Breaking Down Patriarchy

Amy is joined by Dr. Elora Shehabuddin to discuss her book, Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism, exploring historical and contemporary misunderstandings of Muslim women, how Western and Muslim feminisms influence one another, and what each of us can do to live as better allies. Dr. Elora Shehabuddin is a professor of gender and women's studies and global studies at UC Berkeley. Previously, she was a professor of transnational Asian studies and core faculty in the Center for Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Rice University. Before that, she was an assistant professor of women's studies and political science at UC Irvine. She received her BA in social studies from Harvard and her PhD in politics from Princeton. Shehabuddin is the author of many, many articles and multiple books, including the award-winning Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslin Women and the Politics of Global Feminism, which was published in 2021.

Amy is joined by Jane Boulware to discuss her book, Worthy, plus her meteoric rise from being a used rug vendor to senior leadership at Microsoft, and how we can all learn to overcome our "un"s and pursue our ambitions. Jane Boulware is a global business leader and former Microsoft Executive. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jane lives in Washington state and works to make a difference, serving on boards including Boys & Girls Clubs, writing, speaking, and consulting. Jane is passionate about helping people claim their worth and forge the future. Her joy is being outdoors with her family.

Amy is joined by Dr. Lisa DiGiovanni to discuss the histories of state violence in Spain and Chile, the critical concept of 'militarized masculinity', and how everyday people can resist the rise of militarism and hyper-masculinity. Dr. Lisa DiGiovanni is a professor of contemporary Spanish and Larin American literature and film at Keene State College. She has a joint appointment as Chair for the Department of Modern Languages and Culture and as a professor int he Holocaust and Genocide Studies Department. her area of expertise is the twentieth-century dictatorial violence in Spain and Chile. As a professor, she teaches introductory to advanced level courses that integrate language, literature, and film and studies state violence as social control.

Amy is joined by author Celeste Davis to discuss the long history of Mormon feminism, how women's stories have been erased and hidden, and what hope remains for an egalitarian future in the LDS Church. Celeste Davis is the writer behind the popular Substack 'non-spiritual non-direction'. She is a certified spiritual director through the Chaplaincy Institute, specializing in LDS faith transitions. She lives in Spokane, Washington with her husband and four kids.

Amy is joined by Lē Isaac Weaver and Melanie Springer Mock of Christian Feminism Today to discuss the state of gender relations in evangelical communities, Biblical Feminism, purity culture, and the dangerous politization of religious beliefs. Lē Isaac Weaver (they/them) is a creative and technical professional who assists artists, businesses, and nonprofits to create beauty and change with technology. Much of their work involves various aspects of spirituality and religion. Weaver is the author of numerous articles and reviews on Christian Feminism Today as well as the blog, Where She Is. They contributed the chapter 'Genderful' to the book Women Experiencing Faith. Weaver is a recipient of the Brian Eckstein Faithful Servant Award from the Q Christian Network. Melanie Springer Mock is an award-winning professor and author, a mother, a runner. an image-bearer of our creator. Melanie is a professor of English at George Fox University, Newberg, Ore. In 2009, she won the GFU Undergraduate Faculty of the Year award, and in 2015, she received the GFU Undergraduate Researcher of the Year award. She is the author or co-author of five books, including most recently Worthy: Finding Yourself in a World Expecting Someone Else (Herald Press, 2018). Her essays and reviews have appeared in The Nation, Christian Feminism Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Mennonite World Review, among other places. She has finished 50 marathons, a dozen or more triathlons, and countless training runs. She lives in Dundee, Ore., with her husband and two teen sons.

Amy is joined by author and preacher Liz Cooledge Jenkins to discuss her book, Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism, and dig into ongoing tensions between egalitarianism and complementarianism, plus advice for individuals no longer feeling aligned with their church community. Liz Cooledge Jenkins is a writer, preacher, former college campus minister, and the author of Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism. She writes at the intersections of faith, feminism, and social justice, and her work can be found at places like Sojourners, The Christian Century, Christians for Social Action, and Feminism and Religion, as well as her new substack, Growing into Kinship, and her blog: lizcooledgejenkins.com.

Amy is joined by journalist Dr. Leta Hong Fincher to discuss her book, Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China, as well as recent changes in Chinese gender relations, and the courageous women defying their state in search of a more equitable future. Dr. Leta Hong Fincher has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Dissent Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and others. As a long-time TV and radio journalist based in China, she won the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Cowan Award for Humanitarian Reporting and other journalism honors for her reporting. The 10th anniversary edition of Leta's first book, Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China (2023), was named one of the best books of 2023 by China Books Review. Leta’s second book, Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China, was named one of the best books of the year by Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Foreign Policy Interrupted, Bitch Media and Autostraddle; it was also a New York Times “New and Noteworthy” pick. The New York Public Library named Betraying Big Brother one of its “essential reads on feminism” in 2020. The original edition of her book Leftover Women was named one of the top 5 China books of the year by the Asia Society’s ChinaFile and one of the best Asian books of the year by Asia House. It was on the New York Times list of recommended books on China in 2018 and on Book Riot’s list of 21 recommended Chinese history books in 2021. Leta is the first American to receive a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University's Department of Sociology in Beijing. She graduated from Harvard University magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in East Asian Languages and Civilizations and won a Harvard Foundation award for contribution to race relations. She was awarded a Shaw fellowship and Walter Shorenstein fellowship for her master's degree in East Asian Studies from Stanford University. She is currently a Research Associate at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University.

Amy is joined by historian Jill Burke to discuss her book, How to Be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty and Female Creativity, exploring cosmetics and beauty expectations of 15th-century Europe, and how the beauty industry continues to shape our culture today. Jill Burke is a professor of Renaissance Visual and Material Cultures at the University of Edinburgh, a historian of the body and its visual representation, focusing on Italy and Europe from 1400-1700. She is currently the lead investigator of the Royal Society funded project 'Renaissance Goo,' working with soft-matter scientists to remake Renaissance cosmetic and skincare recipes. She talks regularly about Renaissance bodies on television, radio and podcasts, and she discusses the history of art and beauty on “Jill Burke’s Blog.” She lives in Edinburgh.

Amy is joined by scholar and author Dr. Karen Jo Torjesen to discuss her book, When Women Were Priests: Women's Leadership in the Early Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in the Rise of Christianity. This discussion covers the overlooked history of women as bishops, patrons, and more, as well as the masculinization of the church and how the struggle for women's ordination continues. Karen Jo Torjesen, Ph.D., is the Margo L. Goldsmith Chair of Women's Studies and Religion at Claremont Graduate School in California, and an associate of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity. She is widely regarded as a leading authority on women in ancient Christianity.

Amy is joined by Christian Nunes, current President of the National Organization for Women for a discussion of NOW's history, overlooked feminist heroes, plus the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment and how to get involved in the largest feminist organization in America today. Christian F. Nunes, MBA, MS, LCSW, became the National Organization for Women's President in August 2020. She was previously appointed Vice President by the board in May 2019. As the second African American president in the organization’s history, the youngest person of color, and the youngest president in more than 40 years, Nunes is leading the organization through an intersectional lens, bringing a diverse coalition of grassroots activists to work against structural sexism and racism. Christian is a former NOW board member and committee chair, as well as a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, and woman-minority business owner. She is an active community organizer and public speaker, regularly featured at events such as the March for Black Women, Women’s March Events, and rallies around the country in support of the Equal Rights Amendment and immigration rights. Along with her activism for mental health, Christian has more than 20 years of experience advocating for children’s and women’s issues.

Amy is joined by comedian and activist Stacey Harkey to discuss the history of race and gender in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee of the 1960's, diving into the nuances of how white women and Black men can each hold the roles of both oppressor and oppressed. Born in Dallas, Texas, Stacey Harkey considers himself to be a southerner to the core. Always curious and ever annoying he somehow graduated with a degree in Public Relations from Brigham Young University and wrote/acted for the sketch comedy tv show, Studio C. He currently owns a media company with his friends called JK! Studios. He loves playing soccer and the guitar while being equally bad at both. He also believes in the power of an embarrassing moment, a burnt meal, and a extremely difficult challenge.

Amy is joined by philosopher and author Mehrsa Baradaran to discuss her latest book, The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, and explore the history of Black banking, intersections of race, gender, and economics, as well as how we can take control of our economic future to create a more equitable world for all. Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor of law at UC Irvine Law School. She writes about banking law, financial inclusion, inequality, and the racial wealth gap. Her scholarship includes the books How The Other Half Banks and the award-winning The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, both published by the Harvard University Press. Baradaran and her books have received significant national and international media coverage and have been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, American Banker, The Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. On NPR's Marketplace, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and PBS's NewsHour, and as part of TEDx at the University of Georgia. She has advised US senators and congressmen on policy, testified before the US Congress, and spoken at national and international forums like the US Treasury and the World Bank.

Amy is joined by author and activist Mikki Kendall to discuss her book, Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, and explore the lasting legacy of Jim Crow, the high expectations we place on women of color, and confront some of the ways in which white feminism has failed Black communities. Mikki Kendall is a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist; she has appeared on the BBC, NPR, The Daily Show, PBS, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, WBEZ, and Showtime, and discusses race, feminism, police violence, tech, and pop culture at institutions and universities across the country. She is the author of the New York Times-bestselling HOOD FEMINISM (recipient of the Chicago Review of Books Award and named a best book of the year by BBC, Bustle, and TIME). She is also the author of AMAZONS, ABOLITIONISTS, AND ACTIVISTS, a graphic novel illustrated by A. D’Amico. Her essays can be found at TIME, the New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, Essence, Vogue, The Boston Globe, NBC, and a host of other sites.

Amy is joined by philosopher and author Kate Manne to discuss her latest book, Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia, and dig deep into issues of body image, weight shaming, correlation v. causation, and how to create a more just society for people of all sizes. Kate Manne is an associate professor at the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University, where she's been teaching since 2013. Before that, Manne was a junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows from 2011 to 2013, and she did her graduate work in philosophy at MIT from 2006 to 2011. And before that, she was an undergrad at the University of Melbourne where she studied philosophy, logic, and computer science. Today, Manne does moral philosophy, especially metaethics and moral psychology, feminist philosophy, and social philosophy. She also enjoys writing opinion pieces, essays, and reviews for a wider audience. She has published multiple highly acclaimed and widely read books, including Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny in 2017, Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women in 2020, and Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia.

Amy is joined by author Kate Moore to discuss her newest book, The Woman They Could Not Silence, exploring the story of Elizabeth Packard's abduction into an asylum, her triumphant fight for justice, and how mental health is wielded to discredit and silence women. Kate Moore is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Radium Girls, which won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best History, was voted U.S. librarians’ favourite nonfiction book of 2017, and was named a Notable Nonfiction Book of 2018 by the American Library Association. A British writer based near Cambridge, UK, Moore writes across a variety of genres and has had multiple titles on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Her latest book is the critically acclaimed The Woman They Could Not Silence, which, among other accolades, was named runner-up for Best History in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards and a 2021 Booklist Editor's Choice.

Amy is joined by Former Representative Mary Chung Hayashi to discuss her book, Women in Politics, and the barriers which dissuade women from entering the political sphere including ambition gaps, the imagination barrier, perceptions of motherhood, and the challenge of fundraising. Mary Chung Hayashi is an award-winning author, national healthcare leader, and former California State Assembly member. With a distinguished career in public service, Mary has spearheaded substantial reforms in mental health services, championed gender equality, and forged powerful, unprecedented partnerships for social causes that previously had no financial or public backing. Recognized as Legislator of the Year by the American Red Cross and the California Medical Association, Mary has also been featured on Red Book's Mothers and Shakers list and Ladies Home Journal's Women to Watch. As principal of public policy and advocacy solutions, she has successfully advised business and policy leaders on some of today's most complex public policy matters. Mary remains a steadfast proponent of social justice expansion and the rights of underrepresented communities.

Amy is joined by Dr. Michael Kaufman & Dr. Michael Kimmel to discuss their book The Guy’s Guide to Feminism and share the how men can overcome discomfort and guilt to become true feminist allies. Michael Kaufman, PhD, is a writer of both fiction and nonfiction books. As an advisor, activist, and keynote speaker, he has developed innovative approaches to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality and positively transforming men’s lives. Over the past four decades, his work with the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations, corporations, trade unions, and universities has taken him to 50 countries. Michael is the co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women. And he wrote the training program on sexual harassment used by tens of thousands of staff at the United Nations. Michael Kimmel, PhD, is one of the world’s leading experts on men and masculinities. He was the SUNY Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Stony Brook University. Among his many books are Manhood in America, Angry White Men, The Politics of Manhood, The Gendered Society, and the bestseller, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. With funding from the MacArthur Foundation, he founded the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook in 2013. A tireless advocate of engaging men to support gender equality, Kimmel has lectured at more than 300 colleges, universities, and high schools. He has delivered the International Women’s Day Annual Lecture at the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe, and has worked with the Ministers of Gender Equality of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden in developing programs for boys and men. He consults widely with corporations, NGOs, and public sector organizations on gender equity issues. He was recently called “the world’s most prominent male feminist” in the Guardian newspaper in London.

Welcome to Season Four of Breaking Down Patriarchy.

Amy is joined by returning guest Sarah López to discuss the incredible texts, brilliant guests, and many lessons learned during Season 3 of Breaking Down Patriarchy. Sarah López is a recent graduate from Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations (with a regional focus on Latin America) and two minors in Italian and Political Science. She is interested in substantive democracy, social movements, anti-racism, identity, migration, and Latin American politics, and aspires to obtain a Ph.D. and teach.

Amy is joined by Leatha Udayabhanu of Essentially Awake to discuss the daily work of anti-racism, de-colonialism, and holding ourselves accountable with self-compassion. Leatha Udayabhanu is a de-colonial life coach, public speaker, and educator who guides people in healing the internalized legacies of colonization—in particular burnout, exhaustion, and shame—so they can show up in the world and fight for the collective liberation we need. She's an expert at distilling provocative and overwhelming topics down into fundamental and simple truths so folks can take practical and sustainable action in creating a more just and equitable world.