Last week, I published the second article in my “Social Justice Dogma” Series here. In the coming weeks, I’ll be creating a lot of related content, including a new podcast called Heretic. You can read below how I hope this will all connect, what I hope it will accomplish, and how you can help.
The plan has three parts that I’ll be contributing, and you-choose-how-many parts you, or anyone else, can throw into the mix.
As I mentioned above, one part is the podcast I’ll be creating. I’m also going to keep writing & publishing articles in a variety of places (including on this site). And I’ve been working on some edugraphics & videos that will complement both the articles and the podcast episodes.
Let’s dig into each.
The Podcast Part
The podcast is called Heretic: Social Justice Minus Dogma. You can read about it by following that link, but I also want to give a little more context here.
Over the past couple years, there has not been a single thing readers here have asked me for more than a podcast. So, here ya go!
_Heretic _will be an interview show, but instead of being about the guest (like a lot of interview-based podcasts you might listen to), each episode will center on a particular tenet of social justice dogma.
We will, of course, make sure you get to know the guest to understand their perspective and to contextualize the advice or reflections they’re sharing, but all of that will be in service to the overall goal: highlighting barriers we might be creating for ourselves as a movement, and exploring ways to deconstruct them as we move forward.
The hope is that each episode will feel much like a lot of my articles here feel: accessible, inviting, practical, and with clear answers to “What? So what? And now what?”
It’s been rewarding having these conversations, and I’m excited for you to get to know some of the guests, and to get to see some you already know of in a different light.
Season one will start soon. You can get an email, or follow the podcast on Insta, Facebook, or Twitter for a heads up.
The Articles Part
The first two articles I’ve published so far have been intentionally personal. Before I started down this path, I wanted you to know where I was coming from.
Now that I’ve gotten the personal stuff out of the way, future articles will focus on identifying specific tenets of the social justice dogma (what they look like, why they’re helpful, harmful, and what we might do instead), and highlighting different ways the dogma is showing up in our work. I’ll also be responding to questions, critiques, and other responses to my writing as they come up.
From here on out, articles are going to be getting into the nitty-gritty, focusing on the specifics, and will be far less abstract than what you’ve seen so far.
Everything I write will, if I do it right, not (just) be griping, but be about moving forward, and will be constructive (and constructively critical) and actionable (providing some suggested steps, or things you can do about this in your real life).
I’ll be publishing these articles once a week or so moving forward.
The Edugraphics & Videos Part
Consider these the bite-sized offerings amidst the rest of the buffet. The _amuse-bouche, _if you will (I will).
If a guest on the show shares a nugget I want to get out there by itself, it’ll be delivered to the world as either a video short/animation (new territory for me, but fun!) or an edugraphic (a word I made up, so clearly I’ve got that covered).
In the same way that the genderbread person isn’t meant to be ALL OF GENDER in one image, but an inviting place to begin learning about gender, these edugraphics and video shorts will be starting points.
I’ll feature many of these on this site, if they fit, and they’ll be downloadable, printable, and totally uncopyrighted — like everything else I make here.
These will be released after the respective podcast episode or article they’re related to.
Those are the factors at play, and here’s how I am hoping they’ll work together to do some good:
At HereticPodcast.com (right now just a “coming soon” page), I’ve been building a beast of a platform (A. Beast. Y’all.) that will bring all of this stuff I’m creating together.
It will feature articles and resources from Heretic guests, tie-ins to IPM articles and edugraphics here, downloadable resources, and — the best part — everything needed to host a community for those of you who consider yourself heretics, and want to do something about this.
This site will open up as soon as the first episode of Heretic drops. I’ll be working as hard as I can to make all of this good intention result in a positive outcome, and I’ll be needing lots of help.
And that’s where you come in — I hope. What I’m trying to do right now is start this conversation, but I don’t want to dominate it. I know that you have a lot to say that is just as valuable, perhaps more insightful, and powerful as anything I might utter. So I hope you’ll share that with the world, and with me.
Once the _Heretic _site is running, you can submit articles or work to be published there. We will also do what we can to amplify the work of other “heretics” out there, in whatever ways we can. If you have a tip, suggestion, want to submit something for us to publish, or want to recommend a guest for the podcase, please use this form.
But even more so I hope that you will use your own platforms (blogs, social media, and everything else) to contribute to this conversation, if you feel you have something to say. This is a big conversation, and there are infinite different ways we can approach it, so speak up.
We have a lot of work to do as a movement if we want to achieve social justice. I sincerely believe that working through these barriers we create for ourselves will help us take significant steps toward that goal. I also believe that if we can’t cut through the social justice dogma, we don’t have a chance at healing the world.
If you believe similarly, I’m looking forward to seeing you out there.
