New Season, New Perspectives . . . New Co-Host!!

<p>In 2016, <a href="https://cleartheaireducation.wordpress.com/about-the-founder/">Val Brown</a> recognized a silence in the education community regarding issues of race, and a gap in learning opportunities for educators. In response she founded <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClearTheAir">#ClearTheAir</a>, a platform for educators to learn about the intersections of history, racism, and education.  </p><p>In 2019, she reached out to Integrated Schools to see if we might walk this road towards anti-racist school integration together.  However, she had a question - as a Black mom, she asked, "do I belong at Integrated Schools?  Is there a place for me?" </p><p>This is a question we have been wrestling with internally for some time.  Leadership team member, Ali Takata recently published a <a href="https://integratedschools.org/people-of-color-in-integrated-schools/">blog post</a> highlighting the gap she has felt in our ability to address a multiracial audience and announcing our intentions to grow  from a primarily White organization into a truly multiracial organization.  </p><p>While we know that this process needs to be slow and deliberate, we are also deeply committed to seeing it through.  With that in mind, and given that the podcast has been lacking a regular co-host, we felt it was time to bring someone new on board, and we are so grateful that Val agreed.  She will be with us at least though May of 2022 to co-host, lend her insights, and help model what a truly multiracial coalition could be.  </p><p>In this first episode, we get to know her backstory, why she cares, and what we hope this season will achieve.  </p><p><strong>LINKS:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ValeriaBrownEdu">Val Brown on Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://integratedschools.org/people-of-color-in-integrated-schools/">Ali's Blog Post</a></li><li><a href="https://medium.com/@mmtheg/white-lips-to-white-ears-451a850c1ed">White Lips to White Ears </a>by IS Advisory Board Member, <a href="https://integratedschools.o