Multiracial Family Man

Ep. 112: Aman Kaur is an Indian woman who immigrated to the United States with her family.  She is married to a non-Indian man.  Based on her own experience, she created the Indian Interracial Marriages Podcast (http://indianinterracialmarriages.com/), which is dedicated to the stories of Indian couples in interracial marriages.  On the podcast, listeners get to hear from the couples and at times from their parents about the challenges and the loving commitments in interracial marriages in the Indian Community.  Listen as Aman details her own life and experience and relates the mission and goals of her podcast. For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Intro and Outro Music is Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons - By Attribution 3.0 http://c

Ep. 111: Brittani Noel is a Multiracial ctress and producer, known for Blue Movies (2009), American Mobster (2010) and Moon Creek Cemetery (2016).  Her mother is a White supermodel from Hungary.  Her dad is an African-American doctor.  For much of her adult life, Brittani struggled with questions of race and identity.  And, that struggle has been exacerbated by the entertainment industry, which seeks to pigeonhole actors and actresses by "type."  As a result, Brittani created the short film, The Other, which is inspired by real-life events, and which explores the struggle of being in-between races. To learn more about the film go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theother/the-other And, for more about Brittani, please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2728015/ For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MUL

Ep. 110:  Leslie Barlow is a practicing artist living and working in Minneapolis, MN.  Primarily an oil painter, Barlow's current work employs the figure and narrative elements to explore issues of multiculturalism, "otherness", representation, and identity. She investigates complex topics and social tensions through the use of the personal; often creating works depicting family, friends, and people in her community, and personal experiences, to reflect the subtle and not-so-subtle integrations of these ideas into individual lives and identities. Barlow received her BFA in 2011 from the University of Wisconsin- Stout and her MFA in 2016 from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Leslie Barlow has received great recognition from her home state of Minnesota. She appeared in the season 7 television segment of tpt's Minnesota Original, airing April 2016, was published in the "Best New Art 2016" list in Minnesota Monthly Magazine, and was published as "Artist of the Year" for 2016 in the City Pages. Recently

Ep. 109: Jamie Ford is a Multiracial Asian man with roots in China.  He's also, according to Jamie, part "Betty Crocker" White (on his mother's side).  In addition, he is the New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet—which was, in no particular order, an IndieBound NEXT List Selection, a Borders Original Voices Selection, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection, Pennie’s Pick at Costco, a Target Bookmarked Club Pick, and a National Bestseller. It was also named the #1 Book Club Pick for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 by the American Booksellers Association. In addition, Hotel has been translated into 34 languages. He jokes that he's still holding out for Klingon (that’s when, Jamie says, you know you’ve made it). His new novel, Songs of Willow Frost was published September 10, 2013. And he's also working on a YA (Young Adult) series. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jamie is the proud father of more teenagers than he can keep track of. To learn more about Jamie, please visit h

Ep. 108 - On June 12, 1967, in the case of Loving v. Virginia, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state laws prohibiting mixed-race marriages were unconstitutional. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ruling, the Loving Project is documenting the experiences of couples whose marriages would have been illegal in some states prior to 1967. Our goal is to celebrate a landmark in civil rights but also to explore what it’s like to be part of a mixed-race marriage at this time in America’s history. The Loving Project is produced by Farrah Parkes and Brad Linder, an interracial couple living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where they share their home with three very spoiled cats. Brad is an award-winning journalist whose work has aired on NPR and WHYY. Farrah is a non-profit professional who dabbles in social justice activism. They have been married for over 10 years. To check out the Loving Project, please go to their website: https://lovingproject.com/ For more on host, Alex Barnett, pleas

Ep. 107: Sarah Gambles is a Hawaiian-born, Biracial (Black-White), filmmaker with family ties in her current home state of Alabama.  After years of teaching, Sarah returned to her creative roots, launching her own production company, SarahFinah Films.  Under the umbrella of that production company, she has now created a new film ARMOR: Biracial in the Deep South - a look at the Biracial population in America's South, the fastest growing, yet most underrepresented demographic in that region. Listen as Sarah speaks with Alex about her own life and experience.  Her journey from creative pursuits into teaching and back to filmmaking.  And, her hopes and expectations about the role her film can play in educating people about the Multiracial experience.  Don't miss it!  And, for more on Sarah, please check out her website: http://www.sarahfinahfilms.com/ For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter a

Ep. 106: Since 1968, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs has sought to mobilize the resources of the private bar to address issues of civil rights violations and poverty in the community. Amongst the Washington Lawyers' Committee Projects is its Public Education Project, which has as its core, a belief that a high quality and free public education for all children is a fundamental civil right.  Toward that end, the Committee administers three related programs – the DC Public School Partnership Program, the DC Public Education Reform Program, and the Parent Empowerment Program. Kent Withycombe is the Project Director of the Public Education Project.  An attorney with a longstanding commitment to social justice, Kent worked in private practice for years before transitioning to the Lawyers' Committee, where he could focus his energies on helping to improve public education and to ensure that all kids are able to receive a high quality public education. For more on the Washing

Ep. 105: Adam Gould is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of eduKenya (http://www.edukenya.org/), which seeks to empower children and their families with the opportunity to break the chronic cycle of poverty and transform their lives and communities.  Adam co-founded eduKenya with Bob Kikuyu in 2010 as an extension of the Kenya Children Project, an outreach to children and families in Mathare. The Kenya Children Project was established in 2006 as a partnership with Believers Centre Mathare Church and Life in Abundance to expand on the church’s childcare program by developing a fully functional primary school. The Kwa Watoto School – which means “for the children” in Swahili – was the result. From 2007 – 2010, the Kwa Watoto School rapidly expanded, adding a new grade level each year. The Skills Training and Home Based Care programs were initiated to benefit students’ parents and other community members by teaching income generating skills and providing support for people living with HIV/AIDS and other life

Ep. 104: Maya Azucena, a multi-award winning recording artist and magnetically inspirational woman, is known for making music that uplifts the soul. Born & raised in Brooklyn, she travels the world empowering others through her songs. Featured as a coach, mentoring a teenager on MTV's Made, Ms. Azucena also garnered a Grammy Certificate for contributing her 4-octave range and soul-stylings to a feature performance with Stephen Marley on his album "Mind Control," which won Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Maya has collaborated extensively on stage and on recordings with such notable artists as Fitz and the Tantrums, Marcus Miller, DJ Spinna, DJ Logic, Cormega, Large Professor, Eminem, Mr. Cheeks, Joell Ortiz, Immortal Technique, Vernon Reid, Bob Sinclair and Jonathan Peters.  She was seen recently at the Essence Fest in New Orleans with the likes of Beyonce, Jill Scott and Maxwell. Maya's commitment to human rights and social activism garnered appearances at the world-renowned TEDxWomen Conference in Washingt

Ep. 103: Alexandra Stevenson is a professional tennis player.  She's also multiracial.  She made her professional tennis debut in 1999 at Wimbledon, two weeks after graduating from high school. She was named rookie of the year by Tennis Magazine. Alexandra's mother, Samantha, is a noted sportswriter, who helped open the world of sports reporting to female reporters. Alexandra's father is NBA Hall of Famer, Julius "Dr. J." Erving. Alexandra's career suffered setback due to injury, but she's now mounting a serious comeback.  Listen as she and her mom describe the road ahead as well as the road already traveled, along with issues of race and racism that have cropped up along the way for this Biracial daughter, White mother pair. For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic   To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Intro and Ou

Ep. 102: Leslie Mac is a Brooklyn born activist & first generation American who speaks nationally about connecting social media to social justice and facilitating movement building discussions. She founded the Ferguson Response Network to connect nationwide efforts supporting the important racial justice movement started in Ferguson, MO. She is a Lead Organizer for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism and hosts the Interracial Jawn Podcast (http://interracialjawn.com/).  Leslie is the co-founder of Safety Pin Box (https://www.safetypinbox.com/), a subscription service providing tasks and tools that help White people become allies of African-Americans confronting and overcoming the effects of racism. To learn more about Leslie, check out her website: http://www.lesliemac.com/ You can reach Leslie on Twitter at @LeslieMac For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subsc

Ep. 101: Jonah Batambuze is an American-born, Black, Ugandan.  Swetha Batambuze is an Indian-born, Brit.  And, together, this interracial, intercultural married couple are the founders of Kampind -- a lifestyle brand at the intersection of Culture, Travel & Fashion.  To find KampInd in the UK or USA, check out these weblinks: (in the UK: http://www.kampind.com/collections/all; and in the US: http://kampindusa.com/collections/all) (http://kampindusa.com/). Inspiring the multicultural leaders of tomorrow to change the world, KampInd creates accessories for trendy toddlers using African wax prints, Indian, and British fabrics celebrating the world's cultures. KampInd was born to solve this problem for all individuals seeking options that reflect worldly cultures and colorful experiences. Jonah and Swetha Batambuze believe everyone is entitled access to quality products representing Global Citizens. They also believe in changing the world by stimulating thought, challenging misconceptions and inspiring action

Ep. 100: Fifty years after the landmark Loving v. Virginia U.S. Supreme Court case ended legal persecution of interracial marriage in America, two mothers – one brown, one white – set off on a journey to explore what it means to be a bi-racial child living in a mixed-race family in so-called “post-racial America,” the perspectives of their own families and others, and America’s deep cultural ambivalence about its rapidly-changing mixed-race reality. In the shadows of Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter and the historic Obama presidency, MIXED offers a new lens into race and the lives of the first generation of mixed-race kids and families to be counted in the U.S. Census. MIXED is directed and produced by Caty Borum Chattoo and Leena Jayaswal, and executive-produced by Jeffrey Tuchman for Documania Films. Caty Borum Chattoo & Leena Jayaswal, co-directors and co-producers, share a long history of social-issue storytelling in documentaries and other multimedia. Leena Jayaswal is an award-winning photographer and

Ep. 98: Brian Concannon, Jr. is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti ("IJDH").   Prior to joining the IJDH, Brian co-managed the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux ("BAI") in Haiti for eight years, from 1996-2004, and worked for the United Nations as a Human Rights Officer in 1995-1996. He founded IJDH, and has been the Director since 2004. He helped prepare the prosecution of the Raboteau Massacre trial in 2000, one of the most significant human rights cases anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. He has represented Haitian political prisoners before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and represented the plaintiff in Yvon Neptune v. Haiti, the only Haiti case ever tried before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Listen as Brian discusses with Alex the important work of the IJDH, including: working with grass­roots groups in Haiti to help develop an effective human rights advo­cacy pro­gram with global out­reach. In addition, in the U.S., IJDH

Ep. 97: Kohshin Finley is a multiracial, Afro-Latino, Black & Mexican painter whose work will take your breath away.  Just as a songwriter tells stories through rhythm and melody, Kohshin tells his stories with brushes and paint. The subjects of these paintings are captured in a vulnerable state of being, at their most honest and revealing. Poems and short tales are written in diaristic scrawls throughout the paintings as if the characters wrote them. Kohshin creates paintings in this way to showcase his own vulnerabilities, and to give the viewer permission to discover something about themselves when viewing his paintings. Kohshin utilizes traditional oil painting techniques and contemporary text-based imagery to communicate a character’s emotional travels; where they were; where they are; and where they will be. Kohshin currently is in Los Angeles, CA.  He received a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design.  For more on Kohshin, please visit his website at: http://www.kohshinfinley.com/ or check out his

Ep. 96: Chantel Cohen is an African-American, multiracial family mom.  She's also a therapist and life coach.  She owns and operates CWC Coaching and Therapy (http://www.chantelcohen.com/index.html) in Atlanta, Georgia. Her clients are from all walks of life, but she’s worked extensively with couples in relationship distress and individuals who have anxiety, ADHD, and depression. She’s also coached many individuals looking to make a career transition, turbo-charge their career, and enhance their workplace communication.  And, she's worked with many multiracial couples dealing with communication issues resulting from family dynamics and issues of race. For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Intro and Outro Music is Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creat

Ep. 95: Chanel Bosh is African-American and Puerto Rican.  She is a proud Afro-Latina. She's also a military brat, who grew up in various parts of the United States and the World, experiencing how different it was to be multiracial domestically and internationally.  Hers is a fascinating story of exploring and discovering identity at a young age. Chanel also is an actress and writer, known for The Colonies (2015), Back to School Blues (2015) and Tomorrow (2014) who has much to say about the challenges faced by multiracial actors and actresses during the casting process.  You don't want to miss this conversation! And, for more on Chanel, please check out her iMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6033502/) and her Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/chanelbosh/). For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MUL

Ep. 94: Sylvie Vaught is is African American, Choctaw Indian, Irish, and Russian/Romanian Jewish.  She is a multiracial woman in a multiracial family who has experienced multiracial life in Canada and the United States.  Currently, she works as a hairstylist, with a particular sensitivity and affinity for multiracial hair. Sylvie is also a a co-founder of Blow Me Hair App (http://www.blowmyhairnow.com/welcome) a Los Angeles and Orange County based on-demand beauty that connects available hair stylists with clients interested in a professional blowout or up-do in the convenience of their home, office, and hotel. For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Intro and Outro Music is Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons - By Attribution 3.0 http://c

Ep. 93: Christopher Mann is an actor and producer, known for The Wire (2002), Michael Clayton (2007) and Duplicity (2009).  He plays the role of Theoliver "Jake" Jeter, father of Mildred Jeter Loving, in the movie Loving, the dramatization of the story of Mildred and Richard Loving, their battle against Virginia's anti-miscegenation law, and their ultimate victory in the Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, issued on June 12, 1967, which held that laws forbidding interracial marriage were unconstitutional. For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Intro and Outro Music is Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons - By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

Ep. 92: Suzie Strong is an award-winning, Los Angeles-based photographer and director.  In her photography work, she specializes in creative portraits and fashion.  She directs and shoots feature films, short narratives, music videos, experimental shorts, promos and fashion shorts. Suzie also has a fascinating multiracial heritage, with Lebanese, German, Irish, English, Spanish, & Native American roots.  Interestingly, her family immigrated to the United States through New Orleans, rather than Ellis Island, and her family culture and traditions mainly reflect the culture of New Orleans which Suzie calls "a beautiful quilt of many types of people."  She adds: "Our home was always a southern island on the west coast. We also honored our Lebanese background with lots of Lebanese cooking!" Listen as Suzie explains her Lebanese (and other) roots and the juxtaposition of those with New Orleans culture.  And, hear how her ancestry and heritage have informed her life and work. For more on host, Alex Barnett, ple