We are talking labor rights today with the organizers of Coffee Worker’s of The South United (CWOTS for short)- the first unionized coffee shop in Nashville (second in the state of TN)! Since 2020 there has been a massive uprising of working class folks calling out and disrupting the exploitation they receive by employers and the overall brutality capitalism inflicts to all that fall under this intersectional struggle. In discussion with organizers Paige McCay and Charley James, we touched on topics such as; how the structures of the service industry lends its hand to exploitation, the importance of seeing your constituents, the importance of intersectional uplift, and much more!

Those of us who have worked through this pandemic (important to note many have lost their lives because of this) we have taken on an immense amount of emotional and physical burdens. However, through folks like CWOTS and other labor rights organizations, solidarity and the revelation that capitalism does not define or quantify our human rights or rights to safety we can stand up, speak out, and organize against these systems of burden.

Connect with CWOTS here !
Stay tuned into my work here !

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I have the joy and honor of being joined for episode 27 by yoga practitioner, author, and activist Jessamyn Stanley. Jessamyn is the author of 'Yoke' + 'Every Body Yoga' and is also the co-founder of The Underbelly. Raised in Durham, NC and brought up in the Baha'i faith , Jessamyn was no stranger to spiritual practices, but it wasn't until her introduction and dedication to yoga that she was able to come back into spirituality in ways she had never experienced before. Using the philosophies of these respective practices and her own deconstruction of her lived experience of being a Queer, Black, Fat person Jessamyn has been able to shed a radical light into the Western Wellness Industrial Complex and create and avenue of advocacy, validation, and self love for the folks who often fall forgotten and underserved in this industry.

We speak today about her relationship to challenging topics like imposter syndrome, shame, and self trust, and how yoga as a space of meeting yourself exactly where you are creates the space in which any and all things may be explored- leading you to new discoveries of what is sacred and what brings breathe to your life.

Find more about Jessamyn's work HERE
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Intro: 0:00-7:55
Convo: 7:55-63:00

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Today I am joined by Ethnobotanist & Documentarian, Anthony B Rodriguez. Anthony is unique in his ancestral lineage of folks who admired and used plants- partnering that with Anthony's creative eye (and ears) for storytelling and digital media has resulted in Anthony's exploration into 50+ countries in search of rare species of banana, medicinal plants, and different permaculture practices. In our discussion we speak about his methods of documentations, accessibility to ethnobotany, its role as historian v. discovery, and the future of the study in relation to climate disruption.

Support Anthony's work : Anthony B Rodriguez Website

Podcast Website + Submission Flyer

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