7.13: The Importance of Black and Asian Solidarity
Release Date: 11/08/2022
9.2: Don’t Do THIS During Black History Month
First Name Basis Podcast
In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’m passionate about Black History Month. I did not enjoy learning about Black history growing up. It felt more like grieving than celebrating for me, and because of that it’s my dream to make Black History Month a positive experience for ALL children and students. So today, as part of that, I’m talking about 3 mistakes parents and teachers should avoid when talking to kids and students about Black History: 1. Don’t say “because they were Black.” It’s time to put the onus on racism. 2. Don’t refer to Black people as “non-white.” This makes...
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9.1: Let’s Celebrate Black History Month
First Name Basis Podcast
Can you believe February is right around the corner?! And with it comes BLACK HISTORY MONTH! Celebrating Black History Month is so important for ALL kids, not just Black children, and I created to help kiddos everywhere be able to learn about Black history in a way that is both meaningful and joyful. In this episode, I’m telling you all about Bite-Sized Black History and including a sample episode for you to check out that is all about singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte! is a collection of mini-podcast episodes that empower you to teach kiddos about brilliant Black Americans who...
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8.15: Work With Me: First Name Basis
First Name Basis Podcast
We’re wrapping up Season 8 with this episode, and it’s got me thinking all about our evolution over the years. From beginning as a tiny Instagram account to starting the podcast, from working with families to working with schools, First Name Basis has grown in ways that is a dream come true! I consult with schools across the country to implement anti-racist education. But as some of you have said, you’re not sure what that would look like, so in this episode, I’m giving all the details of what it looks like for me to work with your school! It’s one thing to know that anti-racism is...
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8: We Are Anti-Racist and Anti-Genocide
First Name Basis Podcast
Like so many of you, I have been all consumed the last few weeks by the events going on in Gaza and the genocide that is being carried out against the Palestinian people. We've put everything on pause at First Name Basis to be able to try to share updates and share actions that we can be taking as a collective to try to support the activists and so many amazing humanitarian workers that are on the ground in Gaza. After having some conversations as a team, we realized that continuing to do anti-racism work is one of the things we can do as a group to facilitate productive conversations around...
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8.14: Black and Brown Emojis Are Not a Punch Line
First Name Basis Podcast
This episode can be summarized with one sentence: Please stop using Black and Brown emojis if you are not Black or Brown. Skin color is something that should be celebrated, not laughed at, but I have seen people using emojis that don’t match their skin tone time and time again. I think a lot of the time people aren’t intentionally trying to do something racist, but when you peel back the layers you realize that the only reason why doing this could be funny is because of racism, and racism is not funny. And, like we talk about all the time, the IMPACT of an action always outweighs the...
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8.13: Invisible Lynching and What It Says About the Fight for Justice
First Name Basis Podcast
Trigger warning: Before you continue reading these show notes or listening to this episode, please be aware that it discusses lynching and white supremacist violence. Lynching is a reality both now and in the past. Yet despite the fact that lynching continues to happen, it took more than 120 years to get an anti-lynching bill passed. In that time, more than 200 iterations of bills that would make lynching a federal crime were introduced and failed to pass over and over again — including one that was voted down only three days before Ahmaud Arbery was lynched in February 2020. It...
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8.12: Raising Multiracial Children
First Name Basis Podcast
Growing up as a multiracial child, I often felt my racial identity shifting and developing — heck, even as an adult I do! Navigating what it means to be multiracial continues to be a journey for me, which is why I was so excited to be able to interview Dr. Jennifer Noble. Dr. Jenn, as she’s known online, is a licensed psychologist, parent coach and associate professor of psychology, who shares her expertise both in her private practice in Los Angeles and online. She focuses on identity and mixed race experience as she works with mixed race teens, BIPOC women and other marginalized groups....
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8.11: 3 Things I’ve Learned On My Anti-Racist Journey
First Name Basis Podcast
This episode is a bit of a role reversal with someone I admire SO MUCH. I have been a longtime fan of Rachel Nielson’s podcast 3 in 30: Takeaways for Moms. Each episode is 30 minutes long and provides 3 ACTIONABLE takeaways for listeners to go and do. She has over 250 episodes covering a huge variety of topics — from potty training to mental health to tips for not looking at your phone as much — and I’ve been honored to be a guest on her podcast in the past to talk about anti-racism. And on top of that, I’m lucky to get to call Rachel a dear friend and podcasting mentor of...
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8.10: Let's Talk Language: Under-Resourced
First Name Basis Podcast
Language is always evolving and we need to evolve with it. Reflecting on the words we’re using and recognizing opportunities to grow and change is a natural (and necessary) part of our anti-racist journeys. It means breaking down and unlearning things that we thought in the past, but the result is language that better aligns with our intent. So this week we’re taking a look at the term “under-resourced” and discussing why we need to switch it out for something new. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve already heard me talk about how I changed from using “low-income” to...
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8.9: Teaching Children About Disabilities
First Name Basis Podcast
July 26, 2023, is the 33rd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. If you’re doing the math in your head, let me give you a shortcut: That means the ADA wasn’t passed until 1990. 1990?! It took quite a while for Americans with disabilities to officially be named a protected class as neither the 1964 Civil Rights Act nor the 1965 Voting Rights Act included people with disabilities — and the United States still has a long way to go in making our public spaces, businesses and communities truly accessible. In honor of the 33rd anniversary, I wanted to invite a very special guest...
info_outlineTo say I’m obsessed with New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho’s novel “The Silence That Binds Us” is an understatement.
Yes, it’s a book technically written for young adults, but it’s also one adults need to read — because not only is it a beautiful story of grief, but it is also an impactful story about anti-racism.
I had the privilege of interviewing Joanna recently and talking to her about “The Silence That Binds Us” and specifically the lessons it teaches about Black and Asian solidarity. And just as much as “The Silence That Binds Us” is a book you don’t want to miss, this interview is one you’ll want to tune into as well!
In this episode, Joanna and I discuss:
- Her process in writing “The Silence That Binds Us.”
- What Black and Asian solidarity looks like.
- The power of stories in anti-racism work.
- What we can do about book banning in our communities.
Joanna Ho is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author “Eyes that Kiss in the Corners” and “Eyes that Speak to the Stars.” She has extensive experience as an educator (she’s previously worked as an English teacher, a dean, the designer of an alternative-to-prison program, a creator of educator professional development, and a high school vice principal) and is passionate about anti-bias and anti-racism work. Joanna lives in the Bay Area where she enjoys chocolate chip cookies, being outside and having dance parties with her two kiddos.
Join us for a Policy Party
You know what anti-racism looks like in your home, now let’s take it into our communities! Join us for a Policy Party on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. ET, where Lindsay Dusard will talk to us about refugee allyship!
At each Policy Party, we hang out over Zoom with experts from community-based organizations who will help us understand the issues and policies relevant to their area of expertise. Each party focuses on a different subject — anything from immigration to environmental justice and more! You’ll leave each party with specific actionable steps you can take to make your community more compassionate, inclusive and anti-racist.
My friend Lindsay will join us to discuss how we can be better allies to members of the refugee community. She has worked in refugee resettlement for over eight years and is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where her work focuses on understanding factors related to refugee and immigrant students’ sense of belonging, wel-lbeing and success in the U.S. school system.
First Name Basis Patreon members will receive free admission, or you can purchase a one-time Policy Party ticket at firstnamebasis.org/policyparty. If you can’t attend the Policy Party, replays are also available with admission.
Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced In The Episode
Joanna Ho’s website
Joanna Ho’s Instagram account @joannahowrites
Learn more about “The Silence That Binds Us”
Pre-order Joanna’s upcoming children’s book “One Day”
Pen America, which has reports about book bans in America and ideas about what you can do to help stop the bans
We Need Diverse Books, which advocates for diversity and representation in children’s literature.
Joanna Ho’s books
Song Credit: “Sleeper” by Steve Adams” and “Dive Down” by VYEN