Let's Give A Damn

Sarah Mardini is a Syrian refugee. In 2015, she left Syria with her sister, Yusra, to seek a better life in Europe. A couple of years later, Sarah was arrested on several false charges. What was the real reason they arrested her? For helping refugees at Moria Refugee Camp on the island of Lesvos in Greece. If charged, she could face 25 years in prison. Sarah gives so many damns! During our chat, we talked about her upbringing in Syria, her love for swimming, how and why she was arrested, and so much more. - Watch "How I was arrested for handing out blankets to refugees” — Sarah’s first TEDx talk. - Watch “Shore Talk” — Sarah’s second TEDx talk. - Follow Sarah on Instagram. ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! If you love what we're doing, consider supporting us on Patreon! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5-star

Kristen Howerton is amazing! From her website: Kristen Howerton is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the mother of four children within four years via birth and adoption. She is the founder of the blog Rage Against the Minivan where, in the midst of writing about the raw emotions and experience of motherhood, she has become a fierce advocate for social justice.  It was an absolute joy to chat with Kristen about parenting, divorce, raising black and white kids, parenting during a global pandemic, her new book, and so much more. Follow Kristen on Instagram and Twitter.Visit her website for more information on her book, podcast, and counseling services. Oh, and buy her book! It’s well-written and funny as hell. ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! If you love what we're doing, consider supporting us on Patreon! We can't

Phil Vischer is an animator, puppeteer, writer, voice actor, entrepreneur, and podcast host who created the computer-animated cartoon series VeggieTales – one of the most successful cartoons of all-time. After the horrific public lynching of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Phil put together and released a 17-minute video called Race In America. In it, he outlines the history of racism in our country and he points out that systemic racism is still alive and well today. It went viral! As of right now, it has 1.2M views on Youtube and 5.5M views on Facebook. Even Queen Viola Davis shared it on her Instagram! The other day, he released a follow-up video on Youtube and Facebook where he answers the top questions he had received since the first video went viral. Phil and I also briefly discuss why he still identifies as Evangelical when white Evangelicals make up the majority of Trump Supporters out there. I liked his answer! Follow Phil on Twitter and Instagram. And make sure two watch Parts 1 and 2 of his amazing vi

Alex Vitale is my guest on the podcast this week! What a pleasure. From his website: Alex is Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College and a Visiting Professor at London Southbank University. He has spent the last 30 years writing about policing and consults both police departments and human rights organizations internationally. Prof. Vitale is the author of City of Disorder: How the Quality of Life Campaign Transformed New York Politics and The End of Policing. His academic writings on policing have appeared in Policing and Society, Police Practice and Research, Mobilization, and Contemporary Sociology. He is also a frequent essayist, whose writings have appeared in The NY Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nation, Vice News, Fortune, and USA Today. Now, I know this is a hot topic right now. This conversation makes some people very angry. You have cops in your family. Or maybe you’re a cop. I just want to be the first to tell you that this co

Mark Charles, a dual citizen of the United States and the Navajo Nation, is running as an Independent Candidate for President of the United States to build a nation where We The People truly means All The People. Mark’s 100-day plan includes striking the racist, sexist and white supremacist language from the Constitution, truly abolishing slavery, and adding the words “Value Life” to the constitution so that the constitution would read like this: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, value life, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Honestly, Mark Charles blew me away. He is authentic, honest, and humble. Just the kind of leader we need. I know and he knows that his campaign is a long-shot. Maybe someday, however, independent candidates will be taken more seri

Rob Scheer is my friend and the founder of Comfort Cases. They exist to "inspire communities to bring dignity and hope youth in foster care.” Every single day, Rob and his team aim to love and care for the 440k children in foster care. Over the past several years, they have given out over 100,000 cases to children who will hopefully never have to use a trash bag for their belongings ever again.  Rob was raised in an abusive home and was placed in the broken foster care system as a child. Sadly, the foster care system hasn’t improved much since Rob was a young boy. His story of resilience, bravery, and perseverance will inspire you in a hundred different ways. Guaranteed! A few links you should click on and check out: - Watch Rob (and other dads like Will Smith, Judd Apatow, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien) in the recent Apple TV documentary Dads.  - Read Rob’s CNN Hero piece on CNN.  - Watch Rob’s TEDx talk. - Buy and read Rob’s memoir A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time. - Hear Rob’s story on

Reality Winner shared the truth about the Russians hacking in our 2016 Presidential election. Instead of praising her and calling her a hero, the powers that be put her in prison. She has been behind bars since 2017. Reality’s mother, Billie, joins me on the show today to talk about key parts of Reality’s upbringing, how and why she joined the Air Force, how and why she acted heroically by releasing top secret government information, and we spend quite a bit of time discussing her horrible situation in prison.  There are quite a few moments during our chat where I thought about how hard it must be for Billie to talk about these things. I’m incredibly grateful for her time and for reliving this nightmare so that we can learn more Reality’s story and so that we can be motivated to do something about it.  If you want to get involved, visit standwithreality.org. You’ll find multiple ways to help out immediately.  Don’t forget to follow Billie Winner-Davis on Twitter! ___________________________________ SPONSOR: T

Matthew Kincaid is an educator and activist who has been leading anti-racism workshops for over fourteen years.  Kincaid is the founder, CEO, and Chief Consulting Officer for Overcoming Racism an organization that works to develop culturally responsive schools and practitioners. Overcoming Racism works with schools and organizations providing intensive race and equity training, consulting and providing schools with the tools to address the reality of systemic racism both inside and outside of the classroom. I was first introduced to Matthew through a video of his Black Solidarity Day speech entitled "The Harvest Is Plentiful But the Workers are Few" that he gave at Tufts University in 2009. You need to watch the entire thing! Also, don’t forget to follow Overcoming Racism on Instagram. ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only is Red Kap a Nashville-based company — which I, of cou

In this episode, Nick shares some thoughts about the two civil rights heroes we lost this past week and he gives us some challenges for the days ahead.  C.T. Vivian was born July 30 1924 in Boonville, Missouri and died on July 17 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 95 years old. John Robert Lewis was born February 21 1940 in Tory, Alabama and died on July 17 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 80 years old.  John Lewis always asked people to, "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America. ”These two men were arrested, they were beaten with an inch of their lives, they walked with Dr. King, and they have done important work that will outlive them for many decades and centuries to come. Let us honor them by spending our lives getting into good trouble. ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only is Red Kap a Nashville-based company — which I, of course, love b

Jelani Memory is a black entrepreneur, thinker, learner, and an incredibly curious human. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and six kids. He co-founded Circle, a product that helps parents monitor and limit online time, site visits, and app usage. We've used it in our home and it’s fantastic. A couple of years ago, they partnered with Disney to get it into many more homes so now it’s called Circle with Disney. He also co-founded A Kids Book About — a company that creates books that treat kids like they are smart and speaks to them straightforwardly and honestly about topics like racism, body image, divorce, failure, bullying, empathy, creativity, disabilities, and so many other important topics. Follow Jelani on Twitter. Follow A Kids Book About on Twitter and Instagram. And make sure to check out the books and order some today! ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only

This week, we’re doing a highlights episode! These are some of the moments that have stuck out to me from the amazing conversations I get to have each week. This time around, you’ll get to hear from Josh Radnor, Justin Jones, Lisa Sharon Harper, Joel Stein, Yusra Mardini, and Mike McHargue. If you’d like to listen to the full conversations, click on the link(s) below: Josh Radnor Justin Jones Lisa Sharon Harper Joel Stein Yusra Mardini Mike McHargue ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only is Red Kap a Nashville-based company — which I, of course, love because I live here right now — but they champion the men and women who are out there committed to making our communities thrive. Everything they make — from work shirts to coveralls — is crafted with purpose and on purpose. They’re a no BS company. What you see is what you get. And what you get is a group of people who genuinely g

Yusra Mardini is a Syrian Refugee. In 2015, she and her sister left their home to head toward safety. A few minutes into the trip, the engine on their boat stopped working. She and her sister tread water for 3 1/2 hours which led to everyone’s lives being saved. Eventually, she arrived in Germany and began training for the 2016 Olympics. She competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio on the very first Refugee Olympic Team. She is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and swims every day as she trains for the next Olympics. Buy her book to hear the full version of her story. Follow Yusra on Instagram and Twitter. And visit her website to learn more about her. ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only is Red Kap a Nashville-based company — which I, of course, love because I live here right now — but they champion the men and women who are out there committed to making our communities thrive. Everyt

Charles belongs to the Choctaw tribe and his wife belongs to the Blackfoot tribe. 21 years ago, they started a non-profit organization called The Red Road. The Red Road exists to empower and share hope with Native American communities all over the country. He travels with his wife, Siouxsan, and their 7 children to do this incredible work.  A couple of years ago, Charles and his wife came up with a brilliant way to support the non-profit so they didn’t have to spend so much time fundraising. So, they started a cigar company! It’s called Atsiniki Cigars. Atsiniki means “Storyteller” in Choctaw. Their three cigars right now are named after three of their seven children: Nanaiya means Peace, Imaiya means Victory, and the Tashka means Warrior or Warrior Spirit. Follow Charles on Instagram. Visit The Red Road and Atsiniki Cigars to learn more about what they do and how you can get involved. If you’re ever coming through Nashville, stop by Smoker’s Abbey to grab some Atsiniki cigars. Hit me up and maybe I’ll join y

My guest today is Tori Williams Douglass. She is from Portland, Oregon. Tori is an anti-racist educator, the founder of White Homework, a writer, a content creator, and so much more. In our chat, we talk about growing up in a progressive but not so progressive city, living on stolen land, systemic racism, the global pandemic, police brutality, spirituality (or the lack thereof), what she would right now if she were president, and so much more. Fair warning — this conversation is raw and unfiltered. I mean, y’all already know that’s how I roll but this one is extra spicy. You can't say I didn’t warn you.  Follow Tori online, on Twitter, and on Instagram. And sign up for White Homework! ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! Support us on Patreon so we can keep making this podcast! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5

Robert Frank is the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and a Professor of Economics at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He, also, contributes to the "Economic View" column in The New York Times. Additionally, he has written over a dozen books including the book we will discuss today — Under The Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work. In this incredible and though-provoking book, Frank argues that we can and should use positive peer pressure to turn our friends, family, neighbors, and those in our sphere of influence into people who care about the climate crisis and will act to change the direction we are headed. You need to get this book! Here are some additional ways you can learn about Robert’s work:PBS NewsHour segment, Jan 30, 2020 Excerpt in The Economist, Feb 7, 2020 Excerpt in Behavioral Scientist, Feb 10, 2020 Excerpt in The Atlantic (lead essay), March, 2020 Excerpt in Washington Post Outlook (cover story), Feb 23, 2020 Robert Frank’s Radic

Larycia Hawkins is a scholar, a speaker, and a Professor at University of Virginia. She was the first female African-American tenured professor at Wheaton College — the Harvard University of Christian colleges. She accidentally fell into the national spotlight when, in 2015, she decided to wear a hijab in an act of embodied solidarity during a time in our country when then presidential candidate Trump was sppreading hateful rhetoric about Muslims on a daily basis. During this chat, we discuss the current polarized political and societal climate in America, the public lynching of George Floyd, how white people can help most during this time, losing her tenured professor position, and so much more. Follow Larycia on Instagram and Twitter. And don’t forget to watch Same God — only 99 cents through July 1 on Amazon Prime. ___________________________________ SPONSOR: This episode of Let’s Give a Damn is brought to you by Red Kap — a fantastic company that makes workwear and uniforms. Not only is Red Kap a Nashvill

Sarah Ives joins me on the podcast today! Sarah works with former podcast guest Jacob Glanville, is an immune engineer, is the Director of Contract Research at Distributed Bio, and is the lead scientist for the broad-spectrum Centivax flu vaccine technology. Read her full bio here. She’s a busy woman! In our conversation, we talk about their universal flu vaccine, their work on a coronavirus cure, what it’s like to work on a cure that could change the world, our deep love for Guatemala, and so much more! Follow Sarah on Twitter. And make sure to follow the incredible work they are doing at Distributed Bio and Centivax! ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! Support us on Patreon! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Have an amazing week, friends! Keep giving a damn. Love y’a

Kennedy Green, Mikayla Smith, Nya Collins, Jade Fuller, and Emma Rose Smith join us on the show today to talk about how they went from throwing around ideas to pulling off the largest Black Lives Matter protest yet. I was there. It was incredible. It felt sad. It felt just. It felt righteous. And it was peaceful.  Since the protest last Thursday, pretty much every major outlet has picked up their story. Many politicians and influencers have shard their story. It’s been so great to see the responses around the country! I’m so grateful they gave me/us an hour of their time. Follow @Teens.4.Equality on Instagram to keep up with what they’re doing now and in the future. They’re cooking up some really cool stuff! ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! Support us on Patreon! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5-star ratin

In the wake of the devastating and senseless murder of George Floyd, our cities are on fire, people of color are experiencing tremendous amounts of pain, and we all have a million questions. Lisa Sharon Harper joins me on the podcast today to discuss all things George Floyd, riots, slavery, the police, and whether to not everything will be made right one day. Lisa is a speaker, author, theologian, playwright, and a fantastic human. You can read her incredible and extensive bio here. ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! Support us on Patreon! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Have an amazing week, friends! Love y’all!

Eugene is a pastor, author, and a humanitarian. He is the Founder of One Day’s Wages and the President-Elect of Bread for the World. Eugene and his family immigrated to the United States from South Korea when he was a little boy. he and his family have lived in Seattle for years but are moving to Washington, D.C. soon for his new role with BFTW. During our chat, we talk about his immigration story, racism, xenophobia, One Day’s Wages, his forthcoming role at BFTW, his books, and so much more. You’re going to love this guy! Follow Eugene on Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to check out his website! ___________________________________ Follow Let’s Give A Damn on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter to keep up with all that is going on. We have so much planned for the coming months and we don’t want you to miss a thing! Support us on Patreon! We can't do this without you. Lastly, leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Have an amazing week, friends! Love y’all!