If you were emotionally OK enough with the episode title to click on the link, thanks for making it this far! I’m only partly kidding. The words “white supremacy culture” are definitely triggering, and not just for white people. What that phrase even means is hard to explain.

So when fellow podcaster and white American male Jeff Akin told me he was (gently) raising awareness about white supremacy culture (“WSC”) at his workplace – and he works for the government – and he’s a high-level executive – I was super curious to know how he felt about WSC.

Besides being an executive leader, Jeff also teaches about leadership in his podcast, The Starfleet Leadership Academy. I admit, I had preconceived notions about what yet another white man would have to say. But Jeff changed my lens when he shared his own learning journey and struggles with WSC, to now being a champion against it.

Join me in hearing this high school educated, ex-Navy, pro-wrestling-TV-broadcaster-turned-executive-leader share how he’s helping dismantle white supremacy culture!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Ways white supremacy culture manifests in Western workplaces
• How Jeff gradually changed in response and understanding of white supremacy culture
• The difference between white supremacy culture and a white supremacist
• Jeff’s primary weapon against white supremacy culture
• How to speak up on controversial issues when you can’t speak freely

Link to episode transcript here.

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Find more support and resources, and contact me directly at: https://www.changinglenses.ca/

Guest Bio and References/Links

About Jeff Akin:

Jeff Akin is a 20-year veteran of the public and private sectors. He has extensive experience in both media and entertainment, as well as over two decades in management and leadership. Jeff specializes in listening to others, helping them unleash their true potential, and giving feedback that is authentic yet kind.
This pro wrestling TV broadcaster turned executive leader is never afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to improving lives!

Find Jeff on:

Website: https://www.jeffakin.com
Podcast on Apple (or wherever you listen): The Starfleet Leadership Academy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jefftakin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefftakin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jefftakin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefftakin/

References and resources in this episode:

https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/, curated by Tema Okun and other anti-racism educators.

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The Shoah is the Hebrew term for the Holocaust, and the full name of Yom Hashoah VeHagevurah literally means the “day of remembrance of the Catastrophe and the Heroism.”

How much do you know about Yom HaShoah, and what happens on this day? What’s the difference between Yom HaShaoah and the United Nations’ International Holocaust Remembrance Day?

Alice Henry draws on her family’s experience of the Holocaust, and her own experience as an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, to share about Yom HaShoah, historic and current antisemitism, Jewish holidays, and much more in this episode of Changing Lenses.

Bonus: stay with us to the end for a special Yom HaShoah memorial service.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Jewish identity is more than just religion
• Why Whoopi Goldberg was mistaken (and she’s not the only one)
• The implicit antisemitism in Harry Potter and Friends
• Of various Jewish holy days, which one is arguably the MOST holy (hint: it’s NOT Hannukah!)
• How Yom HaShoah is observed in Israel

Link to episode transcript here.

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Find more support and resources, and contact me directly at: https://www.changinglenses.ca/

Guest Bio and References/Links

About Alice Henry:

Alice is an Ashkenazi Jewish woman whose grandfather escaped from Nazi Germany and eventually immigrated to the U.S. She’s personally experienced antisemitism throughout her life, and felt compelled to share her story and speak out about Yom HoShoah and Jewish inclusion more publicly.

In her day job, Alice is a researcher, facilitator, and program coordinator with expertise in zero waste and the circular economy, as well as collaborative decision-making. She is excited to support innovators, public institutions, and our communities as we rethink how our systems can work and how our economies can better support all peoples and our planet.

Find Alice on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-henry-43206012b/

References and resources in this episode:

Yom HaShoah in Israel – everything stops including highway traffic: https://youtu.be/4uK5uz7d-Oo

Info about Yom HaShoah:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yom-hashoah-holocaust-memorial-day/

https://www.shiva.com/learning-center/commemorate/jewish-holidays/yom-hashoah/

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yom-ha-shoah-holocaust-memorial-day

The Mourner’s Kaddish: https://sharonmemorial.com/customs-and-traditions/the-mourners-kaddish/

Info about the UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day: https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance

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Anti-Racism. Black Lives Matter. Allyship and Solidarity between equity-seeking groups.

We’ve touched a bit on these with Changing Lenses podcast guests over the last year, but haven’t dived as deeply into these topics as my friend and fellow podcaster Nura Yunus has. She created the Know Nonsense Podcast to educate listeners about the experiences and systems of racism that exist in Canada and across the world, and the ways in which they show up for people of colour every single day.

Nura is a Black Muslim woman, born and raised in Canada to parents who immigrated from Eritrea. The Know Nonsense Podcast is Nura’s passion project which she does on 100% volunteer basis, while she’s working full time in international development.

So today, I’m excited to share (with Nura’s permission) a slightly shorter version of our episode called “Talking Allyship and Solidarity”, which originally aired on the Know Nonsense podcast on October 29, 2021.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• Identity in relatedness, not accomplishments
• The self-sacrifices required in allyship
• Examples of solidarity (and division) in DEI and workplaces today
• Racism within our own families
• Power brokers vs. allies (credit: Mary-Frances Winters)
• White supremacy culture, vs. white culture supremacy

Contact Rosie and find JEDI resources at: https://www.changinglenses.ca/

Full transcript available here.

Guest Bio and References/Links

About Nura Yunus:

Nura Yunus (she/her) is a Black Muslim woman born and raised in Toronto, the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Nura currently works in international development and before this worked with various grassroots and non-profit organizations in program design and delivery, community development and workshop facilitation. Her passion for anti-Black racism has recently led to the creation of the Know Nonsense Anti-Racism podcast, a resource for learning about racial injustice from a Canadian perspective. When she isn’t working on the podcast you can find her reading works by authors of colour, watching documentaries, or hiking one of Toronto’s many beautiful parks.

Follow the Know Nonsense Podcast on:
LinkTree
Instagram
Email - [email protected]

References and resources in this episode:
Original Know Nonsense episode release: on Spotify.

1. Where Do I Begin? Reading Plan
2. Rachel Cargle – The Great Unlearn
3. Guide to Allyship
4. Tema Okun – White Supremacy Culture

Did you know that if you don’t have private health insurance, you likely have to pay for life-saving drugs out of your own pocket? Did you know that Canada’s healthcare ranks second last out of 10 countries? Without pharmacare, Canada’s “healthcare” system is NOT universal.
In part 2 of our healthcare series, Doret Cheng, a practicing pharmacist and university lecturer on global health, explains why healthcare equality is NOT equity, and how we can afford a national pharmacare program.
As a bonus, I ask Doret her thoughts on how a COVID vaccine should be equitably distributed.

In this episode

• [00:04:04] When equality is not equity: patient discharge stories
• [00:13:34] Canada’s healthcare is second worst out of OECD countries
• [00:16:38] The case for national pharmacare: we actually SAVE money
• [00:21:08] The government’s plan for national pharmacare – there is one?!
• [00:27:00] COVID vaccine – who gets it first?
• [00:31:50] Doret’s lessons learned – listening to patients results in better health outcomes

Full transcript available here.

Guest bio and references:

Doret Cheng is a pharmacist with 20 years of patient care experience in community pharmacies, hospitals, and global healthcare as far away as Uganda.

Doret is of Chinese ethnicity, born in Ghana, immigrated to Edmonton, Canada as a child, and now lives in Toronto, where she currently practices at St. Mike's Hospital, Academic Family Health Team. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto, teaching on global health.

References:

Find Doret on: LinkedIn

Data on Canada’s ranking with OECD countries:

https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/

Canadian Government Websites on National Pharmacare:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2019/06/the-advisory-council-on-the-implementation-of-national-pharmacare-recommends-canada-implement-universal-single-payer-public-pharmacare.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/implementation-national-pharmacare/final-report.html

Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman, a psychologist specializing in diversity and inclusion, shares his personal experiences of racism and discrimination – as a child, and as professional. We also chat about explaining privilege to White people; being accepted as Canadians; and the “false truth” of multiculturalism in Canada.

In this episode:

Find out about:

• [00:06:34] Explaining to a White person why you want your child to have a better life
• [00:10:21] The greatest privilege Dr. Abdulrehman wants for his child
• [00:11:39] Discrimination from a teacher
• [00:14:58] Racism in Canada today (2020)
• [00:19:59] The untenable choice: freedom to be yourself, or freedom from conflict
• [00:21:48] The mythology of a multicultural Canada

Bonus – a piece of Canadian trivia: What’s the provincial flower of Manitoba? If you didn’t know, now you’ll know!
Full transcript is available here.

Guest Bio and References/Links

Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman is a consulting and clinical psychologist and public speaker, with a special focus on diversity and inclusion. He combines his significant clinical skills with his lived experience as both a person of color and an immigrant, to help people better understand microaggressions, privilege, representation, and culture.

Dr. Abdulrehman has consulted with such organizations as the CBC, the Mastercard Foundation, and the RCMP, and was a speaker at the Winnipeg TedX Talks. He currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he runs a psychology clinic, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, and is a visiting professor at two universities in Tanzania.

Dr. Abdulrehman is also a subject matter expert on unconscious bias for Google and YouTube. And if all that wasn’t enough, in his “spare time” he co-hosts a podcast about diversity and inclusion called Different People.

References:

Find Dr. Abdulrehman on:

Winnipeg TedxTalk on YouTube

Different People Podcast

LinkedIn

clinicpsychology.com

leadwithdiversity.com

winnlove.ca

Music Credits:
What Words Can't Describe, by Vlad Gluschenko
License: CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

Beautiful Modern Rock Pop Guitar All Goodness Background Music, by Royalty Free Music
License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en