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Podcast hosts Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk speak with Jewel Woods, founder and clinical director of Male Behavioral Health in Columbus, about the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community and particularly Black men and boys. Pandemic isolation — not to mention the deaths of loved ones from the virus — brought anxiety, trauma and depression to a community that is often shortchanged when it comes to mental health, Woods says. Woods discusses some steps African American men and boys — and anyone, for that matter — can take to improve mental health, including making an effort to seek out proper treatment as early as possible.

Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk talk to Columbus physician George W. Barnett Jr.,  who specializes in family medicine at OhioHealth Physician Group, about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare in the Black community.  Dr. Barnett says COVID exacerbated existing health disparities. With so many people unable to see a primary care doctor during the early months of the pandemic, those communities already disadvantaged in health care access saw higher death rates from COVID and other diseases. Historical factors that sowed distrust in the Black community towards health care providers have created another barrier to better health. Barnett also emphasizes the importance of having a good relationship with your doctor and finding a physician whom you can trust. 

Podcast hosts Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk speak with Dr. James Moore III, vice provost for diversity and inclusion at Ohio State University, about the impact of COVID-19 on Black college students living on campus. Moore talks about his work at the Bell National Resource Center for the African American Male and its mission to mitigate some of the barriers preventing Black men from being successful. Moore also says the classroom experiences faced by many Black men amount to "educational malpractice." 

In this episode of the "In Black and White" podcast, hosts Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk talk to Dr. Donna Ford, distinguished professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State University, about school programs designed for gifted students and why many children of color are missing out. Ford said too often Black and Brown students are far more likely to be overlooked and excluded for gifted programs compared to white students. She also said teachers need to have higher expectations for all the children in their classrooms regardless of the students' backgrounds.  Ford also discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted students of color, exacerbating already existing inequalities in our education system.

A major change is coming to how Columbus chooses its City Council members. Two years from now, nine districts will be created, each represented by a council member, with winners for all of the districts chosen in a citywide vote. Candidates must live in the district they wish to represent. To explain the change, In Black and White podcast host Scot Kirk along with Dr. Terrance Dean talked to Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy and City of Columbus legal counsel Niyah Walters.   

In Black and White podcast hosts Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk talk to Columbus artist Queen Brooks about her most recent works, which were inspired by the pandemic and by the current social and political turmoil in the United States. Brooks — whose works comprise drawings, paintings, print making and mixed media —  said she wants to create pieces that foster hope in these troubled times. She also reflects on her career as an artist, and why she finds inspiration in the talents of today's younger artists. Finally, Brooks gives advice on collecting art for those just starting out, or those who don't have a lot of money but want to expand their collections.

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, speak with Columbus City Council Woman, Shayla Favor, about the City of Columbus' eviction assistance program, which is part of the city's stable housing initiative. The Council Woman talks about some of the specifics of the program, such as how to qualify and what resources are available to renters.  Favor also talks about her passion for fixing the housing problem and how systemic racism disproportionately affects people of color when it comes to having adequate housing. 

Several high-profile incidents of racism have recently occurred in soccer worldwide. The Other Side host Scot Kirk talks to sports writer and author Edward Akinyemi about what's fueling the racism, and why Black soccer players so often find themselves the object of hate and abuse. Racist abuse comes from fans in the stands, other players on the pitch, game officials, sports writers and broadcasters, and online trolls. Contributing to the often toxic environment in soccer is how Black athletes are  stereotyped in the media, with their talents reduced to physical prowess, while white athletes are more frequently praised for having mental qualities like determination and strategic thinking. Finally, Akinyemi explains why soccer never took off in the U.S. like it has elsewhere and what can be done to increase the sport's popularity here.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of a George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police offer who knelt with his knee on Floyd's neck. The video shot by a bystander sparked worldwide outrage. Tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest racial injustice, and a national awakening spurred a top-to-bottom look at racial equality and social justice. In this podcast, reporters and columnists from Ohio's Gannett newspapers come together to discuss the reaction in their own cities to George Floyd's murder. You'll also hear how the events of 2020 changed the way newspapers cover communities of color, as well as personal reflections from these journalists on their experiences and how they now approach issues of race and inequality in their reporting.

Dr. Terrance Dean leads a discussion with three Black scholars and intellectuals regarding the shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant, a teenage girl shot and killed by a Columbus police officer. Dr. Karen Powell Sears, Dr. Drexler James and Marcelius Braxton share their opinions on what the case means for young Black women around the country. Braxton, an assistant dean at Capital University's law school and the author of an op-ed column on the subject for the Dispatch, says that the Bryant case exposes a dirty secret in American culture — Black girls are often treated as if they are adults, and innocence is not afforded to them as it is to their white female peers. Powell Sears, a sociology professor at Denison University, attributes the cause of society's treatment of Black girls to racist tropes that have been perpetuated since the slave trade.  Drexler, a psychology professor at Denison, discusses how racist theories alleging Blacks are physically stronger, faster and larger than whites have also played a role in how society views Black girls. All the speakers refer to the term "adultification" — that Black girls who are still very much children are treated as grown-ups.

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk have a conversation with Jean-Philippe Dorval, Advocacy and Public Policy Liaison for the Prevention Action Alliance, regarding his op-ed column in the Dispatch about negotiating his Blackness.

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, discuss with Erik Farley, Senior Vice President of Equity and Inclusion for the YMCA of Central Ohio, the importance of getting residents from different communities and cultures to talk to each other. Farley says having a dialogue creates opportunities to build trust, and from that trust can develop plans of action to address inequities in our society. But it all starts from talking to one another, because that's the first step to allow individuals from different ethnic, racial, religious and cultural backgrounds to develop true empathy for their fellow human beings.

"The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, and Dr. Terrance Dean speak with Densil Porteous, executive director of Stonewall Columbus and CEO of the venture capital fund Pride Fund 1. Porteous has written an opinion column in The Dispatch on the lack of diversity in business leadership. As a Black queer man in the business world, Porteous says he needs to be visible so that others like him can see that success in a corporate environment is possible. But being present in the room is not enough, Porteous said. Those in positions of power also have a responsibility to speak up when they see a lack of diversity and inclusion in the businesses and organizations they manage.

Worthington Board of Education member Sam Shim — the first Asian-American elected to political office in central Ohio — tells The Other Side he is personally afraid and often looks over his shoulder after recent attacks in the U.S. against Asian-Americans. Some of the blame for this violence must be borne by political figures, Shim says, who sought to scapegoat Asian-Americans for the COVID-19 pandemic by using terms like "China Virus" or "Kung Flu." Shim says the attacks have created a cultural shift among Asian-Americans, who were traditionally reluctant to speak out about the racism they face. He believes that the Asian-American community must partner with allies such as the Black Lives Matter movement to push for racial justice and a more inclusive society.

The disruptions to schooling caused by the coronavirus pandemic made 2020 an especially difficult year for children and their parents. But what's it been like for the teachers? The Other Side talked to East Linden elementary kindergarten teacher Deborah Staples about her experiences as an educator during the COVID-19 outbreak. Staples says it was hard for her not being in the classroom with the children. Although she believes students do best when they are learning in-person, holding classes remotely revealed insights about her students and their situations that she might not have discovered otherwise. Staples shares what it's been like trying to get six-year-olds to keep their masks on, and the ongoing challenge of keeping them safe and socially distanced. And she opens up about concerns she had for her own safety after returning to the classroom. Finally, Staples offers advice for parents struggling to comfort and assist their children during this challenging time.

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, speak with Erin Upchurch, executive director of ​Kaleidoscope Youth Center, and Karen Hewitt, the center's deputy director. Together the two authored a op-ed column for The Dispatch on the racism and discrimination faced by Black queer and trans young people. Black queer youths experience disproportionate rates of school discipline, lower graduation rates, and lower academic achievement, Hewitt said. Upchurch believes Black queer young people often lack support from family and community, and they need a safe space where they can be themselves. And while Black queer youths face both racism and hate for how they express their gender and sexuality, Hewitt and Upchurch also discuss whether being Black, or being queer, poses more difficulties in contemporary U.S. society. >> Click here to listen to the entire series >> Read more: Opinion: Safe environment needed for Black transgender youth

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, talk to Kyle Strickland, senior legal analyst at Ohio State's Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity about his Dispatch op-ed column on confronting systems of power.  Strickland says we're living in an accountability moment. With the racial justice protests in 2020 and the focus on systemic racism in the aftermath, there has been a push for unity without addressing what accountability means. Strickland also believes we must speak truth to power and not allow disinformation to thrive in this society: we can't think one or two reforms are going to get us where we need to be as a nation. Column | In Black & White: Achieving racial equity requires confronting systems of power

Ohio State economics professor Trevon Logan joins Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host Scot Kirk to talk about Logan's recent column in The Dispatch on how policies enacted decades ago to keep neighborhoods segregated still affect cities today. Logan explains how decisions on where to build highways, zoning for new housing developments, and redlining of neighborhoods kept Blacks s in less desirable areas of cities and hindered them from accumulating the wealth that comes from home ownership. Logan also argues that since segregation is the result of deliberate policy decisions, that's why he supports reparations for African-Americans.

Dr. Terrance Dean and "The Other Side" podcast host, Scot Kirk, ask Antioch College history professor Kevin McGruder what an antiracist is and how all Ohioans can strive to be antiracist. McGruder mentions five ways we can support antiracist policies. McGruder also explains the history behind racist policies in Ohio, and how obtaining racial equality is in the interest not just of Blacks, but of all Ohioans. And he discusses whether Black people can be racist.

Marcelius Braxton talks to Scot Kirk — host of "The Other Side" podcast — and to Dr. Terrance Dean about Braxton's recent Columbus Dispatch op-ed column about Blacks being percieved as dangerous without cause.  Braxton, assistant dean of students at Capital University Law School, says the erroneous perception that Black people are dangerous is the source of many of the racial and equality issues facing the country today.  He also talks about how Blacks are regularly dehumanized in ways that whites rarely are and Braxton offers suggestions on how to combat the problem.