Jan 23, 2023

We’re closing out our theme of race as a social construct by exploring the phenomenon of White men purchasing Native American identity prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Lezli is joined by Dr. Gregory Smithers, a professor of American history at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of Reclaiming Two-Spirits. His book is a sweeping history of indigenous traditions of gender, sexuality, and resistance. The two converse about what set the train of $5 Indians in motion, why it was so easy and lucrative for White men to purchase Indigenous identity, and why present-day Indigenous tribal leaders are grappling with what to do with the descendants of those who purchased Indigenous identity and are currently on tribal rolls.

Jan 16, 2023

The first theme of Season 2 of IDE Impolite Conversation is exploring race as a social construct. The first three episodes of the season explore how the “race” or social stratification can be changed with the stroke of a pen or even purchased. In this episode Dr. Lezli is joined by the founding director of the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies (WiCDS) in Johannnesburg, Dr. Melissa Steyn. Since 2014, Dr. Steyn has held the South African National Chair (SARChI) Chair in Critical Diversity Studies and is an expert on Whiteness Studies. Dr. Steyn is the author of “Whiteness just isn’t what it used to be: White identity in a changing South Africa.” The two converse about what it means to be a White person in South Africa 25+ years post-apartheid.

Jan 9, 2023

Dr. Lezli kicks off Season 2 of IDE Impolite Conversation with leading anti-caste expert, journalist, and award-winning author, Yashica Dutt. Yashica is the author of “Coming Out As Dalit: A Memoir”. The two explore Yashica’s journey hiding her lower, “formerly untouchable” Dalit caste, why “nobody cares about caste anymore” is laughable, passing as an upper caste Indian, and why all Indian cultural exports from movies to food have to be viewed through the lens of caste.