Hope is a Duty

Risk vs. Reward

No risk, no reward. Justice comes at a cost, but when we lose hope, we all pay. Join these quirky gal pals as they weigh the risks and rewards of troublemaking. Discover their weekly obsessions, obstacles of defying the norm, and approaches to obtain "your people." Do you want to be popular or free?

The Backlash to 2020

Join Austin and Jenny as they examine the fallout from 2020. DEI rollbacks to book bans, brace for the visceral reflex of white supremacy―when there's progress, backlash is inevitable, so troublemakers, we're doing something right! Show Notes: Bird Apps [https://www.marthastewart.com/bird-identifier-apps-and-tools-8422356]  How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi  [https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-be-an-antiracist-ibram-x-kendi/12072476?ean=9780525509301] 1619 Project by Nicole Hannah Jones [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-1619-project-a-new-origin-story-jake-silverstein/16383226?ean=9780593230596] White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo [https://bookshop.org/p/books/white-fragility-why-it-s-so-hard-for-white-people-to-talk-about-racism-robin-diangelo/9008090?ean=9780807047415] All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson [https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-boys-aren-t-blue-a-memoir-manifesto-george-m-johnson/9902795?ean=9781250895561] Anti Racist Baby [https://bookshop.org/p/books/antiracist-baby-board-book-ibram-x-kendi/13584351?ean=9780593110416] The Next Question [https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNextQuestion] Jasmine Guillory [https://www.jasmineguillory.com/] Paradise by Toni Morrison [https://bookshop.org/p/books/paradise-toni-morrison/10862902?ean=9780804169882] DEI Offices Closing in 22 States  [https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/anti-dei-legislation-tracker/] Corporate America and DEI [https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/11/22/how-corporate-america-may-be-quiet-quitting-dei.html] Mikki Kendall [https://mikkikendall.com/about/] George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1280] 2023 Was One of the Worst Years for Police Violence [https://blacklivesmatter.com/2023-was-one-of-the-worst-years-for-police-violence/] Brenda Salter McNeil [https://www.saltermcneil.com/] The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sum-of-us-what-racism-costs-everyone-and-how-we-can-prosper-together-heather-mcghee/14618549?ean=9780525509585] White Rage by Carol Anderson [https://bookshop.org/p/books/white-rage-the-unspoken-truth-of-our-racial-divide-carol-anderson/573049?ean=9781632864130] White Flight [https://www.pbs.org/video/suburban-growth-policies-racism-led-white-flight-y1gcp7/]

What the Hell was 2020?

Austin and Jenny tackle the question, “How did we get here?!” From COVID to Confederate flags, the pair connect the dots by taking it back to the fever dream that was 2020.  Shownotes: IT'S LAMP-O'CLOCK! [https://www.instagram.com/chrislovesjulia/p/CqfjgK5Odl-/?img_index=1] Cherry Plums  [https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cherry-plums-know-versatile-fruit-181534823.html] Is it Cake? [https://www.netflix.com/title/81333845] NASCAR Bans Confederate Flags [https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/10/874393049/nascar-bans-confederate-flag] Congress in Kente Cloth [https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/11/875054683/kente-cloth-from-royals-to-graduation-ceremonies-to-congress]  White people kneel and ask forgiveness from the black community in Third Ward [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdX6aVzPgHs]. Kiese Laymon  [https://www.kieselaymon.com/books]

That's Rich

Does acquiring wealth require conservative views and the hoarding of resources? Hell No! So, fellow troublemakers repel the status quo alongside Austin and Jenny as they examine the interconnectedness of the masses, mass wealth, and mass deportation. Join the pair as they critique the notion of "makers" and "takers," examine why folks vote against their self-interests, and analyze the importance of shifting the narrative surrounding poverty, wealth, and race. Tune in, friends; it gets rich!  Mentioned in today's episode: Parade Of Planets [https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/seven-planet-parade-28-february-2025] Roxane Gay [https://roxanegay.com/] Tim Walz [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/09/tim-walz-no-stocks-bonds-home-ownership/74725632007/] Shannan Martin [https://www.shannanmartin.com/] Heather McGhee, The Sum of Us [https://heathermcghee.com/] Welfare Queen Sterotype [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-true-story-behind-the-welfare-queen-stereotype] Jenny’s Reel [https://www.instagram.com/p/DGjFVBQPZrx/?hl=en] Immigrant Restaurant Owners In Haddon Township, New Jersey [https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/haddon-township-new-jersey-kebab-ice-arrest/#:~:text=Community%20stunned:%20%22Sweet%2C%20loving,can't%20afford%20it.%22] Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer [https://ta-nehisicoates.com/books/the-water-dancer/] Target Sued By Shareholders [https://finance.yahoo.com/news/target-being-sued-defrauding-shareholders-144200399.html]

Joyful Resistance

Justice work can be enjoyable―who knew? Austin and Jenny examine the importance of humor and creativity in resisting absurdity. The duo explores the joy of delighting in the paradoxical via wit, satire, irony, and mimicry. While there is no shortage of examples, the hosts gather their favorite troublemaker anecdotes in the wild. Raise those middle fingers, point out the lunacy, and tee-hee with the pair as they reclaim their power by discovering joy through resistance.   In this episode, discover: Austin and Jenny's weekly obsessions  A list of justice jokesters