Running a Community Organization + Empowering Mixed Individuals and Allies (Mixed In America) 🙌🏽

"We really show people how indeed [mixed race identity] has shaped everything in their life."

"There's so much education... specifically with parenting, so much of it is just having the awareness that your mixed race child is going to have a different walk than them."

Welcome back to part 2 of my conversation with Meagan and Jazmine of Mixed in America. In this episode we chat about:

• empowering journeys of mixed race individuals
• the evolution of exploring mixed race identity 
• challenges in running a community organization and business 
• providing education and awareness for mixed race parents
• what's next for Mixed in America

Follow Mixed in America on IG at @mixed_in_america
Check out all that Mixed in America offers at mixedinamerica.org

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Transcript

0:04

Welcome back to part two of my conversation with mixed in America with Megan and Jasmine And to the multitudes podcast. Podcast with me, your host, Nicole Carter Makes an America is a community organization looking to have a more nuanced conversation around race and America specifically through the multiracial lens. And their goal is to empower the mixed community. and today we are talking more about mixed in America as the organization, how they work with individuals. How they work with each other. and challenges that come with having an organization in this space. and in the previous episode, we talked about the complexity of their multiracial experience, how mixed in America came to be, and also certain concepts and ideas around the multiracial experience, such as racial imposter syndrome, racial fluidity, and a ratio. So. I also highly recommend checking out that episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. And if you liked this episode, I would love to know you can send me a DM on Instagram. You can contact me through my website at. Multitudes podcast.com and. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Nicole 1:37

I am curious about, you do work with people one-on-one and like when people come to you where are they in their mixed race journey, if you feel like when people come to you, they've had some exposure, or do you feel like you're the starting point for them in really exploring the full complexity of who they

Meagan 1:58

are? That's such a great question. I feel like it's, it's a mixed bag because we do get, of course, a ton of people who are like really beginning the journey and that is a very exciting place. And then we've got, you know, I can't even tell you how many clients we've had that are themselves and. They, I mean, they've got all the tools in the book, right? One would think, but what they have never gotten is carved out space to actually focus on their life and their experience through the mixed race lens. Like we're gonna focus on your mixed race identity and how it shapes everything in your life. And we really show people how indeed it has shaped everything in their life. But those are all, I mean, those are incredible, but it's, but it's all, we also work with teenagers sometimes, and like that is also mind blowing because trying to suss through all of this, you know, and obviously the Gen Zs are in some ways just having such incredible conversations about racial fluidity because they are more comfortable. With gender fluidity. So some, in some ways they kind of have a easier time with this, with accepting like, yeah, you know, this is gonna ebb and flow. But in a sense, I almost wanna say we're all at the same place. Because even if you, even if yeah, trying to work through this, it always hits different when you settle down and, you know, hopefully Ja and i's whole intention is to make someone feel very safe and ve very comfortable and to know that they have all the power in the world. And really it's our privilege to witness them on this journey. And if we are successful in that and making them feel that way, I think it's a really unique and beautiful experience to be like, it's kind of like, it always feels like the deepest, like exhale ever like,

Jazmine 4:22

Whoa, who am

Meagan 4:25

I actually? And then let's take a look at my mom and what my mom has taught me and do I, what am I taking on that my mom kind of projected onto me? Is that true? What about my dad? What about my siblings? Now let's get into romantic relationships. Let's take a look at friendship. You know, let's take a look at society at large and how that's imprinted on me. And I think it always ends up kind of feeling like this big, um, come to Jesus moment, but also a big sigh of like, wow, I can actually take a look at this for myself for once.

Jazmine 5:06

Yeah, there's always some newness to it. I'm gonna say it. It always, even if you've been doing this work, I feel like there's always a feeling of newness when we are working with a new client or group because. Yeah, it's just, there's just not spaces to do this type of healing. And like a lot of people have done this healing and unpacking on their own or with their therapist, and maybe their therapist is a mix. So I think there's also just a newness to our spaces because you're doing this with other mixed people who get it, you know?

Nicole 5:34

I appreciate you talking about the idea of newness and also that I imagine every time you work with someone new, it could be someone of different mixed races from your own or different countries, from the us. And I'm curious about like the experiences that you've had with people who come to you who are of different mixed races, having a different experience. How have you navigated that? Any challenges or how has that experience been for you?

Jazmine 6:05

Uh, it's been so amazing. Honestly. I, I, I would say it's been so, uh, It's just been incredible to meet so many different mixed people with different backgrounds, and yet we can all relate to these core struggles and challenges and experiences, and yet at the same time learn so much from each other because we, our mixes are different. And even if our mixes are the same, there's still different experiences layered. You know, the details really do matter when it comes to the mixed experience. You know, me and Meg are both black and white, but it, we have opposite, like our parents are switched, like my dad is black and my mom's white. And even that creates a whole different experience that we've each had and also the way that we turn out and our complexion adds to the experience. And so mixed people can relate on so much and we also can teach each other so much. And I think it's been so beautiful. I honestly, predominantly, we've worked with people that are different mixes than us, I believe Meg, right? I feel like. For the most part, we've worked with mixes that are other than ours, and it's been such a beautiful experience. I, I would say more, it's been more beautiful and, and expanding than challenging, to be honest. Because, because there is just such an understanding between mixed people, regardless of your mix and Yeah, I think it's, it's a, it's a way that we also get to grow and expand as we're holding space for other mixed people, because we get to understand these different cultures and experiences and, and understand different perspectives based on your mix. And yeah, it's just been, it's been really, it's one of my favorite parts actually, I think of, of this, uh, business and working with, with people is really getting to learn a lot about different cultures and, and backgrounds.

Meagan 7:52

Yeah, it's truly just as much a learning experience, I think for jazz and I, as it is for the people signing up for the program or the one-on-one coaching, because I think the more jazz, and I like, cuz we are just learning, we are talking to so many mixed race people in group form and one-on-one and yeah. And, and then we're just, we're taking, we're obviously offering our tools, but then we're learning from what we're hearing from all of the community. And then we're pouring those new, that those new terms and those new ideas back into the community so that it can really be mixed events and mixed programs ran by mixed folks, but also for really, and actually for mixed people. Cause that's, that's what we feel so passionately about is like this mixed in America. Is actually prioritizing mixed race people. There's lots of spaces for monoracial this and Monoracial that, and those spaces are extremely important. And I should not be leading those spaces as a mixed race woman, but mixed in America. We are prioritizing the mixed race experience. And it's just like, it's, yeah, it never ceases to amaze me how, how fascinating this experience actually is. And I think you mentioned t um, like other people, we do get clients from other countries as well, and so it's also really interesting to hear about how, how it can be different, you know, how America grapples with race versus other places and, and how that's affecting the people and how they see themselves and the way society is, you know, treating them or, or perceiving them in another country. So, All that is just fascinating to, to both of us. And I think jazz and I really like to, um, walk the line of teacher student because I am, I feel like I'm learning all the time how to best support the mixed race community.

Nicole 10:08

I love that idea of the universality while also the details matter and being a support for the mixed race community specifically. And I am also curious about the topic of allyship and you have new resources for parents, right? if you could talk about that or how have you thought about supporting people who are, in connection to, mixed race, people of their relatives, friends, partners, that sort of thing?

Jazmine 10:43

Yeah, we have a lot of, um, parents in our community and it's beautiful and it like parents just wanting to learn and understand whether they're mixed themselves or not. I think it's so important, it's so impactful because just like we talked about our childhood experience, we did not have that support and understanding and, you don't know what you don't know. And I think a lot of parents just have no idea where to begin. And, and then, so a part of our mission is to really be able to provide the tools and, and spaces for parents to understand the mixed experience so that way their children can feel supported and, and won't have to go through the mixed existential crisis like we all did. And, and can feel really empowered in their mixed identity because that's really where the long-term change is gonna happen too. Within society is when the kids. Are, are already growing up in a different way and having these tools and, and feeling empowered in their mixed identity and not being conditioned in the ways that we were. And so I think that's really important for the, like, long-term change and, ending the erasure of the mixed experience you know, they're future leaders. So I think the more that we can teach and impact kids, the better. Me and Meg do a lot of work with schools too, and it's some of the work that lights us up the most is to be able to address these challenges at such a young age. It's so important and so empowering and it, it's really, yeah, it's giving what we wish I think we had. So we're definitely always thinking of different ways. To support parents and to support kids. and I think also you mentioned allyship, that's also something we really talk a lot about, uh, a lot about as well, is finding ways to also utilize, if you're a mixed person with privilege, finding ways to utilize that privilege responsibly and use it to be an ally for either the communities you're a part of or the communities you're not a part of. I think that's really important too. And that really comes as you're healing your mixed identity too. Cause I think mixed people can sometimes also feel like they, they have to be the mediator and they have to be the bridge and, and so it's finding that balance of taking care of yourself as a person of color and also being able to, uplift other communities as well. Yeah, I

Meagan 13:04

think, I think it both, both topics really start with, I. Getting, getting quiet, going internal and really, you know, that self-awareness. But then of course, just so much education. Specifically with, with parenting, so much of it is just having the awareness that your child is going to experience something different than you are. And a lot of parents that right there, they don't even think about, they don't even consider that their mixed race child is going to have a different walk than them. But that is like the key ingredient because once you know that, then you know you have to stay so curious. You need to educate yourself about what a multiracial existence is and what it might be like to exist in a multiracial body. And you do that by. Educating yourself, talking to mixed people. Go diving into places like mixed in America and, soaking up all the content so that you can learn what mixed race people are saying, what they went through. There's so many resources now for, for parents and, frankly, I think a lot of it's getting out of the way of your mi of your mixed race child so that they can decide for themselves how they would like to express their racial, fluidity. what parts of their culture are they feeling the most connected to? What words do they like to use? So, so much of that is like kind of getting out of the way, educating, being super supportive, creating dialogue, always being a safe space for your child to come back to, to unpack what they're grappling with in the world and then to put them in front of communities so that they, they can be around mixed. Kids and mixed people and mixed media and books, and there's so much, so many ways for parents to support kids. And I think, yeah, mixed America, we're talking about it constantly cause we feel so passionately about it. And then with allyship, I think again it's that self-awareness to make sure allyship is coming from an authentic place, allyship that conversation I think for mixed race people is very different than the the conversation that a white person might have about allyship to communities of color for mixed race people, we have to kind of walk an interesting line cuz we're also people of color, so it's making sure your cup runs over as well, so that you have something to pour into other communities and to make sure you're coming from holistic place and to. Make sure you're doing that healing work yourself so that when you're with another person coming from a different community, another walk of life, you're able to actually be present for them. You're able to actually take in what their experience is and what they need so that then you can be of service to them. And again, I just think that comes with a lot of self-awareness, a lot of education, and then being so in tune with your own body and what you're capable of offering and giving.

Jazmine 16:12

Yeah,

Nicole 16:13

that's beautiful. And I'm like really grateful for all of your thoughtfulness in terms of thinking about ways that you can provide support for people and resources for parents and for. Children as well to have these conversations. I can only imagine how it would've been differently if I had, sorry, I think that's a dog in the background. I dunno if you can hear that

Meagan 16:35

ad. Just as easily My cat sweat it. Oh,

Nicole 16:41

So yeah. I lost my train of thought. I can only imagine how my experience would've been different if I had these conversations when I was younger. And instead of having that existential crisis, I would say that I had too, um, going out into the world and realizing a lot of ways I had not explored my mixed race experience. and so I would love to know, how is it working together? And do you assume different roles in the organization?

Jazmine 17:16

So I think it's really to, like the way that Mixed America was birthed was so organically and, and I think the way that we've worked together has kind of followed that suit where I think me and Meg, we also have just an amazing friendship. She's one of my best friends, and we just get each other and I think that really helps with managing business. I can also make it more difficult, of course. Business and pleasure. Right. But I think we really handle conflict well, and I think that's really important with a business partner. I think there's, we really balance each other too. There's strengths that Meg has that I do not have and vice versa. And so I think we kind of will naturally, in certain spaces fall into certain roles and take on where, where we, our strengths lie. Like I have a background in the corporate world. so I have a lot of like organizational skills and, and kind of backend and admin skills and kind of business knowledge in that realm. And, and Meg's had so much training when it comes to facilitating and teaching and. And being an actress, even that ability to, you know, public speaking and, and things of that nature. So I feel like our, our talents really complimented each other really well as we birth this business. And so we don't really have strict roles in terms of like, I do this and Meg does that. We really are fluid. And then it's also a testament to our mixedness, honestly. It's like, one day I'm taking on this role and the next Meg's taking on that role. So I think that fluidity is something that we've really gotten good at and allowing there just to be an organic flow of what roles each of us take on and finding that balance. aside from mixed America, I'm also an astrologer and a spiritual healer. So I think those two things also, Really compliment mixed in America in a lot of ways, the spiritual healing and the facilitating of spaces. So, so yeah, we're, we're balancing a lot. It's not just mixed in America. We also have our own endeavors, but I think they also really contribute to our

Meagan 19:13

business in Yeah. Yeah. I just gotta say, I mean, I, my hat goes off to the people, running huge businesses, or I shouldn't even say huge, small businesses on their own because I'm so grateful for the way that jazz and I are able to like, take care of each other, especially because it is not easy to talk about race. It is not easy. Yeah. People are really, Yeah, yeah, we went through it. It's really cold and cruel and triggered, you know, so even when they're not trying to come from a cold or cruel place, they're coming in hot. And you know, there have been many, many, many days where jazz and I have been in tears over, you know, assumptions made or comments written. So, so I, I, I feel very grateful that we have each other cause it is not easy and, and we are really paving the way when it comes to community organizations focused on mixed identity that are autonomous and, uh, trauma-informed. We're, we're really paving the way for that. It's not being done. It's happening like in real time. And there are more and more coaches and healers and people, activists that are doing such brilliant work. And that's, it's a, it's i's pleasure to be like, Working with them too and getting to know those other communities as well. But it is happening in real time. So it's like there's also that challenge. I think it's both things. I think it's a blessing, but it's also a challenge to kind of be doing something new and, and figuring it out as we go. Definitely keeping us humble cause we're trying to pay attention to what it is our community needs and then also listen to that inner voice and the, the expertise that we've been gathering throughout the years. But yeah, Ja, I mean, my gosh, jazz, Jasmine is, um, good at so many things and I agree. We just really compliment each other so beautifully. And one thing that I like too is I think we really like, because it's such a trusted partnership, I feel like one thing we do is like, She'll hand something off to me that isn't my strength and vice versa. And we kind of have that confidence to try it on because the other one is so good at it and we have the help. So that has been very healing for me, especially in a world that does not respect female entrepreneurs. So I, I gotta tip my hat to my work wife because I think we really, I think we really create powerful stuff together. Well, and you know what though, I also just wanna say, and it, we have had, this could be a whole other podcast, but we have had so many times men try to come up in and kind of infiltrate our work and not respect us. I was thinking exactly.

Jazmine 22:21

Yeah, I think being, uh, not just women, women of color, it is, we've had some really insane interactions I think, of businesses trying to work with us or, you know, people wanting to collaborate all sorts of things. the way that they've handled it is honestly, it's, it's so offensive. It's just, they just really will try, they will try and, and try and get away with a lot and, and specifically, you know, it's obviously really triggering when it's coming from men, and we're just like, we're too, women of color who have a small business trying to make it. And, you know, it's, it, it's just also really speaks to the system that we're all in and how it's really just not set up for women of color, people of color in general, but definitely not women of color to win. And, and there's not a lot of adjusting on the side of the system and they expect you to adjust. And so I think that's something that me and Meg really pride ourselves in is we created a business because we wanted to change the system and we don't want to, perpetuate that people of color have to bend over backwards to be successful and fit into this system. We really do our best to set up business boundaries in a way that we, um, feel empowered, which is very hard, especially when you're trying to make a living off of this. You know, it can be really easy to set those business boundaries aside and, it's been a very healing. Journey and experience to be a business owner in this way and, and really stand up for women of color in

Meagan 23:53

business, especially making sure that we're respecting community members and activists and healers and people that are really out there in the community, getting their hands dirty, trying to really create safe and supportive spaces. But then the disconnect is not wanting to pay those people in the community. You know, what they deserve for their time and energy and that is something I feel like jazz and I are really trying to lead by example and make that change, both by educating, we have so many entrepreneurs in, in our mixed American community and healers and coaches and teachers and therapists, and we're like trying to make sure the ripple effect is affecting everybody we need to be compensating. The people that are putting so much energy, pouring so much energy into the communities that need it the most, but are we compensating them so that they can do this important work? So that's something that I also, we both feel very passionately about and spend a lot of pushback against that at times, especially from men.

Jazmine 25:04

I think we're really clear on our values. We're really clear on what we will and won't accept. And then really trying to remove, um, it's tough to remove emotion from it sometimes, but I think allowing space for the emotions to come through when someone is trying to cross a business boundary or, or any boundary and, and just, yeah, and just realizing some things just aren't aligned. And I think we've been shown over and over when we do honor our boundaries. Like we are really big believers in manifestation. And so when we do honor our boundaries and say no to something, there's a yes that's coming on the way that's much more aligned. And so we, we've learned that from experience. And I think. Respectfully declining things that aren't aligned is always allowed. And I think also as women, women of color that can feel really uncomfortable to not just be, you know, and mixed as a mixed person, really. We're kind of people pleasers in a lot of ways because of that chameleon ning that we do so early on. So it, it can feel really uncomfortable to say, no. And I think that's just a, it's a muscle that we've continued to flex and get better at like when things aren't a full body. Yes, it's a no.

Meagan 26:14

I feel like sometimes because we're doing like healing work or trauma-informed work my experience has felt like sometimes people think that they could like take advantage of that, but actually jazz and I have such strong business boundaries and I think they really, they really protect us. I think you said it's so great jazz. We really do know. Our worth. I am seeing, you know, there's obviously a change, right? In the corporate world, there's a need for people of color to speak and to, you know, there's, so, there's now such a booming need for diversity and inclusion educators and all these brand new people that we need to come in here and to teach

Jazmine 27:03

us how to be less

Meagan 27:04

racist. But are we just trying to put a bandaid on things or are we really taking in all that these educators are trying to tell us And that means compensating them. Not only compensating them, but contractually honoring what their needs are. If you're having these people come in and educate your businesses. it's interesting. It's interesting to me sometimes when there's a need for certain types of educators, but there's a lacking and desire to fulfill what we need to do our jobs.

Nicole 27:54

And as we come to a close, I would love to. Know a little bit about what's next for you, either in terms of mixed in America or in terms of your own mixed race journey,

Jazmine 28:07

we're really excited to, uh, just continue this work and reach more mixed people. And, and one of the things we're really hoping to do is create some in-person events programs and offerings. I just think, I mean, imagined the healing and impact of being able to be in physical space with other mixed people. Yeah. And personally and on my mixed journey, I think. I, I just am finding new ways to be able to celebrate and honor all the parts of me and learn more about my history. I think it's a never ending journey and unraveling. I'm really exploring more ways to kind of celebrate my mixedness and also finding new ways to talk about my mixedness with non mixed people, things that can always be a challenging conversation, but I really am, finding new ways to bring that up and have that conversation. Cuz I think the ripple effect of, of having those types of conversations with non mixed people is insane. You know, they, a lot of mixed non-med people are just like, oh my God, I had no idea. So that's something that I'm really being conscious about these days.

Meagan 29:12

Yeah. Wow. Same jazz. Same. The one, the thing that's actually coming up for me that I, I don't even think I've told you yet, jazz, was, I recently was with. Some dear friends of mine, but all white. And I found myself actually getting very emotional when I was talking to them about how I, I feel like I'm in a new, I am evolving, like I'm in actually a new phase of understanding my mixed identity. On my dad's side, we're pretty Lebanese and I have really just not actually dove into that part of my identity really at all. And it was actually my husband who was kind of like, while talking to my dad, this, like, Meg, you're, you're very, you're very Lebanese. Like, why don't you ever really talk about this? And I kinda didn't have an answer for him and that and it. And so then I was with my friends kind of unpacking it and. It just made me so emotional because it's like this whole other part of myself that I now actually do feel like I need to start exploring. I wanna honor those ancestors. I wanna start, diving into that, that history and the all, all of the things and all the things that I'm constantly, helping up guide other people through. But I've been so focused, I think on black and white just because my dad is white presenting and I think being a black person in America is all, is, has so much in and of itself that I've been so focused on that. Cause culturally I have dealt so much with blackness and whiteness cuz that's what America really has focused on as well. So I'm kind of in a space where I think I need to begin to allow myself to. Dip into these other parts of my identity that that really just haven't gotten as much attention. And that's really scary to me. And it's really overwhelming in some ways and, and also really exciting. And I'm trying to practice what I preach to others. So, so that's where I'm at personally. And then, and so I'll t b d on all of that. I'm trying to go slow and be intentional with that walk. But as far as mixed in America, yes, in person, I'm so excited to be in person with people. I believe in the power of like energy and frequency in the flesh. So I'm excited about that. But also, jazz and I are writing a book. That is all about Mixedness and it's, it's gonna be, I think, a super helpful tool for every mixed person that's looking to really do a deep dive and to have some foundations to lean on because we cannot handle thinking of mixed people feeling lost. There are people all around the country, who are in predominantly white spaces or what have you, and they just feel alone and like they don't have anything. So we're constantly excited about more and more reach. So that is pretty exciting. We're working on that and I can't wait for that to be available. That's so

Nicole 32:35

exciting. And yes, thank you so much for all of your work that you do and also just for showing up today and sharing about your experiences and also about Mixed in America. And it's been so lovely to chat with both of you. And I would love to know how people can work with you right now and where can people find you?

Jazmine 32:58

Yeah, so, uh, the community, you know, is on mix on Instagram at Mixed underscore in Underscore America. Our website is mixed In america.org. You'll see, you know, our current offerings on there, our courses, our one-on-one, uh, spaces. And you know, if you are trying to figure out, you know, what, Is the best space and offering for you. You can always send us an email info mixed america.org. Yeah. And, and connect. the Instagram is like, it's such an incredible place to find community and connect. You know, there's, I think we have, you know, over 27,000 people on there, all mixed people, and it's just, it, it's a great place to, to meet other mixed people as well. You know, utilize the, uh, comment section and connect with other mixed people. So that's a great place to begin. Yeah,

Meagan 33:51

and if you click the link in our buyer on our Instagram, then you'll see we have so many offerings. We have a free workbook for people who just wanna like get started and start kinda asking themselves some of these important questions. Then we've got really great programs for wherever you are kind of at. You know, if you're intro kind of, you know, doing the beginning, we've got a program that's intro to mixed identity. We've got, if you're being really specific, we've got privilege and pain, which is a super great program, a very deep dive if you're someone who experiences both privilege and also the pain that comes with being POC and mixed Race. And then of course we've got one-on-one. If you're like, I know what I need, I, I want that Focused, intentional, a support, then that is, I think, really powerful because you're getting, Jasmine i's expertise focused on whatever it is you're walking through. So, and then of course, the mixed healing circles, which is community and donation based. So it's super accessible based on whatever you're able to offer.

Nicole 35:07

Fantastic. And we'll put all of those links and resources and the show notes. And thank you Megan and Jasmine again. It's been so great to talk with you

Meagan 35:16

today. Thank you, Nicole. These were such beautiful questions. we just felt so seen by your questions and I really appreciate that, that that was really, I could just tell you're just, you're really, um, Oh, incredible. That what you do.

Jazmine 35:34

That's so sweet.

Nicole 35:35

Yeah. Oh, well that is so meaningful and thank you so much for that.

35:42

And that is today's conversation with megan and jasmine from Mixed and america and you can find all of their links in the show notes i truly encourage you to check out They're amazing content and their core says. And considering working with them if. if you feel called to