Impostrix Podcast

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19. White Dominant Culture in Every Seat: Navigating Complicity and Liberation Nov 29, 2023

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What is white dominant culture? And white supremacy culture? And white supremacy? Although not new, these buzzwords stir a range of emotions, misconceptions, manipulations, and also create a contemplative space for accountability and awareness. In this episode, host Whitney Knox Lee engages in a thought-provoking and honest conversation with Kerrien Suarez, the president and CEO of Equity in the Center, to answer these questions and more. They delve into the concept of white dominant culture in the workplace and discuss the challenges of moving from complicity to actively dismantling systemic racism. They explore the importance of language, the weaponization of characteristics outlined in the article on white supremacy culture by Tema Okun, and the need to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous individuals in the fight for racial equity.

Drawing on her own experience and the work of experts in the field (discussed in the April 2023 article How (Not) to Dismantle White Supremacy), Kerrien explains more about the weaponization of the characteristic of white supremacy culture, and particularly against Black organizational leaders. Both Whitney and Kerrien acknowledge times when they've fallen into this trap and discuss how this self-accountability can be a tool to drive the work forward. They discuss too the role that assimilation continues to play in professional spaces as people of color attempt to climb the ladder toward "success" and power. Listeners will gain valuable insights and tools for interrupting their own complicity, using their earned power, and working towards building a race equity culture.

Kerrien highlights useful resources created and/or curated by Equity in the Center, including the (free) Awake to Woke to Work publication, the (free) newsletter (which also has employment opportunities!), and other research of EiC.

Don't miss this enlightening and empowering season finale episode!

Read the report Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture
Learn more about Kerrien and find all the resources at Equity in the Center's website.
While on their webpage you will definitely want to subscribe to the EiC newsletter, but you can also stay connected on instagram and linkedin.
Although this is the Season 1 finale, Whitney will be around. Follow her on instagram @ImpostrixPo

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18. Pushing Through Limiting Beliefs and Preparing to Receive the Career You Desire Nov 22, 2023

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Do you feel your personal or professional aspirations are blocked by limiting beliefs and wonder how to move past them?
Explore actionable steps to break free from limiting beliefs negatively impacting your career and life goals! Kiara Luna, LMHC, a business owner, author, childhood trauma expert and therapist, joins Whitney in uncovering the lasting influence of childhood experiences and childhood trauma on our beliefs. Diving deeper, Whitney and Kiara discuss how narratives specific to cultural or racial minorities can perpetuate internalized racism or oppression, or lead to self-fulfilling prophecies amongst Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color.
Whitney and Kiara speak candidly on their personal experiences as women of color navigating narratives of exceptionalism and/or cultural values that are deeply engrained in communities of color. The conversation identifies "toxic positivity", feelings of inadequacy, and the need to be in control as possible outcomes or behaviors associated with our limiting beliefs.
Gain insights into identifying, addressing, and transforming limiting beliefs using a proven three-step process that Kiara details and has personally used. Kiara reflects on her journey to becoming a best-selling author and business owner of Knew You Psychotherapy, in which she challenged her own limiting beliefs around financial stability and entrepreneurship. Listen along to discover ways to rewire your thinking and embrace change, paving the way for achieving your desires in career and beyond.
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Connect with Kiara on IG: MrsKiaraLuna
Learn more about Kiara's services on her website: KnewYouPsychotherapy.com
And, purchase Kiara's best selling self-help book with sections specifically for men, women, and couples: Becoming a Knew You: A Guide to Learning How your Past Can Inform Your Present (Affiliate Link)
Connect with Whitney at ImpostrixPodcast.com and on IG at ImpostrixPodcast.
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17. Answering the Call, Why Not You? Nov 15, 2023

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Photographer Kamal X gets behind the mic to share his inspiring journey toward answering his calling, emphasizing the value of authenticity and embracing one's true passion. Speaking especially to creators, this conversation tells the story of Kamal X's dedication to authentic expression and the challenges of standing out in a world of conforming standards. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's artistic voice while navigating the complexities of social media and industry expectations.
Whitney and Kamal discuss themes such as following intuition, staying present, shifting perspective, and asking ourselves "why not me?" They center Kamal X's experience creating photos to document and pay homage to the complexities of the time, chronicled in his second book, "Black Astronaut." The discussion delves into Kamal X's experiences navigating 2020's chaos and societal shifts, particularly after the tragic murder of George Floyd, and tells a story of exploration and healing.
If you're interested in exploring more about Kamal X's work and insights, you can find him on Instagram at @iamkamalx and visit his website, iamkamalx.com. His book, "Black Astronaut: The Stars Belong to the People" is available on Amazon. (Affiliate Link).
Don't forget to subscribe to the Validating Voice newsletter by November 25 for a chance to win free Impostrix Podcast merchandise!
Get in touch with Whitney:
www.impostrixpodcast.com
IG @ImpostrixPodcast
TikTok @WhitneyKnoxLee
Facebook Page

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16. Wealth Building in Black Communities: A Real Talk on Budgeting, Saving, and Financial Independence with Joel Bernardin Nov 08, 2023

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Whitney hosts Joel Bernardin (DebtFreeJoel) to discuss building wealth within Black communities. In this episode of Impostrix Podcast, they explore the factors contributing to the wealth gap between racial groups and discuss practical strategies to live debt free and build Black wealth. Joel is an expert in finance with lived and learned knowledge on building wealth. Joel brings to this conversation his passion for financial literacy in Black communities, and instilling in others the value and importance of charitable giving.
Major themes in this episode include:

The Bouncing Dollar: In communities, wealth is created as the dollar circulates within the community, benefiting its members. Black neighborhoods tend to see money leaving the community because of a lack of Black-owned businesses and investments within the Black neighborhoods.
The Importance of Buying Black: Buying Black is so important! Not just to support Black business owners, but to build Black wealth by circulating dollars within the community. This involves being intentional about where money is spent and reinvesting in community through charitable giving and other means.
The Power of Budgeting: Joel emphasizes the need for budgeting and living below your means as a crucial step in building wealth. By prioritizing saving and investing, we can secure our financial future without compromising on our quality of life.
The Culture of Spending: Whitney and Joel discuss the cultural aspects that sometimes lead to excessive spending. Black culture is often associated with flashiness, but the key is to find a balance between enjoying life and securing financial stability.
Pay Yourself First: A fundamental principle of wealth-building is paying yourself first. This means setting aside a portion of your income for savings and investments (and leaving it there) before allocating money for other expenses.
Minimize Overspending By Paying With Cash: Joel challenges the convenience of credit cards and encourages using cash to gain better control over your spending. He emphasizes that when you see cash leave your hand, it's a more conscious financial decision.
Mental Health and Emotional Spending: Explore the connection between mental health and money. Discover how financial stress and overspending can lead to a cycle of unhappiness and debt.
Financial Independence Allowing Flexibility in Career: Financial freedom can be a valuable tool allowing people to leave negative work environments or prioritize mental or physical well-being or other priorities.

This episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for people looking to take control of their finances, experience financial freedom and flexibility in career, and contribute to the economic growth of their communities. By implement

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15. Is Your Job Still Right For You? Reflecting on Perspective and Mental Wellbeing with Dr. Ruth White Nov 01, 2023

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Dr. Ruth White, a renowned expert in stress management, a mental health advocate, a therapist, and a professor, joins Whitney Knox Lee to explore stress management, mental wellness and work-life balance.
The conversation delves into recognizing when a job no longer aligns with an individual's values and life goals, taking into account lifestyle choices and financial decisions made along the way. Ruth introduces the concept of "non-promotable work" and provides practical strategies to prevent the overwhelming burden of such tasks.
Ruth shares from her personal experience how she has aligned her work life and personal values, and how her needs and lifestyle choices inform her career moves. As a single parent to an adult child, a caretaker to aging parents, and a lover of travel, Ruth reflects on how different career roles served her life during different periods.
Shifting the discussion towards mental health, the latter part of this episode emphasizes the power of perspective and choice. Ruth highlights the ability of individuals to shape their mindset and discover joy even in challenging circumstances. She encourages professionals of color to recognize their inherent power and not be hindered by fear. Ruth's message promotes the idea of freeing one's mind, focusing on joy, and understanding the profound impact of perspective on mental health and overall well-being.

For more of the goods, tune in to the Impostrix Podcast hosted by Whitney Knox Lee. You can catch these episodes every week on your preferred streaming platform or listen to them on FM Radio at WDJY 99.1 FM in Metro Atlanta on Monday mornings at 7:00 AM EST. You can also access the podcast online through the TuneIn App.
Find Ruth online at WellMindPlus.com and on LinkedIn.
Join Whitney over on IG @ImpostrixPodcast. Learn how to support the show and subscribe to the monthly newsletter on the website, ImpostrixPodcast.com.

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14. The Impact of Ancestral Trauma on Career, Somatic Body Work, and Intergenerational Healing w/ Angela Oct 25, 2023

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What legacy burdens and intergenerational trauma do you carry? And how does this impact your career aspirations? What is intergenerational healing, and how do I get there?
In this episode, special guest Angela Tam, LMFT (they/she) delves into a powerful conversation about the profound impact of intergenerational trauma on professionals of color. They share their insights on working with first, second, and third-generation individuals who have experienced immigration trauma and how this trauma manifests in their lives. Angela's personal connection to the topic, being the child of refugees from the Vietnam War, adds a layer of authenticity to their work.

The conversation explores how these experiences affect individuals in their professional lives, and Whitney and Angela share about how legacy burdens and intergenerational trauma show up in their lives and impact them in career. And Angela introduces a powerful shift in considering what intergenerational healing can look like.

Angela shares personal experiences and insights, emphasizing the importance of embracing and befriending our fears and doubts, rather than simply reframing them. They discuss the concept of reclaiming one's essence and reconnecting with the core parts of self, which is self-healing and filled with qualities like courage, creativity, compassion, and curiosity.

For more on Angela's work and how she supports professionals of color in their healing journey, or to access services, visit Angela's website at theunburnoutstrategy.com and connect on Instagram @CoachAngelaTam.

Find out more about Impostrix Podcast and the many ways to support at ImpostrixPodcast.com, and connect with Whitney on social media @ImpostrixPodcast.

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13. Exploring the Value of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices in Trauma-Informed Advocacy with Lorilei W. Oct 18, 2023

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This conversation welcomes friend and fellow attorney Lorilei Williams. Lorilei is a thought leader in every space they occupy, and champions the practice of trauma-informed advocacy. Lorilei walks us through their personal history as a migrant, a trans, non-binary child to a Korean mother and white American soldier, an advocate, and artist living with Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). Lorilei approaches their legal advocacy will all their identities intact, which is one reason why the practice of trauma-informed advocacy is so vital in their career.
In this episode, Whitney and Lorilei discuss:
- The value of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the workplace
- Shifting the focus of advocates from intent to impact, and creating space for accountability
- Core principles of trauma-informed advocacy, and it's importance within helping professions
- How anti-racism and DEI principles work together with trauma-informed advocacy to create generative collaboration and partnerships
- The difficulty of engaging in sustainable, value-driven work in today's economy
Connect with Lorilei at their website, https://www.lorilei.info/, and on social media @LorileiWilliams.
Resources Lorilei shared:
The Pedagogy of Trauma-Informed Lawyering by Sarah Katz and Deeya Haldar
Conflict Resolution Playbook: Practical Communication Skills for Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict by Jeremy Pollack
Connect with Whitney at https://www.impostrixpodcast.com and on IG @impostrixpodcast.
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12. Compassion as a Path to Liberation with Iyabo Opinede Oct 04, 2023

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What is liberation? And what does compassion have to do with it?

Join Whitney and this weeks guest, Iyabo Onipede, in a thought-provoking conversation on the transformative power of compassion as a catalyst for personal and societal liberation. Iyabo, a Yoruba, biracial woman, shares her perspective on life, purpose, compassion and liberation.

In this episode we:

- Share our journeys of self-discovery and challenging societal norms

- Define freedom and liberation

- Distinguish between White people and Whiteness

- Identify the myth of "having it all"

- Discuss how compassion can pave the way to liberation

This episode will leave you with the wisdom that compassion can be a transformative force in your journey towards liberation. It's not about perfection but about embracing your humanity, flaws, and all. Take the time to rest, play, and most importantly, laugh.

For more insights and resources on compassion and liberation,
connect with Iyabo at Iyabo.com and Compassionate ATL.
Connect with Whitney and find all the goods about supporting Impostrix Podcast at ImpostrixPodcast.com.
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11. Gatekeeping in Higher Ed, Why Black Women Professors Are Leaving Academia with Dr. Katie Acosta Sep 27, 2023

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What does it take for Black and Latino/a/x scholars to break through the gatekeeping in academia?
In this episode, we gain a deeper understanding of the struggle women of color encounter in the pursuit of tenure and how these inequities are reshaping the landscape of higher education. Katie Acosta Ph.D., an academic trailblazer and fellow podcaster, shares her journey as a queer-identified, Afro-Latina professor and scholar navigating the complexities of higher education.

In this conversation, Dr. Acosta discusses the impact of her identity on her career and on her experience working toward tenure. She gives truly cringe-worthy anecdotes about the barriers that exist for faculty of color (Black women even more specifically) in higher education which work as intended to drive away Black faculty and uphold the values of white supremacy.

This discussion emphasizes the importance of intentional corrective actions to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Acosta shares her thoughts on what must happen to create a higher ed that is equitable and inclusive toward Black and brown women. Whitney and Dr. Acosta share plenty of laughs as they get really real to address common excuses used by institutions who fail to hire and retain people of color, that live by color-blind ideology, and bend knees to legal and structural barriers that hinder racial and cultural representation and inclusivity.

Katie L. Acosta, Ph.D., is a queer, Afro-Latina mother, sociologist, scholar, professor and consultant, author, AND podcaster. Her research specializations include gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, family, Latina/o studies and immigration.
Learn more about Dr. Acosta!
Check out Intersectionality in the American South Podcast! Hosted by Dr. Acosta, this show explores the experiences of BIPOC individuals in the South, shedding light on structural issues and resilience. Listen to Episode 7 to hear Whitney talk about advocating for incarcerated people in Georgia.
Buy Dr. Acosta's book, Queer Stepfamilies: The Path to Social and Legal Recognition.
Learn about Whitney and find ways to support the show at www.ImpostrixPodcast.com
Follow Impostrix Podcast on IG @ImpostrixPodcast.
And, if you loved this episode, let us know. Leave a rating/review, or shoot us a DM!

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10. How Our Brains Adapt to Race Based Trauma with Dr. Negar Fani Sep 20, 2023

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In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Negar Fani, a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine, joins host Whitney to delve deep into the profound effects of racial trauma on brain health. Nearly two decades of (systematically oppressed) research have revealed the chronic stress of structural and systemic racism as a damaging force on our brains.
Dr. Fani, the head of the "Fani Lab" specializing in trauma neuroscience (including PTSD), sheds light on how her lab has long examined racial trauma as a unique form of trauma, a concept initially dismissed in the predominantly White field she operates withinuntil the tragic murder of George Floyd catalyzed change.
During their conversation, they explore:

The systemic challenges faced by women of color in researching and publishing on racial trauma.
The influence of Dr. Fani's racial and cultural identities on her work.
Key discoveries from the Fani Lab and collaborative research.
Insights into how racial trauma contributes to neurodegeneration and its links to high rates of diseases like Alzheimer's in Black communities.
Dr. Fani's aspirations for the practical application of this research.
Suggestions for healing from racial trauma and providing much-needed rest for our brains.

This episode validates what so many of us already know and experience: the impact of racial trauma is real. In our minds, emotions, skin, chakras, organs, and yes, in our brains.
Watch this episode on YouTube
Washington Post Article: Racism takes a toll on the brain, research shows

Connect with Dr. Fani
https://www.negarfani.com
Twitter/X @NegarFani
Are you in the Atlanta area and interested in joining a study at Fani Lab? Click here!
To learn more about Whitney, Impostrix Podcast, or to support the show, visit ImpostrixPodcast.com. And, please subscribe to the show on your favorite listening/watching app, and leave me your feedback by rating or reviewing the show! Thank you for helping us grow!
IG: ImpostrixPodcast
TikTok: WhitneyKnoxLee
LinkedIn: Whitney-Knox-Lee
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