Elephant in the Room-Unboxed

Listen to this powerful conversation between Sarah Adams, co-creator of Matriarch, an organization that serves indigenous women in central and Northeastern Oklahoma. Learn how Sarah, a powerful human being, is making change in Oklahoma and unpacks a meaning of two spirits.

Listen to this conversation between Founder/CEO of Thick Descriptions, Suzette Chang, and Executive Director of Respect Diversity Foundation, Dr. Noel Jacobs, as they flesh-out why these two organizations do this work meaning discussing, understanding and offering solutions for what it means to be a human being, to have human experiences and how humans can have quality lives in Oklahoma and around the world.

The natural beauty of New Zealand and the rich cultural traditions of its more than 300 Maori communities can sometimes cause one to forget or overlook the history of colonization and harm to those communities, similar to many Native American tribes in the United States.  Providing listeners unique perspectives and points of view, Maori business and nonprofit leader Breviss Wolfgramm describes models of cultural engagement and forward growth of the Maori people and country as a whole, as well as highlighting the cultural connections between Native Americans and Maori people and how we can learn from each other for "enduring gains." 

Listen to a direct and upfront conversation about adult literacy. Did you know that over 70% of United States college freshmen require remedial reading? Further more, how does this fact prepare college students to complete and compete in higher academia and careers? Founder/CEO of Thick Descriptions, Suzette Chang and DesJean Jones, Executive Director of OIC talk about these facts, and so much more, specifically how adults can level up!

Suzette and Suzann sit down and have a great conversation about critical thinking for youth and how to "help people open themselves and their organizations to new ways of processing their challenges to bring about breakthrough thinking. Every setback is an opportunity to learn new ways of thinking. Every new challenge brims with the possibility of rising to the next level". Suzann is the Founder/CEO of Wade Innovation.

In this month Elephant in the Room- Unboxed, Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Anderson discuss a history of gender fluidity from a language, literary, clinical and health perspectives.  Listeners are reminded that everyone is a "unique and precious human being deserving of compassion, honest counsel and guidance" regardless of sexuality, gender and sex.

In this month's episode, listeners will learn and understand the power of projecting a "clear and confident voice" with Rena Cook, vocal authority and teacher. Graduate student/budding anthropologist, Veda Pai, gets in depth and personal with Rena about language, projection, techniques and passion.

In this month's podcast, join Dr. Noel Jacobs and Dr. Delores Bigfoot as they discuss suicide prevention, cultural abuse, her intentional commitment to interpretation and neglect and, cultural applications among American Indians and Alaskan natives.  

This Elephant in the Room Unboxed Episode speaks to anthropology from academic and popular perspectives and, how the two connect.  Anthropologist Veda Pai has a candid conversation with French Anthropologist Helidth Ravenholm.

In this episode, listeners learn about Thuan (Toon) Nguyen, a member of the Oklahoma City Asian District and part of the "model minority." He speaks about his experiences as an Asian American in Oklahoma and in other spaces aka "boat people." During our conversation with Toon, he helps all to understand his humanity and that of his family and, how his experiences (nationality, ethnicity, entrepreneurship and so much more) speaks those opportunities that connects us as human beings.

In this episode, listeners learn about Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia and former Soviet Union and, Gulnaza Tabynbayeva, a previous Community Engagement Exchange Program Fellow and now, a Thick Descriptions team member.  This interview speaks to her experiences as a native Kazakhstanian, its cultures and her desires for her country.

In this episode, Bailey Perkins Wright defines why history matters to understanding the present and shaping the future, highlights significant moments in Oklahoma’s history and laws that feed into modern disparities, and unpacks recent legislation that has consequences to progress (specifically HB1775). Listen now to learn what we can do collectively and systemically to move us to progress.  Host is Gulnaz Tabynbayeva - Marketing Assistant at Thick Descriptions, Community Engagement Exchange Fellow, and gender equality advocate.  Guest is Bailey Perkins Wright - Womanist, public policy advocate, and adjunct professor at a local community college. As an advocacy and governmental affairs professional, she’s dedicated to shaping state and federal public policy decisions and strengthening civic engagement in Oklahoma

In this episode titled "White Supremacy and White Privilege”, Jill Nagle talks about White Supremacy Mythology and the importance of understanding how history produces our mindsets and learning to move beyond them to enjoy greater clarity, sovereignty, and effectiveness at stopping harm and transforming injustice.

We are happy to announce that the first episode of “Elephant in the Room - Unboxed” is out on all platforms. In the first episode “Creating space for Black Sustainability” the host Dr. Noel Jacobs discusses the importance of Black Sustainability, the absence of Black people in various systems (political, educational, legal/judicial, etc.) within Oklahoma, and what we can do to include them in these spaces with our first guest, Rev. Sheri Dickerson."

Thick Descriptions is committed to disrupting how "we've always done it [whatever IT may be]",  and, we are doing the work with Respect for Diversity Foundation.  Do the work with us through this monthly podcast, Elephant in the Room - Unboxed as we talk about uncomfortable topics, together.  Come on, let's get uncomfortable!