Episode Thirteen- Dawn Haney

In this interview, I spoke with Dawn Haney, a co-director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. The mission of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), founded in 1978, is to serve as a catalyst for socially engaged Buddhism. Their purpose is to help beings liberate themselves from the suffering that manifests in individuals, relationships, institutions, and social systems. Dawn Haney brings her passions for social justice, good non-profit management, and the dharma to her role as Co-Director for BPF. We spoke about Dawn’s professional and personal journey to the Director role, BPF as an institution, and current issues and topics within mindfulness and Buddhism. We also examined a variety of social issues including racism, community activism, and gendered violence from a Buddhist perspective.This interview originally aired lived on KALX 90.7 FM on Women Hold up Half the Sky on February 28th, 2015.

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Episode Twelve- Bie Aweh

In this interview, I spoke with Bie Aweh, a UC Berkeley Staff Member and Social Justice Facilitator. On campus, Bie is a Resident Director, the Advisor of the Unity House LGBT Theme Program, and an advocate for Cal's African/African American community. She completed her M.Ed. in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her B.A. in Political Science and Women's Studies, with a minor in Race, Culture and Power, from the University of New Hampshire. She has served as a facilitator for intergroup dialogue courses on topics such as race, class, gender, and social justice and is passionate about identity development, liberation, creating inclusive communities. We talked about social justice, anti-blackness, allyship, and the importance of healing.This interview originally aired live on KALX 90.7 FM Women Hold up Half the Sky on January 10th, 2015. 

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Episode Eleven- Kate Janke-Munding

In this interview, we hear from Kate Janke-Munding, a Bay Area meditation teacher. Mindfulness practice has been at the core of Kate's life since 2004. Her teaching style and techniques stem from traditional Buddhist meditation and philosophies, coupled with secular mindfulness methods and applications. Kate started teaching mindfulness in the Oakland schools in 2008 for Mindful Schools. She soon after became the Director of Training and developed mindfulness training programs for educators, parents, psychologists, and health care providers. In 2012, Kate started Heart-Mind Education to continue developing her work in the classrooms as well as direct training to faculties. In her career, she has had the privilege of teaching mindful awareness and compassion to over 2000 K-12 students and about 2500 professionals working with kids. Kate is also a co-founder of Compassionate Leaders Bay Area and part of the Spirit Rock/ Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training. This interview originally aired live on KALX 90.7 FM Women Hold up Half the Sky on Saturday December 13th, 2014. 

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Episode Ten- Barrie Sterling

In this interview, I spoke with Barrie Sterling, a local shamanic artist who goes by B$. We talked about her life, her art, and heard a few of her pieces. 

Barrie Sterling has been an artist her entire life. Her work has taken on many incarnations, beginning with pencils and paints followed by both film and digital photography. She has dabbled in video work and in the creation of installations. From jazz, to modern, to ballet, to belly dancing. Music has always been a passion, but has only recently revealed itself as a medium she could work with. This began primarily through the discovery that she could rap (experimentations spurred upon by a distaste for most of the lyrics she was singing along to and the realization that she has mad swagger.) Her exploration into this musical form of poetry has also split off into more “conventional” poetry writing as well as through song. Her work is deeply embedded in the world of spirit. With each creation she deepens her intimacy with intuitional forces and, she hopes, spreads that energetic understanding to those who experience her work. She understands herself as a co creator, a conduit through which the collective energy can flow and merge with her individual voice. This makes her creations Shamanic or magical in nature (Barrie happily accepts the accurate title of Witch, or High Priestess of the Goddess, as well). She has a number of artistic identities, some of which have names. As a rapper she has gone by Beasta and (more recently) B$. Live eviL is her identity when she is behind the scenes as a music producer. Smallfruitsilver graces instagram with her photographs and helps with social media in general. There is also a fifth identity that has requested she remain largely private. Barrie is interested in themes such as the earth, nature spirits, channeling, color and pattern, alternative healing, rhythm and tone, deep reaching honesty, the Divine Feminine (and Masculine), creativity, intuition, and the Great Mystery that connects us all. 

This Interview originally aired live on KALX 90.7 FM Women Hold up Half the Sky of Saturday November 15, 2014. 

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Episode Nine- Jessica Boyles

In this interview, we hear from Jessica Boyles, a local violence prevention educator and expert on human trafficking issues in the Bay Area. We spoke about her passion for this work, local prevention and intervention initiatives, and myths and facts about human sex trafficking. We also connected the sex trafficking industry to the larger issue of sexual violence and outline things everyone can do to help. If you are interested in connecting more with Jessica and the work that she does, you can e-mail her at jessica.r.boyles@gmail.com This interview was originally recorded live on Women Hold up Half the Sky on KALX Berkeley 90.7 FM on Saturday October 25th, 2014.

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Episode Eight- Jessica Niello

In this interview, I spoke with Jessica Niello, a Bay Area artist who works with painting and ceramics. Her work is earthy, elegant, and inspiring. We talked about her life, her art, and what it has been like to make her passion her profession. Check out her website for photos and more information about her body of work. The interview originally aired live on Women Hold up Half the Sky KALX 90.7 FM on September 27th, 2014.

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Episode Seven- Lily and Michelle Drexler

In this interview, we hear from Bay Area native twins Lily and Michelle Drexler about being bicoastal actors, working together in the SF Playhouse's production of Into the Woods, and creating an upcoming cabaret show for two nights in San Francisco. They gave us a hilarious taste of their acting expertise as Cinderella's evil step-sisters and they sang a beautiful song meant for them from the musical Side Show (at 48 minutes). To follow their careers visit www.lilydrexler.com or www.michelledrexler.com This interview was originally broadcast on Saturday August 9th 2014 on KALX Berkeley 90.7 FM Women Hold up Half the Sky. 

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