Communitea Podcast

07/06/2020

Happy Sunday, TEA Fam! We are so excited to share deets on a v special episode dropping this week exploring intersectional activism; specifically intersectionality of the and LGBTQI movements with Activists Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker and Amanda Babine of Equality New York.
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Tanya is the co-founder of New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG), Board of Directors at Equality New York, has fought for the expansion of LGBTQI rights in NY, lobbied the Assembly and Senate in Albany for 17 years, and most recently has made headlines in the suit against the Trump administration and the rule allowing medical practitioners to engage in anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.
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Amanda is the Executive Director at Equality New York, previously the Director of Policy & Programs at the New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG) - leading advocacy and organizing programs, a state-wide coalition, and a gender diversity know your rights curriculum development. During her tenure, the coalition assisted in passing 4 landmark pieces of legislation that helped move towards EQNY’s goal of creating a more equitable state for all LGBTQI New Yorkers.
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We learned so much in this conversation and so grateful for them both taking the time to share their amazing work with us - and you! Make sure you’re caught up and look out for this ep dropping later in the week!

06/30/2020

‘The Work’ looks different for each of us, not least because we come to it with different racial identities. In last week’s episode we talked about how we personally arrived at this moment, what the work looks like for us, how we are consistently assessing our lives to become more anti-racist - and about finding joy in the midst of it all.

06/10/2020

You already know.
Available now on podcasts and

06/05/2020

TEXAS: You have until 6/15 to register to vote in the 2020 Primaries by mail. But here’s the catch - the office must *receive* your registration by 7/2. What this means is that even if your registration is post-marked by the deadline but received after 7/2 it won’t be valid.
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Texas is one of few states in the entire country that does not offer online voter registration... in the year 2020. There’s an illusion of an online application process but after you complete it, you still have to print and mail. Very unclear info - and of course this is all on purpose. If your vote didn’t matter they wouldn’t work so hard to suppress it.
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If you’re not yet registered, head to votetexas.gov, fill out/print your application and get that in the mail ASAP.
Your voice matters.

06/05/2020

NYC- June 16th is the cutoff to request your absentee ballot for the state and federal primaries. Legit takes 2 minutes to do on vote.nyc.
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There’s a lot of work to do but also a lot of us to make change - we have to keep applying pressure on all sides and be ready to SHOW UP.

06/03/2020

This is a long game, TEAFAM. We have a momentum to make change like one we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. But It won’t happen overnight and it will take true effort and commitment.

06/02/2020

Since we now know that the original initiative was co-opted by those trying to suppress our voices - let’s apply even more pressure.
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Make sure you’re viewing and supporting trusted sources. Keep sharing resources, keep signing petitions, VOTE, keep donating to organizations that are on the ground fighting for change, keep having the hard conversations with your loved ones. Keep keep keep and don’t let up.

05/30/2020

We have to do the work. Anti-racism starter pack link in the comments. Thank you and for creating this resource.

05/23/2020

How linked is your self worth and your work? Your job? Your passion? We dig into this and the work we did to separate our selves from our work. In these times with so much employment uncertainty this topic seemed more important than ever to dive into. S2E5 available now on Apple podcasts, Spotify and link in bio!

05/05/2020

so here’s the deal : pre-covid we had a whole rebrand plan for .pod, complete with a photo shoot for new cover art. we’ve embraced option b and become our own damn graphic “designers”👊🏽anyway, we also are shifting our conversations to be a bit of respite from our covid-laden existence. we want to talk about all the part of our lives and communities that we are still navigating, just within a new context. we are shifting with our (yours and ours) new realities and hope you like the new TEA. friendship episode dropping later this week - see you there.

05/05/2020

Communitea Podcast

03/21/2020

Social distancing vibes may have us banned from the studio but it won’t stop our conversation! This week we’re checking in virtually with each other, and checking in with YOU to answer some of your submitted questions.
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Hope y’all are staying safe and healthy out there and that this 30 minutes with us can be a bright spot in your day! S2E3 out now on , , and link in bio.

03/05/2020

Happy almost Friday, y’all! This week we’re gettin’ right into it tackling the big A-word that we’ve all heard but rarely given the opportunity to discuss. So we’re making space to do just that.
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There are certain cultural & societal issues that are more nuanced than others & we’ll forever have to explore to understand. Appropriation seems to be one of those but we think it’s important to at least start a conversation around one of the most complex subjects coming from our two very different experiences. Have a listen and let us know your thoughts—Season 2 Episode 2 out now!

02/10/2020

...Aaaand we are back with the first episode of 2020– The Season 2 kickoff of CommuniTEA!
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We’re starting the week discussing all things cancel culture: the good, the bad, and the somewhere in between. It’s such an incredibly nuanced subject and we wanted to start a conversation sharing our thoughts—and hearing yours!
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Find this and every other episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or link in bio

02/10/2020

...Aaaand we are back with the first episode of 2020– The Season 2 kickoff of .pod and so excited about it!
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We’re starting the week discussing all things cancel culture: asking questions like what is it, why is it, and how has it affected our society. It’s such a nuanced subject and we wanted to start a conversation sharing our thoughts—and hearing yours!
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Find this and every other episode on podcasts, , or link in bio

01/25/2020

Happy Saturday, TeaFam! Hope you’ve had a great start to then new year✨
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We’re back in the studio this week which means Season 2 of .pod is coming your way v soon. Can’t wait to begin another season w you all!

01/02/2020

Happy New Year and hope you all had the best holiday season! We’ll be using the first couple weeks of the new year to prep for a fresh season of .pod—we’ve got lots of exciting stuff coming your way and can’t wait to share.
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In the meantime in between time, feel free to catch up on all of Season 1 on Apple, Spotify, and Anchor.fm!

12/31/2019

When we started this podcast in May we had no idea what to expect. We didn’t know anything about recording, editing, what a host site was or even how to save an audio file in the correct format. What we did know was how much we both believed in the power we hold as individuals to influence the communities around us—and that a podcast seemed like the best platform to engage this conversation.
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Through trial, error, and a few “what are we doing” moments it’s surreal to see how much this community has grown over the past 7 months. We’re grateful for every listen, like, follow, email, DM—we see you and we hear you and we are committed to getting even better in 2020. THANK YOU, TEA fam!

With love,
Lauren & Emma

12/21/2019

Happy weekend-before-the-holidays, y’all! On our latest episode this week, we have an open and fun conversation around holidays we both honor this time of year. Also Emma somehow didn’t get the memo that Die Hard, is in fact, a Christmas movie — but we’re all in this learning together 😝

Hope you enjoy this one!

12/12/2019

It’s holiday season and that means toy drives, coat drives, and food drives galore!
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In theory drives are a simple concept, but with us both being behind-the-scenes on these for years we thought it’s the perfect time to share some things to consider before you drop that donation in the box.
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Already listened to this episode last week? Share it with someone you think may need to hear! This and every episode available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the link in our bio.

11/28/2019

A list of things we are grateful for: YOU! We couldn’t be more thankful for our amazing community! Have a wonderful holiday, TEA fam, and we’ll be back with a new episode next week!
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P.S. Part 2 of our Rikers Island special is out if you need something to listen to while avoiding select relatives 😂

11/22/2019

Detention capacities: did you know the capacity for detention centers in NYC is 14,000 people? We didn’t either. We’re also sharing a couple of ways we can continue to micro-influence the current criminal justice system in Part 2 of our special on Rikers Island—out now!

11/12/2019

A few months ago we were completely surprised by hitting the Apple podcast charts in our genre in the 1100’s (since they only track the top 1500). Well, we were even more surprised yesterday when we found out we charted at 122!
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We’re so excited to keep growing our TEA fam but can’t do it without your help... rates, reviews, and engagement are essential and there are some simple (yet super impactful!) ways to show that you like what we’re doing:

1.) Subscribing, rating, & reviewing on the Apple podcast app - it can take less than 2 mins to do all 3
2.) Following & reviewing us here on this page and/or following us on IG (.pod)
3.) Let us know when you’re listening by tagging us/posting on FB or on IG
4.) Word of mouth/feedback - if you like the show, tell a friend! If you have a thought and would like to hear more/less of something, tell us! We want to know so we can continue to get better.
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Thank y’all so much for the support!

11/11/2019

In memory of Jerome Murdough - a homeless Marine Veteran suffering from mental illness who was arrested for trespassing in an NYC stairwell trying to escape the cold in Feb 2014. Murdough was sent to Rikers Island and placed in solitary confinement for a misdemeanor charge, where he ended up passing away because of overheating in a 101 degree cell caused by a “heating malfunction” (aka negligence).
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This Veteran’s Day, we honor Mr. Murdough and every other veteran who has served to protect justice, but do not receive the very justice they serve to protect.
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More on Mr. Murdough’s story and the history of Rikers Island on Episode 13, out now.

11/06/2019

Before the Law

Time and time again we've seen the headlines about criminal justice reform in the U.S., and continue to hear countless stories of men, women, and children who fall victim to a system that is beyond broken. But what happens when these recurring scary stories start originating from the same horror house?
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Tomorrow we release part 1 of our 2-part episode on Riker's Island, covering the history, background, and the outcomes of what happens when a system that's supposed to protect its people goes unchecked.
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One of the stories we highlight on tomorrow's episode is that of Kalief Browder, who was a 16 year old boy from the Bronx that spent 3 years in Riker's Island for a charge that the City literally had no evidence to support. You can read more about Kalief's story below, and be sure to check out the new episode dropping tomorrow.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/06/before-the-law

Kalief Browder was accused of taking a backpack. The courts took the next three years of his life.

10/25/2019

Welcome to our FB page, y'all! After months (literally, months) of getting Facebook to realize we are real people, we have arrived.
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To our TEA fam already listening and following us on IG--thank you! To our new and prospective TEA fam--welcome! Although we may share our IG posts here from time to time, we really want to use this platform to create more of an interactive community, get feedback, and get to know our listeners better.
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Talk soon!
xo Lauren and Emma

10/25/2019

Did you see that a new episode dropped this morning? On this episode we’re discussing s*x and gender in sports, and wondering how much the sports world will be influenced as society’s views shift on s*x and gender.
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We consider this an intro into a much larger convo that we will continue to have in episodes to come and would love to get your thoughts/feelings after listening!

10/25/2019

Cheers to Facebook finally accepting the fact that we are in fact real people and not spammers

10/25/2019

We have arrived and you can find every episode on Apple, Spotify, or the link in our bio. Happy listening!

10/25/2019

Communitea Podcast's cover photo