8.5: The Story of the First Openly Gay MLB Player: Glenn Burke
Release Date: 06/27/2023
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_outlineHappy Pride my friends, especially to the LGBTQ+ members in our community!
To celebrate Pride, I wanted to share an episode from my Bite-Sized Black History program that features a Black American who was LGBTQ+.
So today, we’re learning about Glenn Burke, who was the first openly gay Major League Baseball player!
Glenn Burke was an amazing athlete and always the life of the party. He wasn’t afraid to be his authentic self, even when people were discriminating against him. He is even credited with creating the high-five!
Glenn’s life was cut short by AIDS, and I’ve included in this episode some insights and lessons I learned from an LGBTQ+ activist for talking to kids about AIDS, which I hope are helpful to you as a parent, teacher or caregiver.
And I hope by listening to Glenn’s story and reflecting on his life that we can be part of creating change so that others don’t have to go through the same things he did.
Get your FREE coloring page to go along with the episode
Glenn Burke’s story is part of my Bite-Sized Black History program, where I feature 28 different Black Americans who you may have heard of but who have largely been overlooked in the history books.
Each person is featured with a mini podcast episode, coloring page and reflection questions to help the kiddos in your life really learn about these amazing people in a meaningful way.
And to go along with this episode, I’m giving away the coloring page and questions that go along with Glenn Burke’s episode!
Head over to firstnamebasis.org/mlb to get your copy sent straight to your inbox, and be sure to head over to firstnamebasis.org/blackhistory to learn more about Bite-Sized Black History.
Invite Jasmine to work with your school!
Are you a parent or teacher who wants to help your school turn good intentions into positive action by making anti-racist education a priority? First Name Basis is here to help!
Jasmine Bradshaw, the host and founder of the First Name Basis Podcast, is an anti-racist educator and former second-grade teacher who has a passion for helping schools make real change. Whether you’re looking for a keynote speaker at your next PTA event, want to implement our Ally Elementary curriculum at your school, or need someone to consult with your school and provide teacher trainings, Jasmine is your go-to resource.
Email [email protected] or visit firstnamebasis.org/workwithme for more information!
Articles, Studies, & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode
First Name Basis Podcast, Season 6, Episode 4: “Say This, Not That When Someone Comes Out to You” with Elena Joy Thurston
Listen to this letter that Billy Bean, the second openly gay player in the MLB, wrote to Glenn.
Watch Glenn Burke up to bat in the 1977 World Series.
Resources for teaching children about HIV/AIDS:
This video explains what HIV is.
Here is a StoryCorps episode about losing family during the AIDS epidemic
This video is about how to protect yourself and others from HIV.
This video is about what it’s like to live with HIV.
This video is a segment from the Today Show called “Looking Back on 40 Years of the AIDS Epidemic.”
The Reagan administration’s response to the AIDS epidemic was rooted in homophobia. You’ll see that through this video.
I really love amaze.org for all of the different topics they cover about sexual health.
Song Credit: “Clapping Music” by BrightestAvenue and “Sunshine” by lemonmusicstudio