Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings

Nicole Jennings

Created as a resource, this podcast is perfect for those interested in learning how to comfortably initiate and navigate meaningful yet uncomfortable conversations surrounding race relations in America. As a Black woman, Nicole will pull from her life experiences and give you tangible examples of how to engage in open and candid conversations, starting right inside your own home. You will leave this uncomfortable conversation feeling empowered to use your voice for positive and thoughtful race-related discussion.

  1. 11/12/2020

    "Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?" Does That Question Still Resound Today?

    In 2020, most people don't walk around calling Black people "Negros." Still, the question asked during a debate in 1965 by essayist, playwright, novelist, and voice of the American civil rights movement James Baldwin and founder of the conservative journal National Review,  William F. Buckley. The debate was held at the Cambridge Union, and the question that held the audience captive and that also gave James Baldwin a standing ovation was "Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?" We will enter this episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversation by listening to a portion of the speech given by James Baldwin and then move into the discussion of why must Black people become "storytellers" of their repeat acts of microaggressions and racism for the world around us to remain motivated to do what is right in the fight to end systemic racism and inequality?   The truth of the matter is that after watching the murder of George Floyd, Ahmad Aubry, Breonna Taylor, and the like; for what has seemed like it was on repeat until the Presidential election overtook our airwaves; Black people shouldn't need to open their mouths for the world to be "awakened" to what we as Black people have been saying for centuries. Furthermore, if you are still holding to "everything isn't always about race, I don't see the color of people I just see humans and the I am not a racisist" vernacular. You choose to remain oblivious because racism's impacts must not impact you or anyone you care about enough to be enlightened to the current state of our affairs.  Join me as I guide you through my perspective on the matter and leave you with a summation of the Baldwin speech by author Nicholas Buccola who recently wrote about that debate in 1965 is coming to fruition in the year 2020 in our politics and the world around us.

  2. 10/06/2020

    The Invisibility of Black Women in America.

    WARNING: THE BEGINNING OF THIS PODCAST HAS LANGUAGE THAT MAY BE DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE, LISTEN TO THE FIRST 3 MINUTES WITH CAUTION UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS A REPLAY OF ANOTHER RECORDING BUT USED FOR PURPOSES IN THIS PODCAST. The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of A Slave is a speech supposedly delivered by Willie Lynch to an audience on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 regarding the control of slaves within the colony. The speaker, William Lynch, is said to have been a slave owner in the West Indies and was summoned to Virginia in 1712; in part due to several slave revolts in the area prior to his visit, and more so because of his reputation of being an authoritarian and strict slave master. The contents heard at the beginning of this podcast is a section of that said letter and very fitting as it sets the tone for the remainder of the podcast.  The horrific collision of sexism and racism lands us at the most unprotected, overused, and underestimated human being on the planet; the Black Women. We (Black Women) have won the award many times repeatedly for being seen as "less-than" but in the same breathe, seen as a threat. Often seen as useless, unless we're giving of ourselves for the benefit of someone else; time, resources, allocations, finances, our minds, and even still, as seen in the senseless murder of Breonna Taylor, our bodies.   To be a Black Woman in America, and to stand in solidarity with causes that further the mission of advancement for Black people but not call out the fact that Black Women as the underrepresented and least protected subset of the collective whole, would most certainly make me blind, deaf, and dumb. Being that I am none of these things, I thought I would give my account on the harsh and brutal realities of Black Women from my vantage point as a Black Woman.  I don't think it is hard to want equality and equity in both the "stratospheres" of my being (Woman and Black). It's the world around me that makes me feel like I have to separate them, not understanding that doing so makes me close to love a part of myself more than the other, and I was raised to love my WHOLE self from the inside out and to believe that I deserve to do so. The bodies of women that look like me birthed the enslaved nation that toiled the lands in which our economy thrives, no matter how JACKED it may be at this point in time. I want justice for George Floyd, just like I wish Justice for Breonna Taylor, equally.  I live life from the stance that there is right & wrong, fair & unfair, equal & inequality, and my list goes on. It is absolutely OBTUSE that an officer can be charged with wanton endangerment of the lives of those who live in an adjacent apartment next to Breonna Taylor. Still, her unarmed body bleeding out on her floor for 20 minutes without assistance from first responders from the six gunshot wounds is not cause for any charges.   With that, I have to refer back to the basics as mentioned earlier and conclude on words like WRONG, UNJUST, UNFAIR, UNEQUAL & downright INHUMANE. Knowing that there was only one shot that fatally killed Breonna, and the fact the bullet could be traced, and he still holds his job, nothing has changed since the other 48 women who have been murdered by police over the last five years.  To know that Black Women's bodies were once good enough to fill endless amounts of plantations for centuries but not be protected by those whose sworn duty it was to protect and serve is heart-wrenching. This is the podcast that sheds light on that topic but from my perspective.

  3. 09/24/2020

    Understanding the Difference Between Equity & Equality

    Join Nicole as she discusses the differences between equality and equity and the impact that it has on how we perceive things. She also opens up and shares the challenges that she has faced since starting this podcast and the new and innovative way that she plans to address the issues that have impacted her regularity in episodes. Nevertheless, she continues. In this episode, Nicole also references an image that is often used to illustrate the difference between equality and equity, and it can be found HERE for reference. Understanding that being treated equally does not equate to justice, Nicole explores ways to engage in conversations with others as it relates to the difference between equity and equality, and she does it in a way that is digestible and easy to understand. So get ready for another episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings.

  4. 09/14/2020

    From Listening to Learning and Into Action- Steps for Motivated Allies

    Join Nicole for another intriguing episode of Uncomfortable but Necessary Conversations with Nicole Jennings. Nicole discusses ideas on possible action steps after "listening, unlearning, and re-learning" from the many stories being told by African Americans in the US today. The art of listening is to listen to what is said without comparing it with what already you know. Simallilary, the art of seeing and understanding means you must lay down what you think you already know to see things through the person's eyes, telling you a story of their reality. Pending how a person chose to listen and the story told, putting oneself in another person's shoes, and empathizing with them could occur.  Allowing another person's story, reframe your reality is where actual transformation takes place. This episode will encourage you to think about action steps to take after listening and learning, and even leave you walking away with one crucial way to initiate learning independently as well as ideas on what to do with the information you learn.

  5. 09/02/2020

    How to Engage in Uncomfortable but Necessary Race Related Conversations in Workplace Settings

    Today's episode will be focusing on addressing effective ways to initiate and navigate meaningful, yet uncomfortable conversations surrounding inequity and discrimination that BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) continue to face in America. With our special guests, Ciji Gamble and Brooke Buys both have professional mental health backgrounds as well as a close relationship with Nicole. Listen as this multi-racial group of ladies discuss how they navigate uncomfortable conversations in their respective sectors of business as well as give useful and practical insight on how you, too, can navigate uncomfortable conversations like a pro. This was recorded live during a special event hosted by Queen Anna House of Fashion called Elevate & Amplify A Black Business Virtual Venue Experience, where a platform was created to lift the presence of Black businesses nationwide and amplify their products, services, and experiences. This was one of the most talked-about ,discussions of the event, so listen up as Nicole, Ciji, and Brooke share their perspectives on uncomfortable but necessary conversations in the professional setting.

  6. 08/27/2020 ·  Bonus

    "Ain't I a Woman" - Intersectionality & The Black Woman "Mini-Cast"

    In 1851, Sojourner Truth stood in front of the Women's Convention in Ohio, looking over the numerous white faces, and asked the crowd, "Ain't I a woman?". It was in that speech Truth challenged the idea that men should treat all women the same. She pushed the envelope on the way Black Women were treated in comparison to White Women. Today's mini-cast opens up with that daring speech but then goes on to define the meaning of Interesectionaloty and how it impacts the Black Woman in America.

  7. 08/09/2020 ·  Bonus

    #Sayhername - Raising Awareness for Black female victims in the United States (Mini-cast)

    #SayHerName is a social movement that seeks to raise awareness for Black female victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence in the United States. #SayHerName aims to change the public perception that victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence are predominantly male by highlighting the gender-specific ways in which Black women are disproportionately affected by fatal acts of racial injustice. To create a significant social media presence alongside existing racial justice campaigns, such as #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackGirlsMatter, the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) coined the hashtag #SayHerName in February 2015. Listen up to this shortened podcast (mini-cast) to hear the names of women who were added to the long list, and for whom the #sayhername campaign commemorates and their individual story as a Black female victim in the United States.

  8. 08/04/2020

    #Facts- "Living While Black"

    Police across the United States have been urged to investigate black people for doing all kinds of daily, mundane, noncriminal activities. This year alone, police have been called on African-Americans for: Operating a lemonade store, Golfing too slowly, Waiting for a friend at Starbucks, Barbecuing at a park, Working out at a gym, Campaigning door to door, and so much more. The Black experience and all that comes with it has until recently been seen as made up fictional tales that may have a small amount of truth in it, but whatever the issue was, it was seen as the fault of the Black person. With the murder of George Floyd publicized for the world to see, there is no more turning a blind eye to the facts of "Living While Black."

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Created as a resource, this podcast is perfect for those interested in learning how to comfortably initiate and navigate meaningful yet uncomfortable conversations surrounding race relations in America. As a Black woman, Nicole will pull from her life experiences and give you tangible examples of how to engage in open and candid conversations, starting right inside your own home. You will leave this uncomfortable conversation feeling empowered to use your voice for positive and thoughtful race-related discussion.

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