Tell it Proud

Today's episode is an essay I wrote for The New Quo Learning Community about a concept called mean world syndrome which was first coined in the 1970s by Dr George Gerbner, who discovered a cognitive bias where, over time, we start to see the world as more dangerous than it actually is due to long-term, moderate to heavy exposure to violence-related content through mass media (such as news reports and television shows). Those who are affected may experience increased feelings of fear, anxiety, and general pessimism. 45, Musk, and Zuckerberg and other leaders have a vested interest in exploiting individuals' mean world syndrome bias by pushing negative messaging to garner support for oppressive policies but there's ways we can combat this. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is an essay I wrote for The New Quo Learning Community about neurodivergence which describes people whose brains develop or function in ways that differ from what is considered "typical" or "neurotypical" This essay covers fascinating history of how in pre-colonial Africa, communities recognized cognitive differences in attention, memory, and perception, not as flaws, but as a unique skill or purpose. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I'm your host Christina Blacken. I'm a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today's episode is a replay of a live storytelling event I performed in called Generation Women where they have women from every decade of life from their 20s all the way to 70s tell a true story from their lives. This story is about the time my neighbor called the police on me for singing, and it's a true story that highlights how bias entitlement affects our relationships and why advocating for ourselves even in the most absurd situations is incredibly important. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's podcast episode is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where stories and practices of daily courage that create trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together are curated for members. In this episode, I discuss research that 1 in 5 teens have had or know someone who has had a romantic relationship with artificial intelligence. There's so many sociological reasons this may be occurring, but one likely culprit is deep loneliness from the unmet need of mirroring and attunement. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community

Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of courage too good to erase or ignore. I'm your host Christina Blacken. I'm a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo which helps every day people practice authentic leadership through daily acts of courage that improves trust and wellbeing in how we live and work together. Today's episode is an essay I wrote for the new quo learning community titled "this Japanese value can transform your relationships" it examines the value of omoiyari which is the concept of compassion and service to someone else's needs and feelings. This is counter to eurocentric and insecure cultures we live in that struggle with hyper-individualism and it creates a guide for the balance of independence and compromise that are necessary for healthy relationships. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where stories and practices of courage are curated for members who challenge conformity by choosing courage in their daily lives. This essay is titled Pleasure Activism which is a review of an incredible book by adrienne maree brown that asks the question How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? And How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? It's a politics and practice of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of resilience, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "Whose story is told matters", and is a recounting of me exploring a new historical exhibit in Brooklyn, NY called Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn. This exhibit is about the United States slave trade and its impacts on Brooklyn, NY through the ancestry of two Brooklyn families. The exhibit also recounts the history of slavery in the region through various first-hand documents beyond these two families' stories, highlighting an important piece of history often overlooked about the North's participation in slavery when its typically recounted as just a Southern problem. This recounted history highlights how traditional historical narratives often prioritize the stories of those in power, glorifying their achievements while minimizing their moral failings, and how often there's a stark difference in how these families are remembered and portrayed in historical records and family histories. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of community, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "Why shared music transforms us" and covers research and my personal experiences of music as a magical source of community building, and discusses some of the long standing practices across cultures of community-building through music, including descriptions and samples of music from indigenous powwows, West African drum circles, Brazilian carnival, Indian classical music, and Irish folklore music sessions. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Welcome to Tell it Proud, stories of ethical and cultural wisdom too good to erase or ignore. This episode is a special compilation of friends, family, and homies sharing personal wisdom and ethical and cultural insights about what they love about being Black. During a time of increasing racial profiling, state sanctioned violence, and cultural erasure, it's more important than ever before to create our own narratives and value around our identities. Tune in to hear an original poem from me and to laugh, be inspired, and learn from various backgrounds, locations, and perspectives about what it means to love the skin you're in. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of influence, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled 'what the Harlem Renaissance teaches us about power' which was a literary and intellectual movement composed of a generation of Black writers born around the turn of the 19th century. This essay reviews a book that captures this important history as one of America's most influential cultural phenomenons, and what we can learn from that time and apply to today, as well as 7 types of power that are prevalent in all the systems and people we interact with on a daily basis. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of cultural intelligence, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "we are living in someone else's imagination" and it's about the ideologies and beliefs driving the biggest leaders who are creating and funding artificial intelligence also known as TESCREAL. TESCREAL is an acronym for overlapping set ideologies within the field of AI that developed from the 1980s to present and stands for stands for Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism. This all sounds like sci fi but you'll understand more when you listen into this episode. What most people don't know is that the artificial intelligence leaders and owners who believe in these concepts, imagine a post-human world, a utopia enabled by technology that values the potential future possibilities from this technology as more important than the present harms that may be happening today, thus making the harms currently being created by the technology today worth it. And we are living in the imaginations and the decisions of those delusions, in real time. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a little different from our norm. A few months ago I asked individuals to submit personal stories of ethical and cultural wisdom on the topic of power, and today's podcast is highlighting the story of building Sudha Nandagopal who built Seattle's Equity & Environment Initiative and how it taught her how to see that there are two different kinds of power, the type where status-quo keepers see power as gatekeeping the relationships they have and consolidating the power around themselves or building shared power as a trojan horse within government. She put in structures, and amplified those who didn't have platforms and as a result we won - and that work still exists today and has grown in leaps and bounds. Sudha's Nandagopal has spent two decades as a professional troublemaker, creating the first in the USA municipal Environmental Justice Agenda that centered communities most-impacted as decision-makers, transformed the region's environmental and climate justice leadership, and shifted millions of government and philanthropic dollars towards frontline communities. Whether advising executives or writing about power-shifting, Sudha's superpower is in joyful connection and community building that uncovers collective genius and the imagination we need for just futures. In her story you'll learn: How power doesn't have to be given; sometimes it must be claimed with courage, even in the face of doubt. That representation matters because when you break into uninvited spaces, you shift what others imagine is possible. And that the most enduring kind of power is collective, built by making room for more voices at the table. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a little different from our norm. A few months ago I asked individuals to submit personal stories of ethical and cultural wisdom on the topic of power, and today's podcast is highlighting the story of Daisy Onubogu who at 17, became the first Black woman to lead Europe's oldest debating society (UCD L&H). Walking into rooms where no one expected her to belong taught her early that power isn't only positional, it's also about voice, presence, and refusing erasure, shaping how she later built and led communities, by centering people who are usually unseen and creating spaces where their ideas carry weight. Daisy is a creative operator and community-builder who has led across tech, venture capital, hospitality, and nonprofits. She previously served as an investor at Backed VC, helping raise a €150M second fund, and led VIP speaker acquisition at Web Summit, bringing A-list cultural and political leaders to the stage. Today, Daisy is a coach to individuals and organizations and the host of the Strange Life podcast, where she translates messy human complexity into simple explanations and repeatable practices. In her story you'll learn: How power doesn't have to be given; sometimes it must be claimed with courage, even in the face of doubt. That representation matters because when you break into uninvited spaces, you shift what others imagine is possible. And that the most enduring kind of power is collective, built by making room for more voices at the table.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of power, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "I asked AI if inequality was good here's what it told me" and is a recounting of my first experiences with generative AI, the history of this technology, its pros and serious cons and why we should be weary of automation bias taking over how we think and relate to each other. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the ethical principles of power, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is a book review of You're More Powerful Than You Think by Eric Liu. This book serves as both an inspiration and a practical guide for citizens seeking to create change. This book's message is ultimately one of hope combined with agency - the belief that individuals working collectively can reshape their communities and society at large. The book demonstrates that even in seemingly rigged systems, it is possible to "generate power out of thin air through the magic of organizing." It's an essential read to understand how ordinary citizens like you and I can become effective agents of change. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's Tell it Proud podcast episode is focused on the cultural principles of power, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "The power of being time travelers" and is a personal reflection on the power of mindfulness to stop ruminating about the past and worrying about the future and a number of practices you can try today to ground yourself during times of stress and uncertainty. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principle of adaptability, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. The essay read on today's episode is titled "the beautiful and hard grief of endings" which talks about how I accepted various hard endings at a low point in my life 10 years ago, and ends with a poem on the beauty we can find when we are grieving a loss. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principle of influence, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. The essay read in this episode is titled "why you shouldn't ignore your intuition" and starts with a personal story of how ignoring my intuition got me into some troubling situations at work and in romantic relationships, the research behind why intuition is real and the impacts it has on our lives, and indigenous practices of intuition that can change your life for the better. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principle of adaptability, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "how I thrived when everything collapsed" and talks about how I almost lost everything I had built in my business and career during Covid, and how I rebuilt better, in addition to exploring eight key components of adaptability to remain steadfast and thrive when circumstances change. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principles of love, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. The essay read in this episode is titled "a cultural practice for conflict and forgiveness" and is an exploration of a Native Hawaiian practice of conflict resolution deeply rooted in the Hawaiian concept of "pono," which refers to righteousness, balance, and harmony by living in a state of equity and balance within ourselves, those around us, and the world that sustains us. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a replay from my storytelling event I produce and host titled Change My Mind: a live storytelling experience. We get everyday people to tell true non-fiction stories in front of a live audience in NYC about an event that changed their minds for the better. It's another form of ethical and cultural wisdom from their lived experiences that creates meaningful connection, conversation, and education around issues we typically don't talk about. Today's storyteller is Esther Ofelia Acosta. She's a Fun- loving cubanita who runs her family's cuban restaurant by day and does stand up comedy by night. She enjoys bringing laughter to others from her experiences that many Latina women can relate to. Her story is about her struggles of finding her voice in a household where women were seen but not heard, and how she eventually found self-love and the confidence to pursue what she truly desired. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principles of cultural intelligence, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is a book review of That's How They Get You, a hilarious book of essays and memoir like reflections from Black creators, makers, movers, shakers, authors, and entertainers on their use of humor as a tool of love, loss, honoring their ancestry, building resilience, and moving through the world. It is edited and curated by Damon Young, who was a colleague of mine back in my media days. I've always admired his amazing ability to capture the absurdities and truths of the world in the wittiest and wildest comedic essays. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a replay from my storytelling event I produce and host titled Change My Mind: a live storytelling experience. We get everyday people to tell true non-fiction stories in front of a live audience in NYC about an event that changed their minds for the better. It's another form of ethical and cultural wisdom from their lived experiences that creates meaningful connection, conversation, and education around issues we typically don't talk about. This story shared today was created and performed by comedian, actor, and writer Jevon M. Johnson from Brooklyn, NY. You can catch him doing comedy throughout New York City. Seen on Power Book II on Starz, Apple TV. Featured in the film Cooking In Yesterday's Grease on Amazon Prime, he has performed in London for the NFL. His story is about finding stand up comedy later in life. Jevon had always been a performer but after many family losses, becoming a dad, and then a husband, life pushed all of his creative passions to the side. One day after having a conversation with her daughter about going for the life she feels she deserves, he realized he wasn't doing that himself. That jump started an epic journey to achieving a life long dream at a time when most folks think it's too late. You can find Jevon on Instagram and Facebook. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principles of hope, and is a reading from an essay I originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where I curate overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled "why good people are happier people" and dives into a recent study that found people rated by others as more moral tend to be happier and find more meaning in life. The study also describes how morality supports happiness through stronger relationships and a more coherent sense of self. We top the episode off with a reading of an original poem I've written to inspire how you think about hope in your own life. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community.

Today's episode is a replay from Christina Blacken's storytelling event she produces and hosts titled Change My Mind: a live storytelling experience, where everyday people tell true non-fiction stories about an event that changed their minds for the better. It's another form of ethical and cultural wisdom from their lived experiences that creates meaningful connection, conversation, and education around issues we typically don't talk about. The story highlighted from that show for this episode today is from Christina Blacken about a real experience she had on the subway in New York City. It's about her observations of a young boy, and a man who seemed to be living on the street, who had an interaction on the subway car she was riding, with a surprising turn that gives insights into what it means to engage in compassion when we feel seen and truly heard. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community. Learn more at bit.ly/TNQcommunity

Today's episode is focused on the cultural principles of influence, and is a reading from an essay Christina Blacken originally wrote for The New Quo Learning Community where she curates overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled 'chosen family and the fallacy of nuclear love', and is poetic look into the history of the nuclear family and the ways people have built community and deep love outside of these norms, especially in the LGBTQIA community. It also ends with some prose from Chrsitina with a family story of her own. If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community. Learn more at bit.ly/TNQcommunity

Today's story is a replay from a storytelling event hosted and produced by Christina Blacken titled 'Change My Mind: a live storytelling experience' where everyday people tell true non-fiction stories about an event that changed their minds for the better. It's another form of ethical and cultural wisdom from their lived experiences that creates meaningful connection, conversation, and education around issues we typically don't talk about. The story highlighted from that show for this episode is from Christina's friend Joel Scott sharing his story about his family's immigration to the United States and his process of love, loss, grief while getting into bed with old people. You'll also get to hear the audience's reactions to his story when it was performed lived in Brooklyn, New York. Joel Scott is an educator, coach, creative, and overall shit talker. Known as The Oracle to some Joel has been in the education space for over 20 years and excels at being a leadership coach, innovator, and learning experience curator. Spend some time with him and you are guaranteed to engage in a wonderful plate or drink, deep ideas exploration, and a little bit of nonsense. He cares more about questions, listens with both ears, and is grateful for his West Indian roots and hairline. You can reach him at [email protected].

Today's episode is focused on the ethical principle of power, and how power can show up in really unconventional ways, especially from people who seem like they may not have any power. This is a reading from an essay originally written for The New Quo Learning Community of curated overlooked ethical and cultural wisdom that goes straight to the inboxes of members who are passionate about finding new insight and inspiration to practice their social justice values. This essay is titled 'courage is the antidote to oppression," and is historic recap into the life of Ida B. Wells, who was one of the first writers to practice investigative journalism during a time when lynchings were on the rise. Episode highlights: what is ethical and cultural wisdom? Ida B. Wells trajectory from enslaved to writer and activist an activity to increase personal courage to take action on values you care about If you'd like to further support this podcast and connect with other like minded people join The New Quo Learning Community. Learn more at bit.ly/TNQcommunity

In this episode me and my guest Aurora Higgs have such a rich conversation that beginning with Aurora's experiences and insights as a transgender individual, activist, and performer. Aurora is an activist and advocate, appointed to Virginia's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Board and elected Vice Chair, and is a scholar studying for a PhD in Queer Black Media Representation, as well as a performer and content creator hoping to uplift Black trans voices and challenges. In this conversation we explore + How radical self-acceptance is the first step to real healing + Why we need to separate morality from appearances and how people look + How pressures to conform ultimately harm people and how courage is really about honesty + Why intentionally building affirming community can save us in a time of alienation

his episode is all about loss. Trigger warning we talk about death, covid, and overcoming with my guest Ada Chen, who is the founder of Chuan's Promise, a sustainable natural skincare line. Her mission is to make the world a better place through leadership, empathy, and driving cultural change. She was inspired to start Chuan's Promise by her experience of caregiving for her late dad, and is committed to changing the beauty industry from the inside out by pioneering innovative sustainability practices and donating 5% of all sales to social justice nonprofits. In this conversation we explore: + navigating being your parent's caretaker + using values to make tough decisions during unpredictable transitions + how adversities and tragedy can provide unexpected inspiration for your personal mission + how our workplaces can play a better role to support people who are caregivers or experiencing loss