Thread the Needle

What if we could disagree in a way that encouraged empathy and understanding? In this episode, Loretta Ross, an activist for reproductive justice and Professor of White Supremacy and Human Rights at Smith College, charges us to use her Calling In technique to hold people accountable with compassion. After her own personal experience of healing from sexual violence and working with reformed rapists and Klan members throughout her 50-year career, Ross has a unique approach to healing our growing political divide. Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of rape and incest and may not be suitable for younger listeners. Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod. To pitch a story or to share feedback, email [email protected]. Subscribe to Thread the Needle on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to Thread the Needle on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calling all divorcees & divorce curious! Going through a divorce is a decidedly sucky process. While still taboo, the dreaded D word is extremely common—in the U.S., about 1 million women file for divorce every year. Interestingly, throughout US history, women have initiated the majority of divorces in hetero unions. But the reasons women jump ship have changed. In this episode, we’ll explore a core similarity many women describe within their marriages today—self abandonment—and how, in many cases, divorce is the only way to reclaim themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2020 will go down in history as a year of racial reckoning. Reporting from Iowa, just a few hours’ drive from Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed by the police in May, host Donna Cleveland grapples with the state of racism in the Midwest. While Midwesterners are known for being neighborly, with slogans like Iowa Nice, it turns out that flyover country harbors a history of racist policies and practices, the legacy of which we’re still living with today. The result is that racial inequality in the Midwest is greater than anywhere else in the country, even the South. This episode explores what it’s really like to live in the Midwest if you’re a person of color, how we got here, and what we can do about it. Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the thought of growing old fill you with dread? If so, have you thought about why? In episode 6 of Thread the Needle, discover what the internal experience of old age is really like. The closer you look at the research, the more contradictions you’ll find. Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod. Read the episode transcript at TheNeedle.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to a conversation between Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, and Lauren Schiller of Inflection Point on the dangers of white feminism and what actions we can take to dismantle systemic racism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices