Rewriting the Rules®

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Respecting Mothers as Loving Experts - Part 1 of 3 is part of our Women’s History Month series. In this special three-part episode, we are honored to share the wisdom, discernment, and intuition of eight mothers who are experts at living. In Part 1, we speak with with Julia Freeman, Nyia Harris, and Chakita “Kita” Lewis. In their own words, we hear from these Black mothers as they explore their work, hopes for their children and how structures of racism, classism, and sexism both challenge and disrupt the roles of mothers as Loving Experts in their children’s lives.
You can find parts 2 & 3 of these inspiring and nourishing conversations in our podcast feed, featuring:

• Part 2: Interview with Jill Greendeer and Eboun Wilbourn
• Part 3: Interview with Ajibike “BiKé” Ojomo, Michelle Dennard and Portia Jackson

You can find links to the materials referenced in this episode on our website: https://www.spys.org/podcast
*We use the term “Indigenous” as adapted from the NDN Collective: “peoples as ethnic communities whose direct ancestral lineage descends from the earliest, original inhabitants of a given region, in contrast to groups that have settled, occupied, and/or colonized the region more recently. The land on which we live and the natural resources on which we depend are inextricably linked to our identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as our physical and spiritual well-being. The total estimated population of Indigenous peoples is approximately 370 million people worldwide (5% of the global population). We use Indigenous peoples with an “s” to recognize the diversity of individuals and groups that identify with the term, which has been distilled to a singular noun throughout history in an attempt to group our people together rather than recognize our differences and diversity. This is consistent with the UN Declaration on The Rights of Indigenous peoples. (Source: North East Farmers Network)

*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.

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In Part 2 of our “LIVE” Event Recording! Series, Youth Host Connor Walford conducts “man on the street” interviews with guests joining us to hear from Youth Author & Illustrator Miles Asberry-Wallace and share their favorite books, authors, and reasons why reading is important to critically and creatively make sense of and navigate our world, our lives and specific circumstances that come our way. All of this takes places during the launch of Miles’ first published comic book, Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros, Book #1 on Wednesday, February 7th. The youth-led event explored the power of dreams, the power of our stories, and the power of a beloved community that wraps its arms around one inspiring young Black man named Miles.

Listen & learn why St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for youth.
About Miles Asberry-Wallace:

Miles Asberry-Wallace is a young black man who was born on February 7, 2011, and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started drawing comics at five years old and made his first comic series, Miles TGM and the Giant Zombie. He loved making comics so much that he started selling them at school. He now has a comic book business named Stickman Legacy.

About Guest Host Connor Walford:
Connor Walford is in the 7th grade and is Miles Asberry Wallace’s best friend.

Show Links:

• Order Comic Books Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros
• Order Merch Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros
• Read the Podcast “LIVE” Event Recording article in the Star Tribune
• We invite you to share thoughts, ideas, and recommendations for the Rewriting the RulesSM podcast that advance our progress towards our mission AND we welcome inquiries about the many ways our programs & services continue rewriting the rules of youth engagement. Contact us by clicking on the Telbee linked below.
  • Telbee* Link: https://sayhi.chat/spysrtr

*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.

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In this episode of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS’) Rewriting the Rules®, youth leaders from YouthPowerMNSM Leadership Institute are recognized during an award ceremony. The ceremony took place at an overnight retreat at Mt. Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington, MN. During the retreat, SPYS’ curriculum was focused on Healing & Identity, Exploration & Innovation, & Policy Change. Listen to the episode, where SPYS celebrates these youth leaders for learning about themselves and their community and engaging in creative and critical thinking.

About YouthPowerMNSM: St Paul Youth Services’ YouthPowerMNSM Leadership Institute offers an organizing hub where Black youth are compensated for their intellectual capital, lived experiences, and contributions to improve our communities. Youth can gather, reflect, express themselves, build skills, organize, and advocate for serious change on issues that impact their lives. Our motto at YouthPowerMNSM is kids changing systems versus systems changing kids. We believe that it is the most promising and proportionate approach to dismantling systemic racism, and that by engaging youth in shaping and promoting solutions, it is the largely untested yet effective and strategic approach to change.

*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.

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In episode 8 of Season 3, Youth Host Connor Walford returns to Rewriting the Rules® to conduct “man on the street” interviews with guests of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS)’ Annual LIT Party. Connor interviews guests about their favorite books, authors, and reasons why reading is important to critically and creatively make sense of and navigate our world, our lives and specific circumstances that come our way.

SPYS, a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for Black youth, hosted its Second Annual LIT Party as part of SPYS’ Focus on Our Families ExperienceSM. The event, sponsored in part by Minnesota Bank and Trust, is a celebration of joy, reading, and summer, bringing youth and their families together to explore multicultural books and stories, while enjoying delicious food, games and family time.

SPYS' Focus on Our Families ExperienceSM Network is a constellation of individuals, organizations, and businesses offering experiences using "our Smart, Fair and Loving ApproachSM to youth and their families in the fields of athletics, the arts, health & wellness, culture, science and history across all SPYS programs"-- at no charge.

Listen & learn why St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for youth.

*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.

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What does it mean to live fully and free? In this episode, Tracine invites longtime friend, Jason Jackson, a Human Resources Diversity and Inclusion consultant for HealthPartners (a US-based Medical Insurance Company) into our ongoing discussion on how the practice of love shows up in our work and in our lives.
For this episode, they explore the concept of intersectional racial equity, which is one of St. Paul Youth Service’s values, and how intersectionality can help us rewrite the rules of society. Jason draws from the work of Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory, to delve into his experiences and understanding of the complexities of identity. Listen to this insightful conversation on how organizations and individuals can empower themselves to create smart, fair and loving communities.
Find Jason:

• Instagram: in_cog_ne_gro | @akin2u
• Facebook: Jason Jackson
• Article: From Pain Comes Strength: Families, Ballroom, and Resistance

You can find all our reading links and recommendations from the mothers featured here on our podcast page: www.spys.org/podcast
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.