First name basis
Season 7
Podcast
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…
Alcatraz: An Untold Story of Indigenous Resistance
Alcatraz. What comes to your mind when you hear the name of that little island off the coast of San…
Teaching Our Children About Unfamiliar Accents
Have y’all ever driven down the East Coast? I don’t mean to spoil the magic for you but I gotta…
All Season 7 Episodes
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Real Quick: Black Voting Power
If you’ve been around a while, you’ve heard me say it hundreds of times: Race is a social construct. Race…
Real Quick: Politicians Need Experience
Politicians need experience to do their job. This may fall under the “unpopular opinion” category to some people, but it’s…
The Scariest Costume: An Untold Story of Appropriation
When the team here at First Name Basis was doing the research for our recent episode “Alcatraz: An Untold Story…
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…
Culture is Not a Costume: Cultural Appropriation and Halloween
Can you believe that Halloween is just around the corner? I know some of you super-prepared parents out there are…
Alcatraz: An Untold Story of Indigenous Resistance
Alcatraz. What comes to your mind when you hear the name of that little island off the coast of San…
Age Appropriate Anti-Racism
My dear friends, we have been on this anti-racism journey together for 3 years, and it’s AMAZING to think about…
Oh No! I Talked About Racism and Made Things Worse
I’ve heard from so many parents who have been listening to the First Name Basis Podcast and other anti-racist educators,…
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…
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,…
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…
You Are Not Meant to Do This Alone: The Power of Anti-Racist Community
Anti-racism is meant to be done in community. It makes sense, right? This work is SO important and we need…