Diverse Joy

S2E09: Discovering Room To Grow! With Guest Sandy Eichel

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Will, Amber, and returning guest Sandy Eichel are dressed up in purple and green to celebrate Spring! Sandy shares their joy about early spring flowers, Amber continues that thread sharing her joy about the flower farms and tulip festival in Oregon, and Will’s joy is using butterfly pea flower tea to make color-changing cocktails! 
Sandy leads off the discussion about how to find joy in discovering you have room to grow. The hosts and Sandy discuss how to maintain positive motivation when you make a mistake, or when someone else points out a mistake to you. They also discuss some of the ways things can go wrong with someone who isn’t able to accept constructive feedback related to bias. This discussion produces several handy insights into how our emotional reactions to feedback can be used for good, to help us make progress, or how our emotional reactions can lead us astray, if we get too defensive or upset. One major area of discussion includes how some folks can have very strong emotional reactions to issues that don’t actually affect their lives at all (e.g., non-transgender folks having very strong emotional reactions to trans* people just existing). These strong reactions often arise from societal norms, more than any strong personal values that have been consciously examined and adopted. Habit disruption results in frustrated feelings, but try to redirect them and “get curious, not furious”! This discussion also leads the host to talking about how the “coming out” process that LGBTQ+ folks go through often involves examining and challenging societal norms, and also ways to expand your friend group beyond people who are similar to you. 
During story time, Sandy shares a negative story about someone being hostile about LGBTQ+ people even existing, and they share a more positive story about someone having a negative reaction to LGBTQ+ topics at first, but they later came around and thanked Sandy for the education Sandy provided. This story time also opens the door for discussion of how you can and should set boundaries and protect yourself during difficult conversations. This month’s audience question involves pronouns, specifically whether it might be good or useful to use “they” as a default pronoun for everyone until you know their actual gender identity and pronouns. That also opens the door to another question, about cisgender people using “she/they” or “he/they” as their stated pronouns, as a way to signal that they are open and accepting to diverse gender identities.This episode’s habit-breaking skill is Don’t Rely on Personal Objectivity. It backfires when people bluntly believe that they are objective when making decisions, leading to more, rather than less, bias. Objectivity is something you can strive for, but never think you’ve achieved it. We’re better served by being mindful of ways biases may influence us. This discussion also gets into learning about how to question your self-talk. The episode wraps up with Sandy’s joyful recommendation of the inspiring, calming, and beautiful reality show, “Escape to the Chateau”, which is a comfort show for Sandy, and it inspires them to try new things. The folks from that show also have a great podcast, called “Dick and Angel’s Chat…eau”.

S2E08: Unpacking the Science and Controversy around "Implicit Bias"

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March is Disneybound* month, something Amber enjoys every year, so for this month’s episode, we got dressed up as Chip (Will) and Dale (Amber) from Disney’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers!What’s bringing us joy this time? Will shares about how much joy cosplay brings to him, and getting to inhabit a character who’s someone other than himself - even if it’s a villain. And Amber talks about the joy she got from taking some of the high schoolers she mentors to Atlanta to tour HBCUs and helping them realize they could go to those types of schools. This episode’s main discussion focuses understanding what implicit bias is, and the controversy around the Implicit Association Test (IAT), and the ways in which it gets used without proper context and how that can create bad data (and how it negatively affects meta analyses of stereotyping and bias research). The discussion topic leads into the audience question where Will explains terminology variations regarding unintentional bias versus unconscious bias vs implicit bias (and how and why he prefers “unintentional bias” but for our purposes, they’re essentially the same thing).This episode’s habit-breaking skill is to Be Mindful of Your Input, because your social environment and the media all influence how you think, particularly related to marginalized or stereotyped groups. This discussion carries us into story time, where Will relates a story about a very young White boy whose only regular exposure to Black folks was on the TV show COPS and how that lead to an embarrassing situation; and Amber shares about a time she accidentally assumed a name that was difficult for her to pronounce belonged to the only Latin intern in her group, but she acknowledged the mistake and explained how it happened - rather than trying to ignore the error - and the intern graciously understood and forgave her. The episode wraps up with Amber’s joyful recommendation of Trixie Motel the motel (and then home) makeover show staring Trixie Mattel! *Disneybounding: If you are bound for (traveling to) a Disney Parks property, Disney does not allow adults in costumes (unless it’s a special event), so fans will create versions of Disney character outfits using “everyday clothes” rather than costumes, hence Disneybounding. 

S2E07: Living Black History! With Guest Bernie Hoes

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For this Black History Month episode, Will wears the Black History Month colors while Amber dresses in an Ankara print; they are joined by educator Bernie Hoes.  What’s bringing us joy? For Will, it's an Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy he attended with friends; for Amber, it's Portland's My People's Market, a gathering of diverse vendors and entrepreneurs; and for Bernie, fellowship with good friends!Because it's Black History Month, the discussion focuses on the idea of Living Black History. It's a great discussion, with many great topics, ranging from Chocolate City in Baltimore, other Black neighborhoods in predominately White cities, sundown cities and counties, George Floyd, Walidah Imarisha, Snoop Dogg and Niecy Nash-Betts, Black vernacular and code-switching, to how Blackness is not a monolith, the "tyranny of categories," and so much more. Did it result in our longest episode to date? It sure did! But we know you'll find it fun and enlightening. For story time, Amber shares about a well-intentioned but unfortunately poorly executed diversity effort, and Bernie has a positive story about a student using “gay” derogatorily, but other students stepped in to question his word choice correct the behavior. Our audience question asks Bernie about the intersection of being Black and gay.This episode’s habit-breaking skill is Don’t Try To Ignore Group Statuses, meaning don’t try to ignore race or other group statuses, but rather acknowledge how they affect the lives of people, and watch out for how they could create biases! The episode wraps up with Bernie’s joyful recommendation of "House Hunters" as a lovely insight into diverse people's lives! 

S2E06: Joy in Challenging Beauty Standards

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We help you ring in the New Year with this month's episode (released New Year's Day)!Will shares that (last year's) New Year's Eve festivities brought him joy; and Amber gives us an inside look at her Spotify Wrapped. This episode's main discussion topic is Beauty Standards and the Halo Effect (allowing people whom you might find more attractive to get away with things that you might not let people you find less attractive to get away with - see the TV show "You" as a great example of "the character is a stalker, but he's hot, so it's kind of okay!"). For story time, Will recounts a negative story about what could have been a human resources violation at a workplace related to a married couple where the wife was up for a promotion and the boss wanted to make sure she did not wind up with a pay bump that would have resulted in her making more money than her husband, but the HR person stepping in to stop that nonsense; followed up by a more positive story that ties into the main Beauty Standards topic, and how "Star Trek: Discovery" had a lovely storyline about a "repulsive looking" alien character finding love in the final season of the show (with a more traditionally beautiful character). In response to this month's audience question, Amber and Will discuss name bias and the ways in which it can negatively impact folks, such as applying for jobs (and ways in which to potentially combat that bias).  The bias habit-breaking skill in this episode is to Adopt a Cumulative Perspective on Bias, which requires understanding that just because you might think if you slip up and express bias towards someone, you should acknowledge that your "one time slip up" is actually probably one of dozens of "slip ups" that person has been the recipient of that day - because bias, even minor slips - aren't actually rare and isolated incidents for those people experiencing them.The episode wraps up with Amber's joyful recommendation of "Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins", a travel show hosted by a larger bodied Black man, who doesn't let the lack of accommodations for heavier folks stand in his way of having all the life experiences he wants to have (like skydiving).

S2E05: Christmas is NOT Cancelled: Moving Past Cancel Culture

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This month's episode focuses on the holiday season. We share holiday-related joy! Amber discusses visiting Disneyland during the holidays and the extra magic it brings! Will's joy is his friends' annual (faux) gingerbread crafting party.
This episode's main discussion topic focuses on cancel culture and how to move past cancel culture to have productive and constructive conversations when someone makes a mistake. This leads us to touch on many timely and important topics, including how to maintain accountability without "canceling" someone, the difference between guilt and shame, how to "call people in" rather than "call them out", and how to have productive conversations about correcting language that others might use without realizing it's offensive or problematic. This brings up several widely publicized instances of public figures being criticized (in some cases, we suggest, too severely) for honest mistakes or misunderstandings, as well as some cases of public figures who doubled down on their offensive rhetoric.
For story time, Amber and Will both share stories related to difficult or productive conversations, which provides them a with a chance to discuss the negative and positive impacts those conversations can have. In response to this month's audience question, they provide additional advice on how to manage discussions about difficult or polarizing topics, and how to "respond" to criticism, rather than merely "reacting" to it.
The habit-breaking skill in this episode is to Listen With Humility. When others bring up an issue related to bias, diversity, or related topics, have enough humility to hear what they have to say, and be willing to question your own way of thinking. Growth and change require some discomfort!
And we close out with Will's joyful recommendation of the adorable, charming, cute, and quirky movie, "A Christmas Movie Christmas".

S2E04: Learning About Immigration With Guest Valeria Martinez

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In this episode we have a very special guest, Valeria Martinez, Esq., who is an immigration attorney and joins Drs. Cox and Nelson to talk about immigration issues! We share joy! Valeria's joy is that after recently graduating from law school, she has now "made it" and is employed her lifelong goal of being an immigration lawyer! Will's joy is his 40th birthday this month, and being named one of Madison, Wisconsin's "Forty Under 40" class of 2024 by InBusiness Magazine. Amber's joy is her "forty before 40" list of forty new grand experiences she is working on before she turns 40 next year!
This episode's discussion topic involves immigration, especially legal issues related to immigration. With our guest, we talk through some an array of topics and history related to immigration in the United States, including the Chinese exclusion act, the "undesirable aliens act" of 1929, the State Department's Diversity Visa program, country caps on immigration, the role of the law in mandating fairness, asylum seekers, the definition of migrants as compared to refugees, and more!
For story time, Valeria shares difficult stories related to her parents immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico, and more joyous stories related to immigration victories in her legal work today. In response to this month's audience question, Valeria gives you her best advice related to what people should look for in an immigration attorney.
The habit-breaking skill in this episode is to Broaden Your Input via Contact. In other words, seeking more positive, genuine contact with people different from you. Make new friends! Although we often assume someone of a different race or other group status won't have much in common with us, the reality is that you likely share more in common than you think; all you need is one small thing in common as a foundation to build a genuine relationship. As we build positive connections with people from different groups, those connections and relationships push back against biases in our minds. Genuine relationships then also can serve as resources for helping us to learn more about the experiences and perspectives of people in other social groups.
And we close out with Valeria's joyful recommendation of the wholesome and multifaceted K-Drama, "The King's Affection". It was so lovely to have Valeria as our guest this episode.

S2E03: The Joy of Learning via Analogy In Media

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October means it's our Halloween episode! For the occasion, Amber is dressed up as Weird Barbie from Barbie (2023) and Will is dressed up as Quicksilver from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)! We share joy! Amber's joy is getting together with her family to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters; Will shares his joy about his friends' massive annual Halloween party, with a different theme each year! This episode's discussion topic involves the power of analogy in media representations. Although we talk about how media representation matters in terms of literal portrayals in each episode during our joyful recommendation segment, often the media can provide powerful analogies to teach meaningful lessons, and that's what we dig into during this main topic. This month's audience question asks why dressing in costumes of other cultures is often considered offensive, and we talk about the nuances around this topic. For story time, Will and Amber continue the thread from the question and share anecdotes related to costumes and culture and setting expectations for what costumes are or are not acceptable in a given context. The habit-breaking skill in this episode involves favoring mindfulness over blunt, ineffective approaches to bias reduction. Specifically, Don't Try to Bluntly Suppress Stereotypes! Bluntly pushing thoughts out of your mind actually makes those thoughts have a bigger influence on your subsequent thinking and behavior. And we close out with Amber's joyful recommendation of the heartwarming, insightful, and impactful Disney/Pixar movies Inside Out and Inside Out 2.

S2E02: Questioning Colonialist Assumptions

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For this Labor Day month episode, Amber and Will are dressed up as Rosie (and Ross) the Riveter!
We share joy! Will's joy is visiting Disney Parks, especially Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which puts you on the immersive Star Wars planet of Batuu. Amber shares her joy about a recent project in which she reads fiction book series then watches their corresponding movies!
This episode's discussion topic involves the concept of colonialism and decolonization, in which we seek to understand and examine personal or cultural practices that arise from colonial history. These practices can include things like leadership styles, decision-making procedures, and inherent hierarchies. The goal with this idea is not to necessarily reject "colonialist" ways of doing things, but to examine whether they are the way we want to move forward, or if we're just perpetuating the way "things have always been done" without critical examination.
During story time, Will and Amber share stories related to people falsely adopting identities they do not hold, including the notion of "pretendians", which are people who pretend to have Native American Indian heritage.
This month's audience question is about how to speak up for JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) work when you're a member of spaces that don't have much diversity.
This episode’s habit-breaking skill is to Question Assumptions, and discussion of that skill taps into many areas, including how more assertive communication styles tend to dominate in science and academic domains.
And we close out with Amber's joyful recommendation of Beyoncé's invigorating and revolutionary album, Cowboy Carter.Shout-outs this episode include Disney World and Disney Land, especially Galaxy's Edge. We also mentioned Nicole Byer's "Newcomers" podcast. Books we discussed include "The Education of Little Tree" by Asa Earl Carter under the pseudonym Forrest Carter and "Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang. We also discuss the broadway musical "Hamilton." Amber also encourages you to check out the writing of her beloved and insightful friendtor Jude Bergkamp to learn more about decolonialism and decolonization! Will also wants to shout out the amazing Black country music star, Brittney Spencer, who was on the "Cowboy Carter" album. Check out her recent album, "My Stupid Life" (it's a bop!) and also her interview on The Daily Show with Dulcé Sloan, where they discuss many great topics related to Black women and country music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEb03tPe9eQ

S2E01: Why Joy is Important for Diversity Work

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This episode is the season premier of season 2! Will and Amber share their joy about people's responses to season 1 of the podcast, and also about their recent trip to the Bristol Renaissance Faire! They discuss the core philosophy behind "diverse joy", and why joy is so crucial for diversity work. During story time, Amber's stories touch on the theme of "yucking someone's yum", which can rob joy from others. In response to our audience question, we discuss how to stay motivated in the face of events and movements that oppose justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) work. During the skills segment, we revisit the core idea of how to Approach Bias as a Habit to Be Broken, which involves Motivation, Awareness, Tools, and Effort. We also discuss why and how we focus on developing skills that empower people to make changes to their own behaviors, rather than prescribing or enforcing "rules" about what is or isn't acceptable. This episode's joyful recommendation is the suspenseful and exciting Star Wars TV show, "the Acolyte".Also check out these shout-outs from this episode! Will mentioned his and Eric Roman's favorite Star Trek podcast, "The Greatest Generation" which reviews old Star Trek episodes (also check out its sibling podcast, "The Greatest Trek", that reviews new Star Trek and also Battlestar Galactica), they are  @GreatestTrek  on YouTube and on social media, and special thanks to their producer Wynde Priddy for helping us out! Amber and Will also mentioned the Bristol Renaissance Faire @BristolRenaissance on Insta and https://renfair.com/bristol/, at which we saw amazing shows by Barely Balanced @barelybalanced and Adam Crack @winrichadam. Amber mentions her nonprofit For Us By Us: Kinship Coalition, and Chris Rock's Documentary "Hair". Will also mentioned a book he thought was called "Hair", but we couldn't find it! Maybe he misremembers the title. Apologies! Amber also discusses her Psychology Today piece, "Catching One's Breath in the age of "I Can't Breathe"" interview. Last but not least, we also mention Eric Roman's photography, which you can check out at https://www.erbeining.com.

S1E14: Addressing Biases and Inequities in Healthcare

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In this final episode of Season 1, Amber shares her joy about vacationing in Hawai'i, and Will shares his joy about the Madison Chamber Orchestra's annual "Concerts on the Square" outdoor concert series. We discuss many different ways that biases can seep into healthcare settings, through the perceptions of medical professionals, treatment plans, policies and procedures in medical offices, and even in the way medical equipment works. During story time, Will shares stories about a doctor jumping to biased conclusions about him, and also about finding a much better, more inclusive and accepting doctor. This month's habit-breaking skill is learning to disrupt Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, in which our expectations about others bring out the behaviors we were expecting, with people living up to our heightened expectations, or living down to lowered expectations. Amber's joyful recommendation is the visually and musically stunning masterpiece, "Encanto."