“We have been beaten down. We have been told to shrink. Why? In our society we are told we are worthless; we are only as useful as what we can produce. And you hear those things and you begin to think that it’s true… which is why I don’t see it as activism anymore. I see it as the work of being alive.” – Janaya Future Khan, episode 203 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Activist and social-justice educator Janaya Future Khan joins us in conversation this week. We discuss the therapeutic value of boxing (10:40), the racial biases embedded into modern technology (15:24), the danger of political nihilism (23:33), how activism is “the work of being alive” (27:45), and why we need to rewrite generational scripts (39:54), especially as Defund the Police receives pushback (54:56). Finally, we end with Janaya’s moving tribute to the late John Lewis (1:01:10).
Show-notes:
- Follow Janaya on Instagram where they post their Sunday Sermons.
- Learn more about the work of Color of Change.
- Revisit their tribute to John Lewis.
- Read their work featured in The Feminist Wire, Huffington Post Black Voices, and Al Jazeera.
- Read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
- Listen to our episode with Rutger Bregman.
- Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
- Music by: Dylan Peck.