Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings
By Nicole Jennings
As a Black woman, Nicole will pull from her life experiences and give you tangible examples of how to engage in open and candid conversations, starting right inside your own home.
You will leave this uncomfortable conversation feeling empowered to use your voice for positive and thoughtful race-related discussion.
The New Form of Silent Racism: Being Colorblind
It’s a natural tendency and proven tendency through research that when you see a new person, one of the first things you notice is his or her race, or maybe it's just me??
So it behooves me to the reason why In business or social settings, people pretend that they don't notice the color of a person, a behavior that’s called “color blindness” Being Colorblind is the refusal to see the color of anyone other than being "human," but let's be real; it is the statement that generally goes hand-in-hand with an urgent desire to stop discussing racial disparities as soon as possible. This is not purely opinion but a fact that has been studied for years and most recently connected back to bias— how its concept counter-intuitively helps to uphold racism instead of rendering it powerless.
Check out the work of Sociologists Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, author of Racism without Racists, and Meghan Burke, author of Colorblind Racism, for more of an in-depth look on the topic. Listen as I give my perspective on the concept of Colorblind living as I narrate a personal story of how I engaged in an uncomfortable but necessary conversation on the topic with someone close to me upon their revealing that not only do they see color, they are teaching it to their children in this episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations.
"Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?" Does That Question Still Resound Today?
In 2020, most people don't walk around calling Black people "Negros." Still, the question asked during a debate in 1965 by essayist, playwright, novelist, and voice of the American civil rights movement James Baldwin and founder of the conservative journal National Review, William F. Buckley. The debate was held at the Cambridge Union, and the question that held the audience captive and that also gave James Baldwin a standing ovation was "Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?"
We will enter this episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversation by listening to a portion of the speech given by James Baldwin and then move into the discussion of why must Black people become "storytellers" of their repeat acts of microaggressions and racism for the world around us to remain motivated to do what is right in the fight to end systemic racism and inequality?
The truth of the matter is that after watching the murder of George Floyd, Ahmad Aubry, Breonna Taylor, and the like; for what has seemed like it was on repeat until the Presidential election overtook our airwaves; Black people shouldn't need to open their mouths for the world to be "awakened" to what we as Black people have been saying for centuries. Furthermore, if you are still holding to "everything isn't always about race, I don't see the color of people I just see humans and the I am not a racisist" vernacular. You choose to remain oblivious because racism's impacts must not impact you or anyone you care about enough to be enlightened to the current state of our affairs.
Join me as I guide you through my perspective on the matter and leave you with a summation of the Baldwin speech by author Nicholas Buccola who recently wrote about that debate in 1965 is coming to fruition in the year 2020 in our politics and the world around us.
The Invisibility of Black Women in America.
Understanding the Difference Between Equity & Equality
Join Nicole as she discusses the differences between equality and equity and the impact that it has on how we perceive things. She also opens up and shares the challenges that she has faced since starting this podcast and the new and innovative way that she plans to address the issues that have impacted her regularity in episodes. Nevertheless, she continues.
In this episode, Nicole also references an image that is often used to illustrate the difference between equality and equity, and it can be found HERE for reference. Understanding that being treated equally does not equate to justice, Nicole explores ways to engage in conversations with others as it relates to the difference between equity and equality, and she does it in a way that is digestible and easy to understand. So get ready for another episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings.
From Listening to Learning and Into Action- Steps for Motivated Allies
Join Nicole for another intriguing episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings. Nicole discusses ideas on possible action steps after "listening, unlearning, and re-learning" from the many stories being told by African Americans in the US today.
The art of listening is to listen to what is said without comparing it with what already you know. Simallilary, the art of seeing and understanding means you must lay down what you think you already know to see things through the person's eyes, telling you a story of their reality.
Pending how a person chose to listen and the story told, putting oneself in another person's shoes, and empathizing with them could occur. Allowing another person's story, reframe your reality is where actual transformation takes place.
This episode will encourage you to think about action steps to take after listening and learning, and even leave you walking away with one crucial way to initiate learning independently as well as ideas on what to do with the information you learn.
How to Engage in Uncomfortable but Necessary Race Related Conversations in Workplace Settings
Today's episode will be focusing on addressing effective ways to initiate and navigate meaningful, yet uncomfortable conversations surrounding inequity and discrimination that BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) continue to face in America.
With our special guests, Ciji Gamble and Brooke Buys both have professional mental health backgrounds as well as a close relationship with Nicole. Listen as this multi-racial group of ladies discuss how they navigate uncomfortable conversations in their respective sectors of business as well as give useful and practical insight on how you, too, can navigate uncomfortable conversations like a pro.
This was recorded live during a special event hosted by Queen Anna House of Fashion called Elevate & Amplify A Black Business Virtual Venue Experience, where a platform was created to lift the presence of Black businesses nationwide and amplify their products, services, and experiences. This was one of the most talked-about ,discussions of the event, so listen up as Nicole, Ciji, and Brooke share their perspectives on uncomfortable but necessary conversations in the professional setting.
"Ain't I a Woman" - Intersectionality & The Black Woman "Mini-Cast"
In 1851, Sojourner Truth stood in front of the Women's Convention in Ohio, looking over the numerous white faces, and asked the crowd, "Ain't I a woman?". It was in that speech Truth challenged the idea that men should treat all women the same. She pushed the envelope on the way Black Women were treated in comparison to White Women. Today's mini-cast opens up with that daring speech but then goes on to define the meaning of Interesectionaloty and how it impacts the Black Woman in America.
#Sayhername - Raising Awareness for Black female victims in the United States (Mini-cast)
#SayHerName is a social movement that seeks to raise awareness for Black female victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence in the United States.
#SayHerName aims to change the public perception that victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence are predominantly male by highlighting the gender-specific ways in which Black women are disproportionately affected by fatal acts of racial injustice. To create a significant social media presence alongside existing racial justice campaigns, such as #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackGirlsMatter, the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) coined the hashtag #SayHerName in February 2015.
Listen up to this shortened podcast (mini-cast) to hear the names of women who were added to the long list, and for whom the #sayhername campaign commemorates and their individual story as a Black female victim in the United States.
#Facts- "Living While Black"
Police across the United States have been urged to investigate black people for doing all kinds of daily, mundane, noncriminal activities.
This year alone, police have been called on African-Americans for: Operating a lemonade store, Golfing too slowly, Waiting for a friend at Starbucks, Barbecuing at a park, Working out at a gym, Campaigning door to door, and so much more.
The Black experience and all that comes with it has until recently been seen as made up fictional tales that may have a small amount of truth in it, but whatever the issue was, it was seen as the fault of the Black person. With the murder of George Floyd publicized for the world to see, there is no more turning a blind eye to the facts of "Living While Black."
A Tangled Story of Race Relations and Black Women's Hair.
In certain places, industries, or workplaces, traditionally Black hairstyles, such as dreadlocks, are restricted and can be a cause for termination. An 11th circuit court of appeals recently ruled that banning employees for wearing their hair in "locs" does not qualify as racial discrimination.
As a mother with a son that is currently wearing dreadlocks and the many non-black people that have been noted wearing them, Nicole invites you to join this uncomfortable but necessary conversation, as she discusses the many ways Black women cater to the feelings of others and frequently sacrifice a piece of themselves and that sometimes includes their hair.
Explaining the Harsh Reality of Racism to Pure Children.
(BONUS) FAQ- Don't All Lives Matter?
The misinforming BLM dummy sites and fake statements being made from people claiming to be a part of an organization, is creating confusion, and distracting us from the injustice going on around us. The BLM organization respectfully but unapologetically fights for the full freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, that means all people, so yes, ALL PEOPLE MATTER.
Listen as Nicole shares her experience and offers a small learning opportunity with this Mini-cast of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations.
FYI: To love and desire freedom and justice for Black Lives is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others. Black lives are not political; inherently, Black lives are no different than white lives; both human beings deserving of equality and justice that are the bare minimums that come with being an American Citizen.
Raising a Black Boy in America with Special Guest, Super Bowl Champion Greg Jennings
The rest civil unrest sparked by the murder of George Floyd has national news media outlets and worldwide eyes looking at police brutality, and the power and systems that have allowed it to be and with an unfiltered lens, after Floyd's murder was recorded from start to finish, for the world to re-live for the rest of humanity.
As the wife of a Black man and a mother of a Black boy, Nicole sits down with her husband, Super Bowl Champion Greg Jennings, to discuss a reality that even she doesn't fully understand; living life as a Black man in America.
Nicole and Greg are raising their four humans AKA children to love and appreciate the unique individuality of everyone regardless of the color of their skin, to be proud of their heritage as African Americans, all the while trying to remain uplifted while raising a Black boy how to safely navigate and succeed in a world built by people that look like him, but ultimately not maintained with him in mind.
Introduction to Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings
Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings is a podcast created from the perspective of a Black Woman living in America today. This episode lets you in on the importance of no longer sweeping uncomfortable conversations under the rug and acknowledging the issues at hand and engaging in meaningful conversation so that we can live a life from a place of understanding the facts and perspectives on any given matter.
This podcast will be a perfect resource for anyone who seeks to be enlightened about the Black Experience and reality in America. IIf you are interested in learning how to actively engage in meaningful and thought-provoking conversations from a safe place, to foster experiences for people in a manner in which they want to continue to participate in the necessary discussions with you, then this is the perfect podcast for you.
As a wife, mother, business owner of One Posh Closet, and Queen Anna House of Fashion, my life experiences as Black Woman in America are filled with life lessons that I will document and share with my children and now with you. Many times we are placed in uncomfortable conversations without being adequately prepared with the necessary knowledge to engage in productive dialogue and end up being left with feelings of inadequacy. Those feelings can leave you no longer wanting to be a part of those much-needed discussions. During each episode, we will review the definition of several terms often used in race-related discussions, have conversations surround those terms, and then end with conversation starters so that you can feel empowered to have positive and meaningful discussions surrounding race relations in America.
Leave a positive review if you walked away from this podcast feeling inspired to make a difference or make a change. I would also love to have a conversation with you. I want to remind you that this is a safe space for conversation and questions, leave me a message, ask me a question and I will address it for you directly or on air.