The Unheard Outsider

The Unheard Outsider has two new co-hosts. Let us introduce you to Erin Rust & nicole gugliotti 

Rayne Pearson (she/her) works as an administrative law judge and is passionate about advancing equity, diversity, access, inclusion, belonging, and justice in state employment. To that end, she centers antiracism education and practice in her personal life. Rayne has a BA from New York University, where she majored in Journalism and Women’s Studies and minored in Africana Studies. She also has a JD from Seattle University School of Law. She is the executive sponsor of the EDI committee for her organization, and serves as a board member for Pizza Klatch.   After receiving his B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University, and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Adam co-founded and served as President and General Counsel of a gourmet food enterprise.  He later transitioned into public service working for various State agencies in Illinois. Adam has also served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary for a  global advisory and consulting firm, where he provided legal advice on complex matters in regards to both US and international law. After his time in legal practice, Adam entered the world of academics as Director of Legal Professions Advising and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Business, Organizations & Society at Franklin & Marshall College where he advised students and alumni about the legal profession and taught courses at the intersect of law and business. Currently, Adam is a Professor and Program Lead of Paralegal Studies at South Puget Sound Community College.  

  Sarah Lloyd i LOVE a good framework. two things. maslow & WE before me.    if WE want to make radical change, WE must first acknowledge the basic needs that WE have, and thus, MUST meet.   maslow's revised hierarchy of needs (1969) clarifies the motivation for our behavior. in everything. this is the most widely-accepted (and a pretty damn good bridge) between what white supremacy has left us to manage...and the Truths that Black, Brown, and Indigeous people have been saying all along; WE have a shared and innate responsibility to steward humanity well.    WE before me means that i prioritize the greater good over my own fears, insecurities, limitations (perceived or actual), and discomfort. ESPECIALLY discomfort.    if you are doing this work comfortably, i have some bad news...you are NOT actually doing this work.    like. at all.    radical change requires us to disrupt current norms (that protect the status quo...), and all of the harmful ways they manifest systemically: hindering leadership capacity, stifling growth opportunities, and diminishing the inherent value of our most talented leaders.    not historically marginalized.  it's happening right now.       Luis Ortega is a TEDx Speaker, multidisciplinary storyteller, artist, empathy educator, social impact consultant, and the director and founder of Storytellers for Change. Over the last fourteen years, Luis has traveled across the nation to share his personal narrative and message about the power of storytelling and story-listening to inspire action and build empathetic, inclusive, and equitable communities.

Trustee Navas served as Board Chair from 2018-2019, and as Board Vice Chair 2017-2018. She is the co-founder and current Executive Director of the Equity in Education Coalition. She was a Commissioner for the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs from 2010 - 2012. Her former work experience consists of being a community organizer with Stand for Children, Executive Director of Para Los Ninos, Assistant Director of Development for NARAL Pro-Choice America, Deputy Executive Director for Ayuda, Inc., and Development Coordinator for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Currently, she is on the steering committee of the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition and the board of Reading Partners Seattle. Ms. Navas sits on the Every Student Succeeds Act Accountability Workgroup as well as several workgroups for the Professional Educators Standards Board. Ms. Navas was a volunteer for the South King Council on Human Services and was a Board member of the League for Education Voters. She was an advisory member for the Thrive by Five Advancing Racial Equity Theory of Change in Early Learning as well as a committee member of the WA State Education Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee. Sharonne holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from St. John's University.    

Social justice worker and mental health therapist serving the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. Sade Adeeyo is a licensed mental health clinician dedicated to the well-being, care coordination, and recovery of vulnerable communities. Formerly a researcher of the social determinants of health, housing and youth development at the Urban Institute, she focused on building multi-generational, place-based interventions in public housing communities. Before joining the Urban Institute, she worked at the Black Women’s Health Imperative and has consistently held positions that advocate for equitable public health and underhoused families. She holds a BA in comparative women’s studies with a minor in public health from her beloved alma mater Spelman College. She also holds an MA in public policy with a concentration in women’s studies as well as a second master’s degree in mental health counseling. In all, Sade is working towards a vision of more equitable, inclusive cities (particularly in DC) where decision making and solution building center those most impacted and at the margins. 

Erin Jones has been involved in and around schools for the past 26 years. She has taught in a variety of environments, from predominantly Black to predominantly White to some of the most diverse communities in the nation. Erin received an award as the Most Innovative Foreign Language Teacher in 2007, while working in Tacoma, and was the Washington State Milken Educator of the Year in 2008 while teaching in Spokane. She received recognition at the White House in March of 2013 as a "Champion of Change” and was Washington State PTA’s “Outstanding Educator” in 2015. After serving as a classroom teacher and instructional coach, Erin worked as an executive for two State Superintendents. Erin left the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2012 to work in college access at the school district level. She left her job to run as a candidate for State Superintendent and was the first Black woman to run for any state office in Washington state, a race she lost by a mere 1%. Erin has one college graduate, one who’s a senior at Harvey Mudd College, and one starting a welding program in the fall. Her husband of 25 years, James, is a teacher.

This week's conversation aims to unpack transphobia and understand the trans experience through trans voices.     Guests for the Week:   Jay Banks   New to the Olympia area from DC, Jay Banks is an AfroLatinx Nonbinary Queer Educator. They started TQMason a trans support and education group during their time at George Mason University and was influential in the University adopting their gender-neutral housing policy. They also have their Masters in Early Childhood Education and worked to implement a Black Lives Matter curriculum in their classroom while focusing on being trans and queer affirming. After teaching in Elementary schools in Southeast DC Jay decided to use their life experiences and formal education to help support LGBTQ+ Youth with Pizza Klatch. Jay is passionate about intersectionality and being a source of positive representation for queer youth of color. They also love traveling to new places, binge-watching reality tv shows, and spending time with their french lop rabbit Bun.   Jaedyn Young   My name is Jaedyn or Jae (for short), and my pronouns are he/him. I grew up in North Minneapolis, and will always fight for justice and accountability no matter the situation.  I graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a bachelors in Mass Media, and I’m now finishing up school at PCI Academy to become a licensed Esthetician. With that license, I really want to make sure I create a safe place for those in the LGBT+ & Black community, and to give them the space to truly feel relaxed and not judged.   E.J. Frazier   E.J. is currently a student at South Puget Sound Community college working on his associates degree in automotive technology. He is currently working in The A. Barbra Clarkson Diversity Equity & Inclusion Center at SPSCC with Que.

This week we discuss ally-ship vs. accomplice and where the line is between the two, and when do either of these become part of the white savior complex.   Our guest this week is Dr. Higgins Dr. Higgins is a speaker, writer, and social justice educator who focuses on issues related to gender, race, and media. Named Business Equality Magazine’s “Top 40 LGBTQ Under 40” for 2020, they have written for numerous media outlets including Complex Magazine, Out Magazine, Them, Essence, The Root, Blavity, MTV News and more. They have also been featured on sites like NBC News, Buzzfeed, Vox