Behind the Seen

In this episode, Mark and Branden explore the complexities of belonging and acceptance in today’s fragmented culture. 

Joined by artist and leader Derek Minor, who shares his journey of resisting divisive systems and promoting authentic relationships, they delve into the shifting nature of community, especially among younger generations, and the role of acceptance in fostering true connection.

With the upcoming national elec...

In this episode, Mark and Branden delve into the complex layers of identity with guest Brian Recker, who has critically reexamined the evangelical environment. 

Brian shares his personal journey of deconstructing deeply rooted beliefs, shedding light on biases related to race, religion, and identity. The conversation explores the need for environments that facilitate the exploration of biases, the courage to challenge ingra...

After a two-year hiatus, hosts Branden Polk and Mark Bauer explore the personal and societal upheavals experienced during their absence. 

They discuss the importance of vulnerability, the impact of race, faith, and political divisions, and the broader challenges facing society. As they reflect on their own life transitions and the state of the world, they delve into themes of trust, leadership, and the necessity of meaningf...

Welcome to 'Behind the Scene' with Brandon Polk and Mark Bauer, a podcast dedicated to exploring the complex layers of identity and addressing challenging topics such as racial dynamics, political divides, and gender stereotypes. This season, they will engage in raw and unfiltered conversations with diverse guests, aiming to spark change and foster compassion and connection. 

Join them on a journey of growth that goes beyon...

Continuing with our #CheckTheBox theme for this season, special guest Karith Foster joins us to discuss two boxes we tend to put people in when it comes to the race conversation: Victim or villain. In reality, those labels aren't so cut and dried, especially when you introduce intersectional identities into the mix. 

Karith Foster is a comic turned motivational speaker, TV & radio personality, actress, author, blogger a...

In this episode, we discuss policing behavior (behavior of police) and the act of policing other people's behavior in our day-to-day lives. Recent civil unrest around the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police has shined light on inconsistencies in what we view as acceptable policing. More often, policing of any kind is a preservation of power and is an attempt to invalidate those who are being policed.

#CheckTheBox ...

In this episode we discuss the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. A lot of white people are being confronted for the first time with the injustice of racism and unsure how to process it. Others are perplexed why race has to be dragged into the equation at all. In this conversation, Branden turns the questions on Mark to discuss how the unexamined identities of white moderates continue to perpetuate racism. The second part of the di...

Before the Tiger King, the quarantine binge was the reality show Love is Blind, which puts strangers in neighboring cubes and allows them to get to know one another without the benefit of seeing each other. Then, they fall in love. Or at least that's the idea. But is love REALLY blind? How do subtle ways we talk even give away things about how we were raised? And if love isn't blind, should it be? That's what we're talking...

Has coronavirus altered how you view racial disparity? Has it amplified it? Who are the populations most affected by coronavirus disruptions? Disruptions of this magnitude always allow for a shift in the landscape. When all of this lifts, how can we rebuild more equitably?

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*The vie...

This is actually a replay of one of our favorite episodes from last season. I've experienced a lot of fear the last few weeks around quitting my job and moving to Los Angeles for the summer, and in conversations with friends there seems to be a widespread season of fear that a lot of folks are walking in. So, in this episode we go a little deeper into understanding what fear is trying to tell us and how we can practice get...

In this episode, we review the Emanuel documentary, which covers the history of the black church in Charleston leading up to the church shooting in 2015 by Dylan Roof that killed nine congregants, including the pastor. The movie's primary emphasis is on the expressions of forgiveness by family members toward Dylan Roof, less than 48 hours after he committed that heinous act.

Co-hosts Mark Bauer and Branden Polk explore the...

In the last episode on racism in dating, Todrick Hall briefly touched on something that a lot of listeners picked up on: Colorism—the idea that whiteness has defined some skin tones and features in people of color as more beautiful and acceptable in society. This twisted idea has resulted in a sort of prejudice and resentment from some blacks toward other blacks. In this episode, we discuss the origins of colorism, why it'...

In a freewheeling conversation about dating, singer/songwriter/producer Todrick Hall joins Behind the Seen to discuss our racial “preferences,” how we acquire those preferences in the first place, and why we are OK completely disregarding a different group of people as potential partners based on such inconsequential factors as race.

References

For more on the breakdown of numbers by Nathalie Reshard looking for a straight...

In today's episode, we're talking about code violations. We have our own personal codes, informed by religious texts or some other source, that we violate every day. And we have societal codes, laws and regulations that are in place to help guide, control and keep order in society. 

We discuss how easy it is to slip into a cycle of guilt and shame when we violate our codes, and how difficult it is to break that cycle. It t...

Welcome back to Season 2 of Behind the Seen! We kick off season 2 with an episode on what it means to be human. A lot of our experience as humans involves stumbling through life trying to figure out what, exactly, makes us tick. What makes us happy. And we have to do this while simultaneously fighting off identities that the world wants to put on us. But we’re never really able to fully comprehend because we have different...

The Oscars never fails to provide good fodder for race discussions and this year proved no different. Despite the diverse representation of presenters throughout the program and several firsts for black honorees and other people of color, the show wasn’t without its detractors. Even the Best Picture winner, Green Book, was widely panned for historical inaccuracies and for how creators approached the storytelling of a black...

In this episode, we discuss Justification, a really strong word used both in a legal context and a theological context. Justification is the act of showing something to be right or reasonable. In the theological context, the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. And in the race conversation, what we’ve done historically is justify legally and spiritually the mistreatment of people who look different ...