Podcasts by Empowerment Starts Here

Ep72- The Case of BLM with Dr. C. Eric Ervin from 2021-09-05T12:07:40

This episode is the fifth conversation in the Black Lives Matter
series.  In it, you will hear Dr. Ervin talk about the collapse of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for black peo...

Ep71- The Case of BLM with Reverend Valerie Bridgeman from 2020-10-31T20:31:11

This episode is the fourth conversation in the Black Lives Matter series where empowerment starts here with Reverend Dr. Valerie Bridgeman.  In this call, Rev. Valerie links BLM to the spiritual...

Ep70-The Case of BLM with Senator Lena Taylor from 2020-10-14T02:00

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Senator Lena Taylor from Wisconsin.  The Senator joins this BLM series as a public servant trying to disrupt social margins for her constituents whi...

Ep69- The Case of BLM with Demetrius Bennett (Y-DOT) from 2020-09-29T08:46:17

In this episode, the Informant, a local artist, talks black lives matter through the lens of a black man growing up in Milwaukee, WI.  He talks about his lived experiences with life, liberty and...

Ep68-The Case of BLM with Henry Leonard from 2020-09-16T03:53:01

In this episode, Henry Leonard talks about public education and black lives matter through the lens of a union worker.  He also shares his perspective on life as a contested experience for black...

Ep67- Introducing Season 6: The Case of Black Lives Matter from 2020-09-15T17:57:16

This episode is the first of a season of seven where the host explores what black lives matter means to her on a personal level and then engages with others to find out what it means to them as ...

The Case of ESH (Ep61) from 2020-02-05T00:52:32

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Ep54- The Case of Capital and School Choice from 2019-06-26T02:17:29

In this episode, the informant talks about the capital required for parents to enroll their children in charter public schools and the ways in which this requirement violates the tenets of free ...

Ep53- The Case of EduColor from 2019-05-30T12:07:37

In the recorded conversation, the Informant talks about public school employment for educators of color and how it differs from what their white counterparts experience. He also talks about educ...

Ep52- The Case of Racism from 2019-05-01T02:18

Contrary to public treatment, racism is not just about the n-word. It is also not just about blatant discrimination on the grounds of color.  In this episode, the host talks about the subtleties...

Ep51- The Case of Black Love from 2019-04-17T02:42:25

In the Case of Black Love, the informants talk about happiness, love, sex, sexuality, sexual assault, black men, black women, black consciousness, R. Kelly, Judge Kavanough, polyamory and monoga...

Ep50- The Case of Words from 2019-04-03T01:07:30

In this episode, the informant shares insight on words and the human experience those words represent. She talks about writing, publishing and the development of the mind. In the close out, the ...

Ep49- The Case of Sex from 2019-03-20T01:16

In this episode, the informant and host talk about sex from a sociological perspective.  Together, they interrogate ideas on sex as an act of pleasure, the right to have pleasurable sex, and the...

Ep48- The Case of the Sunken Place from 2019-03-05T02:42:54

The Sunken Place is a term/metaphor borrowed from Jordan Peele's movie, Get Out.  In this episode, the host proposes four conditions that creates this condition. Instead discussing raci...

Ep47- The Case of the Critical from 2018-12-11T18:19:13

To be critical is to understand all events, experiences and phenomenon by examining their relationship with the social world.  One who is critical accepts the social world as a series of interco...

Ep46- The Case of Role Reversal from 2018-11-20T23:16:54

In this episode, the informant talks about three levels of power shifting:  the power shift that happens at the classroom level when whiteness is de-centered in the literature read by black and ...

Ep45- The Case of White Male Privilege and Identity from 2018-11-13T20:41:10

In this episode, four ESH returns come back to talk about a common theme they share: being white, male and privileged.   In this conversation is Chris Thinnes from Ep03 (The Case of Allyship in ...

Ep44- The Case of the Awkward White Feminist from 2018-11-06T14:40:25

In this episode, the informant models what it means to be unapologetic around issues relating to women.  She talks boldly about birth control, about abortions as a reproductive right, about bein...

Ep43- The Case of Social Class from 2018-10-30T14:58:35

In this episode, the host talks about property, power and prestige as conditions of social class; about class inconsistency and class stratification; and about the consequences of a social class...

Ep42- The Case of Being Black at School from 2018-10-23T21:49:34

In this episode, the informant talks about being black at school as a psychosocial phenomenon impacting black students and families, black educators, and black community stakeholders.  She also ...

Ep41- The Case of Standardized Tests from 2018-10-16T22:14:05

In this episode, Dr. Marachi offers a critique on standardized testing as part of a larger phenomenon of big data and predictive analytics.  She talks about testing as relating to resource distr...

Ep40- The Case of Rejecting the Middle from 2018-10-09T16:55:42

In this episode, the informant talks about individualism versus collectivism (in terms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness); about traditionalism versus innovation (in terms of critica...

Ep39- The Case of Judge Kavanaugh from 2018-10-02T02:27:32

This case explores three themes extracted from Senate hearings around the Supreme Court vacancy and the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh: body and space; power-over; and the contested ...

Ep38- The Case of Giftedness from 2018-09-25T22:57:06

In this episode, we spend a good chunk of time talking politically about giftedness, about the federal definition provided for gifted and talented programming, and about the ways in which capita...

Ep37- The Case of Bioethics and Race from 2018-09-19T00:30:59

In this episode, the informant talks about medicine and the health profession in terms of how prepared it is (or not) in dealing with communities of color.  

To access show notes and reso...

Ep36- The Case of Low-income Black Fathers from 2018-09-11T19:41:35

In this episode, the informant talks about socioeconomic conditions of fathering and challenges faced by black, low-income dads (unemployment, housing and mental health).  In the closeout, the h...

Ep35-The Case of Social Change from the Margins from 2018-09-04T15:05:15

When you have multiple access points to powerlessness, the work of social change can seem impossible—even secondary to the work of survival.  But nonetheless, there are those of us fighting for ...

Ep34- (Part 2) The Case of Self and the Resistance from 2018-06-16T01:01:15

In this eisode, the host focuses on the social world as relating to the power and privilege afforded to specific cognitive functions (within Meyers Briggs personality  theory).  She also brings ...

Ep33- The Case of Self and the Resistance from 2018-05-30T22:26:30

The final case is being presented over two episodes allowing for an adequate representation of two related yet distinct discussions.  In the first episode (Ep33), the host provides an argument f...

Ep32- The Case of Critical Race Feminism from 2018-05-22T03:44:20

In this episode, the informant talks about self-love and self-care as liberatory practices.  She provides a five-part construct on critical race feminism.  She also talks about the bleeding natu...

Ep31- The Case of the Academy and Women of Color from 2018-05-16T04:57:39

In this episode, the informant explores racism and sexism in higher education.  

To get more of a description and access resources mentioned in the conversation, please visit our webpage:...

Ep30- The Case of Race and Dignity from 2018-05-08T22:49:38

In this episode, the informant talked about dignity as a sense of mutual self-worth within the human race and race and gender as social constructs that serve to disrupt our overall sense of onen...

Ep29-The Case of Student Power from 2018-05-02T04:56:12

In this episode, the host talks about student power as a practice of teaching and learning.  She makes a case that it is an essential element of student empowerment... specifically relating to l...

Ep28- The Case of Integrity and Its Price from 2018-04-24T16:46:41

In this episode, the informant talks about what happens when your life becomes the place of protest impacting your body, your home and your reputation. In it, you will learn how she handled atta...

Ep27- The Case of the Black Female Educator from 2018-04-10T20:36:05

In this episode, the informant talks about the unique teaching style of black female educators that comes from suffering and surviving in an inequitable society.  Whil...

Ep26- The Case of Taking a Knee in Math from 2018-04-03T23:33:56

In the recorded call, you are going to hear the informant offer four (possibly five) ways that math teachers can do social justice work in a math classroom (and beyond).

To access show no...

Ep25- The Case of Technology and Schooling from the Margins from 2018-03-27T20:05:28

A significant portion of this case explores race and gifted and talented programming. The case also explores issues around testing and cultural biases, digital natives and digital immigrants, Ge...

Ep24- The Case of Learning and Moving from 2018-03-21T00:21:09

In this conversation, you will learn about movement as vital to building brain cells, moving information from short-term into long-term memory, and positioning students as co-constructors of kno...

Ep23- The Case of City X from 2018-03-13T21:05:40

This episode explores American Apartheid as a system of structures that routinely disadvantages people of color for the advantage of white Americans:  wealth, housing, education, mass media, and...

Ep22- The Case of Two Times from 2018-03-06T16:12:57

This episode is based on a song entitled Two Times written and performed by the informant (Jerr...

Ep21- The Case of Family Secrets from 2018-02-27T23:37:11

This case can be divided into two halves.  The first half is where the informant talks about family secrets, why it is a topic for her, and how she was frustrated upon discovering some of her fa...

Ep20- The Case of Divorce, God and Sexuality from 2018-02-20T08:14:16

This is a conversation about divorce, God and sexuality. To access the show notes, please visit:  http://wp.me/p4MtzN-93

Ep19- The Case of Black Women Loving White Men from 2018-02-13T22:52:21

This is a conversation about race, love and belonging.  To get a full description, please visit:  https://empowermentstartshere.net/the-eshpodcast/

Ep18 The Case of the Black Female Voice from 2018-02-06T21:57:20

Episode 17 - The Case of Power and Season 1 from 2017-12-05T08:29:49

In this episode, the host brings closure to the season by sharing the different lessons offered on power.  There were 12 informants in Season 1 and as they are highlighted in this episode, liste...

Episode 16 - The Case of Healing, Surviving and Thriving Pt. 2 from 2017-11-28T05:00

In today’s conversation, Imani Evans talks about how she took her experience with trauma and made it her life’s work. Specifically, she argues that the very thing that made her want to die is th...

Episode 15: The Case of Healing, Surviving and Thriving from 2017-11-21T05:00

In this episode, Imani Evans, a therapist and activist for women and girls healing from sexual and domestic violence, presents Part 1 of The Case of Healing, Surv...

Episode 14: The Case of the Upper Lower Class from 2017-11-14T05:00

In this episode, C. Eric Ervin, a former emergency medical doctor, provides listeners with a compelling proposition about class, human behaviors and social well-being.

Episode 13: The Case of Therapy and Well Being from 2017-11-07T05:00

This week Empowerment Starts Here with informant Kaitlin Popielarz in the Case of Therapy and Well Being. In it she discusses working with a therapist as a form of self care, the stigma that can...

Episode 12: The Case of the Social Change Organization from 2017-10-31T04:00

In this episode (Ep12), Empowerment Starts Here with Angela Dye (the host). With the Case of the Social Change Organization, Angela offers a 4-part construct for organizations promoting social c...

Episode 11: The Case of Knowing and Learning from 2017-10-24T04:00

In this episode, the informant takes a look at what it means to know. Mary Diez looks at the actual nature of knowing and the conscious role of the learner as the knower.
She explores scho...

Episode 10: The Case of Critical Literacy from 2017-10-17T04:00

In this episode (Ep10), Empowerment Starts Here with Dr. Paul Thomas in the Case of Critical Literacy.

As you listen, you will hear Dr. Thomas interrogate the difference between intention...

Episode 09: The Case of Gradelessness from 2017-10-10T04:00

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Peter Anderson.  In it, Peter talks about why he went gradeless; what he learned about the schooling industry once grades were removed from his prac...

Episode 08: The Case of Authentic Leadership from 2017-10-03T04:00

In three segments, the host (flying solo) talks about authentic leadership. First, she explains the inspiration to authentic leadership as a concept. Next, she provides a concrete construct for ...

Episode 07: The Case of Strengths and Being from 2017-09-26T04:00

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Kathleen Devine where she reveals individual strengths as a power source to be fully whole. In this conversation, Kathleen also connects being whole...

Episode 06: The Case of Hating High School from 2017-09-19T04:00

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Nikhil Goyal. Nikhil talks about the impetus to school reform. It all started as a high school student and knowing that his needs as a learner were ...

Episode 05: The Case of Passion and Pursuit from 2017-09-12T04:00

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Roger Harris (Artist/Performer) and Joshua Howard (Musician/Producer). Not only are Roger and Joshua both pursuing their artistry, they are both for...

Episode 04: The Case of Critical Self Reflection from 2017-09-05T04:00

In the episode, Empowerment Starts Here with the Host (she’s flying solo). In it, she speaks about the practice of critical self-reflecting. She talks through foundational conditions required fo...

Episode 01: The Case of Being Black, Female and Human from 2017-08-23T01:00:17

In this episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Angela Walker. In it, she talks about the vocation to be human (as defined by Paulo Freire in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed [1970]). In the...

Episode 03: The Case of Allyship in Context from 2017-08-20T19:42:42

In the episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Chris Thinnes. In it, he speaks transparently about his shift in allyship... going from working with people (specifically students) of color to talki...

Episode 02: The Case of Inclusive Faith from 2017-08-20T19:06:08

In the episode, Empowerment Starts Here with Rev. Gwen Thomas. In it, she speaks passionately about the value of not only welcoming people in their differences but celebrating them in their diff...

Episode 00: A Podcast About Power, Social Change and Disrupting the Margins (Introduction) from 2017-08-18T01:29:56

This episode provides an overview of the Empowerment Starts Here podcast as a new project.  In it, the host describes the relevance of power for social change.  She describes six treatments of p...