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In Episode 5 of "A Turn Toward Hopeful Action," Dr. Cynthia Ganote talks with W. Kamau Bell about men, the messages boys and young men received growing up, and what those messages cost. Both came of age in Generation X, and they discuss the “no means no” lessons many boys were taught, alongside the slightly-older peer voices that said to those same boys “well, not always.”

Filmed on location at the Othering & Belonging Conference in Louisville, KY, the conversation looks at how slightly-older peers spread messages to boys and young men, and how technology amplifies rap3 culture. Bell argues that billionaires who profit from our attention have made rap3 culture worse, and that they don’t care about the people it harms.

For context -- here's what the data says: The 2019 AAU Campus Climate Survey found that 26.4% of undergraduate women and 6.9% of undergraduate men reported non-consensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent since enrolling. Among the 21 schools that took part in both the 2015 and 2019 AAU surveys, the rate rose by 3.0 percentage points for undergraduate women, reaching 26.4%. For undergraduate men, it rose by 1.4 points, to 6.9%. Graduate and professional women saw a 2.4-point rise, to 10.8%.

In this episode:

-- What boys were taught about consent, and what they were not

-- How the "no means no" and then the "not always” message was conveyed

-- How technology has "super-sized" rap3 culture, and Bell’s argument about the billionaires behind the technology

-- Hopeful Action close: What steps can men take to reduce rap3 culture?

Views expressed in this episode are those of the guest and host.

If this conversation brings up something personal, support is available. The RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673, or visit online.rainn.org.

Source: AAU, “AAU Releases 2019 Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct” https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/aau-releases-2019-survey-sexual-assault-and-misconduct

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever heard someone say that LGBT people are trying to turn children gay? Whether it’s coming from politicians, from the pulpit, from online, or from a family member, it’s a claim with no basis in fact. So, let's try to understand why and how it spreads, and what impact this falsehood has on members of the LGBT community,

In this episode of “A Turn Toward Hopeful Action: Election Edition,” we sit down with my dear friend Brian Buford, Assistant Vice President for Employee Success at the University of Louisville, who has spent much of his career working toward LGBT inclusion and belonging. Together, we examine where this kind of dis- and misinformation about LGBT people comes from, who it serves, and who it hurts.

About this podcast:

This series offers clear, well-sourced election education and small actions that help people protect democracy. If we want the kinder, gentler, more peaceful world we envision, we have to start with what’s true now. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode!

A production by Media Pros Productions

Producer: Ellyn Tilford

Junior Producer: Chey Young

Editors: Ella Bizanes & Ellie White

Brian’s podcast:

The Employee Success Podcast, from the UofL Employee Success Center: https://podcasts.apple...

Also from Brian's podcast:

Microresistance, with Dr. Cynthia Ganote:

“Responding to Microaggressions at Work” (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple...

Burnout, with Dr. Cynthia Ganote, Part 1 (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple...

Burnout, with Dr. Cynthia Ganote, Part 2 (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple...

Link to this podcast on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple...

Link to this podcast on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.c...

And you can find me in these places:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cynt...

IG, FB, Threads: @cynthiaganote

TikTok: @cynthia_ganote

Bluesky: @cynthiaganote.bsky.social

Or you can contact me on my website: www.drcynthiaganote.com

Please do reach out!

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Are immigrants really ruining America? Or is this disinformation?

We often hear in the U.S. these days that "immigrants are ruining America." But is that true? In this episode, we examine the research that tells us what the relationship is between immigrant populations and crime, and we determine what's disinformation (where the person saying it knows it's false), what's misinformation (where the person telling it believes it's true), and what's actually true.

Dr. Cynthia Ganote, Host

Media Pros Productions

Ellyn Tilford, Producer

Chey Young, Junior Producer

Ella Bizianes & Ellie White, Editors

Research Sources & Links

American Immigration Council (October 2024) — "Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime" — www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Claims of voter fraud and voter suppression dominate our election discourse, but what does the evidence actually show? In this episode, we examine the claims we hear about both and distinguish between what research confirms and what is disinformation that is then spread as misinformation.

The stakes are high when we misunderstand what's really happening at the ballot box. With clarity comes agency. We'll look at what the data tells us about both voter fraud and voter suppression, why these narratives persist so powerfully, and how the Hopeful Action Framework we explored in Episode 1 help us move from anxiety, cynicism, hopelessness or despair into the kind of informed, purposeful action that strengthens our democratic participation.

If we want to build the kinder, gentler, more peaceful world we envision, we have to start with truth — so that we can orient ourselves toward what's actually within our power to change.