Dr. Alex Gee

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For this episode, Dr. Gee shares a conversation he had with Judge Everett Mitchell at a live virtual event for non-Black allies. The two discuss the Derek Chauvin trial and the surrounding violence toward Black people in the US. Judge Mitchell provides some perspective on how race impacts the criminal justice system, the discretion of judges, and how judicial diversity matters in our changing society. They explore how it is evident that change has not taken hold in our justice system. Listen to hear how this kind of change requires us all to be engaged and active in our local communities, and practical ways to create change.

Judge Everett Mitchell is a community activist and Dane County Circuit Court Judge, as well as pastor of Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Madison, WI.

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To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To view on YouTube, click here.

Dr. Alex Gee has an insightful and honest conversation with two of his friends, fellow men of faith, and fathers of daughters, Dr. Efrem Smith and Rev. Adam Edgerly. Their conversation covers the spectrum of recent concerns for Black people, from patriotism, cross-cultural relationships, racial justice movements, to the future of the US racial landscape. The group also uses the recent film, Judas and The Black Messiah, to spark relevant connections with historical context. This is a powerful snapshot of Black perspective on current events. 

Pastor Efrem Smith is an internationally recognized leader who uses motivational speaking and preaching to equip people for a life of transformation. He consults on issues of multi-ethnicity, leadership, and community development. Pastor Smith is the former- president and CEO of World Impact, an urban mission, church planting and leadership-development organization. He is the current co-lead Pastor of Bayside Church, Midtown. He’s the author of several books, including his latest, “Killing Us Softly.” Pastor Smith is a graduate of Saint John’s University and Luther Theological Seminary. He received an honorary doctor of ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary.

Adam Edgerly, founding and lead pastor of Newsong Los Angeles Covenant Church, is the director of Covenant World Relief and Development (CWRD). Edgerly has served as the denomination’s associate director of global evangelism and Pacific Southwest Conference director of church planting. Edgerly also is the founder and CEO of Culture Consultants and has led workshops across five continents. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Biola University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in intercultural studies, which included field research in leadership and language in Mali, West Africa. He earned a master of business administration at Emory University.

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To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To view on YouTube, click here.

Dr. Alex Gee talks with Joy Bailey-Bryant, Lord Cultural Resources President, about the importance of cultural spaces and innovative museums. Baily-Bryant is involved in supporting the development of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture in Madison, WI. They connect over shared Black culture and tell stories of the power of preserving culture, demonstrating the resilient power of culture that has space to speak into itself. You won’t want to miss a fun new edition of Black Ice Breakers.

As leader of cultural planning at the largest cultural consultancy in the world, Joy works with city officials, institutional leaders, and developers, in global municipalities like Chicago; New York; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Dharan, Saudi Arabia to creatively plan cities and bring people (life!) to public institutions. Joy led the teams for institutional and cultural planning on remarkable projects like the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., reaching more than 1,000 stakeholders across the country to learn their expectations for the new museum; the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, directing citywide engagement in locations as large as Chicago and small as Decatur, Georgia – speaking with thousands of individuals in meetings and on social media – to assess, project, and plan for their cultural needs; and planning and opening the expansion of the Albany Civil Rights Institute in Albany, Georgia—unearthing thousands of untold stories of the Southwest Georgia Civil Rights Movement.

A cultural planning specialist, certified interpretive planner, and outreach facilitator, Joy honed her specialized skill working in collaborative roles at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and notable cultural planning projects.

patreon.com/blacklikeme

To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To view on YouTube, click here.

Dr. Gee welcomes back Robin DiAngelo for a conversation about the racial atmosphere of the last year. Dr. Gee asks what DiAngelo would tell his white listeners that may feel like things will be better now in our country? What is the role of white progressives in the racial environment? DiAngelo gives some clarity to how systemic racism adapts and how a sense of complacency is dangerous.

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To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To view on YouTube, click here.

Dr. Gee brings back his friend Justice Jill Karofsky to give perspective on recent events. They cover voter suppression, the Washington Capitol insurrection, and mass incarceration. Justice Karofsky gives honest views of how important mental health is to judicial decision-making, the vitality of all elections, and diversity on the bench.

patreon.com/blacklikeme

To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To view on YouTube, click here.

Anthony Cooper returns to the podcast to discuss his recent pardon by the WI state governor. Wisconsin State Public Defender Kelli Thompson also joins the conversation to comment on the importance of pardons in shifting the narrative on an individual’s life. Anthony Cooper, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Reentry Services, is always a passionate advocate of those pushed aside in society and not letting people’s mistakes define them.

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