visit 400years.berkeley.edu

For a transcript of this episode visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/400years And for more episodes of Who Belongs? visit belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs

EP 17 - Alicia Garza on Identity Politics and the 2020 US Presidential Election

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 18:02:13 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Alicia Garza, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement and the principal of the Black Futures Lab, which is an organization that engages Black voters year round and works to stop corporate influence in progressive politics. Alicia recently authored a paper for the Othering and Belonging Institute, titled, “Identity Politics: Friend or Foe?” which this episode draws from. Alicia also gives her take on some of the candidates running in the 2020 US presidential election and how they approach identity politics. This episode is part of our Civic Engagement narrative change project series, and is guest hosted by Gerald Lenoir, who is the Institute’s Identity and Politics Strategy Analyst, and the former executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration as well as a former executive director of the San Francisco Black Coalition on AIDS.

To learn more about Black Futures Lab visit their website at https://blackfutureslab.org/
For a copy of Alicia's paper "Identity Politics: Friend or Foe?", visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/identity-politics-friend-or-foe
For more episodes of Who Belongs? visit our website here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs
For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-alicia-garza-identity-politics-and-2020-us-presidential-election

EP 16 - Mobilizing Hard-to-Count Populations for Census 2020

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 01:47:53 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Michael Gomez Daly, the director of the Inland Empowerment coalition, and Sky Allen, who is the coalition's census coordinator, about their efforts to mobilize people in southern California's Inland Empire ahead of the 2020 Census. This episode is another installment of the Civic Engagement Narrative Change project series, with the interview conducted by project researcher Josh Clark. For a transcript visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/inlandempowerment

EP 15 - Journalist Lawrence Lanahan on Crossing Baltimore's Racial Divide

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 23:48:01 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, we hear from journalist and author Lawrence Lanahan about his new book called The Lines Between Us: Two Families and a Quest to Cross Baltimore’s Racial Divide. The book weaves together three storylines about people trying to overcome a host of barriers to opportunity and integration in hyper-segregated Baltimore and its suburbs. The book is the culmination of years of research and reporting on segregation in Baltimore, and draws from Lawrence’s 50-episode radio series, also called “The Lines Between Us,” produced for the city’s WYPR station. For a transcript visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/whobelongs/linesbetweenus

EP 14 - Voter Suppression, with Robert Greenwald and Carol Anderson

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 05:40:01 -0000

This episode of Who Belongs? is another installment of our Civic Engagement Narrative Change project series, with project researcher Josh Clark interviewing two guests: The first is Robert Greenwald, an award-winning producer and director who has a new film coming out on September 25 called “Suppressed: The fight to vote”, about voter suppression in the 2018 gubernatorial election in Georgia, and Carol Anderson, Professor of African American Studies at Emory University and author of the book One Person No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy. To access a transcript of this interview, and for more episodes of Who Belongs visit https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-voter-suppression-georgia-robert-greenwald-and-carol-anderson

EP 13 - Artist Christine Wong Yap on her Places of Belonging Project

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 01:36:53 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? host Sara Grossman interviews Christine Wong Yap, who became the Haas Institute's first Artist in Residence in the fall of 2018, about her "Places of Belonging" project, which was recently featured in a KQED report here: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13850669/christine-wong-yap-asks-where-do-you-feel-a-sense-of-belonging Learn more about the Haas Institute's Artist in Residence program here: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/air You can also find an earlier interview with Christine Wong Yap in our Spring 2019 magazine here: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/discussion-christine-wong-yap For a transcript of this interview, visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-artist-christine-wong-yap-her-places-belonging-project

EP 12 - Prof. Agata Lisiak on Migration and Gentrification in Europe

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 22:51:51 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? Sara Grossman speaks with Agata Lisiak, a professor of migration studies at Bard College Berlin, about her work on Eastern European migration to the Western Europe, the experiences of migrant mothers in particular, and the relationship between gentrification and language in European cities. For a transcript of this interview visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-prof-agata-lisiak-migration-and-gentrification-europe

EP 11 - Engaging Asian Pacific Islanders, with Luisa Blue of the SEIU

Fri, 10 May 2019 23:41:06 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs, we talk to Luisa Blue, who is the Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and an expert on Asian Pacific Islander civic engagement issues. She is also the highest ranking leader of Asian Pacific Islander background in the labor movement in the United States. This episode is also the fourth installment of our Civic Engagement Narrative Change project series. For a transcript of this interview visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-engaging-asian-pacific-islanders-luisa-blue-seiu

EP 10 - Targeted Universalism with john a. powell

Wed, 08 May 2019 06:34:03 -0000

In this episode we hear from john a. powell, who is our director, and a professor of law and African American Studies here at UC Berkeley. In the interview we discuss a brand new primer we’ve just published on the targeted universalism policy approach, a model conceptualized by professor powell. The primer was co-written by professor powell along with assistant director Stephen Menendian, and Wendy Ake, who is the director of the Just Public Finance program. To summarize, targeted universalism is a platform to put into practice social programs that move all groups toward a universal policy goal. It supports the needs of the most marginalized groups, as well as those who are more politically powerful, while reminding everyone that we are all part of the same social fabric. Download a copy of the primer here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/targeted-universalism For a transcript of this episode, visit: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-targeted-universalism-john-powell

EP 9 - Family Role in Prisoner Reentry, with Prof. David Harding

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 01:08:25 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we talk with Professor David Harding, who is a UC Berkeley Sociologist and member of the Haas Institute's Economic Disparities faculty research cluster, about a new book he co-authored called On the Outside: Prisoner Reentry and Reintegration. Find a transcript of this interview here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-role-family-prisoner-reentry-prof-david-harding

EP 8 - The Stakes for the 2020 Census with Michael Omi and Stephen Menendian

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 03:02:55 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we discuss the topic of the US Census with Professor Michael Omi, who is an affiliated faculty member of our Institute, author of Racial Formation in the United States, and one of only a handful of experts on the US Census. Stephen Menendian, who is the assistant director and director of research at the Haas Institute, served as guest host for this episode.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-stakes-2020-census-michael-omi-and-stephen-menendian

EP 7 - Abandonment in Detroit with Peter Hammer and Amina Kirk

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 20:14:48 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we speak with Peter Hammer and Amina Kirk, who have been working in a variety of capacities for equitable development and racial justice in Detroit for many years. Peter is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. The Keith Center runs the Detroit Equity Action Lab, whose purpose is to address structural racism in Detroit. Amina Kirk is the Senior Legal and Policy Advocate & Organizer with Detroit People's Platform, a racial and economic justice organization. She’s an affordable housing activist, and earned her JD and Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. This episode was produced in collaboration with the Haas Institute's Civic Engagement Narrative Change Project.

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-abandonment-detroit-peter-hammer-and-amina-kirk

EP 5 - Hilary Hoynes on the Benefits and Limitations of Food Stamps (SNAP)

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 02:33:42 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? Marc Abizeid talks to economist Hilary Hoynes about government assistance programs, including nutrition programs like SNAP, which is also known as food stamps, in addressing poverty and hunger in the United States. Hilary Hoynes teaches economics and public policy at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, and is the Chair of the Haas Institute's Economic Disparities Research Cluster. Professor Hoynes specializes in the study of poverty, inequality, and the impacts of government assistance programs like SNAP, and others, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a cash assistance program for low-wage earners. Find a transcript of this interview here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-hilary-hoynes-benefits-and-limitations-food-stamps-snap

EP 4 - Racial Justice Activism in Europe with Emilia Roig

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 20:27:09 -0000

In this episode, Sara Grossman interviews Emilia Roig of the Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ) in Berlin, Germany. Originally from France, Emilia is the founder and director of CIJ, a nonprofit working to combat intersecting forms of structural inequality and discrimination in Europe. CIJ works in three main areas: advocacy, research, and training, ultimately aiming to influence public discourse and policy-making on issues related to intersectional discrimination. Learn more about CIJ on its website here: https://www.intersectionaljustice.org/ A transcript of this interview is available on this page: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-racial-justice-activism-europe-emilia-roig

EP 3 - Monitoring Corporate Agribusiness with Elsadig Elsheikh and Nadia Barhoum

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 21:42:34 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs?, hosts Marc Abizeid and Sara Grossman interview two guests: Elsadig Elsheikh, who is the Director of the Global Justice Program at the Haas Institute, and Nadia Barhoum, who is a former researcher with the Global Justice Program. They discussed their new project that was released earlier in October by the Haas Institute called, "Shahidi: Corporations Decoded." The project serves as a monitor to examine the power, influence and reach of agri-business corporations and their role in the global food crisis. Read more about the Shahidi project here: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/new-monitor-probes-corporate-control-global-food-system And check out the Shahidi project website here: https://shahidi.berkeley.edu/

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-monitoring-corporate-agribusiness-elsadig-elsheikh-and-nadia-barhoum

EP 2 - Nicole Montojo and Stephen Barton on Rent Control

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 23:44:52 -0000

In this episode of Who Belongs? we interview Nicole Montojo and Steve Barton, who recently co-authored a new research brief on the housing affordability crisis in California, called "Opening the Door for Rent Control: Toward a Comprehensive Approach to Protecting California’s Renters." Nicole is a housing research analyst at the Haas Institute. She holds a Master's degree in city planning from UC Berkeley. Steve is a former housing director for the city of Berkeley who holds a PhD in city and regional planning from UC Berkeley. Find the report, along with a summary, press release, presentation video, and other resources, here: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/opening-door-rent-control

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-nicole-montojo-and-steve-barton-rent-control

EP 1 - Gordon Whitman Breaks Down Community Organizing

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:39:42 -0000

In this first episode of Who Belongs?, we talk to Gordon Whitman, who is the deputy director of Faith In Action, formerly known as PICO, which is a national network of faith-based organizations working to build civic leaders to uplift communities through work on a broad set of issues. Gordon recently published a book on organizing, called ‘Stand Up!: How to Get Involved, Speak Out, and Win in a World on Fire’. The book, which is available in both English and Spanish, draws from his 25 years of experience as a community organizer in different parts of the country, as well as from a year abroad in Chile during Pinochet dictatorship, where Gordon says he learned the most important things about organizing. Learn more about Gordon's book here: https://standupbook.org/ To watch a video of a book talk Gordon gave at UC Berkeley visit this page: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/gordon-whitman-pico-conversation-john-powell

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-gordon-whitman-breaks-down-community-organizing

EP 0 - Ralf Hotchkiss on the Hazards of Standard Wheelchairs

Sat, 04 Aug 2018 01:35:12 -0000

Back in March we met with Ralf Hotchkiss, a renowned disability rights activist, engineer, and co-founder of the Whirlwind Wheelchair project, based here in Berkeley. The non profit works with local wheelchair riders and mechanics around the world to design and construct durable chairs that bring riders back into society in ways that standard US and European chairs don’t allow, because of their poor designs which severely limit peoples’ mobility. The interview was conducted by Marc Abizeid from the Haas Institute. Learn more about Ralf's work at Whirlwind Wheelchair here: https://whirlwindwheelchair.org/ And read a profile about him here: https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/reinventing-wheelchair Intro song: "Traction by Chad Crouch" Outro song: "Wide Eyes by Chad Crouch"

For a transcript of the episode, please click here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/podcast-reinventing-wheelchair-interview-ralf-hotchkiss