Ep. 172: These Conditions Are Not Working For Us

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EQ:  "In navigating the challenges posed by increasingly restrictive policies in the U.S. education system, how can educators strategically and actively build alliances to foster a more inclusive and just society?"

Guests: Candra McKenzie and Elana Eisen-Markowitz

In this episode, we discuss what it means for teachers to build alliances with peers and the community. Both Candra and EM have a wealth of knowledge as educators, activists, and organizers in their schools and respective communities. We discuss how schools have changed in the last 15 years and how the system continues to perpetuate inequalities and marginalized the traditionally marginalized. We touch on union involvement, teacher recruitment and retention, and the need to support educators of color and queer educators. 

Related Resources:


Reading Recommendations:

Do Your Fudging HW:

  • Hope: Black History Month–grab a book and get your read on

  • Candra: find something new to do & do it!

  • EM: Examine our policies for who is at the center (let’s challenge the conditions that exist that put people in these positions).

Ep. 171: Is the Enneagram a Tool for Good or for Evil?!

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EQ: How can understanding the cultural complexities of the Enneagram serve as a valuable lens to navigate race, class, and gender; offering insights into individual perspectives and fostering deeper understanding of societal challenges and opportunities?

In this episode we are joined by law-student and enneagram expert, Dayo Ajanuka, aka The Black Enneagram “Where the Enneagram Meets Black Culture”. She walks us through the various Enneagram types, why this is such a great tool for communication and behavior analysis, and how it might be weaponized in the workplace.

Additional Shouts:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Go take an enneagram test! Follow Dayo @the blackennegram

  • Megan: Don’t be in a silo

  • Dayo: read about it don’t just do an online test

Ep. 170: Ep. 170: Fostering Sisterhood Cross Culturally w/ Kimberlee Yolanda Williams

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EQ: How can white women and women of color actively work towards a sisterhood that furthers a more inclusive and equitable society?

In this episode of IWL, Kimberlee Yolanda Williams, co-founder Engaging Across Differences, unpacks her recent book "Dear White Women, Please Come Home:  hand me your bias and I’ll show you are connection”. The book explores the concept of being seen and centered, the idealization of sisterhood, microaggressions, and the search for genuine connections. Looking ahead, Kimberlee shares her hopes for changes in conversations around race, sisterhood, and equity. She envisions positive change and recommends resources for deeper exploration of the topics. The discussion wraps up with a mention of Kimberlee's new book project and information about Engaging Across Differences' offerings.

Related Sources:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: In the new year, recommit to learning and unlearning…to being part of the greater sisterhood.

  • Kimberlee: Look out for those moments happening around you and develop a toolkit for what to say–to interrupt the moment that is happening in front of you. Become part of my second book project! Send a message to women of color. 

Ep. 169: Seatbelts & Cinnamon Rolls--an IWL 2023 Year InReview

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EQ: What wild and unexpected twists did the journey of 2023 throw at us?

This year has turned out to be a ton of “buckle up” moments as we faced some bumpy roads. In many cases we re still holding on for dear life. In contrast, we had moments of sweet goodness that offered moments of respite and escape. These were our cinnamon rolls.

Ep. 168: The Merry Mayhem of Holiday Movies aka: How We Talk Doug Into Watching Corny Christmas Movies

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EQ: What makes holiday films a timeless and cherished part of the festive season, and how do they capture the essence of joy, tradition, and universal themes that resonate across generations?

In this episode, we try our darndest to convince Doug to watch at least one of these iconic (read: corny and sweet) Hallmark-esque Christmas movies. Send us your reactions, responses, and recommendations!

Related Articles:

Films We Referenced:

Ep. 167: Changing the Reading Landscape w/ Author Lily Chu

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EQ: How has the commitment to authenticity and intersectionality by  authors of color changed the writing landscape?

In this episode of IWL, we are joined by Lily Chu the author of The Stand-In (2022), The Comeback (2023), and The Takedown (2023). We chat about her identity as a writer, the role of representation in romance/chick lit and her zombie apocalypse team.  Pick up a copy of one of her books asap!

Champagne & Real Pain:

🥂Writers who use their platform to say something meaningful; My students Breast Cancer Awareness Event

🥂 Readers who pick up new books & expand their horizons

🥂College students who speak up about injustice and remind us to stay vigilant

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Hope: Of course–read The Stand In!

Lily: Read banned books!

Ep. 166: You Get an Opinion and You Get an Opinion!

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EQ: How do we navigate the tension between the dichotomies “silence is complicity” and “the loudest are the most ignorant” from a position of learning and allyship?

In this episode we talk all things opinions! From how we build them, to the validity of certain opinions and the tension between silence, complicity, and advocacy. We explore the practical side of things with  topics such as Black Lives Matters, transrights and other recent events.

Related Resources:

Grab a copy, start reading and tag us in your posts!

Ep. 165: Jessie Daniels "Nice White Ladies", Author Interview

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We are back to it with our #readlessbasic book club selection. Unlike previous book club conversations, we were lucky enough to connect with author Jessie Daniels to kick off this season’s book.

However, we start this episode with a brief note about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine right now.

We geeked out in this incredibly engaging conversation about historical perspectives on white women's roles, contemporary manifestations of white womanhood, and the complex interplay between whiteness, womanhood, and the perpetuation of white supremacy. We explored societal implications and personal reflections on breaking the cycle of generational whiteness. Lastly, Daniels discussed how her book aims to challenge readers to question and redefine their understanding of these entrenched societal structures.

There were many many references in this conversation so we will continue to add to this list.

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: One of the recs in this book is to examine who you’re surrounded by – read more than white folks; make non white friends; go to activities & events w/ nonwhite folks  

  • Megan: Do the work on yourself to make sure you are not going to take up the space when you occupy non-white spaces. Your whiteness has automatically centered your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in most spaces your whole life. I mean this in the kindest but most direct way possible, your feelings are not the most important in the room. 

  • Jessie: Take inventory of the spaces you occupy. Start by paying attention to your environments and how that creates feelings for you.

    • Join our #readlessbasic book club by reading NWL. Download the NWL Discussion Guide and get together with some friends. 

Ep. 164: White Women Trying To Fight White Supremacy

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Before we get into this week’s episode, we wanted to take a moment to talk about what’s happening in Palestine and Israel.

EQ: What actions can white folks (esp white women)  take to hold themselves accountable for the historical perpetuation of white supremacy, and what steps can we collectively take to reconcile our past and build a more equitable future?

Guests: Katy Swalwell and Mandy Griffin, co-host is the Our Dirty Laundry Podcast. Katy was a former guest on the show back in 2020 on Ep 64: Why We ALL Need an Equity Framework

It felt fitting to play a quick round of yeah, no yeah before jumping into the topic at hand–white women making a mess of things. Katy and Mandy share more of their story and the origins of the Our Dirty Laundry podcast.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Ep. 163: College Success is a Community Affair

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EQ: How can we enhance college readiness for Latinx students and bridge the educational opportunity gap to ensure their success in higher education?

Guest: Jael Rodas is a Mount Tahoma graduate and current  junior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Thanks to Channel 253 members Craig and Veronica Craker, we were introduced to Jael. In this episode we define what it means to be “college ready”, what this looks like specifically for Latinx students, what programs exist in the high school to support students’ success in higher ed, and what challenges are facing these students in degree completion. 

Programs Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Hispanic Heritage Month book rec (Sept 15-Oct 15 but you can read all year)–anything with Elizabeth Alcevedo “Clap When You Land” “With Fire on High”

  • Megan: check out these programs and find a way to support them!

  • Jael: support these program (financial or even volunteer)

Ep. 162: It's Fall Ya'll

Essential Question: What is it about fall traditions and the allure of pumpkin spice that brings people together and ignites a sense of nostalgia and comfort (or disgust) every year?

A special report from our fall correspondents…

In this silly episode we rank the worst fall seasonal signs, describe what fall means to us and a bunch of other nonsense. Most importantly, we launch our special fall correspondents series! Our first correspndents are the one and only interchangeable administrators, Jen and Kevin Zamira who give a report of pumpkin spice red vines.

Ep. 162: So Long Summer

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Essential Question: What lessons, memories, or moments do we want to remember from the summer of 2023?

As the sun sets on the summer of 2023, how do we want to remember the last several months? To celebrate the launch of the IWL_Podcast Instagram account, we are going to use some Insta lingo to help us categorize the events of the summer months. What would we use as our “lessons I learned from my summer” topics in a back-to-school assignment in a creative writing class? What do we want to bury deep in the recesses of our minds, never to think about again (aka permanently delete)? In this episode we save, archive, delete, and repost. 

Resources Referenced:


Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope & Megan: create your metaphorical “save”/archive for later and make a plan to revisit those monthly to keep your spirits up, grounded in joy, etc.

Ep. 161: On Burn Out, Trans Rights Advocacy, and Youth Allyship w/ Stella Keating

EQ: What can we learn from trans youth about advocacy and allyship in 2023?

Guest: Stella Keating, a special guest with her mother on Ep 33. “Shut Up & Listen to Youth Voices”

In this episode, we catch up with Stella Keating about her life, her advocacy work, and what she believes are the pressing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, specifical trans folks. She also share her perspective on activism and the how to be a better ally.

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Lavender Rights Project in Seattle–Black trans women (legal support & housing justice)

  • Megan: 17% percent turn out–vote and be aware of the calendar–local elections matter!

  • Stella: go to olympia!

Ep. 160: New Lunch Bag, Who Dis?

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EQ: How can we navigate the evolving landscape of education to ensure a successful and fulfilling return to school for students, educators, and families?

We are baaaack to school. Full disclosure, this is an educator centered episode so those of you who want to skip to the next episode, we don’t blame you! In this episode we discuss various feelings about the return to school. Megan opens up about her current state of affairs and Hope is already back in the classroom! This year she is focused on the role of psychological safety in collegial relationships. 

Related Links:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: approach this year with openness to others–how can you improve the psychological safety of your students and colleagues by your behaviors, interactions, etc? 

  • Megan:

Ep. 159: Troll, Troll, Troll Your Boat

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EQ: To what extent does the audacity of mediocre white, male opinions forced upon women cause us to NGAF about their opinions rather than convince us to listen to them?

In this episode we engage in a “critical reading” of a letter a former Tacoma Public School educator sent to Megan in response to her recent op-ed published in the Tacoma News Tribune. We break down the writer’s argument, offering counterclaims, different evidence and perspective on the issues at hand.

Related Links:

Ep. 158: The Edge of the Glass Cliff

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EQ: What is the glass cliff phenomenon, and how does it impact women and minority leaders in various industries?

Resources Referenced:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Megan: go read some of the articles linked above!

  • Hope: take inventory of your role in the workplace and how you can use your privilege to support those impacted by the glass cliff

Ep. 157: IWL LIVE!!!! Bored Housewives and the White Women Industrial Complex

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EQ: To what extent is the white lady industrial complex aka the white women consumerism pipeline demonstrative of the death-grip that the far-reaching tentacles of the patriarchy have on society?

This is a special LIVE episode recorded at the Channel 253 Fest a few weeks ago. The cast of characters included Megan Holyoke, Hope Teague-Bowling, and the one and only Annie Jansen. Enjoy our witty banter and social commentary about the white women industrial complex!

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Subscribe to Channel 253!

Ep. 156: SCOTUS Goons Never Die

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DISCLAIMER: Despite our extensive research, we were not aware of the mummerings about Lori Smith and the 303 Creative LLC v Elenis case being built upon fake evidence. Now of course, the information is everywhere as folks are picking apart the ruling and the case. Deepest apologies that we didn’t know about this prior to our conversation otherwise we would’ve addressed it. It further proves how absolutely ridiculous this case/ruling are.

EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

Just last episode we gave an update on recent SCOTUS rulings. Today we meet again to discuss some of the most unsurprising decisions and what they might mean for us. If you haven’t listened to our previous conversations check them out “the SCOTUS goons” and SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In.

Related Articles:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: The book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.”

  • Megan: Follow SCOTUSblog for nerdy, indepth cover of the Supreme Court.

Ep. 155: SCOTUS Rulings Trickle In

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EQ: What are some of the most significant Supreme Court cases this year and how could the ideological changes on the court impact the country?

In March we discussed what “the SCOTUS goons” were up to in an episode reviewing some significant cases. This episode we check-in on recent rulings, sharing surprises and reactions. Things may have changed since the recording but hopefully it’s still an insightful conversation.

Related Resources:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Check out this book Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court uses Stealth Ruling to amass power and undermine the Republic.” or his NPR Interview

  • Megan: Sign up to be a Channel 253 member and come to our live event on  June 29!

Ep. 154: People Shouldn't Have to Wait for Quality Care

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EQ: How can community-based healthcare initiatives effectively address the unique healthcare needs of diverse populations?

Hope is joined by a local Tacoma professional, Dr. Gena Poling co-founder of the Link Community Clinic,  Her passion for education, public  health, and justice drives her daily practice. In this episode, we learn more about her journey from teaching into the medical field, the origin story for the Link Community Clinic including how they weathered being a pro-vaccine institution in a pandemic. 

Shout out to Space Works for all their support!

Do Your Fudging Homework: