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Dr. Marc Johnston-Guerrero on Monoracism, Belonging, and Building Community Beyond Categories
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
What does it mean to live in between?
In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann sits down with scholar and thought leader Dr. Marc Johnston-Guerrero for a powerful conversation about liminal identity, multiracial experiences, and the systems that shape how we are seen and understood. From his personal journey navigating identity through something as intimate as his name, to his groundbreaking work defining monoracism, Marc offers language and insight for experiences many people have felt but struggled to name.
Together, they explore how identity is shaped not just by who we are, but by the structures around us—from higher education to the workplace. Marc shares how his own experiences led him to study multiraciality, the importance of both specificity and shared experience in research, and why building community often happens later in life or outside traditional spaces. The conversation also dives into leadership, highlighting how navigating complex identities can influence empathy, perspective-taking, and the way we show up in the world.
This episode is a reminder that identity doesn’t have to fit neatly into predefined boxes—and that there is real power in embracing complexity, creating space, and building community where it doesn’t yet exist.
Connect and Learn More:
- Learn more about the Critical Mixed Race Studies Association
- Listen to the episode about the CMRSA Conference
- Learn more about Dr. Shawna Gann’s work and sign up for updates on her upcoming book Mixed Signals:
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