Blair Imani - Finding Your Purpose & Making The World Less Terrible
This week, I had the privilege of chatting with Blair Imani; historian, outspoken advocate and activist, and a dynamic public speaker. She's also my favorite Pokémon and Star Trek enthusiast, and all-around queen of pop culture analogies. She's the author of two historical books, she centers women and girls’ global, black communities, and the LBGTQ community.
Blair provides publicly accessible, weekly lessons on Instagram, and then she takes that education to a whole new level on Patreon. I'm so grateful for this chat. And I'm excited to get into this episode because Blair is, as she would say, an active participant in “making the world less terrible.” I'm going to say she's more actively making the world more accessible, inclusive, educated, kind, and all-around a nicer place to exist and connect.
From getting arrested at protests to understanding that the way we show up may look different than the way somebody else does, Blair and I chat about the different ways that activism can look, as well as having the grace to accept and encourage folks wherever they are on their journey. Tune in for a good one, friends.
Key Talking Points of the Episode:
Meet Blair Imani
Being an active participant in making the world less terrible
Harm reduction
Blair’s passion; education
Being grounded in authentic humility
The positive impact on Blair’s life
Blair’s advice to people who care a lot
Key Milestones of the Episode:
[04:00] Meet Dr. Blair Imani
[08:00] Blair’s background
[14:20] Being an active participant in making the world less terrible
[15:00] Harm reduction
[18:00] What activism is NOT, via Lizzie McGuire
[20:30] There’s always more to learn
[24:00] Blair’s focus; education
[27:00] Being authentic and kind
[31:00] Human interaction is a kaleidoscope of opportunity
[34:30] The loneliness of being authentically you
[37:30] Getting comfortable being uncomfortable, when it comes to activism
[45:00] Two traps that folks who care can fall into
[48:00] How activism can look different for different people
[49:40] Someone Blair looks up to
[54:00] The Refrigerator of Justice
[1:00:00] Something that Blair would love to try
[1:04:00] An organization that Blair supports
Standout Quotes from the Episode:
“But the fact is, you know, I was very much raised with this idea that if you do have more access than someone else, then it's your duty to use that in service of good.”
“I think that it's just a better way of living. When you care about the people around you.”
“But we all bloom at our own pace. And if we think about ourselves as flowers, with many pedals who bloomed to the extent that we were nourished.”
“Equity looks like people getting what they need to be successful and to thrive.”
“And it's also, you know, a lesson about how we can all make the world less terrible. And the reason why I say less terrible is because it's pretty terrible. And if you say, ‘Make the world a better place,’ that can be so abstract for people because there has never been a perfect world and we have to create that together.”
Mentioned in this Episode
Muslims for Progressive Values
Connect with Blair
If you love this episode, please rate and review it on Apple/iTunes! It helps podcast listeners, like you, find us to connect over a community of caring.
Full Transcript here.
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Created, Produced, Hosted & Edited by: Randi Johns
Music by: Tefty & Meems
