a life of hope under extreme circumstances
Tell it Proud
Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I’m your host Christina Blacken. I’m a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today’s episode is an essay I wrote for The New Quo Learning Community about Phillis Wheatley who was an American writer who was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. She was captured and enslaved at a young age, overcoming significant...
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You don't have to be Beyonce to be Creative
Tell it Proud
Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I’m your host Christina Blacken. I’m a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today’s episode is an essay I wrote for The New Quo Learning Community about why you don’t have to be a super talented famous person like Beyonce or Picasso to find fulfillment and deep meaning in creative thinking and creative work. We need to expand what we...
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Being Liberal is Not an Oppression Pass
Tell it Proud
Today’s episode is a throwback to one of my favorite episodes I produced on a previous podcast of mine called Sway Them in Color. In this solo episode, I unpack the concept of what I call an oppression pass, which is the belief that because you are liberal, marginalized yourself, like black people/have one black friend/are married to a black person/have black children you don’t participate in or perpetuate in white supremacy. My dear friends, I’m here to let you know oppression passes are being handed out like it’s six flags, but they don’t exist. In this episode I unpack five key...
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the authoritarian personality and building a new world
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Today’s episode is an essay I wrote for about a concept called which was first coined in the 1970s by Dr George Gerbner, who discovered a cognitive bias where, over time, we start to see the world as more dangerous than it actually is due to long-term, moderate to heavy exposure to violence-related content through mass media (such as news reports and television shows). Those who are affected may experience increased feelings of fear, anxiety, and general pessimism. 45, Musk, and Zuckerberg and other leaders have a vested interest in exploiting individuals' mean world syndrome bias by...
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The hidden truth about neurodivergence
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Today’s episode is an essay I wrote for The New Quo Learning Community about neurodivergence which describes people whose brains develop or function in ways that differ from what is considered "typical" or "neurotypical" This essay covers fascinating history of how in pre-colonial Africa, communities recognized cognitive differences in attention, memory, and perception, not as flaws, but as a unique skill or purpose. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join .
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my neighbor called the police on me for singing
Tell it Proud
Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I’m your host Christina Blacken. I’m a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today’s episode is a replay of a live storytelling event I performed in called Generation Women where they have women from every decade of life from their 20s all the way to 70s tell a true story from their lives. This story is about the time my neighbor called...
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1 in 5 Teens are dating AI & other thoughts on loneliness
Tell it Proud
Today’s podcast episode is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for where stories and practices of daily courage that create trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together are curated for members. In this episode, I discuss research that 1 in 5 teens have had or know someone who has had . There’s so many sociological reasons this may be occurring, but one likely culprit is deep loneliness from the unmet need of mirroring and attunement. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join
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a Japanese value that transforms relationships
Tell it Proud
Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I’m your host Christina Blacken. I’m a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today’s episode is an essay I wrote for the new quo learning community titled “this Japanese value can transform your relationships” it examines the value of omoiyari which is the concept of compassion and service to someone else's needs and feelings....
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Pleasure activism is a way of doing good
Tell it Proud
Today’s episode is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where stories and practices of courage are curated for members who challenge conformity by choosing courage in their daily lives. This essay is titled Pleasure Activism which is a review of an incredible book by adrienne maree brown that asks the question How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? And How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? It’s a politics and practice of healing and...
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whose story is told matters
Tell it Proud
Today’s Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of resilience, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled “Whose story is told matters”, and is a recounting of me exploring a new historical exhibit in Brooklyn, NY called . This exhibit is about the United States slave trade and its impacts on Brooklyn, NY...
info_outlineToday’s Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the cultural principles of power, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values.
This essay is titled “The power of being time travelers” and is a personal reflection on the power of mindfulness to stop ruminating about the past and worrying about the future and a number of practices you can try today to ground yourself during times of stress and uncertainty.
If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.