Women Podcasters in Solidarity
August 12, 2017
On this day, a year ago, I learned that my childhood friend Leslie Rabinovitz Fischer passed away in the night after a three year battle with pancreatic cancer.
I sat down that morning to reflect on the lessons Leslie gave me about how to live my life and wrote the words that became the mantra that closes every Mother’s Quest Podcast Episode, “Seize the day, love your people, honor your gifts.”
I also wrote that there is no time for “bullshit.” There’s nothing like seeing your friend face mortality to put things in perspective.
This morning, a year later, I woke up to devastating news again. News about white supremacists marching in Virginia with torches and Nazi salutes.
My experience losing Leslie, and the messages that have become mantras, inspire me to move past my own “bullshit” today and into action…past my own limiting beliefs that I can’t really make a difference, that if I speak out in any way I’ll just say the wrong thing or do more harm, that I can’t handle the harsh judgement (on either side) from being visible on an issue like racism and police brutality.
Many may have seen posts from me in previous months, or listened to my conversation on the podcast with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin about an initiative I’m working on to raise awareness and funds related to Black Lives Matter.
The initiative is not perfectly planned yet. I’m still trying to find guests for my podcast, speakers for my bay area event, and to find a fiscal sponsor for the Mother’s Quest Giving Fund. And, I haven’t officially invited other women podcasters to pledge to be a part.
But, what I’m waking up to this morning, with my memory of Leslie’s life lessons and the horrific news of yesterday, is there’s no time to wait. It will never be perfect. And, I want to be part of some positive action today in response to yesterday’s ugliness.
If you are a women podcaster (or live show host) with a platform and want to be part of the initiative, “Women Podcasters in Solidarity,” visit www.mothersquest.com/solidarity to sign up.
I envision this as a twice-yearly initiative for social justice with the first focus being on the Black Lives Matter Movement and raising awareness about racism. If you pledge to be involved, you would commit to doing a podcast episode on this subject between September and mid-November. There are additional optional pledges you could make which include inviting listeners to contribute to a related cause and talking to the children in your life about these issues in a developmentally appropriate way. In December, I’ll assemble a list of what was accomplished with links to all the episodes and spread the word about our collective impact.
If you’re a mother working on the frontlines of this issue and you’re open to helping to educate and raise awareness OR a mother who wants to learn, message me and sign up at www.mothersquest.com for email updates.
Appreciate any help spreading the word…
“Seize the day, honor your gifts, love your people.” And, expand that definition of what “your people” really means.
With love,
Julie
