1 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

podcast

the

LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

PROJECT

Changing the world one story at a time

Season 2 FEATURING

Getting Started

TMI Project’s Mission, Vision and History

Storytelling is Social Justice

About Black Stories Matter

Creating a Safer Space for Braver Communication

Seven Strategies to Consider for Inclusive Dialogue

Episodes

Discussion Questions and Writing Prompts

Black Stories Matter Workshop Leaders and Season Two Co-Hosts

Suggestions for Action

Resources

Credits

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Contents

3 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

Listening and Discussion GuideThank you for partnering with TMI Project to host a listening party. After listening to the recording, the host can wrap up the evening or facilitate an additional in-person discussion. Below are guidelines and suggestions for that discussion.

Season 2 FEATURING

4 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

1Getting StartedGet prepared.What is your organization or group’s goal for listening to Season Two of The TMI Project Podcast: Black Stories Matter? Get clear about your goals so you can communicate them to your group

Make a listening plan. Will your group listen together or will you listen alone and gather to discuss and participate in follow up exercises? Will you do this once or have a separate meeting to discusseach episode?

Read through the entire guide. Become familiar with TMI Project and Black Stories Matter. Get well-versed in ways to facilitate dialogue to inspire brave communication. Choose the follow-up exercises you will partake in.

Let your group know exactly what they will be participating in and what will be expected of them. Tell them how the post-listening conversation and activities will be facilitated so they can think of questions while they’re listening to each episode.

Sample GoalsSchools

Use the stories from the podcast as a launch pad to teach your students about identity, the construct of race, history, civil rights, current events and/or race relations in the United States.

Nonprofits and Community Organizations Use the Listening and Discussion Guide to help promote social action locally and/or nationally.

Groups of friends, family and/or community membersEngage in a brave dialogue around issues of race and generational learning.

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5 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

2TMI Project’s mission is to help craft and amplify radically true stories to ignite human connection, challenge the status quo, and inspire both storytellers and listeners to take action for positive social change.

We do this by:

• Teaching true storytelling workshops which culminate in live performances and digital content that focus on the “too much information” parts of a story typically left out because of shame, stigma, fear, or cultural expectation.

• Centering around four social justice initiatives: Anti- Racism, Gender Equality, LGBTQIA+ Rights, and Mental Health Awareness.

• Partnering with schools, nonprofits, small businesses, and corporations to work with directly impacted folks, students, emerging and veteran activists, and leaders.

• Shining the spotlight on the stories that may not be featured in mainstream media or recognized in history books but have the power to change the world.

Since 2010, TMI Project has led more than 100 true storytelling workshops and staged live storytelling performances by nearly 2,000 storytellers, which have been presented to audiences of over 60,000 people in schools, colleges, prisons, mental health clinics, theaters, community centers, the United Nations and online.

TMI Project’s Mission, Vision and History

To learn more, visit tmiproject.org

Follow us on social:

facebook.com/tmiproject

@tmiproject

@tmiproject

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3Social movement building--and storytelling that facilitates it--are incredibly important at this moment in history. Around the world, there has been an increase in conservatism and divisiveness, both of which are threats to democracy, equality and diversity. As a result, social injustice,inequality, discrimination and related violence are on the rise. Key rights and tenets of a just society are in danger now, above all: women’s reproductive health and rights; the safety of immigrants and minorities; and basic civil rights for all, regardless of race, gender identity and sexual orientation.

The good news is that in response to all this, resistances are rising. Women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and allies of all stripes are joining ranks, standing up, and speaking truth to power, fighting for rights and justice for all. Movements take time, and because there is no one type of action that alone leads to affecting change, it’s necessary to be strategic, and employ a variety of approaches. Storytelling is an important strategic choice. Conveying the messages of a movement on a human level can be an incredibly efficient communication tool. More than studies and statistics and articles in the news, by fostering identification, storytelling has the power to open hearts and change minds. The ripple effect can be exponential, in the best cases transforming the minds of leaders, inspiring them to change their ideas, practices and policies.

Storytelling is Social Justice

7 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

Black Stories Matter is TMI Project’s way to participate as an organization in the national outcry of injustice by using true storytelling to speak truth to power and to dismantle the white supremacist systems that hold racism in place. We support and amplify Black voices, share resources, and inspire anti-racist action. We acknowledge the historical predominance of white-centered narratives that permeate the cultural, political, and policy conversations in this country, and seek to elevate the full spectrum of Black experience to its proper place within the realm of American discourse.

Black Stories Matter provides Black-led true storytelling workshops where Black folks can write about, share, and reflect upon their experiences without having to justify, explain, or defend the truth of their lived experiences. The culminating content -- written stories, live storytelling performances, videos, and podcasts -- is accessible to an all-inclusive audience. We pair our storytelling media with strategic tools to inspire deep introspection, a willingness to transform oneself and take bold action to end systemic racism.

Black Stories Matter supports and is aligned with the mission of Black Lives Matter.

4AboutBlackStories Matter

8 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

We know that safe spaces don’t actually exist. What is safe for one person can feel threatening to another. However, we also know that we can be mindful about each unique person and put guidelines in place to help facilitate a safer feeling in the room and foster open, honest and brave communication.

5Creating a Safer Space for BraverCommunication

Suggestions:• Acknowledge safe spaces don’t actually exist and let the group know you will work together to create a safer space. Set the intention to create a space that will inspire people to be brave and compassionate in their communication.

• Establish the space to be a place where people will be listened to powerfully. Ask that one person talk at a time being mindful not to interrupt or talk over each other.

• Save eating, imbibing and socializing for after the discussion is complete. Focus on each other and what is being said.

• Have everyone agree and commit with a raised hand that what is said in the room stays in the room!

• Customize your space. Ask your group what else they need to feel safe and add it to the list.

9 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

Every group will have unique needs. These are simply suggestions. Read through and see if any of these strategies will benefit the group you are hosting.

Progressive Stacking - an effort to foreground voices that are typically silenced in dominant culture. Members of any marginalized group are given priority on the list of people who want to speak – the stack.

Stepping up and stepping back. Simply put, this entails being mindful of how much time we each take up and a collective commitment to making space for as many voices as possible.

The Humanity Clause (known in some circles as The Ouch and Oops) Everyone engaged in this conversation is human and likely going to make mistakes. Know it’s okay to make mistakes but also take time to acknowledge if a mistake hurt someone else. Resist being defensive and make an effort to understand another’s point of view and offer a sincere apology.

Speak from your own experience. Use “I” language.

Consider who is in the room. Disagreement is a natural part of this dialogue. Being in agreement is not necessarily a sign of success. It might mean your room is not diverse enough.

Know you are participating in an open-ended conversation. Do not expect it to conclude with a sense of closure.

Learn to listen and listen to learn.

6Seven Strategies to Consider for Inclusive Dialogue

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EPISODE 1 | Don’t Step on Jessieca’s NikesGrowing up, comedian, community organizer, and activist Jessieca McNabb dealt with conflict the best way she knew how: by fighting. Older and wiser now, Jessieca shares how processing the hurt behind her rage helped her find a new way to deal with conflict…and racist old ladies.

7Episodes

The last blow I struck, I kicked her in her face with some steel-toed boots on… And I saw my friend, one of my very best friends, look at me like she didn’t know who I was. At that moment I decided that was not the type of person I wanted to be. I let go of the violent part and had to figure out a different way to channel my anger.

EPISODE 2 | When Dara Met Audre LordeStarting from a young age, we all develop unconscious biases from subtle and not-so-subtle messages we pick up from our environment. In this episode, Season 2 Co-host Dara Lurie takes the stage to share how an unexpected “family shipwreck” from her childhood allowed her to catch her own internalized racism before it was too late.

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I’m profoundly grateful I spent a year as an orphan living in a state-run ‘home’ with Black girls I never would never have known or been able to imagine in my previous life as a well-loved, well-fed and well-dressed child riding in a private school bus to a private school with other kids like me. Before this, my own racism had been invisible to me.“

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EPISODE 3 | Micah Steps into his Furtick WomanhoodUntil very recently, the Black community had little in the name of superheroes to look up to – and while Black Panther and Luke Cage have solidified their places in the hearts of millions, perhaps more powerful still are the real-life superheroes whose greatness inspires our own. In this episode, season 2 co-host Micah shares the story of his real-life superhero, his grandmother Blondena Furtick.

EPISODE 4 | Freedom Walker Takes the A Train (out of Harlem)While the broad effects of COVID-19 continue to impact our wellbeing, many New Yorkers who can afford to consider relocating are moving to neighboring cities like our own, Kingston, New York. As we hear Freedom Walker share her experience of being displaced from Black Harlem, the only place she’d ever lived, we can’t help but wonder how this migration will impact people like her who are already readjusting to a new sense of home.

“Maybe art imitates life, but life also imitates art…Maybe if our lives are portrayed with value, maybe we will all begin to see our lives as having value. Maybe if Black lives matter more on TV and in movies, black lives really will matter.

“I’m struggling with the rising cost of living. My private complex is bought and sold three times. With every change in management, friends and neighbors leave at record speed…So many can’t afford to stay in their apartments, and they can’t afford to leave for other ones that are even more expensive. Eventually, I am one of those people.

EPISODE 5 | Shawaine Comes to AmericaIn our bonus episode, “Reclaiming Our Time,” Victory said, “I carry the color of my skin out into the world with me. I want to understand it more so it can be more of a badge than a burden.” In this episode, Shawaine explains how, after growing up as a confident and proud Black girl in Jamaica, dealing with the whitewashed beauty standards of the US made her Blackness feel like a burden.

Don’t tell me I’m pretty for a Black girl because – not to be arrogant – I’m pretty damn beautiful for a girl. Period. My Blackness does not dictate whether I’m beautiful or not, it just enhances it.“

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EPISODE 6 | Kesai Feels His FeelingsFor many who identify as multiracial, being split between two cultures is cause for some much-needed soul searching. For Kesai, not having any connection with his father or other Black family members made it even harder to understand that part of his identity.

Looking back, I think it was in that moment when I was eight when I had the emotional breakdown that turned into an emotional breakthrough, that I was finally at peace not knowing my dad…My happiness isn’t dependent on knowing my father, it’s dependent on knowing me.“

EPISODE 7 | Erica Steps Away from the Corned BeefSometimes, the strength to stand up for yourself comes in the form of small bundles of hope. In this episode of The TMI Project Podcast, Season 2: Black Stories Matter, Erica shares how her two children inspired her to finally say “enough” to her abusive partner of 5-years.

I fall silently to the floor. I wonder what we’re teaching our boys. When they grow up, will their partners race away for safety to shelter themselves from this conditioned anger?“

EPISODE 8 | What Callie Learned from 90210Addiction is a mental health issue – but only if you fit a certain profile. In this episode, Callie reflects on how the racism they faced growing up as a Black person in a white space contributed to years of substance abuse.

Growing up around all white people messes my mind up. I have a sense of self-hate that’s hard to overcome. There’s massive pressure to be what the white world expects of me, fit in with people who don’t look like me, fit their standards of perfection.“

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EPISODE 9 | Twinkle and Ezra Need You to Get Your White MenThis mother-son episode brings together two powerful performances from Twinkle Burke and Ezra Hubbard that explore what being unapologetically Black means to their interracial family.

White people seem to gravitate to me for caretaking, instruction, and nurturing regardless of the relationship between us. I’ve begun to really look at all of the spaces and times where I’ve been forced into that role.– Twinkle Burke“Am I not Black enough? Am I too Black? Am I too white? I don’t realize I’m doing it but I try to act white and never fall into the Black stereotype.– Ezra Hubbard

EPISODE 10 | Shai Checks "The Box"Do you believe in second chances? For Shai Brown, after four years in prison, building a life that she’s proud of is an uphill battle. The trials and tribulations she faces on her road to redemption illustrate why rehabilitation can feel out of reach for those who seek a better path.

As much as I want to forget I’m a felon, society won’t allow it. Living your life under a microscope is a day-to-day struggle, and if you don’t have a support system or even someone to give you a chance, it’s possible you will re-commit and become a felon over and over again.“

EPISODE 11 | Odell for PresidentIn this moment of reckoning, we turn to the wisdom of those before us — those who built the community and resources we need to keep moving the needle — people like Odell, a self-proclaimed collector of information and stories. In this episode, we hear the remarkable 70-year journey that led him to build the first two African Roots Libraries, a legacy that inspires us to keep amplifying the stories of underrepresented Black communities across the country.

I learned that I could never be President in my own country. That world didn’t care about my opinion, my hopes, or my ambitions. I learned that in the eyes of the white society I didn’t matter too much.“

14 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

Bonus Episode | Reclaiming Our TimeJoin TMI Project Podcast hosts Eva Tenuto and Micah as they discuss and share stories from “Reclaiming Our Time,” a live storytelling performance from 2017 featuring stories and monologues by five storytellers responding to their overnight stay in a preserved cellar kitchen on Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY where enslaved Africans once lived.

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8 Discussion Questionsand Writing Prompts

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Writing PromptsWrite a true story about:

The first time you learn about the construct of race.

The first time you were aware of white supremacy and racism.

A time you were impacted by or benefitted from institutionalized racism.

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Questions:After listening to Season Two of The TMI Project Podcast: Black Stories Matter, what are you feeling?

What storytellers stood out and why?

Did any of the stories surprise you? How and why?

Regardless of your own identity, has your sense of the Black experience in America shifted or broadened from listening? If so, how?

Do you feel inspired to take a new action around race relations?

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9 Black Stories Matter Workshop Leaders and Season Two Co-Hosts

“The Black Stories Matter workshop is how I first started with TMI Project. I was a participant in 2017 as part of the first cast but then I got more involved and became a facilitator. We as black people have always had stories to tell. Coming together in community to share them is deeply healing i think for all of us. White America, by choice and by ignorance, has been denied our stories and is maybe just maybe now recognizing how unhealthy that dynamic has been. Being a part of Black Stories Matter, of supporting the development of our stories, our truths -- there’s really nothing more important to me.”

In addition to leading TMI Project workshops, Micah serves as the manager at GWI’s (Good Works Institute) Greenhouse Kingston, a yoga teacher at Mudita, and creator of DAY 1 (a New Year’s Day community event). He is on the board of Wild Earth (a nonprofit Wilderness School), Radio Kingston, The Center for Creative Education, and O+ (a nonprofit health and wellness festival for artists and creators). He also serves as City of Kingston’s Art Commissioner at the Kingston Farmers Market.

MicahBlack Stories Matter

Co-Director & TMI Project Workshop Leader

Pronoun: He/Him/His

“Writing and then sharing my story in my first TMI Project performance in 2017 allowed me to affirm and claim an important part of my life experience. Performing with and now mentoring other groups of TMI Project workshop writers, I’ve found the family I always wanted: a family based on telling stories with truth, courage and compassion.”

In addition to leading TMI Project workshops, Dara is an author and manuscript coach. She received a B.A. in Film & Theater from Vassar College and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Hunter College. Dara grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and migrated in the early 1980s to West Berlin, Germany, where she tended bar, wrote and performed in the theater while living in different communities of squatters, Green Party activists, journalists, teachers, and social workers. Her first book, Great Space of Desire; Writing for Personal Evolution, is a memoir and creative guide for writers wishing to tell their own stories.

Dara LurieBlack Stories Matter

Co-Director & TMI Project Workshop Leader

Pronoun: She/Her/Hers

17 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

Learn how to take action mindfully. See Black Lives Matter Toolkit Healing In Action

10Suggestionsfor Action

11ResourcesBlack Lives Matter

So You Want to Talk About Race

How To Be An Antiracist

11-Step Guide to Understanding Race,Racism, and White Privilege

Questions? Email info@tmiproject.org

TMIPROJECT.ORG/BLACKSTORIESMATTER

Discuss as a group what actions you can take to combat racism on a systemic level. What can you do collectively to impact your community, school system and local government?

Read So You Want to Talk About Race

Explore diversity, equity, and inclusion through the lens of true storytelling. Book TMI Project for a true storytelling workshop or performance. All programming is available online.

18 The TMI Project Podcast | Season 2: Black Stories Matter ❘ LISTENING AND DISCUSSION GUIDE

The TMI Project Podcast is created in partnership with Radio Kingston, a Hudson Valley based non-commercial platform dedicated to a vibrant, just, and healthy Kingston centered around community storytelling, artistic and musical expression, conversation and connection.

Partner Organizations12Credits

Funders

Black Stories Matter is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.