Kaitlin engages in a heartfelt conversation with Frederick Joseph, a renowned author and activist. They discuss various topics, including the importance of resilience in facing adversity, the interconnectedness of societal issues, the impact of white supremacy, and the necessity of showing up for others. Frederick shares personal experiences, insights, and reflections, emphasizing the need for collective action and empathy. Throughout the conversation, they explore themes of kindness, hope, and the power of community in navigating challenging times.

Frederick is a two-time New York Times bestselling author of The Black Friend (2020) and Patriarchy Blues (2022), Better Than We Found It (2022) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Courage to Dream (2022). He was recognized for the International Literacy Association’s 2021 Children’s & Young Adults’ Book Award, is a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list-maker for marketing and advertising, an activist, philanthropist, and poet. Frederick was also honored with the 2023 Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award, the 2018 Comic-Con Humanitarian of the Year award and is a member of the 2018 “The Root 100" list of Most Influential African Americans.

His forthcoming literary works are his debut poetry collection, We Alive, Beloved, his debut novel, This Thing of Ours, and a non-fiction essay collection. Learn more at: www.frederickjoseph.com

Full transcript: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2247/9287/files/Kindness_Is_Podcast_with_Fred_2024-02-26_11_05_GMT-5_-_Transcript.docx?v=1709639704

Quotes
"I think that idea sits at the core of much of my work. It is a guiding principle, a theory of change, a pedagogy if you would. Because if I don't believe that, not just about myself, but about the people around me, then what's the point of the work?" - Frederick Joseph

"We have to first understand who we are in all of our various identities. So we're all also moving pieces, right? We're evolving as human beings." - Frederick Joseph

"The intersection of my own mortality made me want to leave a legacy that I could be proud of." - Frederick Joseph

"The combination of both having MS and also my younger brother being born... I need to do more for you. I need to give you something better to look up to because this isn't it." - Frederick Joseph

"The work wasn't like an integral part of my daily life at the time. And I do think that even after getting diagnosed, I kind of went through this phase of... let me just do all this wild stuff now." - Frederick Joseph

"It benefits them to be [blissfully ignorant]. People are in bubbles of toxic positivity... that's why people don't care." - Frederick Joseph

"A fascist nation will decimate anybody on the margins. And so it's important that we understand that." - Frederick Joseph

"We are seeing the manifestation of a war that started primarily with Ronald Reagan." - Frederick Joseph

"If you are talking about being realistically 15 to 20 years away... What is that privilege when the climate crisis takes all of it overnight?" - Frederick Joseph

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