Juliette Mayers is joined by Leverett Wing, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Seminar, a trailblazing advocate for marginalized communities. Leverett's extensive experience in public service, including being the first Asian American staff member at the Massachusetts State House, and his numerous awards make him the perfect guest to delve into empowering communities of color.

Leverett discusses the historical power dynamics that have pitted minority communities against each other, highlighting the model minority myth, immigration policies, and the need for diverse education.

Tune in to learn about the importance of solidarity among people of color, the work of the Commonwealth Seminar, self-education about one's history, and taking control of your narrative through thought leadership. Don't miss this chance to learn how to shape your community's future through civic engagement.Get inspired and get involved to be a part of positive change!

Episode Highlights:

06:48 - Our 20th anniversary kickoff celebration is called, "In the room and at the table," and because that's where our communities need to be. It's not good enough to just be in the room. You have to be actually at the table when decisions are made, so you can voice your opinion. You can give your perspective. You can influence decision-makers.

12:52 - The reason I do all this writing and the reason I do a lot of these podcasts is because we need to share our stories. Because the traditional media, the traditional outlets don't often cover or want to cover, or just traditionally don't cover these types of stories. And so, we as communities need to tell our stories jointly. And we need to tell stories of solidarity. We need to tell stories of collaboration.

14:20 - It starts with the youth. It starts with educating young people, whether it's high school or college, but most importantly, at the elementary school level, so that they know that we've been, from a very young age, that we've all been working together.

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Juliette Mayers

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Leverett Wing

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