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 HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY Dearest Friends & Family! I hope you’ve got joyful and restful plans for the next few weeks. Wherever you are, get out in nature and breathe, breathe, breathe! WHAT ARE WE UP TO?  |
 Sista Brunch Season 3 Sista Brunch is BACK! We’re recording season three and will begin releasing episodes in the coming weeks. This season we’ve got cinematographers, composers, set photographers, production assistants – plus we’re bringing back some of our guests from season one – who have gone on to unbelievable success since we last spoke. We can’t wait for you to hear from them! You can listen to all our episodes here: SistaBrunch.com And follow us on instagram: @SistaBrunchPodcast We’re on Facebook too: Facebook.com/sistabrunchpodcast We always appreciate your reviews wherever you listen to the podcast (iTunes, Spotify), and subscribing is even better! Congratulations Troy Kotsur! Troy is playing the role of Coach Farrior in our feature film Flash Before the Bang. His win for Best Supporting Actor at the Gotham Awards for CODA is so very important – not just for the future of our film – but most importantly for disability and accessibility inclusion in entertainment. I’m so proud of this project and can’t wait to share more with you in the coming year. Here’s an interview I did with CODA director Sian Heder – who grew up in my hometown Cambridge, MA. Sian talks about our unique upbringing and how it shapes her storytelling. She also shares how she navigated working with hearing and deaf/hard of hearing actors and crew on CODA: IG Live with Sian Heder  Honoring Educator, Playwright, Author, Director Milton Polsky Without fail, Milt answered every one of these newsletters (including the last one) with words of encouragement and kindness. He was seated in the aisle any time I performed One Drop in New York so I wouldn’t miss a warm, broad smile of support from someone in the audience. I met him when I was teaching in the South Bronx, and I auditioned for a play put on by the UFT Players. Milt led this United Federation of Teachers org for teacher/thespians/musicians/dancers/artists who believed in community and the ‘play’ in ‘playwright.’ I’ve made life-long friendships with the other members, and we are heartbroken by Milt’s passing. Pictured are a few of the books he wrote to encourage EVERYONE to explore the creative process with wonder and joy.   A little over 5 years ago, my new GP asked if I’d considered a ‘plant-based’ lifestyle for my health and well-being. I was mostly vegetarian already – but I did love some cheese here and there. I was also watching a lot of natural haircare videos at the time and one of my favorites came from a vegan blogger named Jenné Claiborne. She recommended – as a way to ease into being vegan – trying out a two-week challenge. It was the holiday season, so I had a little extra time on my hands to get creative with grocery shopping. While I wasn’t completely strict about it (I was also going on a trip that included stops in Denmark and Italy – and who in their right minds wouldn’t eat cheese in these countries?), I embraced the small bit of extra energy it took to find and make vegan meals. So…if you’ve got a little extra time now, and aren’t already – why not try it? Here are some of my favorite videos if you’re looking for easy recipes and guides to get you started: Sweet Potato Soul’s Beginner’s Guide to Going VEGAN Caitlin Shoemaker’s 5 Meals I Eat Every Week Rainbow Plantlife’s Creamy White Bean & Kale Soup Avant Garde Vegan’s 4 Simple Vegan Meals I Eat All the Time HAVE FUN – and send a note if you’ve got ideas or favorite recipes for going plant-based. And while you’re over on YouTube… MY COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH PASSING FOR WHITE Have you seen Passing on Netflix? It brought up some complex emotions for me. It reminded me of the work we still have ahead of us in acknowledging our past, and working to dismantle racism in our present and future. I created this video to share important lessons I’ve learned from scholars, historians, and others. Would love to hear your responses to the film as well. Do you think it helps to advance needed change, or are there ways in which it may perpetuate oppression? Here are the books I refer to in the video: Fatal Invention by Dr. Dorothy Roberts An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz White By Law by Ian Haney López Click Here for Booking a Consulting or Speaking Engagement |
