Shows
All Things Six StringsDavid Leisner - Research and Thinking Behind Original Performances of Great MusicListen to four specially selected works from David's recordings, discussions about each work and, of course, all things six strings!Guest:David LeisnerAn extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as an electrifying performing artist, a distinguished composer, and a master teacher.“Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide, David Leisner’s career began auspiciously with top prizes in both the 1975 Toronto and 1981 Geneva International Guitar Competitions. His recent seasons have taken him around the US, including his solo debut with the Atlanta Symphony, a major tour of Australia and Ne...2021-10-2649 min
The White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"I don't have white privilege" Part 2008 - This is a continuation of Mel and Randy's discussion on white privilege and what it means. White folks get very worked up when someone mentions privilege because they do not want to be seen as racist or having an unfair advantage.Many people -- in fact, most people -- have some type of privilege. "White" privilege is a function of hundreds of years of American history in which White people were shown to the front of the line and given the benefit of the doubt in many types of circumstances. It does...2021-07-2131 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"I don't have white privilege" Part 1#007 - "White Privilege" is a phrase that seems to trigger a lot of White folks. They imagine that they are being accused of racism, or having a silver spoon dangling from their mouth, or that they are harming others just by being of European background. But privilege is none of those things. Many people -- in fact, most people -- have some type of privilege. If you have parents who stressed the importance of going to college, you have a type of privilege. If you ask, "What am I going to eat tonight?" r...2021-05-1338 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"You are so well-spoken!"006 - The statement "You are so well-spoken!", although it may be meant as a compliment by a White person, is not a compliment. Cohosts Randy and Mel explain that the phrase may come out as "I didn't know you were Black from the way you talk" or "You sound just like a white person." However the phrase comes out, "You are so well-spoken" reveals an innate negative expectation. It sounds like you thought the person you are talking to was going to speak an unintelligible sub-language. Remember th...2021-04-0332 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"Some of my best friends ... part 2"005 - "Some of my best friends are black", which was Episode 4, finished, and hosts Randy Bonser and Mel Turner just kept on talking. So this is part 2 of that episode. In particular, the friends discuss the "C" (Commitment) in author Jemar Tisby's "ARC" of racial reconciliationTo read about the ARC, go to our web site (InsensitiveSpeech.com) and read the blog that explains the acronym. Or better yet, read Tisby's The Color of Compromise. Randy explains why Tisby's ARC is not complete because to...2021-03-1119 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"Some of my best friends are black!"004 - "Some of my best friends are black" is a joke in the media, and most white people kind of know not to say it. But why shouldn't we say that if it's (sort of) true? In this episode co-hosts Randy and Mel discuss how sometimes we majority folk fall back on this phrase as a way to: Prove how "down" we areMake a jokeBut sometimes, this phrase is a way to: 3. Shut off conversation because we just "got got" (as Mel explains in this episode) 4. Tell...2021-02-2532 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"I don't see (your) color"003 - Co-hosts Randy and Mel explain why the statement that a person does not see color is not only false, but offensive. White people often say this as a way of saying, "I am not prejudiced," but the actual effect of the phrase is to demean a person's culture and heritage. We have our first call-in guest in this episode, Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton, a psychologist and college dean/counseling center director who hosts the podcast "The Dot." Dr. Stacey talks about why "not seeing color" is not a compliment to either person talking, and how it...2021-01-2827 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"Why can't we go back to the way things were?"#002 - Ah, the 1980s, the "golden age of race relations" - if you were white! In this episode, Mel and Randy discuss how the phrase comes across to African Americans when a frustrated white person says, "Why can't we just go back to the way things were?" Using this phrase reveals that we majority folk have not always known -- or cared -- what was happening to people of color during eras we thought were peaceful or prosperous. For example, in Randy's native Metro Detroit, the 80s were a time of reaping what...2021-01-2729 minThe White People's Guide to Insensitive Speech"Why am I so afraid to talk about race?"#001 - In this introductory episode, hosts Randy Bonser and Mel Turner talk about the difficulties and joys of cross-racial relationships. They give a history of how they got together over coffee to talk about life, faith, and racial reconciliation.Why is starting on a “micro” level with friendships important to beginning a journey of empathy and achieving “macro” level anti-racist results? The most important aspects to becoming an "ally" are “time, empathy, and relationships.” But that is a process: empathy requires relationship, and relationships require time and intention.Mel discusses why African Americans are often “tired” when di...2021-01-2124 min