Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this bonus episode, Darren is joined by a dynamic panel of philanthropic leaders: Don Chen (President of Surdna Foundation) Flozell Daniels, Jr. (CEO of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation), Mayra Peters-Quintero (Executive Director of Abundant Futures Fund), and Vanessa Mason (Principal at Omidyar Network), and . Recorded live at the Surdna Foundation offices in New York City, the group dives into an in-depth discussion about building a more equitable world through racial justice, cross-racial solidarity, and community-driven solutions.

Join the conversation as the panelists explore the role of relationships in movement building, the power of joy and imagination in sustaining hope, and the importance of investing in intergenerational leadership. They discuss the challenges of systemic change, the need for incremental wins, and how to create space for collective healing and repair.

Jump Straight Into:

• (00:22) Darren introduces the panel and sets the stage with a poem by Audre Lorde.
• (01:45) Flozell Daniels, Jr. reflects on his family history, his racial equity work, and what brings him sunshine.
• (07:28) Mayra Peters-Quintero shares her journey in immigrant rights advocacy and her hopes for creating a culture of belonging.
• (15:12) Don Chen discusses the critical role of cross-racial solidarity in achieving systemic change.
• (21:30) Vanessa Mason highlights the importance of joy and care in equity work and the necessity of dreaming together.
• (29:15) The panel reflects on the generational shift in leadership and creating space for younger leaders to thrive.
• (42:03) A forward-looking conversation about building a shared future and fostering collective imagination.

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Flozell Daniels, Jr., Don Chen, Mayra Peters-Quintero, and Vanessa Mason on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about the organizations they represent: Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Abundant Futures Fund, and Omidyar Network.
• Listen to past Dreaming in Color episodes here.

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

Today we welcome Mia Birdsong, a pathfinder, writer, and facilitator who engages the leadership and wisdom of people experiencing injustice to chart new visions of American life. As the Founding Executive Director of Next River, she nourishes communities toward a liberated future.

In her book "How We Show Up" and the podcast miniseries "More Than Enough," she highlights community vitality and the guaranteed income movement. Previously, Mia was Co-Director of Family Story and Vice President of the Family Independence Initiative, promoting new narratives and leveraging data to support low-income families.

Her public dialogues, TED talks, and other initiatives spotlight marginalized voices as leaders of change. A Senior Fellow at the Economic Security Project and a Future Good Fellow, Mia lives in Oakland, tending to bees, chickens, and plants on the occupied land of the Chochenyo Ohlone people.

In this episode, Darren and Mia discuss what constitutes something as radical, a future without poverty, and finding joy and optimism in activism.

This is Dreaming In Color.

Jump straight into:

(00:22.7) Introduction of Mia Birdsong, Founding Executive Director of Next River.

(06:27.5) Cracked open: Mia shares her educational beginnings in Rochester and how an unexpected Public Enemy cassette tape on a school bus ignited her path to activism.

(09:19.9) Critical Resistance and Mia’s journey to becoming an abolitionist.

(12:04.2) The American dream vs. the collective dream.

(13:43.1) Ending poverty is not a problem of lacking solutions, but of lacking belief. Mia Birdsong explores her initial efforts advocating for a guaranteed income.

(20:59.9) Dismantling power structures and moving beyond wealth and power hoarding.

(22:51.2) We explore Mia’s work with Next River and her unwavering commitment to guaranteed income, guaranteed housing, education and universal healthcare.

(26:02.6) What is radical? Mia shares how many “unattainable radical beliefs” are actually being successfully performed all over the world and how discovering these stories of small communities implementing these systems for themselves inspires her work.

(29:38.2) The path of least resistance: Mia discusses finding strength in vulnerability and staying optimistic vs. falling into cynicism.

Episode Resources

• Keep up with Mia on Twitter, Instagram, & LinkedIn
• Learn more about Mia through her website.
• Order Mia’s book “How We Show Up” here.
• Listen to Mia’s podcast “More Than Enough” here.
• Watch Mia’s TEDX Talk “The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn’t True” here.

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this episode, we sit down with Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, the Executive Director of Densho, an organization devoted to documenting the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Naomi has a rich background, with a BFA in Metal Design from the University of Washington, a Master’s in Education from Harvard, and a PhD from the University of British Columbia, where she studied the intergenerational transfer of memory in Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian communities. Before Densho, she led the Nikkei Place Foundation and held key roles at the San Diego History Center and the California Center for the Arts. Naomi is passionate about addressing the challenges faced by community history organizations, especially concerning the legacy of Japanese American WWII incarceration, and has shared her insights in various publications, including an upcoming book on ethnic diversity and national identity in history education.

Join this conversation as Naomi explores themes of heritage, resilience, and storytelling. She discusses her upbringing as the daughter of Japanese immigrants in California and her parents' encouragement to embrace both her Japanese and American identities. Naomi shares her family's history, including her father and grandfather's survival of the American atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and emphasizes the importance of making history relevant for younger generations. Listen as she highlights the challenges of preserving oral histories, the role of technology in accessibility, and the power of art in conveying complex emotions and histories.

This is Dreaming In Color.

Jump Straight Into:

(00:22.2) Introduction of Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, Executive Director of Densho.

(01:37.9) Naomi reflects on an inspirational visit to the Meiji Jingu Shrine.

(02:45.7) Naomi discusses her roots and the immigration story of her parents.

(06:07.2) Naomi connects her history to the bombing of Hiroshima.

(07:52.6) Being a light in the darkness: Naomi shares how her family’s history inspires her work.

(12:15.6) Naomi dives into memory research and discusses collecting stories from diverse perspectives to honor and preserve each viewpoint, thereby creating comprehensive historical narratives.

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Naomi through LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Densho through their website.
• Read Naomi’s interview with Densho here.
• Read Naomi’s Densho article “Building Community and Connection that Transcends Borders” here.
• Watch Naomi’s town hall on community and connections here.
• August 6th and 9th, 2024, mark the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This New York Times Op-Ed presents survivor testimonies and underscores the significance...