Dear White Women Sara and Misasha

I don’t know that there’s a better book and conversation to kick off our summer author series with than this one.
We’ve said for a while now that there’s a benefit to applying a psychological, human-based lens to the social justice learning we’ve been sharing on this show for the last five years. 
 
This conversation shows us why we are spending our summer talking about that bridge, which over the course of the next few months will center discussions about wellbeing, about the power of the pause, practical optimism, meditation, and more. 
 
Because in the midst of such a turbulent, divided time, don’t you want to feel better? 
With social psychologist Dolly Chugh, we’ll get into some beautiful stories that let us all remember there are times we prioritize comfort over discomfort – but that not knowing facts creates its own sense of discomfort too.  Why not join us in the learning and unlearning?
What to listen for
How unlearning is not just intellectual work, but emotional work too.
The on-the-spot example that gamers might really relate to
A brilliant takedown of nostalgia, which we all fall for, and the impact it can have 
How to spot simplified fables (clear cause & effect, flawless heroes, good guys beating bad guys) to know when we need to be mindful when reflecting on history
Apologies 
About Dolly
Dolly Chugh (she/her, hear my name) is an award-winning professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where she teaches MBA courses in leadership and management.  Her research focuses on “bounded ethicality”, which she describes as the “psychology of good people.”  She is the author of The Person You Mean to Be:  How Good People Fight Bias (HarperCollins, 2018), A More Just Future (Simon & Schuster, 2022), and the popular Dear Good People newsletter.  Dolly’s TED Talk was named one of the 25 Most Popular TED Talks of 2018 and currently has more than 5 million views. 

This episode is a continuation of last week’s episode, so if you haven’t already listened to that one (it should be right above this one in your podcast feed), stop and go listen now, as it will make the most sense when listened to in order. This week we pick up where we left off, with the remaining four independent dimensions of well-being: spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental. Let’s just get right to it.
 
What to listen for?
In today’s episode, we talk about the four remaining dimensions of wellness -  spiritual, vocational, financial and environmental;
Trump’s support of extreme Christian viewpoints and his own view of himself as “The Chosen One” go against Constitutional and foundational principles of separation of church and state;
Despite being the politician for “every man,” Trump dislikes unions (and the feeling is mutual) because he’s first and foremost his own supporter;
Trump’s financial policies are aimed at making his own life (and those of the extremely wealthy) easier, whereas Biden’s economic policies helped all of us; 
Trump is actively working to remove America from climate accords that will negatively impact our world and future generations (plus he doesn’t believe in climate change)
How we can get involved to protect our own, and everyone else’s, wellbeing
Link to last week’s episode HERE.

In our last episode, we went through reasons - issue by issue (not all of them, but a lot of them) - about why our freedom and democracy are at risk if you vote for Trump and he gets elected for president again in 2024.  
In brief, things like his stance on immigration and making America a white-supremacist-centered nation; Ukraine and what that says about his desire to pander to the influence of outside nations; his hatred of the press and what that indicates about his desire to turn America into an authoritarian state; abortion, and what this means for every woman, mother, and person capable of bearing a child, including the freedom of families overall.  Notably, all through his own words because he’s been telling us what he’s going to do for years.
 
In today’s episode, we’re going inside (ourselves) to talk about wellness and thriving, and whether or not we value societies that make it possible for us to feel - and be - well. We’ll do this through the lens of a possible second Trump presidency, because we firmly believe that a second Trump presidency is bad for our well-being - mine and yours, both mentally and physically - and bad for us all, as human beings.
 
What to listen for?
The eight dimensions of wellness/wellbeing (in today’s episode, we talk about four of them - physical, intellectual, emotional, and social);
Trump’s policies that impact our physical well-being, including ACA and access to abortions;
How Trump’s disbelief in scientific fact and restrictions around schooling harm go directly against building intellectual well-being, especially for our future generations;
The emotional effects that we’re already feeling from a possible second term for Trump; and 
How a Trump presidency could result in increased social isolation and divisiveness for our communities.
In case you missed it, here’s the link to our last episode on the risks to our freedom and democracy:  https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/244-why-we-need-to-take-trump-at-his-word-dont-look-away

You know that person you know - the one who exaggerates everything?
It’s kind of like that story of the blameless “boy who cried wolf” who lives in fantasy land and never takes responsibility for anything - and this person seemingly has not only the best life anyone could ever imagine, with loads of money, tons of friends, amazing vacations, but also, nothing ever seems to go wrong? (Instagram is a drug, friends).
Now imagine that friend is running (again) for President of the United States.
And that friend is bringing that energy into the race in the most destructive, divisive way possible, in which he’s only out for himself - which his statements prove every.single.day.
Those statements that you would roll your eyes at and dismiss? Now, you no longer can, because those statements tell you who he is, and exactly what he plans to do if he gets re-elected (spoiler alert: it’s going to be hugely destructive to our lives as we know them, and most, if not all, of our freedoms that we take for granted.).
You guessed it - we’re talking about Trump, and why we need to take him at his word. In other words, even though it’s painful - don’t look away.
He’s giving us the blueprint of how a Trump presidency would be, and not only is it worse than last time, it will destroy our democracy and our freedom along with it.
 
What to listen for?
Why we think the risk of having Trump in a second term is FAR more dangerous than having Biden.
Looking specifically at the harms that will befall our country because of things like his views on:  
Immigration and making America a white-supremacist-centered nation,
Ukraine and what that says about his desire to pander to the influence of outside nations,
His hatred of the press and what that indicates about his desire to turn America into an authoritarian state, 
Violence, and how a deeper threat of control and violence will eventually impact every American citizen 
Abortion, and what this means for every woman, mother, and person capable of bearing a child, including families overall. 
Do not look away from the massive threat Trump poses for our country. 
Link to Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook 2025: https://www.authoritarianplaybook2025.org/
Resources: 
To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.
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This week marks the FIVE-YEAR anniversary of the Dear White Women podcast! That means we’ve outlasted almost all the other podcasts out there… like ya knew we would.
From those first few episodes released altogether on April 15, 2019, to now… it’s been quite the ride.  This year, in order to kick off year SIX (!!!) of the podcast, we thought we’d devote an entire shorter episode to talking about not only the past five years but what we have in store for the future and that shot of hope for all of us.
 
What to listen for:
How the podcast has evolved since its start in April 2019, including its history
The stand-out episode from this past year  
Our personal whys behind doing this for the past five years and how that may have shifted over time
Where we think the Dear White Women platform goes from here
About Sara & Misasha:
 
A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, Misasha Suzuki Graham (she/her) has been a practicing litigator for over 15 years, and is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession as well as in her communities. She is a facilitator, writer, and speaker regarding issues of racial justice, especially regarding children, the
co-author of Dear White Women: Let’s Get (Un)comfortable Talking About Racism, and the co-host of Dear White Women, a social justice podcast. Misasha, who is biracial (Japanese and white), is married to a Black man and is the proud mom of two very active multiracial young boys. They live in the Bay Area of California with their largely indifferent cat.

Sara Blanchard (she/her) helps build community and connection through conscious conversations, which she does as a facilitator, TEDx speaker, writer, and consultant. After graduating from Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs, Sara pursued the science and techniques of well-being and is a certified life coach, author of two books (Flex Mom and DearWhite Women: Let’s Get (Un)Comfortable Talking About Racism), and co-host of Dear White Women, an award-winning weekly social justice podcast. Sara is biracial (Japanese and white), married to a white Canadian man, and is raising their two white-presenting girls to be compassionate, thoughtful advocates. They live in Denver, Colorado with their incredibly lovable dog.
To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.
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Like what you hear?  Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!
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If you know us, you may know that we LOVE a good conversation - even if it’s uncomfortable or difficult. But this year, as we head into what seems to be ONLY conversations that are uncomfortable or difficult, how do we best do that? If the idea of even talking to someone now gives you pause, then this is the episode for you. 
The connection quality of part of our conversation is a little iffy in places, but it’s worth listening to every moment of this episode.  Our guest today (a repeat guest at that!) talks us through the journey of compassionate dialogue, including practical tips on how to practice this in your next conversation, and how to do the inner work necessary to make this the default, rather than the exception, to your conversations in 2024 and beyond.
 
What to listen for:
The compassionate dialogue structure includes the need to recognize, interrupt, and repair – and sometimes, we’re finding that recognizing our own emotions is the most challenging part! 
The good/bad binary, and how it’s entirely unhelpful
A powerful example of how to have difficult conversations around politics
About Dr Dome: 
Renowned speaker, author, and equity consultant Dr. Nancy Dome co-founded Epoch Education in 2014 to provide leaders in education and business with accessible professional development in diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equity. As an educator for nearly three decades, Dr. Dome taught in the juvenile court and community schools teaching our most vulnerable students, and has served as a Distinguished Teacher in Residence and faculty member at California State University San Marcos. Her transformative approach helps school districts and educational agencies throughout the country navigate complex topics, build bridges, and work together for inclusive, impactful change. She is the author of Let’s Talk About Race and Other Hard Things: A Framework for Having Conversations That Build Bridges, Strengthen Relationships, and Set Clear Boundaries and The Compassionate Dialogue Journey: A Workbook for Growth and Self-Discovery. For more information, visit www.epocheducation.com.

To hear Dr. Dome’s previous episode on Dear White Women, listen to Episode 164: https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/episodes/164-how-we-talk-about-race-and-other-hard-things  
 
Resources:
To give us input on what you want from our newsletter, and/or share your Asian immigration stories, reach us via email at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.
Follow Dear White Women so you don’t miss these conversations!
Like what you hear?  Don’t miss another episode and subscribe!
Catch up on more commentary between episodes by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and even more opinions and resources if you join our email list.
Follow us on social media to continue the conversation!