All Diversity & Inclusion Posts
Celebrate Women’s History Month With These Podcast Episodes
March is Women’s History Month — a time to honor women and the contributions women make to society, both now and historically. It’s a time to elevate the voices and…
Black and Brown Emojis Are Not a Punch Line
This episode can be summarized with one sentence: Please stop using Black and Brown emojis if you are not Black or Brown. Skin color is something that should be celebrated,…
Invisible Lynching and What It Says About the Fight for Justice
Trigger warning: Before you continue reading these show notes or listening to this episode, please be aware that it discusses lynching and white supremacist violence. Lynching is a reality both…
10 Indigenous accounts you should follow on Instagram
Listening to Indigenous voices is an important part of honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day. But an even better thing to do is listen to Indigenous Peoples all the time, and one…
Teaching Children About Disabilities
July 26, 2023, is the 33rd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. If you’re doing the math in your head, let me give you a shortcut: That means the…
My Journey: Resisting White Supremacy Culture and Finding Joy
Y’all, I’m gettin’ REAL in this episode. We always talk about how anti-racism is a journey not a destination, and it’s so important to take time to reflect on that…
The Story of the First Openly Gay MLB Player: Glenn Burke
Happy Pride my friends, especially to the LGBTQ+ members in our community! To celebrate Pride, I wanted to share an episode from my Bite-Sized Black History program that features a…
Motherhood: An Unexpected Act of Resistance
This episode is a special one to me, one dedicated to all of the Black and Brown moms out there. A lot of my Black and Brown friends who are…
An Update on Our Cross Country Move
It’s been a few months since we moved across the country from Arizona to Maryland, and I’ve gotten questions from so many of you wondering how we like our new…
Am I Engaging in Service or Saviorism?
Service is SO IMPORTANT for so many reasons, one being that it is a great way to get on a first name basis with others. It’s a way to get…
How Can Parents Support Teachers Who Try to Create Change?
Anti-racism needs to be done in community in order to be effective. Parents and teachers make up the backbone of a student’s community, so it’s absolutely critical that parents and…
Your School Has a Diversity Statement. Now What?
We all know that 2020 was a wake-up call for a lot of people. It was a time of reflection, a time of change (hopefully), and a time where schools…
How to Center Indigenous Peoples During Thanksgiving
I made my “Untold Story of Thanksgiving” episode to help me — and hopefully you — understand the true, accurate history. As I think about the episode, I think it…
3 Steps to a More Inclusive Bookshelf
The books that we have in our bookshelves speak volumes about who and what we value, and our bookshelves are the perfect place to help us raise anti-racist kiddos. Not…
The Importance of Black and Asian Solidarity with Joanna Ho
To say I’m obsessed with New York Times bestselling author Joanna Ho’s novel “The Silence That Binds Us” is an understatement. Yes, it’s a book technically written for young adults,…
How the One Drop Rule and Blood Quantum Show Just How Made-Up Race Really Is
When you take the time to understand all the “rules” around race, it becomes so obvious how made-up race and the laws about race really are. They are full of…
Children of Color in Schools: the Stories Behind the Statistics
One of the biggest messages we’re trying to get across with First Name Basis is that learning a person’s story and getting to know them as an individual is the…
You Know the Truth About Christopher Columbus. What Should You Do Now?
We need to stop celebrating Columbus Day — immediately. By celebrating Columbus Day, our country has erased the history of Indigenous Peoples, and now is the time to give it…
Where Did Student Loans Come From and Why Is College So Expensive?
The fact that there is a need for student loan forgiveness really paints a picture of just how complicated education funding has become. So how did we get to this…
Real Talk: You Should Support Student Loan Forgiveness
It’s been a few weeks since the White House announced a plan for student loan forgiveness, and in that time, you’ve likely seen all sorts of articles and social media…
Ways to Make Immigration About People, Not Status
Immigration is about so much more than debates, laws and policies — it’s about people. Every person who has interacted with the immigration system has their own story that goes…
Environmental Justice: What in the World Are Carbon Credits?
“Carbon credit” is a trendy term you might have heard being used by businesses, government officials and the news media, but what exactly is it? We’re answering that in this…
Say This, Not That When Someone Comes Out to You
When a family member or friend chooses to come out to you, it is an extremely vulnerable moment for them, and how you respond is so important. You may find…
Say “No” to White Feminism and “Yes” to Intersectionality
Sometimes when white women are at the start of their feminist journey they can get tunnel vision and make choices that ultimately harm Women of Color. Today on First Name…
If Reverse Racism Isn’t Real, Then What Is It?
Have you ever heard a white person claim that they’ve experienced “reverse racism”? I sure have! But here’s a spoiler alert for you: Reverse racism is not real. Don’t get…
The Untold Story of Fried Chicken
We’re all familiar with the stereotype that Black people love fried chicken. It has been used to degrade, dehumanize, and uphold racism. But where does this stereotype come from? And…
Jesus Had Brown Skin
When we really take a moment to step back and think it’s easy to agree that Jesus had brown skin because he was from the Middle East. If that’s the…
How to Become an Informed Voter
I have heard from so many of you that this election season has left you feeling confused and overwhelmed. That is completely understandable —2020 has been a year full of…
My Working Mom: Chasing Her Dreams
Now more than ever women and girls are being encouraged to share their gifts, talents, and intelligence with the world in spectacular ways! So what does it look like to…
The Power of Representation with Mijha Godfrey from Jambo Book Club
Representation is critical for all children in all spaces. Children can’t be what they can’t see, so they all need to see and experience people of many different backgrounds leading…
The Danger of Spiritual Bypassing
There have been many different types of reactions to the calls for racial justice that are going on in our country right now. If your social media looks anything like…
How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation
Celebrating the people around us and their unique cultures can be exciting and incredibly enriching! But where is that fine line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? When we take…
Diversity and Inclusion in LDS Art
Recently The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints published an announcement that they are going to regulate the artwork that is displayed in our meeting houses. This was…
Teaching Our Children About Immigration
Immigration is one of those things that we really struggle to agree on as a country. No matter your feelings or political leanings, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity…
Cinco de Mayo is Not Mexican Independence Day
It seems like we need to shout it from the rooftops because most Americans are pretty convinced that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, and that is just not…
Let’s Talk Language: Black or African-American?
This episode answers the number one question I’ve been asked since starting First Name Basis: How do I know whether to say ”Black” or “African-American”? I went straight to the…
3 Steps To A More Inclusive Bookshelf
The books that we have in our bookshelves speak volumes about who and what we value. In this episode I share the 3 steps to making your child’s bookshelf more…
Bringing Chinese Culture Into Our Homes
Lunar New Year is right around the corner. What are you doing to teach your children about the traditions and history of this holiday? Listen in to my conversation with…
Native American Voices Pt. 2
Michael Bennet is a husband, father of two, and an attorney for the Navajo Nation. In this episode he shares: The importance of looking outside yourself to learn about the…
Native American Voices Pt. 1
In this episode we interview Ryan Kamper. Ryan is from the Diné (Navajo) Nation. He is of the Folded arms people born for the Anglo-Saxon people, his maternal grandfather is…
The Face of DACA
In this episode we interview Ivan Aragon, a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. Ivan is from Chihuahua, Mexico and came to the United States with his family when…
Teaching Our Children About the Deaf Community
In this episode we interview Chad Kennedy, a Deaf ASL Professor at BYU and UVU. Chad teaches us the following: His experience at a hearing school vs. a Deaf school…
Deaf History & Culture: Why You Shouldn’t Ask a Deaf Person if They Can Lipread
In this episode we get a brief overview of Deaf history and culture, including the history of American Sign Language. Carter begins the episode discussing his background and how he…
Down Syndrome Awareness and Acceptance
This episode is a treat! We talk with Carter’s little brother, Parker, who has Down syndrome. Parker shares some details of his life and what he wants us to know…
Speaking Respectfully About People Who Have Disabilities
This episode is the first in a series called “Let’s talk language.” Here, we’ll discuss how language can be used thoughtfully to communicate respect. We’ll explain the importance of “people…
Family History Dinner
In this episode you will hear about “Family History Dinner,” an activity we developed to appreciate and learn about our own ancestors. This was a special opportunity to connect with…
Using Your Culture to Build Your Child’s Sense of Self
Did you know that teaching your children about their heritage can actually build their sense of self? Find out why and learn the vocabulary you need to teach your children…