Performer and activist Sarah Jones explores how the private impacts the political in her debut podcast, America, Who Harm You?
Sarah Jones—the face of Ms. journal’s October 2000 concern—is utilizing storytelling to show us how one can heal. Tony Award-winning performer, activist and comic, Jones brings her multicultural characters to life to look at our nation’s delusion of resilience in her debut podcast America, Who Harm You?
The primary season of the podcast, launched final month, combines storytelling and interviews with company equivalent to Laverne Cox, Jane Fonda, Ai-jen Poo and Krista Tippett. She explores the private and the political, each critiquing the programs in energy whereas revealing our common connections which can be usually ignored. In doing so, America, Who Harm You? offers renewed hope and optimism for our future.
This interview has been edited evenly for readability.
Clara Scholl: You will have an esteemed profession in efficiency and artwork. Why begin a podcast?
Sarah Jones: There have been so many marginalized voices that deserved extra consideration. I’m a Black lady with a combined race expertise. I wished to listen to the voices of the Caribbean kin and Latin neighbors I grew up with, together with my white kin, a few of whom have been Christian, a few of whom have been Jewish. I wished to see a household like mine, a microcosm of this various nation we’re in, not simply as a facet dish to the concept of American mainstream tradition.
However the core concept of the podcast got here from the truth that this nation must reckon with the trauma that’s our fact, together with world battle, racism, mass shootings, climate-related disasters and a turbulent economic system. As a substitute of feeling and processing our human experiences, America tells us to purchase or eat one thing. We don’t really feel or take care of something. The podcast is a response to that.
Scholl: America, Who Harm You? explores how the private impacts the political. How can listeners begin processing and therapeutic themselves?
Jones: I need to be clear, this isn’t me saying that I’m healed. I’m not an Instagram influencer claiming I’ve discovered the magic. However all of us, whether or not it’s the pandemic all of us simply lived by or one thing else, have stuff to work by.
However after we reside in an injustice-ridden society, it’s ridiculous to anticipate to operate nicely. When you may have low high quality schooling, housing or employment with out paid go away and well being care, you’ll be able to’t operate nicely. When these items are arrange with a capitalist motive to devalue folks, and worth revenue over folks, you assure individuals are going to really feel loopy whereas additionally not being allowed to heal. Folks will suppose, ‘It’s simply me, I have to get on my peloton and lose some extra weight’ or ‘I’m not sufficient of a boss bitch and I simply have to grind more durable.’ These are insane concepts, however they get put in in us by a aggressive mannequin that claims we’ve to be superwomen.
If I might go away readers with one factor, bear in mind that you’re doing the very best you’ll be able to with what you may have. When you’re feeling insane, you might be having a standard response to an irregular scenario. Now we have to heal but additionally run for workplace, vote, inform the reality and flood our lawmaker’s cellphone traces. It’s an enormous job, however one of many first issues we’ve to do is look inward to grasp the place we’ve internalized the entire myths that this tradition has tried to placed on us.
As a substitute of feeling and processing our human experiences, America tells us to purchase or eat one thing. We don’t really feel or take care of something. The podcast is a response to that.
Scholl: When you might have one particular person on the podcast proper now, who wouldn’t it be?
Jones: At this second, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers was one of many few examples of non-toxic masculinity once I grew up, and in our tradition proper now, I do know if white guys don’t do their work, we’re all screwed. Mr. Rogers, please come get your folks.
Scholl: You’ve stated among the characters in your debut podcast are impressed by your newest movie Promote/Purchase/Date. How does your work and your characters change relying on the medium you employ?
Jones: It’s actually all the identical. We’re telling tales. The medium modifications, however what you deal with and the way you assist folks see themselves represented precisely doesn’t.
Scholl: How can fiction and storytelling drive political change?
Jones: Once I was directing my first film, I heard this great point that the very best narrative movies really feel like documentaries, and the very best documentaries really feel like narrative movies. I really like that as a result of all it’s saying is that you really want a narrative that feels actual and true. You need a story that reminds you of your individual humanity and connects to your soul. I hope to at all times do this in my work.
Scholl: What recommendation do you may have for younger folks proper now?
Jones: Get off your cellphone and get into your neighborhood.
A part of what’s occurring on this second is that we’re all so over-saturated. Our brains weren’t wired to tolerate this type of fixed borage of photographs of individuals dying, mass shootings and local weather crises. In a time the place there may be a lot at stake we will do so much, we simply can’t numb it out or do it alone. Whether or not it’s wine o’clock all day or taking gummies or no matter. I’m not saying it’s not okay to calm down and take the sting off, however when your entire life is nothing however edge, what occurs?
Individuals are obsessive about being comfy, nevertheless it’s vital to treatment the issue, not the symptom. How can we begin to face what’s right here as a lot as we will? Trauma breaks us down, however going through our trauma places us again collectively. I hope this podcast will be even a small a part of a motion that helps folks take a look at their stuff and transfer by it. After we heal as people, we inevitably heal our tradition. As we every hold therapeutic ourselves, we’ll heal our politics too.
Additionally, when you have privilege, use your privilege. I need to hold encouraging folks to have a look at the place your energy is in society. A lot of the nation doesn’t have these excessive Challenge 2025 values in any respect. A lot of the nation, even these on the best, share our values of freedom and primary rights.
Individuals are obsessive about being comfy, nevertheless it’s vital to treatment the issue, not the symptom.
Scholl: Thanks a lot for talking with me at this time. What recommendation do you may have for many who are beginning out in your trade?
Jones: As I transfer by the Hollywood trade, I notice all of these individuals are fearful too. I’ve by no means met so many insecure folks because the folks supposedly on prime.
I need to remind those that fame and energy won’t heal us. What heals us is coming house to ourselves, as an alternative of considering that our price and worth is exterior us. As America wakes up from the phantasm that capitalism is identical factor as happiness, hopefully all of us will begin to see modifications inside all of our industries. We are going to begin to see extra liberation and fact.
All people doesn’t must know your title so that you can be a freedom fighter. There are numerous episodes of the podcasts the place totally different company come again to the identical concept that you’re already worthy as you might be.
Take heed to America, Who Harm You? right here.
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