Hazel Grace on reinventing the American Dream

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Episode Summary

 Ever since he came back into office, Donald Trump has messed up a lot of things. The judiciary, the budget, federal employees, foreign policy, you name it. But we can’t forget that America’s economic, political, and religious systems were already failing a lot of people long before he ever came on the scene. That’s especially true for younger Americans who face skyrocketing college tuition, an inscrutable job market, and relationship expectations that are no longer matching reality.

 Some of them are dropping out of a rigged system, but others of them, like our guest on today’s episode, are thinking outside of the box.

Hazel Grace was raised as a conservative Christian in Alabama, but she walked away from all that to become an adult media executive and performer, as well as a political activist. Her journey challenges a lot of assumptions, not only about adult media, but also about who is allowed to participate in politics and media, and why.

Growing up in the Bible Belt, Grace was taught to be grateful for the bare minimum rather than expecting better. But rather than give up, Grace began crafting a new life on her own terms, rooted in honesty, autonomy, and openness. Her work today represents a fusion of personal liberation and social critique, a rejection of both religious conformity and economic exploitation.

Several years into her career now, Grace leads InMelanin, a production company and community that promotes women of color in adult media. She’s also an advocate for civil liberties and privacy through her Porn Over Party initiative.

Those are just some of the things we talk about in our very wide-ranging conversation. We also discuss her experience as a Southern girl who was skeptical of religion, and the difficulty that many black women encounter trying to earn a living in adult media. And perhaps most interestingly, we also discuss why she still identifies as a Republican, even though she can't stand Donald Trump.

The video of our conversation is available, the transcript is below. Because of its length, some podcast apps and email programs may truncate it. Access the episode page to get the full text. You will need to be a paid subscriber to listen or read the full program.

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