Don't Touch My Podcast

We advocate for smarter, positive, results-based criminal justice policies to keep our communities safe. These policies include issues that are very important to us: treatment for mental health issues and addiction, judicial discretion in sentencing, and an end to racial disparities at all levels of the system. In part 2 of our Racism & Policing series, we discuss the breakdown of the actionable items recommended by the Council on Criminal Justice - Task Force on Policing to ensure a more comprehensive and safe policing strategy.  --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

The criminal justice system is heavily impacted by the bias of police mentality and outdated judicial precedents. The system is largely driven by racial disparities and the Black community continues to be a target. The results are brutal and long lasting. "All cruelty begins with dehumanization — not seeing the face of the other, not seeing the whole humanity of the other. A cultural regime of dehumanization has been constructed in many police departments. In that fertile ground, racial biases can spread and become entrenched." Join us in the conversation of racism & police. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

In this special episode of Don't Touch my Podcast, we sit down with Councilwoman Julia Mejia of Boston City Council. We discuss everything from our Afro-Latina roots to how we show up in the world in our authenticity to education and what it means to be a leader. Follow Councilwoman Julia Mejia on Instagram and Facebook at @juliaforboston. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Psychological safety — the belief that one can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation — has been well established as a critical driver of high-quality decision making, healthy group dynamics and interpersonal relationships, greater innovation, and more effective execution. The term psychological safety was coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson. She defines it as “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” Establishing a climate of psychological safety allows space for people to speak up and share their ideas. We talk about simple ways to create psychologically safe environments and why we even have to do this! --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

The UK and the United States are the countries where people carry the largest student loan debt. The average college debt among student loan borrowers in America is $32,731, according to the Federal Reserve. This is an increase of approximately 20% from 2015-2016. Most borrowers have between $25,000 and $50,000 outstanding in student loan debt. But more than 600,000 borrowers in the country are over $200,000 in student debt, and that number may continue to increase. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Critical race theorists base this thinking on a few important observations: Race is a social construct that doesn’t have anything to do with biological differences among people, including differences in intelligence or physical ability. This became definitively clear after the Human Genome Project. The U.S., and all of its laws and institutions, were founded and created based on the myth of white supremacy—the assumption that lighter skin and European ancestry meant that white people were better and deserved a higher social and economic position than people of color. Because racism is embedded within our systems and institutions, codified in law, and woven into American public policy, this racial inequality is replicated and maintained over time. Thus, systemic racism shows up in nearly every facet of life for people of color. CRT aspires to empower voices that have been marginalized. Embracing the lived experiences of people of color through research, storytelling, and counter-storytelling—placed in historical, social and political context— is critical to scholarship that examines race and racism in society. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

“Another Leak Indicates Supreme Court Set to Overturn Roe v. Wade. Less than a week after a draft majority opinion was leaked indicating that the U.S. Supreme Court will soon overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to an abortion, the pending decision appears to have been confirmed by yet another leak.” NYmag.com We are here to say “Dear Government, Don’t Touch Our Bodies!” --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Let's talk about the “school-to-prison pipeline,” a disturbing national trend wherein youth are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal legal systems. Many of these youth are Black or Brown, have disabilities, or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect, and would benefit from additional support and resources. Instead, they are isolated, punished, and pushed out. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Funding inequities are happening in a context of increased poverty in our schools. In 2013, I documented how the number of high poverty schools had increased by about 60 percent to one out of every five schools in 2011 from one out of every eight schools in 2000. To win this unwelcome designation, 75 percent or more of an elementary, middle or high school’s students lived in families poor enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. It’s since gotten worse. In the most recent federal report, covering the 2016-17 school year, one out of every four schools in America was classified as high poverty. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It is important to know that though hunger and food insecurity are closely related, they are distinct concepts. Hunger refers to a personal, physical sensation of discomfort, while food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources for food at the household level. In 2020, an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure, equating to over 38 million Americans, including almost 12 million children. Today, we talk with Maria Ravelli of the Worcester Community Fridges about food insecurity and collective food issues. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

In light of all of the recent news in Boston and Worcester about increased assaults involving roofies at local bars, we sit down with Nikki-Bell Peña, Founder of LIFT Worcester. To find more information about LIFT and the work they do for sexual assault survivors and education, check out their website: LIFT Worcester --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Today, we will walk through what gentrification means, why it matters and how communities are mobilizing to stop it. Ruth Class wrote her book called London aspects of change. One by one, many of the working class quarters of London have been invaded by the middle-class upper and lower. Once this process of gentrification starts in a district, it goes  on rapidly until all of, most of the original working class occupiers are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

With the baby formula shortage impacting women everywhere, we must talk about the narratives being told to women like "just breastfeed" or "formula isn't the only way to go." For many women, formula is the only way to supply the nutrients their babies need. Not all women supply enough breast milk to maintain their baby's appetite and mother's shouldn't be shamed for it. If we want to be upset about the baby formula shortage, let's chat about why it is happening and how we can change it. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Housing discrimination refers to patterns of discrimination that affect a person's ability to rent or buy housing. In 2020, a black couple sought a second opinion on their home appraisal. The home appraisal was more than ½ million dollars more than the original appraisal given to the black couple. In the second appraisal, they had white friends act as if they were the homeowners. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Unlike income or education, wealth can be passed directly across generations. Parents can also use their resources indirectly to advantage their offspring’s future wealth accumulation, such as by purchasing a home that allows their children to grow up in an advantageous neighborhood. But Latin and Black families, with a net worth of $3020 and $8, respectively, can’t achieve this. This is the issue behind legacy and housing. So let’s talk about it. --- Send in a voice message: this podcast:

Black hair is a 2.5 billion dollar industry annually. One Black woman shared her annual budget on hair styling along with $3,000 - Not including any hair extensions, products, etc she may have needed in the styling - and we are here to break down what it means to have black hair. Black hair is tied to slavery therefore, the ability to change our hair texture to something similar to white people is like giving ourselves permission to blend in with white America. Which leads us to the question: Do you have good or bad hair? --- Send in a voice message: this podcast: