In this episode of the Living Out Loud Discussion Series, I chat with Lindsay Messoline in a candid conversation about understanding and responsibly using privilege. Our discussion covers personal stories, acknowledging privilege's complexities, and the challenge of bringing one's whole self—including various privileges—to professional environments and discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We stress the importance of being aware of oneself, understanding the systemic contexts in which emotions and reactions occur, and the growth that comes from staying present in discomfort. Lindsay shares her journey from a transformative educational experience in Ethnic Studies to becoming an advocate for education and DEI-related efforts, as well as insights into managing internal reactions in tense situations. The goal of this episode is to model openness and provide insights into developing a healthier relationship with privilege.
Our Guest
Lindsay Messoline is an educator and writer with over 20 years of serving students from marginalized, minoritized and racialized populations. She has worked with refugees and migrants in Oregon and Tijuana, Mexico, and formerly-incarcerated and currently-incarcerated individuals in Los Angeles and New York. Her specialties include GED and adult high school completion, foundational literacy and math, English and Spanish-language acquisition, and fostering a sense of self-esteem, self-love and confidence through education. She is highly experienced in curriculum development and design, and works to center people with diverse perspectives to create material that truly serves all learners. In 2021, she founded Collaborative Voices Initiative in order to amplify traditionally-excluded voices in education and beyond. She is a published author and a contributing writer to Educate, a publication on Medium.
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To get in touch with Lindsay Messoline, you can contact her here:
- IG: @lindsay.messoline and @collaborative_voices
- Website: http://CollaborativeVoices.co
Episode Chapters
00:00 Setting the Stage 01:16 Intro to Lindsay Messoline 05:28 Past Experiences and Assumptions 07:16 Understanding Privilege: A Deep Dive 10:19 Lindsay's Personal Experiences with Privilege 12:06 The Intersectionality of Privilege 23:09 Lindsay’s Story 29:28 Privilege in Different Contexts 32:36 Competition in Oppression 42:25 Emotions in Understanding Privilege 44:19 Process of Engaging with Privilege 46:50 Discomfort in Understanding Privilege 55:20 Conclusion: The Ongoing Journey of Understanding Privilege
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