Freedom Means...
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsWhat could it sound like to talk with a four year old about gentrification? What about police brutality? What about medical racism? Freedom Means... is a podcast hosted by storyteller and mother Grace Aldrich and preschool teacher Emma Redden. Grace and Emma use each episode to model what conversations related to race, racial violence, and colonialism could sound like. They role play different scenarios based on their own and listener’s experiences discussing and navigating this beautiful and devastating world alongside young people. Our intention is to engage with our listeners. If you have scenarios you’d like us to try to role play, reflections on what you hear, or are interested in working with us, please find us at thefullstoryschool.org.
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Episodes
Language Ideas: Palestine & Israel: Part 2
November 15, 2023 23:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBThis mini episode, our fifth installment of Language Ideas, focuses on the historical and current conflict between Palestine and Israel. This is Part 2. UPDATE: This episode includes death tolls that have changed since the recording. The death toll in Gaza as of November 15, 2023 is over 11,300, including over 4,600 children. The updated death toll from Israeli from the attacks on October 7, 2023 are 1,200. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregiver...
Language Ideas: Palestine & Israel: Part 1
November 15, 2023 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.12 MBThis mini episode, our fourth installment of Language Ideas, focuses on the historical and current conflict between Palestine and Israel. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact us through our website: www.thefullstoryschool.org or by sending us an email at [email protected] Please consider becomin...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Seven
November 25, 2022 05:00 - 3 minutes - 2.26 MBThis is an epilogue episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Seven includes Emma reflecting on name pronunciation. Pronunciation of Wampanoag & Massasoit. If you are interested in learning more about an indigenous organizing & decolonizing project visit LANDBACK and LANDBACK University. To l...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Six
November 24, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 4.59 MBIt's our final episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Six talks about the National Day of Mourning, and current indigenous resistance to Thanksgiving. To watch a live stream of the National Day of Mourning, click here. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peop...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Five
November 24, 2022 00:00 - 6 minutes - 4.68 MBIt's our fifth episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Five continues the story into 1637 and 1863. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peoples. The historical information is my translation of the histories included below. I have surely translated and retold th...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Four
November 23, 2022 23:00 - 6 minutes - 4.24 MBIt's our forth episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Four continues the story of 1621. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peoples. The historical information is my translation of the histories included below. I have surely translated and retold this history ...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Three
November 22, 2022 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.28 MBIt's our third episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Three continues the story into 1621. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peoples. The historical information is my translation of the histories included below. I have surely translated and retold this histo...
Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part Two
November 21, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 4.43 MBIt's our second episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode Two continues the story in 1620. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peoples. The historical information is my translation of the histories included below. I have surely translated and retold this history ...
Introducing! Kistory: Thanksgiving: Part One
November 21, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 4.71 MBWelcome to our very first episode of Kistory, a history podcast for kids. The podcast is hosted by Emma Redden, co-host of Freedom Means. This series is an attempt at an honest history of Thanksgiving. Each episode is short is intended even for young children. Episode One introduces this history, beginning in 1620. This history was compiled from histories told and shared by Native peoples. The historical information is my translation of the histories included below. I have surely translated...
Interview with author David Robertson
October 03, 2022 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBThis final episode of Season Two is very special to us. We have the incredible opportunity to interview David Robertson, the author of one of our very most beloved books When We Were Alone. David role plays with Emma and Grace, as well as talks about his work, and reads a part of a book. We are so thankful he shared time with us. To learn more about his work you can visit his website. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interest...
"I'm Glad I'm White" Part Four
September 26, 2022 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBIn this episode Grace and Emma wrap up the conversation with each other as children and try to tie together these long analogies of The Deal and Seatbelt and Slippery Ice Safety. We then spend much of the episode reflecting on this series. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact us through our website: www.the...
"I'm Glad I'm White" Part Three
September 19, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBIn this episode Grace and Emma move into the third of a four episode series. This episode explores engaging with children's beautiful and imperfect rendering of the stories we tell them. We talk about the harm of dividing white people in categories of "mean" and not "mean" and the complexity of safety. We continue to explore Heather McGhee's work and her reflections on the truth and myth of the Zero Sum. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. I...
"I'm Glad I'm White" Part Two
September 12, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBIn this episode Grace and Emma continue onto part two of this four part series, responding to a white child expressing relief for being white. We expand on the idea that white people can get "slippery ice safety" IF they make a deal to hurt people of color, in active and passive ways. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, y...
"I’m Glad I’m White" Part One
September 05, 2022 18:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBIn this first episode of Season Two, Grace and Emma begin a four part series responding to a white child expressing relief for being white. We introduce the idea that to get safety as a white person, white people need to make a really hurtful deal. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact us through our website...
BONUS EPISODE: Young People Talk About Freedom
July 19, 2022 19:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBIn this very special episode, we are publishing an audio story featuring the brilliant ideas and stories from three young people in Washington, DC. They are ages 6-9 and have attended The Freedom Community School for the last couple of years. They talk about freedom, the history of Black people, abolition, slavery, police, jails, reading, revision, consent and so on. The Full Story School publishes Freedom Means. Most episodes include Grace and Emma roleplaying a conversation related to ra...
Language Ideas: Massacre in Buffalo, New York
May 23, 2022 04:00 - 13 minutes - 9.26 MBThis mini episode, our third installment of Language Ideas, focuses on the massacre of ten Black people at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact us through our website: www.thefullstoryschool.org or by sending us an email at [email protected] Please c...
Language Ideas: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
March 25, 2022 14:00 - 7 minutes - 5.46 MBThis mini episode, our second installment of Language Ideas, focuses on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact us through our website: www.thefullstoryschool.org or by sending us an email at [email protected]...
Language Ideas: Russia's War Against Ukraine
March 21, 2022 15:00 - 7 minutes - 4.93 MBThis mini episode, our first installment of Language Ideas, focuses on Russia's war against Ukraine. Unlike our regular episodes, this doesn't include role play or reflection, but simply offer small language ideas about different elements and dynamics around this war. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested in working with us, want to give feedback, or submit scenarios from your own lives for the podcast, you can contact u...
"What If That Happened To Grandpa?" Episode Ten
December 20, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBIn this final episode of Season One, Emma and Grace revisit a conversation Grace had with her son in the spring of 2020. They re-enact the discussion of emotions that come from imagining a loved one being killed as a result of racial violence. Then Emma and Grace role play this conversation to show how it might change if held between a Black child and an unrelated, loving, white adult in their life. In the reflections, they discuss the emotional and physical toll of racial violence. Grace...
"Who is Ahmaud Arbery?" Episode Nine
December 13, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBThis week we role play conversations around this question. We begin with a brief body grounding practice to share one way to support our nervous systems before tackling a hard question. We briefly talk about Ahmaud Arbery in his life and share some of the things his friends and family wanted the world to know about him. We talk about what happened the day he was killed and the immediate aftermath. We also share the determined effort put forth by thousands of people seeking justice over m...
"Are We Gonna Be On Fire?" Episode Eight
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBIn this episode, we role model a conversation with a child who hears about widespread fires on the west coast of the US and asks, “ Are we gonna be on fire?” During the conversation we give an explanation of the word climate using the human body as an analogy. We talk about the ways humans have impacted the climate and use our imaginations to strategize ways of coping with the reality of climate change. We also begin to talk about the intersection of race and climate change. We are commun...
BONUS EPISODE: "What Is Tiger King About?"
November 29, 2021 05:00 - 9 minutes - 6.37 MBIn this bonus episode, Emma embarks on the journey of explaining the documentary series Tiger King to a child. The explanation incorporates concepts including mullets, marrying multiple people at the same time, keeping jungle animals in captivity, missing husbands, contract killing and jail. This episode contains *SPOILERS* for season one. While once in a while we dabble in talking about TV, Grace and Emma's work is focused on talking with young children about racism and colonialism. Pleas...
“What Does Thanksgiving Celebrate” Episode Seven
November 22, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBIn this episode we begin the complex work of answering this question. During our role play we share that the widely known story of Thanksgiving contains many lies and give accurate historical context. We talk about how different people practice the holiday and share an indigenous tradition of gratitude. Lastly, we begin to talk about how pilgrims replicated the harm they learned in Europe and how those weren’t their only choices. To learn more about the complicated histories of Thanksgiving...
"Why Do Black Lives Matter?" Episode Six
November 15, 2021 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode we respond to this question asked by 5 year old Callum. Our role plays and reflections touch on the humanity of Black people and how they are connected in the story of their lives on this land. We practice talking to a white child about holding the truth of their inherent value while focusing on a part of their human community that urgently needs and asks to be seen, heard, and experience justice. The last role play includes an account of the inception of the BLM movement. ...
"Why Do Black Lives Matter?" Episode 6
November 15, 2021 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode we respond to this question asked by 5 year old Callum. Our role plays and reflections touch on the humanity of Black people and how they are connected in the story of their lives on this land. We practice talking to a white child about holding the truth of their inherent value while focusing on a part of their human community that urgently needs and asks to be seen, heard, and experience justice. The last role play includes an account of the inception of the BLM movement. ...
Grace & Emma Interviewed! Episode Five
November 08, 2021 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBThis episode is an interview Emma and Grace did with Bonnie Harris--a veteran counselor specializing in Connective Parenting. You can hear from her on her podcast, Tell Me About Your Kids. We talk with Bonnie about how we got into this work, what were some of our formative experiences in our development around race and what makes our work with groups of teachers and parents unique. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers, parents and caregivers. If you are interested i...
"You're White" "No, I'm Not!" Episode Four
November 01, 2021 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBIn this episode we explore the idea that white means a color and a (made up) group of people. We role play a reflection after a child is called white and she responds that she doesn't look the color white. Our conversation begins by sharing a historical context for the creation of race--land owning Europeans making a group to be legally empowered to exploit and harm other groups. We then move into talking about the messages that get taught to white people and how those messages have continue...
"Are All Police Bad?" Episode Three
October 25, 2021 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBIn this episode we work through a simple and profound question about the police. We attempt to offer historical context about the history of policing, as well as use metaphors to try to explain some of the essence of the job. We consider together if police play too many roles in our community and then end by considering if there is actually any safe role at all for police. Grace and Emma reflect on the grief work inherent to these practices, the idea of good and bad, and the impact the job o...
"Why Is Her Skin Brown" Episode Two
October 18, 2021 04:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBThis episode explores skin color. We role play responding to a child who asks about the skin color of someone in the grocery store. We talk about melanin, ancestry, and the sun. Grace and Emma reflect on how to prioritize relationships when having conversations publicly, the need to spread out conversations over longer periods than is modeled in the episode, and how to use questions as a way to guide and facilitate understanding. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers,...
"Why Is Her Skin Brown?" Episode Two
October 18, 2021 04:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBThis episode explores skin color. We role play responding to a child who asks about the skin color of someone in the grocery store. We talk about melanin, ancestry, and the sun. Grace and Emma reflect on how to prioritize relationships when having conversations publicly, the need to spread out conversations over longer periods than is modeled in the episode, and how to use questions as a way to guide and facilitate understanding. We are community educators and work with groups of teachers,...
"Why Do We Call Columbus Day Indigenous Day?" Episode One
October 11, 2021 04:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIn this very first episode of Season 1, on Indigenous People's Day, we role play three short imaginary conversations with a child. We explore why Columbus day has been renamed Indigenous People's day, we re-frame the untrue story that he "discovered" anything, and we discuss what he did to the indigenous peoples when he arrived. We talk about the history of the organizing to make Indigenous People's Day a day of recognition and introduce the idea of genocide. Grace and Emma then reflect on w...
Coming Soon: A Podcast About Talking With Kids About Racism
October 05, 2021 12:00 - 3 minutes - 2.46 MBSeason One of Freedom Means is about to begin! This season we, Grace Aldrich and Emma Redden, explore the question, “How do you find the words for complicated conversations about race with children?" We try to answer this question by practicing and experimenting with the language together. This first episode shares with listeners the foundational beliefs behind our work: children are complex human beings who live in the same world as adults and deserve to be told the truth about racism. We ...