Live @MOB (Part 3): The Cost of Performative Progress: Lessons from a Liberal Bubble w/Dr Amy Pickens

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dr. Amy at the Museum of Boulder, surrounded by the living history of Black resilience and brilliance. Against this backdrop, Amy shares her deeply personal journey—navigating the tensions between authentic leadership and the performative demands often placed on DEI professionals.

With vulnerability and clarity, Amy reflects on what it means to be hired for visibility rather than voice, and the emotional armor many are forced to wear in spaces that fail to honor full humanity. Her story challenges us to move beyond optics and into a deeper understanding of inclusion rooted in trust, care, and truth-telling.

We follow Amy into the healing spaces she’s reclaimed—like yoga, hiking, and sound baths—where rest becomes a radical act of resistance. She speaks to the transformative power of sisterhood, creativity, and ancestral connection as essential tools for resilience and collective liberation.

This episode is a call to action for leaders and listeners alike: to center lived experience, honor Black wisdom, and nurture spaces where wellness and justice are not at odds. Dr. Amy reminds us that authentic change starts with inner alignment and is sustained by community, courage, and care.

Join us in listening deeply to Dr. Amy’s story—and in recommitting to the work of meaningful, embodied equity.

FInd out more about Dr Amy and her business here: https://www.apcoachingconsulting.com/

 

(0:00:00) - Amplifying Black Voices in Boulder Co-hosts facilitate authentic conversations about race, exploring performative progress and fostering healing for Black women at the Museum of Boulder.  (0:05:15) - Navigating Performative Progress in Leadership DEI work requires genuine, humanity-centered leadership and prioritizing self-care to avoid performative progress and exhaustion.  (0:17:55) - Healing Through Yoga and Social Justice Leadership, social justice, and personal wellness intersect in reclaiming outdoor spaces for healing and resistance.  (0:24:24) - Centering Ancestral Wisdom in DEI Community spaces like Urban Sanctuary must prioritize ancestral wisdom and tailored DEI efforts for healing and wellness.  (0:39:22) - Personal Accountability and Social Change Prioritizing self-care and personal accountability for systemic change, acknowledging immigration stories, and contributing to personal and collective progress through journaling.  (0:46:35) - Resisting and Healing DEI conversations require planting seeds, leaning into discomfort, centering harm repair, and prioritizing healing and empowerment.  (1:01:33) - Creating Inclusive Healing Spaces Through Yoga Valuing diverse experiences, creating inclusive spaces for healing and community, and prioritizing authentic connections in communal settings.  (1:11:33) - Rest, Healing, and Authentic Activism Rest and healing are forms of resistance and empowerment for Black women, highlighting the importance of honoring lineage and aligning work with personal purpose.  (1:18:23) - Staying Committed to Social Justice DEI work faces challenges and resistance, with a focus on commitment and authenticity, societal shifts, and the impact of exclusionary pasts.  (1:30:44) - Recognizing Support in Social Justice Showing support and recognition for those doing significant work, personal experiences, involvement with Museum of Boulder.