Why Reflection is Not Enough w/ Jon Alston & Vince

From Woke to Work: The Anti-Racist Journey

Welcome back to FROM WOKE TO WORK: The Anti-Racist Journey. On the last episode, we talked about the fourth stage of this journey- REFLECTION. If this is your first time joining us, STOP and go back to Episode 1.

Now that we have made the case for reflection, Kamala does what she always does- lights a fire under your collective butts so you don’t just chill here, thinking and thinking and thinking again, but actually start to move FORWARD and take some action. The key thing you need to remember when it comes to the limits of reflection is that thinking and planning and contemplating is not solving racism. At some point, you will need to DO SOMETHING. With the benefit of reflection, you will hopefully do the RIGHT something but you should not be seeking the “best ally” award just for being thoughtful.

In this episode, Kamala is joined by Jon Alston, former NFL player and awarded filmmaker for his short film Augustus, and Vince, co-host of the While Black Podcast, to speak up towards racial injustice, highlight why reflection is not enough and how to keep moving forward.

Jump straight into:

(00:45) - The limits of reflection: why you must speak up - “It’s so important for an ally to feel empowered enough to take this message of allyship and racial understanding back to the groups of people you and I can’t reach.”

(08:03) - The huge difference between “allies” and true accomplices - “I want you to be invested, otherwise, any movement that you colonize will only go as far as you want it to go.”

(13:00) - The problem with still “doing research”: How much time do you need for your progress or to take action? - “Why are we being held accountable for progress in a world where we’re not the ones lagging behind?”

(22:53) - The importance of deep reflection and why it is so crucial to take action today - “No matter who you are, your experiences or your belief system, with the combination of true introspection and deep reflection the human in you has to kick in. There has to be an awakening that forces you to look at the world through a different set of lenses.”

(30:35) - From performance to positive progress through reflection - “Reflection, and action don't need to be adversaries, actually, they should really be close friends.”

(37:23) - How to become a more active and effective accomplice - “Don't use racial bias for your own advantage.”

Resources

Follow John on Instagram and Twitter

Keep an eye on Augustus through Instagram

Augustus

Follow Vince on Instagram

The While Black Podcast

2Pac 1994 Interview

American Skin

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to follow Kamala on Instagram to learn more. Subscribe, rate and share this podcast so more people can find it, let’s spread the word!

From Woke to Work is a show produced and hosted by Kamala Avila-Salmon in partnership with Julian Lewis and TJ Bonaventura at StudioPod. Edited at Nodalab, art by Tommy Gomez, and music produced by davecantrap.