Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future. 

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.

This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism. 

Today, we hear from David Jacobson aka DJ (he/his/him), dear friend of Rachel’s from their time in advertising, and self-proclaimed mix of Dave Mathew’s band, Taylor Swift, and a dash of 90s rap. DJ lives in Minneapolis, is from the Midwest, and is on a journey. He is bi-racial, adopted at four month old into a white family, a child of divorces, a fledgling spiritual seeker, and particularly after this year, he is allowing who he truly is to be shown to him. We talk about admitting what you don’t know, the agony + beauty of accepting who you really are, letting go of the roles you play for other people, processing seeing your identity in a completely different way, allowing space for change, choosing whiteness over blackness, living in fear, being a bridge, and so much more. This is a poignant episode from someone courageously acknowledging the experience of taking back the wholeness of himself.

TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to DJ’s selected anti-racist cause, The Coven Minneaplis, a designed co-working spaces for for women, non-binary, and trans people. We are strongly encouraging our listeners who feel inspired to also donate what you can to support action efforts that empower yoga spaces to be consciously inclusive, equitable, and diverse through education, resources, and tools so that ALL people feel welcomed, represented, and that they have equal access to yoga. Donate here.

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Dave Matthews Band
• The Angry Therapist
• Gary V
• Braving the wilderness by Brene Brown
• @thedevinway
• Move the Middle with Jesse Ross + Ericka Jones
• The Coven Minneapolis
• Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Truly seeing yourself can be absolutely horrific and completely beautiful all at the same time. But if you cannot see you for all that you are, then no one can truly see you. And that shit is lonely as hell.
2. Accepting growth from ourselves + others is super important. And on that growth journey, we need to give space for the change to happen…maybe slower than we want or expect or feel is warranted. Before we assume the worst about people because they didn’t change immediately, give them a chance to come back to you differently as they do without writing them off completely. And know that you don’t have to wait around forever or wait at the expense of yourself.
3. Get past the bullshit small talk with people and truly ask those in your life, “how are you doing, really?” This time we are in is an invitation to go deeper. To seek to know each other in new ways. To not take the easy surface conversational way out. To step up and share who  you are and listen to who your people truly are, too. That is how we will build real connections and trust to start creating new solutions that benefit us all. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [2:00] Welcome, DJ!
• [4:20] Not knowing + admitting that you don’t know
• [8:40] Feeling like a white kid in a black body
• [10:15] The gift of getting laid off 
• [14:30] Meeting Oprah
• [17:00] Truly seeing myself for the first time in George Floyd
• [20:30] Being a bridge
• [24:20] I’m gonna shut you down sometimes
• [27:30] The roles we choose to play in people’s lives + in our own lives
• [33:30] Becoming a chameleon to my surroundings
• [41:20] I wanna be the best version of me for me
• [46:30] How can we create a solution if you don’t see the problem?
• [51:30] The fear is real + it’s a hard thing to admit to myself 
• [54:00] Social media has allowed me to feel like part of a community rallying around this cause
• [58:43] Facts vs real-life
• [1:01:45] Devin Way clip
• [1:06:00] I wouldn’t change a thing
• [1:09:00] Forgiveness + freeing your inner child
• [1:12:00] Energetic relatability
• [1:19:00] Donate to the community 
• [1:20:35] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
• [1:23:30] Reach out to DJ via IG @dj_2303