Ep. 216, Part 1 on Gun Violence: Maj Toure of Black Guns Matter

08/05/18 • 28 min

On Part I of our two-part episode on gun violence, we’re speaking to Maj Toure, Chicago youth educator and founder of Black Guns Matter.

Maj believes that communities of color should bear arms as a form of self-defense against oppressive forces. He also informs us on the racist history of gun control, mass incarceration, and bias within law enforcement. He uses his organization to give young people an understanding and responsibility for the tool so they know how to safely resolve conflicts and protect themselves.

Black Guns Matter provides gun safety education and resources to students in urban areas as a way to support community relations. But Maj also sees the value in individual self-care. He asserts that having a gun is similar to self-care as they both require discipline and habitual training. To him, we can only sustain safe and healthy communities by supporting these individual acts and creating spaces where young people can feel seen and heard.

You can learn more about Black Guns Matter on their Twitter. And be sure to connect with Maj, too @MAJTOURE. As always, you can find this episode and much more on our Twitter and Instagram at @SelfCareSundays and on Facebook at @SelfCareSundaysPodcast.

This episode can also be found on Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. You can access the transcription for this episode here.

Be sure to listen the second part of this series with Mike Martin of RAWTools streaming now!

On Part I of our two-part episode on gun violence, we’re speaking to Maj Toure, Chicago youth educator and founder of Black Guns Matter.

This episode can also be found on Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. You can access the transcription for this episode here.

Be sure to listen the second part of this series with Mike Martin of RAWTools streaming now!

Previous Episode

Ep. 215: STEM Educator Canissa Grant

On this episode, we’re talking to Canissa Grant, a science educator based in Avon, Connecticut.

With experience as both a private and public school teacher, she shed a light on some of the disparities in curriculum and expectations. She also calls for a heightened sense of transparency and inclusivity in STEM classes, especially for students with disabilities. Teaching through a social justice lens, she aims to give her students a well-rounded and transformative learning experience.

Canissa also tells us some of her struggles as a black woman in an all-boys high school and why that makes self-care all the more important. In these situations, it is likely that teachers of color experience burnout at much higher rates because they are expected to share their expertise on racial issues at the drop of a hat. But to Canissa, going the extra mile to build a sense of familiarity and community in her classes is always worth it.

Although Canissa’s not a huge fan of social media, you can buy her biology and chemistry lesson plans and resources on teacherspayteachers.com on her store, Ninth Grade Shenanigans! As always, you can find this episode and much more on our Twitter and Instagram at @SelfCareSundays and on Facebook at @SelfCareSundaysPodcast.

This episode can also be found on Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, and RadioPublic.

The transcription for this episode is available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ToUDNE3qvq6BNZTdLYW4yjzVrv1bHFBlDJOylpby4Q/edit

Next Episode

Ep. 217: Audio Engineer Cato Zane

On our last episode of Season 2, we’re joined by a very special guest: our very own audio engineer, Cato Zane! As Cato has had the pleasure of listening to all our episodes, she’s the perfect candidate to help us reflect and sign off on another great season.

Cato gives us some insight on her life as a female audio engineer and dealing with sexism in a male-dominated career. She also tells us about her work with Playing for Change and Music for Peace San Diego. For her, choosing gigs that align with her personal/political interests, like working with inner-city kids, is her own form of self-care.

Cato also gives her own unique take on navigating cultural appropriation and the history of “whiteness.” She recounts her journey on finding out she has native lineage and the confusion that arises for many white-passing people. For her native relatives, assuming white culture serves as a way to evade oppression

You can check out Cato on her website and on Twitter. She’s also got a Youtube channel where she gives her own sound editing tutorials. Tune into her episodes here. As always, you can find this episode and much more on our Twitter and Instagram at @SelfCareSundays and on Facebook at @SelfCareSundaysPodcast.

This episode can also be found on Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. You can access the transcription for this episode here.