In 2019, Erica and India got together to discuss India’s experiences at Afropunk, the summer festival of Black art and music. In the midst of what she describes as a place of love and support and people coming together celebrating their own identities, she also had an encounter that shook her - something she might once have considered part of the normal experience of being a Black woman.

Looking back on the event revealed to India just how far she’d come on her DEI journey, and now, Erica and India bracket their original conversation with fresh appreciation and the wisdom of hindsight.

In this discussion:

• An introduction to the unique experience of Afropunk Festival
• What it means for people within marginalized identities to feel safe and joyful in their self-expression
• Taking up space in ways that help you feel whole, and in ways that are problematic
• Finding language to describe everyday experiences you now see in a new light
• Practicing awareness in spaces where you’re not the intended audience
• Measuring progress on the DEI journey, even when growth is not immediately recognizable

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Visit the website for the full article at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/potp/ep99.

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