Add Passion and Stir

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Racism in America and the Road Ahead Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

The third installment in our series of curated episodes revolves around our painful legacy of racism in America and how we can overcome it. Guests that include MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Dr. Joe Marshall; Chef Tanya Holland; social justice champion Reverend Jim Wallis; thought leader and businessman Robert Lewis, Jr.; Chief of Staff to former Boston Mayor Kevin White, Ira Jackson; and Grantmakers In Health (GIH) President and CEO Faith Mitchell speak powerfully and thoughtfully about our shameful past, our difficult present, and a more hopeful and just future.

Check out the original episodes by following the links below.

“I remember we were angry and my mom was like, ‘You win with love. If you're locked up or arrested, you can't do anything in life.’ … So I made a commitment in my life that I was going to be part of shifting this narrative of folks who are poorer and black and brown communities in a different way.” – Robert Lewis, Jr. (March 6, 2019) http://addpassionandstir.com/flipping-the-script-rewriting-the-story-of-urban-youth/

“I would accompany 37 yellow school buses along with the police commissioner every morning [in 1972] from Bayside up to a Dorchester Heights and South Boston High School, where those black kids would be greeted by an angry mob that was yelling the ‘n’ word at them and throwing bananas and occasionally bricks at the windows. That's how violent and ugly it was.” – Ira Jackson (December 12, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/leading-a-city-back-from-despair-the-community-leaders-who-rebuilt-boston/

“It's just, ‘you can't do it, you can't do it, you can't do it.’ And even when you show you can, the real believers are the ones of us who were actually doing it. So we're always fighting that… I always say being black in America is like you start in this hole and you're continually climbing out of this hole.” – Dr. Joe Marshall (October 18, 2016) http://addpassionandstir.com/gang-violence-prevention-and-cure/

“For me, what I notice about racism – what I find most painful - is when people have low expectations of you and they don't expect you to be intelligent or ambitious or resourceful. And that's hard. You know, that judgement is a big hurdle. What can you do about that?” – Chef Tanya Holland (October 18, 2016) http://addpassionandstir.com/gang-violence-prevention-and-cure/

“My questions took me to the city [Detroit] - a white kid going to black churches for the first time and taking jobs alongside young men just like me, but they were black and I was white. I realized that we were all born in Detroit but had been raised in different countries… My worldview, as they say, has been changed by being places I was never supposed to be.” – Reverend Jim Wallis (May 17, 2019) http://addpassionandstir.com/racial-injustice-the-soul-of-america-is-at-stake-part-1/

“There are many Americans who not only don't know about disparities, but in general think that we have the best medical care in the world because that's what we've been told. In fact, among developed countries, we're near the bottom… One of the reasons we're near the bottom is that we have big differences in things like mortality and morbidity once you get past the surface and look at the details of the American population.” – Faith Mitchell (May 16, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/bringing-the-love-equity-in-healthcare/

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Taking the Hate Out of Hate Speech about Immigration Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

The second installment in our series of curated episodes revolves around the controversial topics of diversity and immigration. Guests that include renowned chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, Oxfam America’s president and CEO Abby Maxman, former Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, and president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Marco Davis share personal stories and impactful insights about America’s complicated and painful history with diversity.

Check out the original episodes by following the links below.

“You have to think about how much our country has benefited from immigration and how immigrants have brought new life, new energy, new views.” -- former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (Sep 18, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/genius-knows-no-boundaries/

“Nobody wants to leave the comfort of their homes, the place they belong. They don't want to go to a faraway land that they don't know. Let's provide those people the reason why they should be successful, where they are, where they live.” -- Jose Andres (Oct 18, 2016) http://addpassionandstir.com/the-secret-killer-of-4-million-women-and-children/

“I think that the diversity that our nation has is a tremendous asset and the truth is it's only going to grow in diversity because of the smaller, smaller planet that we occupy. And that's a good thing.” -- former Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera (April 25, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/come-together-uniting-people-through-food-and-opportunity/

“We know that [immigration and refugee issues] requires political will and a lot of other things, but we're working tirelessly at all angles - whether it's behind the scenes or in those public spaces - to call out the, the unacceptables and the things that we really need to change.” -- Oxfam America president and CEO Abby Maxman (November 29, 2017) http://addpassionandstir.com/make-it-personal-the-names-and-stories-behind-the-numbers/

“This is the situation in America, for better or worse, it's changing right now in these last couple of years. But the reality is that even as people are starting to have more conversations about race, ethnicity, diversity, we don't have a common vocabulary. We don't have a common understanding about the issue.” -- Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute president and CEO Marco Davis (May 30, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/proximity-point-solving-problems-by-getting-closer/

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The Courage to Lead Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

The over 250 remarkable guests on more than 140 episodes of Add Passion and Stir have shared great wisdom, poignant personal experiences and true inspiration. To create a fresh experience for our listeners, we have curated this powerful content into some brand new episodes with themes like leadership, diversity and inclusion, national security, food equity and child hunger. This first episode is a compilation of expert views on leadership, including Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congressman Jim McGovern, Civil Rights legend Hubie Jones, Panera Founder Ronn Shaich, and social change pioneer Bill Novelli.

Tune in for perspectives on effective leadership from an all star lineup of seasoned and successful leaders.

“One of the things that I think all of us can do is to model civil discourse and respect for others - for people we don't agree with necessarily. We have to be able to listen to each other and to figure out how we can compromise and work together.” - Jeanne Shaheen

“At some point somebody has to have the political courage and say, ‘No, that's not right, that’s not true’... And at some point in time, you have to say, ‘You know what? We're not playing that game... We're playing the game of getting problems solved in this country.’” - Tom Vilsack

“[Martin Luther King, Jr.] was basically starting with taking us to school... Then he took it to political rally and then he took it to church and by the time I left Jordan Hall, I was so elevated... That was the night that sealed my commitment to work for social justice and racial justice in this society and that I was going to lead a purpose-driven life.” - Hubie Jones

“I got in this to make a difference in the world. It seemed to me that business was an actually a more powerful way to make a difference in the world.” - Ron Shaich

“I go home every night with a song in my heart because [my MBA students] understand that there's more than one bottom line. Sure, they may go to Google, they may go to a Goldman Sachs, but they're going to make a difference.” - Bill Novelli

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From Kitchen to Courtroom: Dealing With Race in America Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

How do we achieve lasting social and racial justice in America? Children’s advocate and social justice icon Hubie Jones and Sweet Home Café (at the National Museum of African American History and Culture) executive chef Jerome Grant talk with Billy Shore about their perspectives on race in America and commitment to living purpose-driven lives. “On to the stage came Dr. King and he went into this oratory that absolutely blew me away... By the time I left Jordan Hall, I felt that I was levitating,” Jones recalls about the night in 1956 that helped set the course of his life. Grant shares a similar experience about opening Sweet Home Café. “Walking in that cafeteria the day before opening and seeing these murals on our walls, seeing these awesome quotes, the picture of the Woolworth dine-in boycott… You see the resiliency of us as African Americans and what we contributed to American society. There’s no feeling like that at all,” describes Grant.

Both guests share their perspectives on our increasingly divisive culture and finding a path forward. “We have a lot more work to go with the [racial] divide that’s going on now. Mostly we need to learn more about each other and not be afraid of each other,” says Grant. At age 85, Jones is well-known for mentoring thousands of young social justice advocates throughout the years. “Leaders have to be available, leaders have to be accessible - what are we doing for these young leaders to take over, stand on our shoulders and make a difference?,” he challenges.

Listen to this engaging conversation between someone who works for one of the most important museums in America and another who has lived the history it represents.

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A First Lady Breaks New Ground in the Fight to Save Our Kids Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

How do we inspire resiliency and hope in the kids who need them the most? First Lady of Massachusetts Lauren Baker and Boston restaurateur Chris Himmel (Grill 23, Post 390, Harvest, Bistro du Midi) join host Billy Shore for a heartfelt conversation about how creating positive experiences can have a profound impact on underprivileged kids. Baker discusses her work for the Wonderfund, which partners with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to provide comfort and dignity to children. These comforts can be as simple as buying a young boy in foster care a baseball glove. “He was able to play little league, engage with his friends, and be part of his community. That’s a moment that really matters for a child,” she explains. Himmel is very intentional about finding causes that he and his restaurants can support that have a direct impact on kids. “If you really care, you can find a way to make a difference. What we get is so much more because our team sees first-hand the difference they can make,” he says of the hands-on programs his restaurants support, including exposing hundreds of kids to farms with Green Growers and the Boys & Girls Club.

First Lady Baker feels that all children deserve support. “No child is responsible for trauma that happens. Kids are dependent on the adults in their lives for survival and when the adults aren’t able for whatever reason to provide for them, the child is the one who suffers,” she says. Himmel feels that immigrants are another vulnerable group who deserve support. “From my standpoint, we couldn’t operate without people who were able to immigrate into our country. If there is additional red tape that prevents additional people from being able to come to our country and make a life for themselves, it’s not just hurting them, it’s hurting our industry and subsequently a lot of other industries,” he believes.

Listen to these two committed children’s advocates discuss their motivations and the impact that simple acts can have on a child’s life.

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Rethinking the “Cost” of Nutrition Programs May 29, 2019

Show notes

Is food the key to solving our healthcare crisis? In this episode marking the two-year anniversary of Add Passion and Stir, Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Washington DC Chef Todd Gray (Equinox, Manna) discuss nutrition as the root cause of our spiraling healthcare costs and the role of Congress with Debbie and Billy Shore. “Food is medicine. What we eat determines our health outcomes in a whole range of areas,” says Congressman McGovern. “We are cooking and operating our restaurant in the way that we are living our lives. I have so many customers changing the way they eat for a multitude of reasons many of them health reasons,” says five-time James Beard Foundation nominee Gray of his healthy vegetable-forward menus that have established him as a leader in the DC sustainable food movement.

McGovern wants to reframe the debate over food programs like SNAP from how much they cost to how much they save. “If we can show you over a ten-year period that you could actually save money, then why would [The Congressional Budget Office] score it as a cost? Hunger and food insecurity in Massachusetts costs about $2.4B a year in avoidable health care costs,” he says. The guests agree that hunger is ultimately a political problem. “We have the food, we have the money, we have the knowledge of what we need to do, we have the infrastructure… we have everything but the political will,” explains McGovern.

Listen to these powerful anti-hunger crusaders talk about how they fight for healthier communities.

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Refusing to Quit on the Road to Ending Childhood Hunger May 22, 2019

Show notes

What can Chefs Cycle teach us about finding our strength? Recorded after the rain-soaked second day of Chefs Cycle 2019, Billy Shore discusses riding 300 miles in three days with Cathartes principal Jeff Johnston, ZAZU Kitchen & Farm chef/owner Duskie Estes, chef Elizabeth Falkner and Add Passion & Stir producer Paul “Woody” Woodhull. Woodhull, who is new to cycling, was inspired. “One thing I was told when I went out on a training ride was… you can shift and make it feel like you’re on a level road. For hungry kids, there’s no button they can push to level the road,” he notes. Johnston, an experienced rider, also found the experience meaningful. “It was challenging, but at the same time, you’re feeding kids, you’re doing the right the thing while you’re out riding through the vineyards,” he says.

Estes and Falkner point out that Chefs Cycle does as much for the chef community as it does for No Kid Hungry. “It’s not just that you got the chefs who are cyclists - you are making cyclists out of the chefs,” says Estes. “I hope this can be really inspirational for younger folks getting into the business knowing that if you’re taking care of yourself, then you can better take care of other people,” explains Falkner.

Listen in and experience the commitment and camaraderie that makes Chefs Cycle a powerful event for the riders and the kids they are helping to feed.

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Can the Secret Sauce That Built a $6B Business Save Our Politics? May 15, 2019

Show notes

Billy Shore and Producer Paul "Woody" Woodhull are riding 300 miles in 3 days in Santa Rosa to help raise millions of dollars to end childhood hunger in America today so we are offering a reprise of this fascinating discussion. If you want to support the Chef Cycle ride and No Kid Hungry Please click on this link ( https://tinyurl.com/WoodyTurns62 ), to learn how you can join me in the fight to end childhood hunger here in the United States. Every $1 you donate can help connect a child with up to 10 meals.

What do business and politics have in common in today’s climate? Panera Bread Founder and Chairman of the Board Ron Shaich and FoodCorps Co-Founder and CEO Curt Ellis discuss how responsible leadership can inform both business and politics and the central role that food could play. “One of the most powerful things we can do as leaders is first, tell ourselves the truth,” says Shaich. “The hardest part of making decisions is the uncertainty that occurs… You need to project the confidence to everybody to get them over the hurdle while you yourself are unsure.” Ellis describes a key leadership moment when FoodCorps began developing a whole new realm of business skills to address the supply side of school food. “The decision to say: ‘We believe we have the ability to get good at something we’re not yet good at’ was a real decision to put ourselves out there,” he believes.

Ellis sees the power of food in addressing political problems. “Food is this place where so many of the challenges that we must learn how to solve in our country intersect. Food is the place where social justice and racial justice meet environmental sustainability and public health,” he says. Shaich laments the problems created by short-term thinking in business and politics. “We need to examine why our politics has gotten so short term, so coarse and so ‘it’s my way or the highway,’” he says. “Unless we can solve that, we’re not going to be the country in the future that we’ve been in the past.”

Get inspired as two leaders who have found ways to change the world through food share their advice on leadership and making a lasting impact.

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Happier Cows Make More Milk: The Fight to Save Small Farms May 08, 2019

Show notes

Can technology save small-scale agriculture? Big Burrito Restaurant Group corporate chef Bill Fuller and Rivendale Farms general manager Christine Grady join hosts Debbie and Billy Shore from their hometown of Pittsburgh to talk about food and the future of sustainable agriculture. Grady describes robotic milking systems that allow for 15% more milk from less-stressed cows. “If the cows are getting anxious, that affects the yield and the quality of the milk,” she says. Fuller was on the cutting edge of the sustainable food movement in Pittsburgh twenty years ago. “It was great to watch this transition and transformation and ride along with it. It was really sort of beautiful,” he says.

“So many aspects of our community start to unravel and fray as a result of the disappearance of small farms,” observes Billy Shore. Fuller asks Grady, “Farmers in general are really conservative and slow to change. What are your thoughts on getting farmers to adopt the new technology?” Grady responds that the key may be young farmers. “One of the things that’s incredibly important is to attract the younger generation into farming… You actually need to attract a new workforce that is more interested in looking how to innovate,” she explains.

Listen to this important conversation about the confluence of technology, innovation and sustainability.

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Democracy in Peril: Senator Bob Kerrey and chef Tom Colicchio on the Integrity of our Nation May 01, 2019

Show notes

Is our divided political culture energizing or suppressing democracy? Former Nebraska Governor and US Senator Bob Kerrey and renowned chef, restaurateur and food activist Tom Colicchio join Billy Shore to discuss the politics of hunger, public education and our eroding democracy. “The real problem in the food system is [it doesn’t] permit the kind of innovation that will produce a different outcome. You’ve got to create a system whereby the innovators who want to deliver healthy food have an opportunity to get in the door and be successful,” explains Kerrey. Colicchio agrees and talks about the insights he gained from his wife’s (Laurie Silverbush) groundbreaking film about hunger in America, A Place at the Table. “People aren’t hungry in this country because of famine, war or drought. We have enough food to feed people. We don’t have enough political will to feed people,” he notes.

Kerrey sees parallels to our failing education system and worries that the American dream is out of reach for a large portion of the population. “It’s a big distraction looking at these people who bought their kids’ way into college. It’s a moral problem and it’s an economic problem,” he says, referencing the recent college entrance scandal. Colicchio wants to reframe the discussion around free tuition. “12 years isn’t enough anymore - we need to provide 14 years of public education,” he believes.

Hear these two dynamic guests discuss why engaged citizens are the key to the survival of our democracy.

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