In this episode of The Lens: Living Diverse, host Ben sits down with the legendary Kelly MacDonald, celebrated broadcaster and host of AMI’s Kelly & Company. Kelly shares his journey as a Black man living with sight loss navigating the entertainment and broadcasting industry. He reflects on the challenges and triumphs of breaking into an industry that, at one time, overlooked diversity in race, disability, and body image. Kelly discusses the evolution of representation in media and addresses questions about identity, including the perception of “not sounding Black” within both the Blind community and society at large. He also offers practical advice for aspiring entertainers and broadcasters about overcoming similar barriers. Don’t miss this insightful episode where Kelly lifts the lid on the wisdom beneath his signature fedora!

You can find Kelly on:
Instagram: @kellyandcoami 
X (Twitter): @amikellymac

The Lens: Living Diverse – Some Great Company with Kelly MacDonald

Happy New Year from the team at WLRN!

This month, Lola Bessis takes the reigns and offers up an interview she did with an 18 year-old UN Women nonprofit organizer who wishes to remain anonymous. They have a lively discussion about what it means to be a globally minded feminist and the work our guest does for women and girls and how it feels to be from the global south and to usually be the youngest member of the panels and organizations she participates in.

First up, hear the greeting from WLRN founding member, Thistle. If you would like to apply to be WLRN's new Business Manager, please reach out to us at info@wlrnmedia.com. We need a new volunteer to manage WLRN's finances, fundraising and website as we transition to becoming an LLC. If we are unable to fill this position by the end of February, we may not be able to continue the good work of WLRN so please apply! No experience is necessary! 

After the greeting, stay tuned for WLRN's world news segment with Mary O'Neill in which she reports on the impact the Cass Review is having in the UK, the Taliban and the plight of Gisele Pelicot. After the news, you'll hear the street song "El violador eres tú" from five years ago when women in Latin America took it to the streets and it went viral worldwide.

After the song, hear the interview Lola did with a young UN Women organizer who talks about what it's like to be young and a feminist organizer, and who shares her views on the importance of solidarity in our movement.

Finally, both Lola and Sekhmet chime in with commentaries on the subject before we sign off.  Thank you, as ever, for tuning in to WLRN!

Edition 105: Toward a Globally Minded Feminism with Lola, Anonymous & Sekhmet SheOwl

This week on The Lens: Living Diverse, Ben sits down with Anne Mok, a content creator, public speaker, author, storyteller, and advocate. Anne shares her identities and experiences as an Asian woman with sight loss who immigrated to Canada at a young age, reflecting on what her culture means to her. Once shy, Anne found confidence through the power of storytelling. With her calm presence, she shares insights on how to overcome challenges, embrace authenticity, and encourages others to share their stories. Whether you're looking for motivation or practical storytelling tips, this episode will leave you feeling empowered and ready to view life through a lens of purpose.

The Lens: Living Diverse – Finding Purpose in View with Anne Mok

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDDJBS2Y
Audiobooks: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/808423
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rainbow-aint-never-been-enuf-kaila-adia-story/1146173663?ean=2940191023175
Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780807018569-the-rainbow-ain-t-never-been-enuf

ABOUT
A queer Black feminist debunks the myth of rainbow solidarity, repositioning Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people at the forefront of queer pasts, presents, and futures

Your favorite Black queer studies professor Kaila Adia Story says the rainbow ain’t never been enough in this introduction to the current state of queer intersectionality, or lack thereof. Story argues that to be queer is to be political, and the carefully glittered façade of solidarity in the pride movement veils dangerous neoliberal ideals of apolitical queer embodiment. The rainbow as a symbol of communal solidarity is a hollow offering when cis white LGBTQ people are allowed to opt out of divesting from white supremacy, misogyny, and transphobia.

The Rainbow Ain’t Never Been Enuf fills a necessary gap in our understanding of how racism, transphobia, and antiblackness operate in liberal spaces. Black feminist and queer theorist Kaila Adia Story blends analysis, pop culture, and her lived experiences to explore the silencing practices of mainstream queer culture. She touches on cornerstone issues of the movement like

*the whitewashing of queer history and commodification of pride celebrations
*the appropriation of the Black and Latinx ball scene and culture
*the racialized and gendered violence inflicted upon Black trans women
*the exclusion of the lives and work of activists like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, and CeCe McDonald from queer history
*the lack of remembrance and respect for the lives of the Black and Latinx queer and trans people who have always been on the frontlines of queer liberation

Expanding beyond the classroom, Story utilizes her expertise as a scholar of queer theory to offer readers a comprehensive understanding of how racism operates in these spaces and what we can do to create a more equitable future.

A Selection from "The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity"

In this episode, An Intersectional Lens to Gender Inequality and GBVF, host Mpho Nyamathe reflects on the sociological theory of Intersectionality to dissect gender inequality and Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) in South Africa. 

Guided by the sociological works of Dr. Patricia Hill Collins, Mpho Nyamathe takes a closer look at the intersecting inequalities experienced by Gogo Phetsana, an elderly woman who was waiting for housing, running water and a flushing toilet under the RDP Programme. From the apartheid era, she died without ever having access to these services, thereby living through systemic inequalities. 

The episode encourages listeners to rethink social inequalities so that policies are reflective of people living in South Africa. 

Here’s to bold conversations, real solutions!

EP 8 The Politics of You and Me: An Intersectional Lens to Gender Inequality and GBVF

This week we are discussing STEM careers and the barriers faced by those from lower socio-economic groups to a successful career in STEM. To help us explore some of the issues is Lexie Papaspyrou, Project Manager for the Tech Futures Task Force at the Sutton Trust.  

Lexie Papaspyrou -  STEM career barriers faced by lower socio-economic groups

In this episode of The Lens: Living Diverse, Ben chats with Sophia Alexander – a future social worker, passionate advocate, and proud Black woman of Grenadian descent. Sophia opens up about her experience being diagnosed with glaucoma and the impact of meeting other Black individuals with sight loss for the first time. She dives into the complexities of navigating vision loss in her personal life, career, and community, as well as the intersection of her many identities. Through vulnerability and strength, Sophia talks about how she came to embrace her sight loss and what self-acceptance looks like today. Tune in as Ben and Sophia celebrate resilience, representation, and the dynamic force that is Sophia – changing the narrative in every space she enters.

You can find Sophie on:
TikTok: @SophiaDynamic  
Instagram: @SophiaDynamic

The Lens: Living Diverse – Embracing Identity and Vision with Sophia Alexander

"This analysis explores racial profiling in the EU, structural racism's economic and social impacts, and systemic discrimination faced by the African Diaspora and marginalized communities."

Exposing EU Racial Profiling's Devastating Diaspora Impact

This episode brings together Joanna Wuest, Brittani Murray, and Jaz Brisack to discuss how queer organizers build community within their workplaces to support civil rights and social justice movements and share strategies for building power to defend workplaces and vulnerable communities, as we witness increased attacks on the rights and safety of LGBTQIA+ people, especially transgender individuals, at the same time as an unprecedented assault on all workers’ rights.

Episode 60 - Intersectional Organizing: Building Solidarity in the Labor and LGBTQIA+ Movements

This episode of the At Home, On Air podcast, is an archived conversation from May 2020. In honor of Disability Pride Month, we're bringing you this engaging conversation: "Moving Toward Pride: What an Anti-Ageism Movement Can Learn from Disability Pride." 

Our guest speakers are two amazing women, each a thought leader and movement builder — Ashton Applewhite is a writer, anti-ageism expert, and author known for using compelling statistics to challenge ageist assumptions; and Tiffany Yu is a social impact entrepreneur, diversity and inclusion community builder, and disability advocate recognized for her work rebranding disability through storytelling and community building.

In this powerful conversation, Ashton and Tiffany explore the parallels between anti-ageism and disability pride movements through personal stories and professional insights, examining how both communities can learn from each other's advocacy strategies. They discuss the importance of moving beyond fear-based narratives, the challenge of "passing" in both communities, and how intersectionality shapes their experiences. The dialogue covers everything from reframing language around aging and disability to reimagining community spaces, offering insights into building more inclusive movements that celebrate rather than hide these identities.

At Home With Growing Older is proud to be your host of At Home, On Air — a radio hour offering connection, community and knowledge to our participants remotely.

Help us continue bringing you meaningful conversations like this one! Subscribe to never miss an episode, share with someone who'd love this discussion, or make a donation to keep these important dialogues free and accessible. Ready to join our next LIVE episode? Learn more and register at: www.athomewithgrowingolder.org. 

Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/FbbOkm2RMdk 

At Home, On Air

Moving Toward Pride: What an Anti-Ageism Movement Can Learn from Disability Pride

Our mission is to educate, inspire and connect people across generations and disciplines to re-envision and improve the experiences of later life.

Feminist news programming that seeks to provide the unique and under-represented voices of girls and women with a national and international venue to break the sound barrier.

The CNIB Podcast Network is a collection of audio programming designed to give a voice to people across the CNIB community as they share their personal stories of life with sight loss. Listen to the episodes on any of the platforms listed below. If you enjoy what you hear, subscribe!

The Foundation for Science and Technology podcast - exploring issues of science, technology and innovation with experts from government, parliament, industry and the research community.

New tracks tagged #intersectionality