Alexander Gee

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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.

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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.

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

Dr. Gee brings Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Chair, back to the show for a conversation on elections. They cover the role of Black voters, the power of Black women organizing, voter suppression, and the vital position of Wisconsin in the election. This is the election and voter perspective that you aren’t going to hear other places.

Ben Wikler was raised in Madison, Wisconsin, where he now lives with his wife, Beth, and their three children. Ben has spent his life fighting for economic, social, and racial justice. In his work, most recently for the progressive group MoveOn.org, Ben has played a leadership role in some of the most critical political fights of recent years—from the successful battle to save the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, to the defense of Dreamers, immigrants, and refugees, to the rise of the Blue Wave of 2018. While working across the country, Ben has always stayed connected to his Wisconsin roots, recently working to help elect the Evers/Barnes ticket and sounding the alarm about the GOP power grab after their victory. Now the Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, he believes we can supercharge grassroots energy in every part of Wisconsin to fight for our progressive agenda, and secure Democratic victories all the way up and down the ticket for years to come.

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

Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. returns to the show to catch up with Dr. Gee about a traumatic year for Black people. As Black men and husbands, they commiserate on self-care and family life during the pandemic and the racial unrest of 2020. Their conversation then moves towards the insurrection and “how white people need to clean up the mess they made.”

Also, don’t miss a short discussion about Eddie Moore Jr.’s National White Privilege Conference as guest speaker Robin Di’Angelo joins in.

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., currently serves as Director of The Privilege Institute (TPI) and The National White Privilege Conference (WPC), both founded under his direction to provide opportunities and possibilities for research, publications, speaking and collaborations by those committed to true social and institutional change. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa and under his direction and inclusive relationship model the White Privilege Conference has become one of the top national and international conferences for participants who want to move beyond dialogue and into action around issues of diversity, power, privilege, and leadership.

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