Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds

Season 6 Episode# 22: Heart, Soul, and Cultural Connection: My Guest Interview on the Heart & Soul Podcast

• Jebeh Edmunds • Season 6 • Episode 22

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Join us in a heartfelt conversation with the inspiring Jebeh Edmunds, founder and CEO of Jebeh Cultural Consulting, as she shares her remarkable journey from the classroom to entrepreneurship. Once a beloved fifth-grade teacher, Jebeh now leads a consulting firm that provides multicultural educational resources, empowering businesses and educators to engage more effectively with diverse communities. Discover how her passion for storytelling and cultural responsiveness fuels her mission to inspire others to embrace their heritage, all while balancing life as a devoted wife and mother.

In this episode, Jebeh opens up about the challenges she faced transitioning from teaching to running her consulting firm during the pandemic. Her resilience and determination shine through as she recounts the initial hurdles of entrepreneurship and the rewarding aspects of her work. With a growing audience via her podcast and YouTube channel, Jebeh reflects on the impact of her efforts to inspire change and promote positive interactions within multicultural settings.

We also tackle the tough subject of confronting implicit biases and microaggressions in educational and community environments. Through candid conversation, Jebeh emphasizes the importance of humor, empathy, and courageous communication in addressing these challenges. As we explore the power of community and open dialogue, Jeba shares her aspirations of delivering a TED Talk and authoring books—envisioning a future where her empowering message reaches even broader platforms and inspires meaningful change.

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Speaker 1:

Hey, Monique hey.

Speaker 2:

How are you today? I'm fabulous.

Speaker 1:

I'm really fabulous because I'm so excited about today's guest. Yes, I feel like we've just been giddy ever since she walked into the studio and I can say that she has been on our list of people we were hoping to interview on the pod for a while.

Speaker 2:

It's been like months. I've been trying to entice you in here, but you've been busy, she's been busy.

Speaker 1:

She's been busy, she's had boundaries. Well, we are so excited today to welcome Jeba Edmonds, founder and CEO of Jeba Cultural Consulting Nice, and we will get into all of that and her amazing talents and how we know her and beautiful message that she has to share with our audience in this episode, in today's episode. Wonderful, let's get going. Welcome to Heart and Soul, the podcast where we empower and inspire women to lead their best lives, harnessing the power of their hearts and souls. We are, mariah and Monique, your hosts and guides on this journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Speaker 2:

In each episode, we will dive deep into topics that matter most to you, from self-love and confidence to career development, relationships and everything in between. We believe that every woman has a unique strength and inner wisdom waiting to be unleashed.

Speaker 1:

Join us as we cover insightful, heart and soul centered topics and interview incredible women who've overcome challenges, chased their dreams and found their true purpose. Through all of this, you will discover practical tips, strategies and real life stories to help you navigate life's twists and turns.

Speaker 2:

For whatever season of life you're in, this podcast is your safe space to explore, learn, grow and possibly even laugh and cry with us. So grab your headphones, maybe your favorite drink and we'll embark on this transformative journey together With heart I'm Mariah and with soul I'm Monique.

Speaker 1:

So, jeva, welcome to the podcast, thank you. Thank you for having me. We are obviously overjoyed to have you here today, and whenever we have a guest, we like to share with the guests and with our audience how we know you and how you came to be in our world. And I can start by saying that, jeba, you were one of the first people that I met when I moved to Duluth actually moved to Duluth, because we arrived on Sunday, we moved into our house and I think it was Tuesday that the kids started school, their new school and you were the first grade teacher of my daughter.

Speaker 2:

Josie, I didn't know that.

Speaker 3:

You didn't know that. No, that's awesome. She has taught both of my daughter, josie. I didn't know that. You didn't know that. That's awesome. She has taught both of my children. Oh, wow, honored to teach both of their girls so.

Speaker 1:

I remember dropping her off at school, meeting the teacher and leaving and just being like she's good, this is gonna be a great year, like we, and it was amazing that school moving to Duluth, all of it changed our family in so many beautiful ways and I just remember my husband and I were like, sweet, she's going to have a great year Like, and it has just been a delight to know you. Ever since. So and now our paths have crossed in many ways through the community, through your work with the chamber I mean all the things that you do, people that we know, and so it's a delight to get to keep having you in my life. Thank you, bianche.

Speaker 2:

So yeah excited, yeah, okay. So we were trying to figure out exactly like the point in time we met. But we have a gateway friend, lindsay Gateway friend I know, who introduced us and I think I was sitting here when she was talking. I was like wait, I remember the first time I met you I was like yeah, so I'm kind of like girl stalking you. You were very nice about it, that was it. I mean, I don't know, I can't remember, I don't know how we forgot that. I don't know either.

Speaker 2:

It was your first stalker it was your first stalker, wow. It was the kindest stalker I've ever met. Stalker I've ever met.

Speaker 3:

I didn't feel threatened.

Speaker 2:

It was so sweet. You gave me the biggest hug.

Speaker 3:

I was like, oh, this is wonderful. I just saw about you and those curls. I'm like okay.

Speaker 2:

I got a really pretty stalker on my hand. She's hard to not like. Anyways, yeah, and the reason I was girl stalking you is because you had kind of launched yourself with this platform at a time when it was so necessary and also like you had just kind of left teaching and I was watching. It was just like a really cool thing the way you did. It was next level, it was up and classy. And then I meet her and I'm like so yeah, that's how we met.

Speaker 1:

We'll share a little bit more about Jabba so that people listening can understand how we know her in these many ways. And so, as I said in the beginning, founder and CEO of Jeba Cultural Consulting which, if I remember correctly, you formed in the pandemic yes 2020,.

Speaker 3:

August 4th.

Speaker 1:

I believe that's already been four years. Yes, it's crazy, but, as I mentioned, she was also a first grade teacher and a fifth grade teacher and spent over 18, has a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Minnesota, duluth, and a post-bac teaching certificate from the College of St Scholastica, and graduated with a master's of science in teaching from St Scholastica in 2015. So you are.

Speaker 2:

Impressive, impressive. Thank you All the accolades.

Speaker 1:

Also is a former director of education for the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and led an amazing program called Leadership Duluth that I had the honor of participating in. And then no Small Feet is married to amazing Andy and the mother of two boys, maxwell and Mateo, so she's got the total package going on.

Speaker 1:

And in your entrepreneurial journey. I would. I would agree with Monique that as I watched it unfold over social media and during the pandemic, I too was like wait, she's not teaching anymore. But also, yes, this is so perfect, this is so needed, this is so cool, and it has been just such a pleasure to watch how you have molded and formed your career and your business and become just an absolute rock star. Thank you, Thank you. So there you go.

Speaker 2:

We're happy to have you here today.

Speaker 3:

Thanks for having me, ladies, we like building people up. I just knew today, coming in smiles and just being in front of two powerhouse women in their own right, boss ladies, you know I've been, you know just admiring of both of you and what you've done in the community helping, healing people and getting you know people at their best selves in the most important day of their lives. I mean that's sweet. I'm just in awe of both of you.

Speaker 2:

So thank you. So we're girl crushing on each other or stalking.

Speaker 1:

Girls stalking each other, stalking over here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have to tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey that got you to this point, so that our audience can kind of get to know you, so that they can understand how you became who you are.

Speaker 3:

Yes, I was born in Liberia, and some of you might not know, but Liberia is one of the first independent republics in the whole continent of Africa. Wow, and so, yes, english is our main language. We were founded by freed African-American slaves that came from the United States and the diaspora in the Caribbean, and their main focus was to create a land of liberty hence Liberia from our fifth US president, james Monroe, who helped with the American colonization of society to literally deport as many Black African heritage folks out of the country because they thought that there would be a civil unrest once the slaves were free.

Speaker 3:

And so my home country, which was built with indigenous Africans that were already there, melding with these freed slaves coming from the diaspora and creating my home country. And it was, I wouldn't say in harmony, but there was rumbling and underpinnings of the indigenous people and the freed American slaves. We called them the Americal Liberians. And four months before I was born, we had a horrible coup d'etat and my parents were, you know, involved in the government in Liberia. My grandfather was former postmaster general and that was what came to be. Our family fled for their lives before my second, after my second birthday, we came to America, september 1982. And so seeing my parents, you know, highly educated, highly favored people, coming into a new land, leaving all that they knew and surviving and raising their children here in a new country.

Speaker 3:

We face discrimination by being immigrants. We face discrimination by being black. We face discrimination by even our education and the questioning of are we worthy to have certain positions? So, growing up, watching my parents go through this, but instilling in my sisters and myself that you are Liberian, to be even in our ethnicity, you are a Vi girl named after your auntie, the chief of the Vi tribe, chief Jeba IJ. May she rest to continue that legacy of learning and sharing all that we know. My grandfather, my mother's father, anthony, used to say you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, she educates her whole community. Wow, and who are these women in our lives that raise us and rear us? And when we learn something as women we share, wow, powerful. I live in the suburbs of the Twin Cities.

Speaker 3:

I want to be the next Oprah and I would create these scripts for TV shows and make my little sisters God bless them three younger girls I'm the oldest of four daughters and they were my newscasts and my weather girl. And that's what we did. And I would have a radio show and scream into my boom box and I remember even in high school I was the only black girl in my class that I know of. There was a small sprinkle of us in our area where we grew up and I remember my high school internship teacher asked me he goes OK, where do you want to intern for our seniors? I said I want to be an intern at a TV station. It was never done before in 98.

Speaker 3:

And so we found a local cable news network, qctv, out in Anoka and they gave me a shot to interview my high school classmates and that was something I love to do wanted to be a journalist in journalism and I had my communication degree, poli sci minor, and my first big gig was to work as a weekend producer at channel 10 wow news. So I did that for two years didn't know that oh honey, I have worked. If you were at my speech yesterday, you would have heard all the things.

Speaker 2:

Here's the guilt trips.

Speaker 3:

No, no, I don't want to make it like that, but it was really fun to just show that passion of learning what I learned from my people back home, my family, and sharing it out with as many people as we want. And then fast forward to my business. You know, being a teacher for all those years, I was so poised in bringing in what my students needed to learn but also to disrupt and dispel those stereotypes of Africans. And I really felt like.

Speaker 3:

You know the hundreds of students I taught, from first grade to my fifth graders. They knew where Liberia was, they knew the 16 different tribes that are there, knew, uh, african songs that my grandparents taught me to sing, to line up to go to recess. We would go cheering, cheering. I call y'all mama, mama, we don't care. And we would do this call and response song before we line up and I tell you, my colleagues would look at me going what is Jenna doing now, you know? And all these games I would play with my students. It really created something in me. And for them to say not only does a black woman exist teaching me, but the possibility that whoever I encounter will be positive just as much.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I love that oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

And I am so lucky that both of my daughters had her for a teacher.

Speaker 2:

You really are.

Speaker 1:

And they came home with that energy. I mean, I think about my first grader coming home and telling me all about this, like educating me on Liberia, and I knew you through her at that time. And so it was a gift that you gave to the children of Duluth for all those years, thank you. So it was a gift that you gave to the children of Duluth for all those years.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, I will have to say too, to your first quote from your grandfather.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah. He used to say that all the time with his children and grandkids.

Speaker 2:

Educating one person, a woman, you know, educating the group or many people right, you did that yeah.

Speaker 2:

You did that with your culture and you shared your culture, because some people, I think, think, don't share their culture. I'm not, I'm not, you know, maybe it's just the way they think, or they, they, they maybe want to keep some things secret, and I think that that's that's like. That's how things die. So I love that you shared your culture because it keeps it alive yeah, not only alive with you, but alive in the world, Right? So that's that's super powerful platform. And to teach children, when they're so young, that this is normal and this is acceptable and this is what we should do.

Speaker 1:

That's beautiful and fun yeah.

Speaker 2:

Awesome.

Speaker 1:

So, like we both said, we found out that you were leaving teaching and starting your business, which is, I mean, how teachers do it. I don't know like every day unbelievable 18 years and to go to another really stressful field, an entrepreneur I mean. Tell us about that, oh.

Speaker 3:

I tell you it was, you know, wasn't an easy decision to leave teaching. It was, you know, wasn't an easy decision to leave teaching, but the catalyst that really changed and sparked my mind of having my business was to think about the families that I, you know, instill every single year. You know that small classroom community that I built. I thought of myself as Jeba coming in for all the phases of my life so far Jeba as a student, jeba as a classmate, jeba as a colleague, jeba as a community member. And I thought to myself I need to create something where all the Jebas that we know in our society will have people with the tools to be culturally proficient.

Speaker 3:

So, we're not harming Jebe in every facet of her life.

Speaker 2:

That's so well said.

Speaker 3:

So for me, I could not just do that in my four walls of my fifth grade classroom. And to me there was something instilled in me that you know from my parents and my ancestors that would always say tell our story, jeb. You know I was that nosy one. I have to tell you I was that nosy, hardheaded Liberian girl growing up I'm going to keep it real but I asked all the questions. That's awesome. And I absorbed and I was obsessed with going to the library and reading about my family, country and history, to the point where even my relatives were like OK, let me go back and find that answer from an elder who might know that question, you know.

Speaker 3:

So for me, starting this business, oh it was scary. I started it as my side hustle, so I was teaching fifth grade in the pandemic during the day and recording. You know all of my lessons with my cell phone. For my students I couldn't log in because they're sharing a laptop with their four other. You know all of my lessons with my cell phone. For my students I couldn't log in because they're sharing a laptop with their four other. You know siblings and then doing conference calls and Zoom meetings and trainings at nights and weekends and I really hustled for two straight years. To the point where you know I'm married to an accountant. He's like okay, jeb, money's good. To the point where you know I'm married to an accountant.

Speaker 2:

He's like OK, jeb, money's good, you can go. And I was like, yes, you got the green light. I got the green light, you know.

Speaker 3:

But also teaching my own children in the fifth grade, you know, was a blessing for me. So when my youngest was in the fifth grade, it was something I consciously stayed again for, to teach him alongside with his peers. And then when we both finished fifth grade together, I moved on and did it full time in 22. And I don't know if I answered your question, mariah, but for me, yeah, it is so scary to start entrepreneurship. But another thing I learned about entrepreneurship that my mother always said she goes Jeba, the only thing you have to fear is if you're doing something wrong. So true, so if I know in my heart and my spirit I'm not doing anything wrong, I will do it Right, and if it doesn't work that way, it's okay. Nobody knows the timeline but myself. Yes, nobody can compare myself but myself. And so I feel like, also, whoever comes into my space, you know, I welcome, and if they're not aligned with my mission and vision and values, then I keep it moving, and so that, to me, has been in this business, so reaffirming.

Speaker 1:

So you know getting to, you know, create my own podcast that has 43, you know countries of listeners every Friday Congratulations, thank you.

Speaker 3:

Over a thousand YouTube subscribers every week every. Friday and email newsletters and and training as many companies as I can, and to me it's just been amazing to say, wow, none of that could have been done well while teaching my fifth graders, and I miss that kid energy, I miss the cute little side eyes. Oh here we go again with Mrs Edmonds you know, and her ballet girl accent, you know, just to make us pay attention. You got to do what you got to do with 35 kids in a classroom.

Speaker 3:

You know when you have 35 in a classroom. You got to do what you can to keep it going, but I wouldn't change it for the world and I'm just happy to continue this work and to spread out, because I know there's so many Jebbes out there that are looking for me to say thank you, thank you for stepping up.

Speaker 1:

Well, I think that's what, when I saw what you were doing, made so much sense, because you just you are meant to be shared.

Speaker 2:

With more, you're made for more Thank you More people need to experience you More than 35 at a time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all right, and I think that it's just so neat to have seen you step into your own light and power of taking that on, thank you. And also just like setting yourself really high goals and then crushing them and continuing to do that and to get to hear you speak on larger stages and to share what your story, but also the work that you share and teach and how necessary it is in our community and our country and our world. Yes, like this is the path, like you are meant to go on.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you. I would agree with you wholeheartedly, because if not you, who?

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

If not now, when, Right, if not now, when I say that all the time. The one thing I wanted to say is that I believe that if you could share with us how you choose you said you created programs and stuff how people can access, like what is the platform in which, and why would someone want this trainings that you have put together? Why would they want to look you up and, maybe you know, take some of your courses? How's it going to help them in their life?

Speaker 1:

Yes, what is Jeba Cultural Consulting?

Speaker 3:

Yes, just a basic question Basic thing Jeba Cultural Consulting is a consulting firm that provides multicultural educational resources to promote positive change to the public. And so what that means in my teacher voice is if you are stuck with, how can you move forward to promote positive change by learning key vocabulary terms? That's been, you know, flavor of the month, or? You know, key things that you're just not quite sure how it goes into context. Jeba has the tools and resources for you to learn.

Speaker 3:

If you're trying to figure out how do I recruit and retain multicultural clients and staff to my business, Jeba has training for you to understand that If you're a teacher that's trying to figure out how do I reach and teach my BIPOC students in a culturally responsive way, jeba has the lesson plans already created for you, with the companion books that I have used in my classroom in 10 year to keep you going.

Speaker 3:

So what I have done is I've vetted out and researched all of that stuff for you, because a lot of us, when we want to do this work albeit DE and IB stuff at just being culturally proficient, we get so overwhelmed with algorithms and so many research things out there and I don't know where to start. From being a teacher in my educational background, I took all that worry for you. So for me it's like here are the tools and here are the bite-sized strategies that you can do. Today I don't have you overthink things too much because I feel like, especially living in Minnesota, a lot of people talk about Minnesota, nice, and I don't know where to begin. I don't know how to start, but people in my cultural lens call it Minnesota ice.

Speaker 2:

Yes, passive aggressiveness, oh my gosh, yes, questioning.

Speaker 3:

Oh, you're my kid's teacher, but are you qualified to teach my child? Oh my God, I can't tell you how many times I got questions like that. And I would have my degrees, you know, on my wins, on my windowsill in my classroom and some of my colleagues would walk in and go oh Jeb, I know you love education, you know why do you have that? And I would tell my colleague I said we are doing the same job, teaching the same age group of kids, but when that parent comes in, I'm on a job interview. Jeepers, that's a shame. Okay, and so for me, doing the work that I'm doing is to help disrupt again those implicit biases that people have. And I put it in my approach and somebody said one of my trainees said it's the way that I do.

Speaker 3:

It is, I give people the information that they need. I also have a little humor to it, some levity. I also have a little humor to it, some levity, because there are some hard topics we discover I don't hapify anything, but I have a little bit of levity and then I have that humanity piece behind it as well. But then I want each of my clients and people that listen to my podcast to come away with something new that they learned and also something that they can share, to have those open, courageous conversations with their kids, with their colleagues.

Speaker 3:

I love that they see something, they go oh my gosh, I remember Jeba sharing something like that and I was in that space and I didn't say anything. What can I do now? So if something like that happens again because I tell people it will happen, it always happens. So if something like that happens again because I tell people it will happen, it always happens Don't get scared but speak up and just say man, I didn't like how that sounded. I can only imagine how Jeb is sounding. You're not inserting yourself, but you're validating what has been said. You're acknowledging what has been said Because when something that's harmful to me that's happened nine times out of 10, it's complete silence.

Speaker 2:

Air is sucked out of the room.

Speaker 3:

Especially where we live, like to your point, especially where we live. And so for me, I'm thinking and calculating in the back of my mind who's actually for me as a friend, you know, oh, that's tough. And who is actually agreeing with that harm? That's been said, right. And then you're seeing, and you're looking at your colleagues or you're looking at your friends, in a gathering space, no one's saying anything, and then the first thing is oh, I don't want to be the savior, I can save myself, but I want you to acknowledge what was just said.

Speaker 2:

Well, I feel like I just learned something, yeah, right.

Speaker 1:

You don't have to be complicit.

Speaker 3:

No, because you are complicit if you say nothing. If you say nothing. You're complicit if you're texting me. Oh, jeb, I can't believe that person said that.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

Well, if you— why didn't you say something at the time? That part yeah. That part, and that is a rampant issue, yes, in not only our community, but in many communities and relationships Big time. And it makes me crazy Because see something say something.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and also, maria, what relationship are you willing to sacrifice? Yes, to sacrifice, because when you are in a situation like that and harm has been done, you hear the minimization oh, but Jeb, that person, they're just like that. Oh, they joke about that all the time.

Speaker 1:

Oh.

Speaker 2:

Jeb if you just let that person.

Speaker 3:

They're going to retire in a couple of years. Just hang on, who am I hanging on to? Right, it's the microaggressions, it's that, and the behavior of that microaggression as well, because the people that do that honey, they are comfortable. They've been saying it for so long. Why would they change their ways? Yes, it's not expression. It's your opinion, all of that, but I feel like there's a lot of saving face and our kids are watching that saving face as well.

Speaker 1:

And they're also repeating that saving face. And what I think is really powerful in what you're saying is that the rupture might happen. It's going to happen, like you said, and if you didn't do something about it this time, rest assured it's going to happen again.

Speaker 3:

And people remember.

Speaker 1:

But what's important is the repair. The repair yeah, and knowing, having a toolbox that you can use to facilitate the repair in the moment. That's it, and that's what we're lacking. That's what we haven't been taught. We've been taught to turn a blind eye to pretend you didn't hear it, to play nice to figure out in the room what the levels are that you have to appease it's true, to be afraid of, like, what could happen. You know, all of those things are what intrinsically are taught, whether it's overtly or covertly.

Speaker 3:

Right, I say to you all is your reputation and clout and societal. You know, power far outreaches mine, but my consequences are greater.

Speaker 1:

And that's tough, just makes me so mad, and people like me are who need to get mad about it because we need to say like that's unacceptable and it's unacceptable not to say something or do something.

Speaker 2:

If you are a part of keeping it going, let's break this down one more time, because I feel like this is a really good point to bring home again. You're in a room. Yes, home again. You're in a room, yes, Mariah and I are in a room and there is some really just not nice things said maybe about you or something.

Speaker 1:

Give us a scenario, maybe like something that you can imagine.

Speaker 2:

How should we respond to that? Should we say I didn't like that? You know what would be. I want to be supportive. I also don't want to overstep, you know. I want to make sure, though, that I don't come across with a hammer and hit someone on the head.

Speaker 2:

I want to come at it smartly in an educational way, but not belittling yes, there's a lot going on there way, but not belittling yes, there's a lot going on there. So I can kind of, if I take devil's advocate, see like why people just shut up because they're a little overwhelmed with how to respond.

Speaker 3:

Overwhelmed with how to respond and how I would say okay, let's kind of, let's say we're having, you know, cocktails on a deck somewhere. You know we're just, you know good friends, maybe vibing in the neighborhood.

Speaker 2:

I can see this happening.

Speaker 3:

Let's see, you know, typical campfire, you know whatever. And, for example, because I'm in an interracial marriage, been married 19 years.

Speaker 2:

So our boys are biracial.

Speaker 3:

That's a really long time having been married a long time before.

Speaker 2:

Congratulations. Thank you, I mean just that alone we could have you on the podcast for like how'd you make that happen, I'm going to be 19 next week oh congratulations.

Speaker 3:

So let's kind of visualize just kind of like a nice little backyard party girlfriends about our same age group Just having, you know, wine on Wednesday let's call it wine on Wednesday night or something and somebody in the group would say my gosh, I love your mulatto babies, I mean, I know that it's happened before wait what it's happened before.

Speaker 3:

And oh, I'm sorry, yeah, but nobody said anything. Oh, you know, and that microaggression, you know, the feeling is, you know, oh, you know, it's a compliment, no, right, no. And so again what you could say if you were, you know, hanging out with the wine, you could say what did you mean by that phrase?

Speaker 2:

Okay, that's what you can say. So ask clarifying questions, clarifying questions that bring to light, potentially yeah, what did you mean by that?

Speaker 3:

The underlying yeah, and you know what? I haven't heard that phrase in a long time. Yeah, you know, and if you do look in the historical backings of that, you know phrasing biracial people, as mulatto might paraphrase it, but it is kind of symbolic. I think it's like Spanish of like a mule or a mixed breed.

Speaker 2:

That I didn't even know, and so that is a horrible connotation of somebody.

Speaker 3:

It's very dehumanizing. So you're hanging out there You're the only black person in that space knowing your family back. You know family makeup and somebody's saying it as a compliment. So a friend of yours would probably go oh my gosh, wow, oh, I felt awful. And then you would say what do you mean by that, jeb? Are you okay, you ready to? You want to handle this, or do you need some help? Okay?

Speaker 2:

yeah, that's how we support.

Speaker 3:

And then I'll tell you oh, I'll handle it. I will handle it but I need you to call out yes, what did you mean by that phrase? Okay, simple, you don't even have to call them by their name. Call out the phrase Okay. Make them think wow, what did I mean?

Speaker 2:

What did I actually mean? What did you mean by that? Yeah?

Speaker 3:

Because are you good, do you need? You need me, you need some help, or do you have it and I will tell you? Let that person that the harm has been done Tell you how they wish to proceed. Ok.

Speaker 3:

So don't, don't sit back in and let them wish to proceed on their own, but they also need to know and recognize wow, I wasn't the only one that heard this. Okay, because trust and believe when things like this go down. And trust me, they've gone down. And if I'm asking that question, well, what did you mean by that? Oh well, I didn't know that this was this, and don't be so sensitive. And then the defenses go up and then the rest of y'all are in the group with your wine just shaking going something's about to go down, I don't know.

Speaker 3:

It's awkward, oh my gosh, you know, I think I'm going to go see Dancing with the Stars and good luck Jen. See you next Wednesday for wine. Right, that's how it always happens Nine times out of ten. It doesn't matter the area we're living in up here, it happens all over. There is no city in this country that I can say I am immune, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and so that is a good example. Thank you, are you good? Do you need a little help?

Speaker 2:

That's really helpful for me to know how to support, because I my first. My first thought would be to take care of it myself. But you're right, I'm not the one that was offended.

Speaker 3:

So you can be offended. You don't have to be a group.

Speaker 2:

You could be offended that it was even said. Yes, but I'm not the person who it was. Maybe directed, yeah, directed towards, yes, probably the way and so asking hey, I I'm totally okay, I was offended by this verbiage. This is like you know, something we don't say um, and but hey, it's you who was directed at. How would you like this handled? How?

Speaker 1:

can I?

Speaker 2:

how can and it could be?

Speaker 3:

I just need a break, I need some space and you have to accept what I tell you what action.

Speaker 1:

I want to do.

Speaker 3:

You can't just fix that part of it for me, but you can also recognize oh my gosh, that happened to Jeb and I was there. So much of us have that guilt and shame, like Brene Brown, of actions of we wish we could have done it. How can we repair that friendship? How can we do that? How can we recognize that? And I think she has some really great resources there.

Speaker 3:

But another thing too when we're talking about, you know, race and cultural competency. You know Beverly D'Angelo's White Fragility is a good resource book that talks about you know, all of these rules of engagement when we're talking about race and ethnicity, and it has the lens of a white woman and her saying what these rules that you have to do in order to talk about race. By the time you go through these rules, the situation's already done and nothing gets done. So she's and I like how she crafts it in a way for people to look at it and read, because when you're getting through something, either it's online on the news and harm has been done, and I said this in my speech yesterday that white women and their children have to have just as many conversations as black and brown women have to do with their children. The verbiage may be different, the stories may be different, but it has to come into that collective of yep, this happened to Jebba or this happened to her kids, but we're just not going to talk about that because it doesn't affect us.

Speaker 2:

It sure does, it affects all of us Right, absolutely, I would agree. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

The learning, the education, the repair, opportunity lost by not saying something in that situation that you set up for? Us perfectly, very real. Is the shame right? The shame is not taking that opportunity right then and there to teach, to have a teachable moment where that person maybe isn't left feeling obliterated. Maybe, they now learn something and can be better and can evolve and grow as a human, yep, and you've had the chance to share how that made you feel.

Speaker 3:

And it checks them yeah. It checks them at that point in time Because, again, so many of us, especially in the area that we are, we don't want to step on people's toes. You know, it's wine on Wednesday, Jeb. We were just having a good time.

Speaker 2:

I had too much to drink.

Speaker 3:

Right, I didn't mean it. And then you hear oh, my boyfriend was mulatto too, and it was in 1994. And you're just like he wouldn't like that saying either.

Speaker 2:

Right, you know.

Speaker 3:

So, again, a lot of things that we're hearing nowadays is when people are having these courageous conversations. Is we need to get out of our own way and be in that present moment Because so many of us are going well. Well, it worked with this person and worked with this one. I am not that person you said to it.

Speaker 1:

I am not the person you said to it. Yeah, I am not the person in this space, the present moment.

Speaker 3:

I think that right then and there now. Now we work on this now Because if we wait, yes, too much else seeps in. I do Other stories get told. Yes, stories after stories.

Speaker 1:

If we can confront on each of those transgressions and we all are working on becoming those people which you give us the tools to be.

Speaker 3:

And if you don't get invited on Wine on Wednesday, find your own little Wine on Wednesday date somewhere else those people did not align. Yes, they didn't align.

Speaker 1:

At the end of the day, there wasn't alignment.

Speaker 2:

It's okay, I do want to say I really appreciate you sharing the fact that when you're in a situation like that and no one stands up, no one even says anything, that you're in your mind saying who's with me? Yes, I never thought about that, but of course you would do that. Oh, yes, like right. And we want, we want, if this is we're having Wine Wednesday, for everyone to feel like they're together, yes, like they're together, then we're in community together.

Speaker 2:

Why wouldn't you then bring the community together and call out the things as uncomfortable as they are for?

Speaker 1:

us.

Speaker 2:

Minnesota, ice nice people to call them out so that you can then have the community have an open dialogue, be open minded versus closed minded. So I really appreciate you sharing that, because that's a lens I had seen before.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And this really is just one of the many, many things that you teach. Yes, and you teach, you know, in this particular case to us, but the beauty that you're teaching this to children, to corporations, to school districts, I mean you're bringing this, through your work, to so many groups of people.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And each one of those that experiences. You can walk away with a new tool set.

Speaker 3:

That's my goal, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And affect that change within their own relationships.

Speaker 2:

Yes. So in the beginning we had kind of asked you like how you would like this, your story, to be shared, and you said, you know it's kind of interesting, this podcast is heart and soul, so tell us how you bring your heart and your soul into this. You know, I mean, I think that you've described it, but if you can maybe summarize it so that you know, yeah, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3:

Man, I feel like I was born with this gift to share Agreed, born with this gift to educate, born with this gift to speak you know, every time I'm on, yeah, agreed, and thank to my mom who invested that in me and my sisters. And now that I'm using that same stage and platform to share not only my own lived experiences but also my heart of research and loving to read and learn new things, and that was instilled from my mother, who was also a teacher, taught first grade for over 30 years. So my heart and my soul is to educate, inspire and empower as many people, and I think those three words are imprinted on my heart from the beginning.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow, that's beautiful, and I think you're doing that with the work you're doing, because you're inspiring people to be better, you're sharing your story with people so that it normalizes it. Yes, right, like. Oh, she's just like me.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, she was my school.

Speaker 2:

She was literally my daughter's school teacher.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know so like you're right.

Speaker 2:

You're the perfect person to be poised to do this work. Like I was saying, if not you, who? Yeah, and if not now, when? Yes, thank you, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So what is next for you? I know you have aspirations to hit big stages and have already been doing that. And where do people find you? What do you want next? How do we get this message bigger and bolder? Yeah, oh yeah. I like to manifest.

Speaker 3:

So if you say it here, best believe that's coming true. So like, add some real strong manifesting powers. Oh yes, be careful. What you wish for, oh, manifest. So if you say it here, honey, best believe that's coming. Oh yeah, yeah, like you've done this some real strong manifesting powers.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, what you wish for, oh I know that's my mom you always say to be careful what you wish for ted talk I want to have a ted talk stage.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I would love to write a book. I feel like there's many books in me um and just to reach as many people as I can, just to you know, continue my passion of sharing how we can be better with each other, not just good, but better.

Speaker 2:

I love that. Inspiring people to be better. Yes, because I feel like that's the best way to get people to be better yeah it's not pounding them on the head with it, not, it's just inspiring them. Well, of course I'd want to be better. Yeah, it's not pounding them on the head with it, not, it's just inspiring them. Well, of course I'd want to be better. Yeah, you know, because, like, why wouldn't you want to be better?

Speaker 3:

yeah, right, yeah. So yeah, I would love to be a big stages. You know meet a you know famous media multimedia icon, oprah, if you're gonna manifest it. I'm just, if you're listening, can we set something up?

Speaker 2:

yes, yes, right, right, I'm saying, you know kind of. I feel this is going to the vibes you feel the vibes.

Speaker 1:

I feel the vibes and I feel like you are someone oprah would be thrilled to know.

Speaker 2:

I would love to meet her so I'm just saying, I have like you just got the goosies, you've got the going.

Speaker 3:

It's gonna happen we just have to find the path. Yeah, we just have to find the path. So, yeah, lots of speaking, that's my biggest love. And then, of course, bringing people into learning from me. You know I would love to have more on-demand courses that people can just listen on their AirPods and read my books and teachings and curriculum and continue this work when people can find me. I have a YouTube channel, mrs Edmonds Cultural Corner, and my podcast is the Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jeba Edmonds. You can find it where all the podcasts channels are. There's been lots of BIPOC authors and artisans and DE&I experts that have contacted me to be on my shows and that, to me, has something I could not have done in the classroom on my own. But I started that dream while teaching and now, looking at how far I've gone and so excited of what's to come, I've gone and so excited of what's to come.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's the exciting part about this platform for you is that there's no cap, Like there's no end to what you can continue to offer with your experience and your knowledge, and I just can. I mean, what a cool resource like for a teacher, like to be able to get your content to use in the classroom.

Speaker 3:

It's phenomenal.

Speaker 1:

And yeah, I saw Jeva speak on a large stage yesterday and I'm just like to the moon TED Talk. Here she comes. We're putting that out there. Thank you, ted Talk is in your future too. Thank you, yay.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, I feel like today's chat. They always take a different shape and form and when I can walk away feeling like I truly learned a tool that I can use and hope to be able to use, because I have no problem being the person that stands up in that situation. I just didn't necessarily know what to say.

Speaker 2:

How to do that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, just a great phrase, and so being able to ask that question in just a very disarming way is something that I just feel like is a gift, and so I appreciate you sharing that for us, for anybody listening and who has more just interest and would love to dive into a little bit more of the world, of what Jeba does. We will link to it all in our show notes and share on our Instagram feed, and I hope that you'll share heart and soul with your community as well.

Speaker 1:

Yes, because that's what we're all about is lifting up women, telling and sharing their stories about what makes their heart and soul move, and so it's just been super cool to have you here today.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, yeah, it's been an honor to have you. I'm so glad that you didn't have. You know your trip to Hawaii and thank you for making your anniversary.

Speaker 3:

She's a busy lady. Every time you text I'm like can't do it, I'm out of town. Date night.

Speaker 2:

In all seriousness, thank you for making the time.

Speaker 1:

Today was exactly the perfect point in time to be here, and that's always how I see things. You know my Einstein time world. But it was meant to be here and now.

Speaker 3:

Yes, it sure was. I'm honored to be a guest on your show, thank you.

Speaker 1:

We're honored to have you Cheers. Friends, you've just finished another episode of the Heart and Soul podcast. We hope that you've enjoyed the show, and if you've loved it, we would love if you'd leave us a five-star review, on whatever platform you're listening. You can find links to leave that review in the show notes, where you'll also find other resources that we reference on our show. And if you think a friend could find value in today's episode or any future episodes, please share this episode with them on social media. This is one of the only ways the podcast can organically grow, and we just can't wait to connect with you and all of your besties. You can also find Monique and I on our many social media platforms or our websites, and we're going to leave links to those in the show notes as well. Thank you for listening. We look forward to sharing our hearts and souls with you again next time. With heart, I'm Mariah and with soul, I'm Monique.