This week on the Huskie Conversation Cafe, your host J Pappas (they/them) is joined by fellow Huskies Erin Marie Barker (she/her), Scott Tyler (he/him), Abby Byer (she/her), and Brian Griffin (he/him).

J and their guests discuss what family means to them, how we know that a community values us, the NIU community, and what their dream future communities might look like. They reference chapters 6, 7, 8, and 10 in this episode of the podcast.
Thanks to Dulce Hernandez (she/her/ella) for conducting several of the live interviews that you will hear in today’s episode.

Debrief Questions
How did your family dynamics growing up shape the way you see the world today?
What messages, phrases, or sayings did you hear commonly growing up?
What is a community that is important to you? What makes it important to you?
How do you know that you are in a community that values you and wants you there?
In what ways can we make an impact in our communities against racism, violence, and oppression?

Episode Sources
https://wp.bridgewater.edu/mtembo/articles/the-traditional-african-family/
https://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/South-Africa.html

Continue Engaging!
Find other programming from Academic Diversity Equity, and Inclusion here: https://calendar.niu.edu/department/academic_diversity_equity_and_inclusion
Register for a CODE workshop here: https://www.niu.edu/diversity/education-training/code-workshops/index.shtml

Music:
Many thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the use of his music as the intro and outro of this podcast.
Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5025-beauty-flow
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/