Podcast

Connecting Women to Change the World

Special Series

Racism & Poverty – Dr. Zaria Davis

Episode Summary

In this episode, Dr. Zaria and I talk about poverty, racism, and oppression, and how those topics intersect. During the first half of the episode, Dr. Zaria explains what these terms mean in her context, and we dive into a deeper discussion about black history and racial reconciliation. As Dr. Zaria puts it, “It’s like we don’t want to talk about the issue of race in this country at all.”

During the second half of the episode, we switch gears to talk about racist policies, punishments biased by racial differences, reflections on current race-related events, and white privilege. We end the show with suggestions for Dr. Zaria about how white allies can begin with education to get involved.

About Dr. Zaria Davis

Dr. Zaria Davis is a mentor, educator, and advocate. She serves as a coach and consultant for nonprofits and businesses through New Direction Coaching & Consulting, LLC. Zaria launched Filling The Gap Services in 2019, addressing many of the voids of services in her community for formerly incarcerated women, serving on the UnlockHigherEd Steering Committee which advocates for removal of barriers for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated scholars. Zaria holds a DSW (Social Work) from Capella University, MSW from University of Cincinnati and BA in Sociology from Wilberforce University. She is currently enrolled in Eden Theological Seminary pursuing her MDiv. Zaria is a member of various local and national organizations. Dr. Davis is a JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction 2019 Graduate and graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 44. She serves as a board member for Dress for Success Cincinnati, Ohio Justice & Policy Center, and the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Art Center (ROMAC).

Dr. Davis is the recipient of the Restored Citizen Award in 2019 and Mary Ivers Success Award in 2020. She is actively engaged in her local community in developing and training new advocates, especially those impacted by the criminal legal system. Dr. Davis is a Subject Matter Expert with Jamii Sisterhood, Dignity LeadHership Alliance and serves on the Ed Trust’s Justice Fellows Advisory Board. She is passionate about reducing the prison population and fully restoring directly impacted people’s citizenship. Dr. Davis provides individual and organizational coaching and consulting, conducts workshops and presentations, facilitation, as well as public and keynote speaking engagements throughout the country.

About New Direction Coaching & Consulting

New Direction provides leadership development services to business and nonprofit organizations. They provide coaching and consulting services as well.

About Filling the Gap

New Direction provides leadership development services to business and nonprofit organizations. They provide coaching and consulting services as well.

Connect with Dr. Zaria

Website: www.newdirectioncc1.com
Website: www.fillingthegapservices.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drzariadavis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newdirectioncc1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fillingthegapservices
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newdirectioncc1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Zaria

Mentioned in this Episode

Pretrial Justice: https://www.pretrial.org/
Lincoln Heights, Ohio: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/lincoln-heights-black-suburb/398303/
Tulsa Massacre: https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/
Critical Race Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theory
13th Amendment: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xiii

Key Timestamps

What does poverty mean in your context?
4:42 – 5:59

What does racism mean in your context?
6:00 – 7:29

What does oppression mean in your context?
7:30 – 8:29

Can you define the term “whiteness”?
9:15 – 12:47

Where do you see racism and poverty intersect in our culture?
13:23 – 17:32

Discussion about the lack of education about black history.
17:33 – 23:00

What do you believe are the biggest challenges to meaningful racial reconciliation in our country?
23:48 – 25:33

Where do you see racism in policies, practices, etc, that contribute to poverty?
27:26 – 30:05

As a policymaker, what would you do to help fix some of these issues?
30:42 – 32:53

Discussion about the differences in punishments for white people and black and brown people.
32:54 – 36:42

What are your thoughts and reflections as a black person in this country after the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict?
36:56 – 42:28

What do you wish that my fellow white people would understand about race and racism in America? What are we not understanding at this point that you wish that more of us would?
42:31 – 46:57

How would you define what it means to be an ally?
47:00 – 51:00

How do you define privilege?
51:01 – 55:54

Race and poverty are very challenging topics. What else would you tell our listeners that they could do to be a part of the solution?
55:55 – 59:57

If a listener has the fear that they’re going to do something wrong or say something wrong about racism and the role white people play, what would you say to that?
59:58 – 1:02:49