What Was Your Childhood Like?

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Originally from rochester, new york. Then lived in brooklyn for seven years before i came to oakland. Lately, it seems like a completely different place. I feel like i don't know what rochester like because my, certainly, i think this is often true for kids, but it was definitely true for me. Am, my, the vast majority of time that i spent was either at home or in school. It's not like i was, you know, out, i was, i did lots and lots of extra curcular activity. And i certainly wasn't paying attention to, like,you know, what the city council was doing, or how,

What do you think of when you hear the word “family?” For some, it’s feelings of love, belonging, support. For others, its estrangement, friction, and angst. Especially over these last few years. Which is why the notion of chosen family has become an increasing part of the conversation about who we surround ourselves with, how they make us feel, and how, together, we can expand the idea of family to create a bigger impact ripple in society.

This is one of the topics we dive into in today’s powerful Best Of conversation with Mia Birdsong. As the founding Co-Director of Family Story, Mia lifted up a new national story about what makes a good family, and as Vice President of the Family Independence Initiative, she leveraged the power of data and stories to illuminate and accelerate the initiative low-income families take to improve their lives. Mia is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project, was an inaugural Ascend Fellow and faculty member with The Aspen Institute, a New American California Fellow, and Advocate-in-Residence with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, she examines community life, reimagines family and chosen family, and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality.

You can find Mia Birdsong at: Website | Instagram

If you LOVED this episode: