How can we talk about race and disability without conflating the two? How can white, able-bodied, neurotypical people enter into this conversation? What is the difference between “white fragility” and being vulnerable? What is the connection between contemplation and activism? How can we live into the “really real”? Amy Julia talks with author, podcaster, and advocate Micha Boyett today about all these questions and more.
Show Notes
Follow Micha Boyett online:
- Website: michaboyett.com/ (she used to blog at Mama:Monk)
- Instagram (features Micha’s writing): @michaboyett
- Instagram (features life with Micha’s son Ace, who has Down syndrome): @acefaceismyfriend
- Facebook: @MichaBoyett
- Twitter: @michaboyett
Micha also co-hosts a podcast called The Lucky Few, along with Heather Avis and Mercedes Lara.
In the intro, I mention that Micha is a poet and studied with Mary Karr.
I reference last week’s podcast episode: S3 E1 | Waking Up to Privilege with David Bailey.
We talk about Jean Vanier’s book Becoming Human and the sorrow we felt over the revelation of the sexual abuse perpetrated by Vanier.
We mention Fr. Richard Rohr several times and his phrase “the really real,” as well as how he prays for “one good humiliation a day.”
The concepts of “all lives matter,” “black lives matter,” and gaslighting come up in our conversation. Here’s more info about why “all lives matter” is problematic and some of the warning signs of gaslighting.
We talk about “white fragility,” a concept described in White Fragility by Robin J. DiAngelo. To read more about the differences I see between white fragility and vulnerability, go here.
In talking about the contemplative life, we mention The Rule of St. Benedict.
We end our conversation by mentioning Micah 6:8 from the Bible, and in the conclusion, I tell you about my favorite podcast episode on The Lucky Few: Friendship Pt. 2 with Guest, Melynn Henry
This podcast season is called White Picket Fences, and it is based on my book White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege. Learn more about White Picket Fences! Also check out these free RESOURCES to accompany White Picket Fences—action guide, discussion guides, etc.—that are designed to help you respond to the content in this book.
To read further with Amy Julia:
- How Disability Helped Me Understand Privilege | Washington Post
- Changing the Game: Explaining Exclusion, Tolerance, Inclusion and Belonging to Fourth Graders (and the rest of us!)
- S3 E1 | Waking Up to Privilege with David Bailey
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