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Support a New Equity-Focused Podcast

H-Soul (Hasira Ashemu)
Denver-based educational equity leader and activist H-Soul (Hasira Ashemu) is seeking support for a new podcast, the "Power of Soul."

Power of Soul is an abolitionist lifestyle podcast focused on building community for those who "cut across the grain of normal society." On the podcast, H-Soul will be diving deep on a range of topics from relationships and finances to entrepreneurship and personal power.

"I created this podcast to educate, entertain and inspire those that are seeking to live a life outside of the prescribed lines and norms in the areas of relationships, spirituality, parenting and much more," he says.

Currently, there is a huge void that exists for personal upliftment and growth messages that are aimed at those that don’t already possess a certain level of privilege and social access.

"Centered in a creative abolition framework, Power of Soul is a podcast that at its core is about freeing ourselves from all of the personal, familiar and social binds that we’ve been placed in and that we have also placed on ourselves," H-Soul says.

H-Soul has already created six powerful episodes (half a season) and is seeking support to help produce and finish the last six. Supporters will also enable H-Soul to plan for the second season.

The following is an excerpt from a recent update on panel conversation about educational equity moderated by H-Soul:

"In a state that has been ground zero over the last 15 years for the so-called Education Reform movement, we have seen mass displacement of Black and Brown students from their neighborhood public schools. The failed policies of those education reform efforts have been based on a flawed ideology that racial gaps in education outcomes are based on business model inefficiencies in schools, rather than structural racism. Communities across the state have been successfully fighting back against this corporate takeover of public schools, winning local elections and campaigns that give the power back to the people. But this virtual event reflected a new, major step forward for the education justice movement in Colorado, with local leaders coming together intentionally to sew the threads of local struggles and triumphs together into a call for a state-wide commitment to true equity."

"The Righteous Rage Institute for Social Justice is rallying families and communities from across Colorado together around the demand for #EducationEquityorElse. Nearly 2,000 people tuned in for a historical conversation between Education Justice leaders from across the state. The powerhouse panel that we led included Dr. Antwan Jefferson (from the Human Development and Family Relations program, DU), Shirley Romero Otero (Founder of Land Rights Council), Dr. Cheryl Matias (School of Education & Human Development, DU), and Robert Donovan (co-Founder of Pueblo Education Coalition). Sister Shirley Otero powerfully reminded us that in this moment , and we centered that intention, using this platform and moment to deepen our relationships with each other, so we can emerge in this moment as a powerful multi-racial, multi-generational state-wide coalition of people ready to stand up to the status quo of inequity in education."

"As each panelist gave voice to the inequities students in their own communities and oftentimes their own children faced, they each reminded all of us of the power we as individuals and as a collective hold to create change for our children and our communities."

Read more here

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