Culture Rich Conversations with the
Black Awareness Association, Juneau
Tune in:
- KTOO-FM 104.3 and 91.7: Tuesdays at 3 p.m. live with 7 p.m. repeat. Also streaming at ktoo.org.
- Podcast: wherever you listen
About:
They say the shortest distance between two people is a story. Culture Rich Conversations aims to bridge the gap in our understanding about the biggest race and social justice issues of our times with thoughtful conversations from the Black community in this special series.
Led by Sherry Patterson, the Black Awareness Association of Juneau launched the series in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, which triggered the need for deeper discussions about racism and Black culture. KTOO is thrilled to partner with the Black Awareness Association of Juneau to bring you perspectives that were birthed from life experiences.
FUNDERS: Sara Hannan and Mark Stopha, the Social Justice Fund grant program of the Alaska Community Foundation, and the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Thursday, September 9th: The impact of Black Fraternities and Sororities
On this Thursday’s Juneau Afternoon, the Black Awareness Association of Juneau looks at the role Black fraternities and sororities have played in promoting college and career success. Join host Christina Michelle for a conversation with Brian Compton, a member of Phi Beta Sigma — and Keisha Allen, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, who share…

Thursday, September 2nd: Femininity, a force for healing and success.
The Black Awareness Association goes all the way to Amsterdam to bring you this week’s show, which features Bukky Ayo, a motivational coach based in the Netherlands, who calls herself a “fempreneur.” In a discussion with Christina Michelle, Ayo talks about how to live and work, tapping feminine energy for strength. Listen to the show:…

Thursday, August 26th: Self-care, a survival skill in the fight for social justice
Like frogs in the proverbial pot of boiling water, we live in contentious times, where stress can reach toxic levels before you know it. In this Thursday’s program from the Black Awareness Association of Juneau, Kelli Patterson, Christina Michelle and Maria Bailey talk about the importance of self-care, as we tackle painful topics like racism…

Thursday, August 12th: The legacy of historically Black colleges and universities
There was a time when Black colleges and universities were the only route to higher education. Today, they are the behind many success stories such as that of Vice President Kamala Harris — Black lawyers, doctors and dentists — as well as Grammy-winning artists and pro-sport athletes. On this Thursday’s program from the Black Awareness…

Thursday, August 5th: Challenges facing young Black men
A young man, who only wants to be known as Michael, leads the discussion on this Thursday’s program from the Black Awareness Association of Juneau. Michael is joined by two boyhood friends, who talk about what was part of their coming of age – learning how to put up with subtle slurs and insults, a…

Thursday, July 29th: Being Black in the Military, Part 2.
In this Thursday’s program from the Black Awareness Association: Part two of Christina Michelle’s conversation with three military veterans. How they feel pride in serving their country — yet hope future soldiers won’t have to experience the pain and heartbreak of racism. Listen to the program: (Please note, this episode originally aired on November 19…

Thursday, July 15th: Healing from Judgement
On this Thursday’s Black Awareness Association of Juneau program, a heart-to-heart with Christina Michelle about judgement. In today’s show, three ways to let go of a habit that can cause hurt, and even harm. Listen to the show: Join Christina Michelle on Thursday’s at 3:00 p.m. on KTOO Juneau 104.3, online at ktoo.org, and repeated…

Thursday, July 8th: Interracial friendship in times of social crisis.
Kelli Patterson is Black and one of her best friends, Heather Pederson, is White. On this week’s program from the Black Awareness Association of Juneau, the two women talk about their friendship and the challenges of maintaining it, during these times of social upheaval. Listen to the program: The Black Awareness Association of Juneau’s “Culture…

Thursday, July 1st: Cracking the code of stereotypes
The stereotypes for Blacks have long been a code for racism. Some of it’s blatant. Some of it is subtle but damaging, just the same. In this Thursday’s weekly program, members of the Black Awareness Association of Juneau look at examples of stereotyping and talk about about how to deal with it. Sherry Patterson leads…

Thursday, June 23rd: Black lawyers and bridging the justice gap
Even though African Americans make up 13 percent of the population, the American Bar Association says only 5 percent of its lawyers are black. Lori Colbert, who practices family law in Anchorage, says there are even fewer attorneys who are women of color. In this Thursday’s weekly conversation with the Black Awareness Association of Juneau,…