Ep. 21 - Raffela Mancuso on Fatphobia, Diet Culture & Passing the Damn Mic

Explicit content warning

08/07/20 • 66 min

Guest: Raffela Mancuso
Mental Illness Activist, Diet Culture Disrupter
About the episode:
Get ready to get real about Fatphobia, Diet Culture, Mental Health, Social Media Influencing, and the 'Body Positive' movement with Raffela Mancuso on this episode of the Mind Your Own Life Podcast. Raffela aptly describes herself as a 'Disruptor' and it was through her actions as such that I - and so many others - came across her and her big mission! In May 2020, Raffela decided to call in a handful of Self-Love Influencers on an Instagram Post for their thin privilege. Specifically, she was concerned about these Influencers not sharing the stage or 'passing the mic' to those who are in marginalized bodies, namely fat black women (who were the originators of the "Body Positive" movement). The post went viral. There were scores of negative comments and defensive responses to her post, but even more positive ones cheering her on for her transparency, allyship and courage. Since that point, Raffela's platform has grown and she continues to fight the good fight, educating and advocating for body equality. She recently started an initiative called #PassTheMic which calls on Influencers of any size to share their platform with those who need to be amplified. Listen in for a transparent conversation about a very important and relevant topic that applies to so many of us on social media.
About Raffela Mancuso:
Raffela Mancuso is a Diet Culture Disruptor, Mental Illness Activist and Body Equality Advocate based in Alberta.
Key Takeaways:

Fatphobia often happens behind closed doors: Thin influencers with a fraction of the # of followers as fat influencers are reportedly offered more collaborations and opportunities with brands on Instagram
The 'Body Positivity' movement was started by and for fat black women. 'Self-love' is for everyone.
Regardless of how large or small your platform is, it's important to start to #PassTheMic to others who are in marginalized bodies

Links:
Jameela Jamil's iWeigh Podcast Episode with Monroe Bergdorf: https://omny.fm/shows/i-weigh-with-jameela-jamil/munroe-bergdorf

Fatphobia often happens behind closed doors: Thin influencers with a fraction of the # of followers as fat influencers are reportedly offered more collaborations and opportunities with brands on Instagram
The 'Body Positivity' movement was started by and for fat black women. 'Self-love' is for everyone.
Regardless of how large or small your platform is, it's important to start to #PassTheMic to others who are in marginalized bodies

Links:
Jameela Jamil's iWeigh Podcast Episode with Monroe Bergdorf: https://omny.fm/shows/i-weigh-with-jameela-jamil/munroe-bergdorf

Previous Episode

Ep. 20 - Sandra Chuma on the Impact of Owning Your Story

Guest: Sandra Chuma
Speaker, Storyteller, Entrepreneur
Founder, NDINI Media, Woman on Fire Summit, Verified Talent

About this episode:

Sandra Chuma is one of the most inspirational women I have ever come across. Sandra was raised in a mud hut with no running water or electricity in Zimbabwe and, thanks to the sacrifices of her family, she had the opportunity to attend university in the UK, where she worked two full-time jobs while also attending school full-time. Since then she has held many positions, from working in factories and fast food restaurants to being a business analyst, project manager, corporate trainer, and management consultant. Most recently, Sandra has become an Entrepreneur building multiple successful businesses. Most recently she has created NDINI and Woman on Fire. NDINIis a podcast and media platform that supports women of African descent as they share their powerful stories. The Woman on Fire Summit, a safe, inclusive and judgement-free event for any woman who is committed to achieving her dreams, and is ready to invest in herself.

Two of the words used to describe Sandra are ‘Storyteller’ and ‘Fire Starter’, both of which I believe to be accurate as I’ve been following along on her journey over the past few months. When I met her at an event back in January, I knew immediately that I wanted to learn more about her and her mission. I am very honoured to have had the opportunity to interview Sandra for the podcast and very grateful that she was willing to share her story with The Mind Your Own Life Podcast listeners.

On today’s episode, Sandra shares how she became the Creator, Founder, Entrepreneur and Speaker she is today. She talks about how much her life has changed since leaving her home country of Zimbabwe, how she feels when she returns home and how it has propelled her create opportunities for other African women to share their stories. In addition to this, we discuss the heightened awareness around racial injustice in 2020, ‘cancel culture’, and Sandra’s thoughts about the ways to work towards equality. Finally, in relation to her inaugural ‘Woman on Fire Summit’ event originally set to take place in April, Sandra shares how she had to pivot quickly and ultimately postpone the event.

Tune in now to hear all the inspiration!

About Sandra Chuma:
Sandra Chuma is inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. She believes that our greatest responsibility is to share our stories so we can inspire and create a possibility for others.

Sandra is the founder of NDINI, a platform focused on telling the stories of inspiring, trailblazing women of African descent. In the words of Liberian Peace Activist Leymah Gbowee:

“You have not heard it before, because it is an African woman’s story, and our stories rarely are told. I want you to hear mine.”

NDINI aims to inspire, educate and entertain, and to encourage all women to believe in who they are and what they’re truly capable of.

She is also the founder of Woman on Fire Summit, an event that brings women of all races and backgrounds together for a high-energy day of inspiration, transformation, connection and entertainment.

Sandra’s mission is to bring awareness to stories that celebrate our infinite potential. Through multimedia content, live events, mentorships, and merchandise, Sandra’s mission is to ignite every woman’s inner fire, so they can reach for the ‘more’ they were meant to have; and to inspire them to create better futures for themselves and their communities.