Top of Mind with Julie Rose BYUradio

Since 2020 — when George Floyd's murder was seen around the world and protests for racial justice swept the country — many Americans with white skin have begun to think explicitly about race and its consequences. What does it mean to be white in America? What’s it like to be not-white-enough? Or to not have your racial identity reflected on official government forms? How did white become the default against which all other skin colors are measured?

In this podcast episode, we explore the nuance of what it means to be white in America with guests who fall along the spectrum of whiteness. We’ll hear one woman’s story of waking up to her whiteness and understanding how skin color matters in America. A leading historian of race in America explains how – and why – whiteness was invented. We’ll consider the complicated relationship people who identify as Hispanic or Latin American have long had with whiteness. And a multiracial mother will share insights on how to help children be thoughtful, informed and brave about race.

Podcast Guests:
Debby Irving, racial justice educator, author of “Waking Up White (and finding myself in the story of race)” (https://www.debbyirving.com/)

Nell Irvin Painter, professor emerita of American History at Princeton, author of “The History of White People” and “I Just Keep Talking” (http://www.nellpainter.com/)

Julie Dowling, professor of Sociology and Latin American/Latino Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago, author of “Mexican Americans and the Question of Race”

Melissa Giraud, founder and co-director of Embrace Race (https://www.embracerace.org/)

We’re in between episodes this week on Top of Mind. In the meantime, we’ve got a story for you from a podcast we think you’re really going to like. It’s called When the People Decide, a podcast from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State. The podcast traces the stories of Americans who are getting their hands dirty doing the hard work of democracy.

In this episode, host Jenna Spinelle dives deep into an innovative budgeting practice where citizens decide how to spend a portion of their city’s budget. Imagine if you could be more directly involved in deciding how your city spends its money. Would having that kind of influence change how you feel about your city? Or how much you trust local officials?

Find When the People Decide on your favorite podcast app. Or here: https://thepeopledecide.show/

In this podcast episode, Julie and the other members of the Top of Mind team reflect on moments from previous episodes that challenged them to stay curious and stick with uncomfortable perspectives instead of dismissing them or putting up defenses. As we put podcast episodes together, we have these “Stick With It” moments all the time – and we hope you do, too, because they’ve led us to new empathy, deeper relationships, and clarity about our own views. One of our producers grapples with the grading system she grew up with. Another reconsiders her thinking on the impact of social media use on teen mental health. We'll also explore a complicated relationship with unions, find empathy in the medication for mental health debate, and reassess the language we use when talking about homelessness.

We’d love to hear your “Stick With It” moments. Email your story to topofmind@byu.edu. We’re also on social media @topofmindpod.

Podcast Guests:
Top of Mind producers Alayna Beck, Vanessa Goodman, Amber Mortensen, Samuel Benson, and James Hoopes.

Find links below to all of the Top of Mind episodes referenced in this episode.

Many Students Lack Motivation to Learn. What Can We do?: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-many-students-lack-motivation-to-learn-what-can-we-do

Teen Mental Health in America is Getting Worse. What Can We Do About It?: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-teen-mental-health-in-america-is-getting-worse-what-can-we-do

An Explosion of Union Activity in the US and What it Means: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-an-explosion-of-union-activity-in-the-us-and-what-it-means

Ending Homelessness in America Feels Impossible. Is It?: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-ending-homelessness-in-america-feels-impossible-is-it

Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with a story from David Beckemeyer, host of the podcast “Outrage Overload.” Beckemeyer used to spend his time engaging in social media fights. When his son, who also often indulged in heated online discussions, decided to step away from social media, Beckemeyer was prompted to closely examine his own behavior, leading him to make a significant change and delve into why so many of us fall into the outrage trap.

The Top of Mind podcast would love to hear your Stick With It story. Can you think of a time when you felt your perspective or worldview challenged and, instead of getting defensive, you chose to lean into the discomfort – and you’re glad you did? Email your story to topofmind@byu.edu.

Podcast Guest:
David Beckemeyer, host of the Outrage Overload podcast

Floods are the most common of all weather-related disasters in America. They cause more damage and kill more people than any other type of severe weather. Flood risk is rising all over the country—rainstorms are more intense and flash floods are happening more frequently. The communities facing the greatest risk in the coming decades are disproportionately poor and Black. But here’s the thing: damage from flooding is the most preventable of all natural disasters: moving to higher ground is a proven solution to flood damage. But a lot of factors, like money, history and human nature, make relocation complicated. On this podcast episode, we explore why flooding is such a challenging problem and how cities are adapting. A climate scientist explains how warmer temperatures increase extreme flood risk (it’s the atmospheric sponge effect!) We’ll learn why America’s approach to preventing flooding has backfired and how Tulsa, Oklahoma has bucked the trend – going from one of the most flood prone cities in the country to one of the most flood resistant. And the mayor of an historic town settled by recently freed Black people will explain why relocating out of the flood zone isn’t a simple choice.

Podcast Guests:

Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, WeatherWest on YouTube

Tim Palmer, author of “Seek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution to our Urgent Flooding Crisis”

Joseph Kralicek, executive director, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency

Bobbie Jones, mayor of Princeville, North Carolina

There are more people homeless in America today than at any other time in the last 17 years. Those numbers might have gotten a lot worse during the pandemic were it not for millions of dollars in federal funds for emergency housing. That money’s all dried up now. In the early 2000s, many of these cities adopted “10-year plans to end homelessness,” buoyed by a push from the White House. But that hasn’t happened. Ending homelessness in America feels impossible. Is It?

In this podcast episode, we talk to someone who experienced homelessness in Denver and now works to solve it. We also talk to the man leading successful efforts to solve homelessness in Houston, a researcher who's studied why we aren't building more housing, and a tech philanthropist in San Francisco with an innovative approach to the problem.

Podcast Guests:
Cuica Montoya, senior director of homelessness programs at the Colorado Village Collaborative

Marc Eichenbaum, special assistant to the mayor for homelessness initiative in Houston

Katherine Levine Einstein, professor of political science at Boston University

Elizabeth Funk, founder and CEO of DignityMoves