Blow My Mind Ep. 5: "Other" Box Babies

Courtnie Williamson and I have something in common (and I'm not talking about the obvious fact that we play field hockey together). In our lives, we've both struggled with our racial identity. How do you check a box for the race that "most applies to you" when you're a mixed race individual? How do you deal with racist micro-aggressions when the comments are "not really about you." Can you really identify as a person of color if you have benefitted from white privilege? How do you cope with the feeling you don't fully fit in with people who identify as the same race as you? What is the proper emotional and verbal response to someone calling you "exotic-looking?" Cue the identity crisis.

In this episode, Courtnie and I do things a little bit differently. While neither of us are strangers to being biracial, we're certainly not experts either. What do we know? The racial justice movement has enabled us to understand our own identities better, educate ourselves on current racial issues, and encourage others to lean into the discomfort with empathy and compassion. And the coolest part? Courtnie started her own company to support minority student-athletes! Listen along as we discuss our journeys understanding our racial identities and how that has inspired us to learn to be anti-racist.

Music: bensound.com

Beyond Our Game: beyondourgame.org