Peace4Kids Podcast
By Zaid Gayle
Peace4Kids PodcastFeb 01, 2023
The Power of Self-Care
As Black History Month comes to a close and Women's History Month begins, Mir celebrates this moment with a conversation with two dynamic leaders in the Peace4Kids community.
Jhamasa Lewis-Adams and Jasmine Lamitte discuss how, as Black women, they have developed holistic practices to ensure their sense of safety and wellbeing, They also highlight how they are sharing these practices through the launch of THRIVE, a Peace4Kids program serving young adults leaving the foster care system.
For more information on THRIVE please click here or check out details on our website.
Music in this episode graciously provided by Stephan Muldrow.
The "Mind Over (Foster Care) Matter" Episode
This episode (recorded live on the beautiful campus of Cal State LA) features longtime community advocate, educator, and Pomona's own: Meet Miranda Sheffield.
Our conversation is sweeping. Learn about the tenacity of our guest, what foster care was like in the late 20th century, the importance of the Foster Care Ombudsperson Office to youth in foster care, and the nuanced implications of the child welfare system.
Learn More
In California, if you want to learn more about the Foster Youth Bill of Rights or you are concerned about the rights of a foster child, you can call the Ombudsperson's office at 877-846-1602. You can also file a complaint online.
Shoutout to Stephen Muldrow for the music you hear on this episode, much love!
The "GO PATO!" (Part 2) Episode
Where were we? In case you missed it: we heard from the Legendary Pato Banton in Part One of this series.
For Part Two, we pick up where we left off, with Pato confronting himself at a creative crossroads.
This episode features live performance footage from Pato's Peace4Kids concert at our 25 Year Family Reunion :)
Don't miss a heartfelt reflection on innovation, determination and transformation.
#GoPato #Peace4Kids #25Years #FamilyReunion
The Foster Care Mental X Health Month Episode
The stars align for this episode of the podcast where Zaid introduces the newest addition to the Peace4Kids community: Jasmine Lamitte (Director of Mental Health and Wellness). Stick around for an in-depth conversation between two leaders and subject-matter experts (and of course the very loud opinions of our local neighborhood rooster) in the spirit of National Foster Care and Mental Health Awareness month.
We want to hear from you as well! Leave us a comment on social media, make a note to yourself, or share with someone you care about: What daily or weekly habits do you use to keep your mental health in shape? How is wellness designed into your lifestyle? What does excellent mental health look and feel like for you?
The "GO PATO!" Episode (Part One)
Welcome Back! ****
Meet the internationally known on the microphone: Pato Banton 🦉 on a special two part Peace4Kids X ROCMove Podcast — part one drops now! Get the background story firsthand on the musical legend’s name, first job, and battle tested philosophy on creative expression, family bonds, education, peace, and much more.
Pato’s conversation spans two episodes — stay posted for part two soon!
In the meantime:
- We encourage you to keep up with Pato on his website: https://officialpatobanton.com/
- RSVP to the 25th Annual Peace4Kids Family Reunion: https://www.peace4kids.org/25reunion
As always, thanks for listening and sharing ✨
The Legacy Episode
In celebration of Black History Month, we are consciously leaning into the future. Join Miriam, Noah, Zaid, and the Peace4Kids community (youth, caregivers, volunteers, staff, and program alumni) in a collage of ideas that honor our collective history and personal legacies in progress.
As always, reach out if there is a topic you want to see discussed that relates to foster care or the foster care experience. If you have something you want to add to the topic of Black history or legacy, let us know, too!
Editor’s Note: This episode is a compilation of field recordings from our outdoor event and though a little rough around the edges, we hope you listen to the end 🙂 Huge thank you again to everyone who stopped to think and chat impromptu and our hope is that you, too, are inspired to reflect on how you show up today and tomorrow.
Bonus: https://madamcjwalker.com
The "At Risk" Episode
Miriam and Noah are back in time for National Mentoring Month to demystify mentoring x foster care: what is mentoring? How do young people manage the road to independence? What might it mean to mentor a young person in foster care?
This episode digs into formal and informal definitions of mentoring; hear from the community directly to gain multiple insights into how culture, psychology, and policy shape how society understands independence after foster care.
Works Referenced
California Department of Education — Foster Care & California Schools
URL: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sg/fosteryouth.asp
Golden, N. A. (2017). “There’s still that window that’s open”: The problem with “grit.” Urban Education, 52(3): 343–369.
URL: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=education_articles
Pennington CR, Heim D, Levy AR, Larkin DT. (2016) “Twenty Years of Stereotype Threat Research: A Review of Psychological Mediators.” PLoS One.
URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4713435/
Samuels, G. M. & Pryce, J. M. (2008). “What Doesn't Kill You Makes Your Stronger”: Survivalist self-reliance as resilience and risk among young adults aging out of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 30, Issue 10, Pages 1198-1210.
Keywords:
mentoring, mentor, education, career, youth development, impact, relationships, “at risk”, “stereotype threat”, independence, interdependence
Welcome To Season Two
Welcome to Season Two of the Peace4Kids X ROCMove Podcast 🚀 Meet Miriam and Noah who introduce themselves, share how Peace4Kids and Revolution of Care Movement (ROCMove) are connected, and what to anticipate in Season Two.
This is an interactive, community-centric podcast: We genuinely want to hear from you! This platform is all about community and learning. We don’t know it all, and that’s the beauty of setting a big table: pull up! If there is something you’d like to share or discuss with us that intersects with foster care, please reach out to us!
Join the conversation at our blog: https://www.rocmove.org/holiday_podcast_poll
The Pandemic Episode
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." - Alice Walker
Every crisis provides a distinct privilege to those who chose to embrace it. This does not mean there is no suffering, but rather a space to integrate it into our awareness. The pandemic has provided a unique chance for us to experience life the way youth in foster care do. A sudden and shocking removal from everything familiar... our relationships, our consistent spaces, and a disorienting uncertainty.
In this episode, we hear pandemic reflections from two members of our community. Their stories are familiar and remind us that our hope and resilience will always endure if we grow and learn from our shared journeys.
A Mindful Movement w Dr. Niki Elliott
"We are triggered from our places of marginalization but we react from our places of privilege" - unknown
In this episode, the Peace4Kids community along with Dr. Niki Elliott, Clinical Professor and Director of the Center of Neurodiversity, Learning and Wellness at the University of La Verne, explore the health benefits of mindfulness practices and the launch of our Heart Centered Connections partnership and certification.
Learn More:
https://www.peace4kids.org/justice_in_the_classroom
Dr. Niki Elliott:
https://www.mindful-leaders.org/about-drniki/
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdZDLGDKkjzWvoGE7L3B6JIcR0mcMzrrw
Reflecting on the Tragedy in Uvalde
As someone who has spent my adult life being in service, it is easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed by the circumstances. I know that many of you are feeling the same way. In these times it is easy to isolate and bury ourselves in our emotions. There is a certain solace to knowing that you can retreat to an inner sanctum and tune out the noise of the world. Indeed, it is a path that I often take.
However, this moment feels different. I still feel unfathomable pain, but I no longer think that nesting with my emotions is productive. So... I turned to my mother and we shared our deepest thoughts about this time in the human condition.
The Pointless Forest
"Our differences are what color the world" - Angelica Nwandu
In this episode, author Angelica Nwandu and illustrator Miriam Alejandra Cortez Cáceres discuss how they authentically represented the foster care journey in their new children's book The Pointless Forest. From shame and feeling small, to building community, owning their differences and ultimately impacting the world around them.
THE POINTLESS FOREST
LEARN MORE: https://www.rocmove.org/the_pointless_forest_book
Love#1 Creating Family
At Peace4Kids we believe that you are born to relatives but you choose your family. It is this choice, the commitment to love as you are, that lays the foundation for our experience in the world. If we are diligent about our choices we can nurture love and watch it grow and challenge our assumptions. If we are careless, we litter our emotional landscape with unresolved feelings and unmet expectations.
In this first episode in our LOVE series, we speak to Jayde and Luis about honoring their heart to start a family while still being brave enough to lean into vulnerability. We think there are many gems in this conversation that shed light on the power of love!
Music for this episode was graciously provided by the incomparable Ndidi O: open.spotify.com/artist/3r94TD6vkofdmiRbu6KXC0
Visit us at: www.peace4kids.org/
Thank you for listening and please subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and Spotify
Freedom
How do we practice the art of being free? At Peace4Kids we have a practice of discovering answers to important questions through living through shared experiences. In honor of Juneteenth, we brought our community together for an in-person exploration on the concept of freedom. Juneteenth commemorates the last of American slaves learning that they were liberated from one of the greatest stains on our humanity. However, there is still evidence that America still struggles with the residual effects of slavery. From the littlest members of our tribe to those that are more seasoned, join us in exploring the different ideas on how to be free.
Music for this episode was graciously provided by the incomparable Ndidi O: open.spotify.com/artist/3r94TD6vkofdmiRbu6KXC0
Visit us at: www.peace4kids.org/
Thank you for listening and please subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and Spotify
Confidence Club
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou
How do you share your authentic self with the world? This is a question many youth in foster care wrestle with as they build the confidence to live out loud regardless of their circumstances.
On this episode Zaid & Jacob introduce Charmaine Griffin as she shares her personal story of leaning into a confident life. She is the founder of the vegan hair care brand, Kollective Koils (@kollectivekoils) and the originator of Confidence Club, a nine week program designed for the female-presenting members of the Peace4Kids community to define and access their inherent power.
https://kollectivekoils.com/
https://www.peace4kids.org/
Music by: Ndidi O https://open.spotify.com/artist/3r94TD6vkofdmiRbu6KXC0
Perceptions w/Dr Nash
In honor of National Foster Care month, Zaid and Miriam explore the public’s biases toward youth in foster care and the impact it has on our community. As one of the founders of the Revolution of Care Movement (ROCMove), Dr. Noah Nash, shares his strategy towards change in foster care from the bottom up. His research centers on the intersection of technology and foster care and unpacks the negative effects of media perceptions on marginalized communities.
ROCMove is a new initiative of Peace4Kids that honors the raw, unfiltered, authentic voices from foster care. It is composed of intergenerational leaders with lived foster care experience, deep expertise, and direct stake in creating a healthier culture.
To advance this effort, they have launched the Changing the Narrative research project while also creating new media narratives and training to mitigate the public’s negative perceptions about foster care.
Read our recent report here - www.peace4kids.org/rocmove
Join the movement - www.rocmove.org/
Changes
"The only thing that is constant is change." Heraclitus
In this episode, we dive into the idea of change with Laura Cortez as she reflects on loss and disruption caused by the pandemic and how adapting to life away from her friends, sisters, and school reminded her of her experience in foster care.
A recent graduate from Barnard College of Columbia University, Laura shares the lessons she's learned and the resilience that helped her persevere and make it through.
Watch Teen Vogue's "My Culture is Not a Costume" featuring Laura Cortez... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Y5cARFJw8
Follow us on socials... www.Instagram.com/Peace4Kids & www.Facebook.com/Peace4KidsLA
Learn more about the Peace4Kids fam... www.Peace4Kids.org
Mothering
Why do we call it "Mothering Day"? Our community has a very different relationship with the idea of motherhood. For young people in foster care there is a need to reconcile the disruption of their biological family to create chosen family.
In this first episode of the Peace4Kids podcast we explore the lived experience of women from foster care who have redefined mothering to create safe and nurturing spaces for themselves and the children they love. We're giving these remarkable women the flowers they deserve right now!
Watch Peace4Kids and USC's award winning Virtual Reality series "Finding Home"...https://findinghome.jovrnalism.io/
Follow Peace4Kids on socials... www.Instagram.com/Peace4Kids & www.Facebook.com/Peace4KidsLA
Learn more about the Peace4Kids fam... www.Peace4Kids.org