241: Cross-Racial Friendships; Building True Connections - Tiffany Ellis

On Air with Ella podcast - episode 241

CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER...

I do not speak for everybody, nor every white woman, nor anyone other than myself. And as for myself, I'm willing to admit that making friends is hard, and making friends who look different or come from different backgrounds is, frankly, often harder. While that might sound funny, upon closer examination you might find some truth in it that aligns with your own experience as well.

When we talk about women empowering each other, women supporting women and being each other's strongest allies, I believe the conversation to be incomplete if we are surrounded only by those within immediate reach.

Tiffany Ellis and I are opening up the conversation and discovering there's so much to learn and enjoy when we widen our circles, expand beyond our comfort zones, and are willing to discuss the things others won't - all in the name of friendship and connection.

Tiffany Ellis is a corporate leader with one of the world’s largest companies, and the Founder and Managing Director of Pods & PR. Tiffany is known for curating therapeutic conversations and creating safe spaces for women of color, and is passionate about healing and teaching women to exercise radical perseverance. She’s a Certified Life Coach, Mother, Wife and the Co-Host of Heal Shit Podcast with previous guest Shanta Jackson.

"There is no way to be intimately close with people if you refuse to engage in the truth of how the world is organized,” Aminatou Sow said recently in an interview with The New York Times. "I think the real reason these friendships are hard to maintain is that in order to be truly authentic, I need to feel like I can share all the parts of myself with my friends."

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

Women supporting women....all women.
Cross-Racial friendships
- Why are they important?
- Why are they hard(er)?
When the media is creating narratives and feeding you what it thinks will provoke and engage you, the best antidote - in our opinion! - is to make a friend!
In 2014, a study found that three-quarters of white people don’t have any non-white friends!
How to make friends that don't look like you
What NOT to do when we're trying to build real relationships (vs engaging in tokenism)
Why social media probably isn't the best place for this work
Intent vs impact, performative vs transformative - building relationships on safe ground
Our differences makes for richer experiences... and yet, we have so much in common!
Things Black People Want White People to Know - HuffPost Article

Even the most well-intentioned, well-meaning white person isn't going to get the same benefits researching and reading about race (though you still should do that) as you will in hearing about the personal experiences of someone you respect, admire and trust.