The Let's Talk Sis Podcast

As we approach July 4th this year, some are wondering how best to celebrate. Behind all our traditions -- family, food, parades, fireworks -- some significant questions linger. For the black community, Independence Day can call up some complicated feelings. But even more broadly this year, many are questioning what being a patriot really means in the current political climate. What is true patriotism? How do we express it without b...

This coming week will mark the celebration of Juneteenth 2025. While it's an important and meaningful celebration for many across the USA, others are unsure exactly what it is, why it's celebrated, and how they can appropriately participate. Especially this year, at a time of great division in our country, leaning in to understand the histories and lived experiences of others is vital and breeds the kind of connectivity, ...

On March 27th, President Trump issued an executive order focused on "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." In part, it read, "Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.  This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of t...

On Instagram, many of our followers are concerned about what they should be doing to engage in the major political issues they're confronted with everyday online. They see things they have questions and maybe even concerns about, but they're worried that they don't know enough to do anything, and even then, they don't know what they would even do! In this conversation, Emma Petty Addams, Co-Executive Director of...

At the base of everything we do is a desire to help all of us create more powerful human connections despite the differences that could divide us. We've made particular effort in our training and consulting work to help people understand how to use the most humanizing terms possible when we refer to one another. But the history of racial terminology is complicated and nuanced, and we know that many people wonder if they'r...

In today's socio-political climate, many of us regularly find ourselves in conversations with friends and family members about the state of our world and the many difficult cultural issues we face. Our kids, and especially our teens, are watching and listening. Carefully. And they have questions. As they're developing their own thoughts and opinions, our leadership and continual dialogue with them can help them form safe,...

This week during a podcast interview, Elon Musk surprised some listeners when he said, "The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy." While further examination of the context of his statement is helpful, clarity about the value of empathy and its powerful role in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and the world is vital. This week we're joined by author and speaker Molly Bice Jackson whose new boo...

In today's world, within families, friend groups, neighborhoods, religious congregations, and communities, serious differences seem to be emerging--political, religious, cultural and otherwise. Learning to interact peacefully and respectfully amid these differences is vital for our survival and happiness as a society. Study after study has revealed how much human beings need each other. Cutting one another off because of our d...

After multiple historic wins at the Grammy Awards earlier this month -- including Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year -- Beyonce's Cowboy Carter is seeing a resurgence in streaming and in dialogue across social media and beyond. Some feel Bey deserved the wins. Others have questioned the validity of the Recording Academy's voting processes and the relative value of a "country" album that doesn't...

The Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," is typically performed at the Super Bowl following "The Star Spangled Banner." We always get a lot of questions about the anthem: Where did it come from? What is its historical and cultural significance? Does it add to or take away from The Star Spangled Banner? What does it mean to the Black community when it is performed? We're talking about those qu...

In President Trump's inaugural address on January 20, 2025, he said that, as a nation, we're moving from DEI -- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -- to MEI -- Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence. So here's the question: Can MEI replace DEI? And let's talk about DEI; what's been harmful? What's been helpfui? What are the benefits and shortcomings of both approaches? This is a conversation we are 100% rea...