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In this episode of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS’) Rewriting the Rules®, we hear from YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute leaders in a pre-assessment conversation. In this conversation, recorded at the beginning of the summer session, the youth reflect on their favorite parts of working with St. Paul Youth Services, what they’re looking forward to, and advice they’d offer their future self. For this episode, we’re taking a panel approach and mirroring a Sunday Dinner conversation. The purpose is to listen, learn, and build in community and see that we’re more connected, stronger, and powerful together.
About YouthPowerMN℠: St Paul Youth Services’ YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute offers an organizing hub where Black youth are compensated for their intellectual capital, lived experiences and contributions to improve our communities. Youth can gather, reflect, express themselves, build skills, organize and advocate for serious change on issues that impact their lives. Our motto at YouthPowerMN℠ is kids changing systems versus systems changing kids. We believe that it is the most promising and proportionate approach to dismantling systemic racism, and that by engaging youth in shaping and promoting solutions, it is the largely untested yet effective and strategic approach to change.
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In this episode of Rewriting the Rules®, we're continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen, from the perspective of our high school principals. This is how we continue creating a community that wraps its arms around our youth. Our guest for this 2-part episode is Principal Jamil Payton, Principal of Johnson Senior High School. We hope that this conversation can offer fertile ground to continue thinking about how we can transform cultures and practices towards a new vision of society.
About Jamil Payton: Jamil brings a variety of experience in helping all students feel represented and accepted for who they are. He has served as a classroom teacher, cultural liaison, school administrator, assistant principal, and most recently, as principal of Hmong International Academy in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Mr. Payton understands the importance of collaborating with staff and families and embracing the unique gifts that each student brings.
Jamil is an equity leader who values communication and works hard to provide access and opportunity for all students. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional communication from Metropolitan State University, a Master of Arts degree in professional counseling from Argosy University and an education administration licensure from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. -
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In episode 9 of Season 3, St. Paul Youth Services’ Rewriting the Rules® team reflects on eight episodes that focused on youth voice in a variety of ways. In this episode, you'll hear our favorite moments of this season, and reflections on season three. This is how SPYS demonstrates itself as a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for black youth.
SPYS Rewriting the Rules® Podcast Team members featured in this episode:
Dr. Tracine Asberry, SPYS’ Executive Director and Rewriting the Rules® host
Ellen Davis, SPYS’ Grantwriter Consultant
Julia Moffit, SPYS’ Youth Programs & Resource Development Plan Manager
Sheila Regan, SPYS’ Marketing & Social Media Consultant
Moses Sospeter, SPYS’ Rewriting the Rules® audio engineer
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In this episode of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS’) Rewriting the Rules®, we're continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen from the perspectives of our high school principals. This is how we continue creating a community that wraps its arms around our youth. This episode features friend of St Paul Youth Services, Dr Diana Brown, Principal of Como Park High School.
About Dr. Diana Brown: Diana Brown was been named the Capitol Division Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) in 2024. She has been working in Saint Paul since 2011, both at Washington Technology Magnet Secondary School as well as Benjamin E. May IB World School as a teacher. She was born in the city of Saint Paul, and attended all Saint Paul Public Schools for her K-12 education journey.
Diana received her undergraduate degree from the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University in Psychology, and received her teaching license and Masters of Science in Education from the College of St. Scholastica. She received my Masters of Arts in Teaching and ESL K-12 license from St. Thomas University. She completed my doctoral work and K-12 Principal License from Concordia University.
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In this episode of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS’) Rewriting the Rules®, we're continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen from the perspectives of our high school principals. This is how we continue creating a community that wraps its arms around our youth. This episode features friend of St Paul Youth Services, Dr. Diana Brown, Principal of Como Park High School.
About Dr. Diana Brown: Diana Brown was been named the Capitol Division Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) in 2024. She has been working in Saint Paul since 2011, both at Washington Technology Magnet Secondary School as well as Benjamin E. May IB World School as a teacher. She was born in the city of Saint Paul, and attended all Saint Paul Public Schools for her K-12 education journey.
Diana received her undergraduate degree from the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University in Psychology, and received her teaching license and Masters of Science in Education from the College of St. Scholastica. She received my Masters of Arts in Teaching and ESL K-12 license from St. Thomas University. She completed my doctoral work and K-12 Principal License from Concordia University.
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In this episode of Rewriting the Rules®, we're continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen, from the perspective of our high school principals. This is how we continue creating a community that wraps its arms around our youth. Our guest for this 2-part episode is Principal Jamil Payton, Principal of Johnson Senior High School. We hope that this conversation can offer fertile ground to continue thinking about how we can transform cultures and practices towards a new vision of society.
About Jamil Payton: Jamil brings a variety of experience in helping all students feel represented and accepted for who they are. He has served as a classroom teacher, cultural liaison, school administrator, assistant principal, and most recently, as principal of Hmong International Academy in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Mr. Payton understands the importance of collaborating with staff and families and embracing the unique gifts that each student brings.
Jamil is an equity leader who values communication and works hard to provide access and opportunity for all students. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional communication from Metropolitan State University, a Master of Arts degree in professional counseling from Argosy University and an education administration licensure from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. -
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In episode 8 of Season 3, Youth Host Connor Walford returns to Rewriting the Rules® to conduct “man on the street” interviews with guests of St. Paul Youth Services’ (SPYS)’ Annual LIT Party. Connor interviews guests about their favorite books, authors, and reasons why reading is important to critically and creatively make sense of and navigate our world, our lives and specific circumstances that come our way.
SPYS, a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for Black youth, hosted its Second Annual LIT Party as part of SPYS’ Focus on Our Families Experience℠. The event, sponsored in part by Minnesota Bank and Trust, is a celebration of joy, reading, and summer, bringing youth and their families together to explore multicultural books and stories, while enjoying delicious food, games and family time.
SPYS' Focus on Our Families Experience℠ Network is a constellation of individuals, organizations, and businesses offering experiences using "our Smart, Fair and Loving Approach℠ to youth and their families in the fields of athletics, the arts, health & wellness, culture, science and history across all SPYS programs"-- at no charge.
Listen & learn why St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for youth.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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In this episode of Rewriting the Rules®, we take listeners to a YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute celebration following SPYS’ business partnership event with Allina Health called There’s a Career for You in Healthcare. This partnership event included a mentorship over 3-months between Allina Health adult leaders and SPYS’ YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute.
In this episode, you’ll hear from youth leaders, Allina Health mentors, and SPYS’ staff as they share their experiences, make recommendations, and offer inspiration following this first-time experience. We hope that this conversation can offer fertile ground to continue to think about how we can transform cultures and practices towards a new vision of society.
About YouthPowerMN℠: St. Paul Youth Services’ YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute offers an organizing hub where Black youth are compensated for their intellectual capital, lived experiences, and contributions to improve our communities. Youth can gather, reflect, express themselves, build skills, organize, and advocate for serious change on issues that affect their lives.
Our motto is: Kids Changing Systems vs Systems Changing Kids®. We believe that it is THE most promising and proportionate approach to dismantling systemic racism, and that by engaging youth in shaping and promoting solutions is a largely untested yet effective and strategic approach to change.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) continues to Amplify Youth Voice & Power to Contribute to Our Community in this episode of Rewriting the Rules®. For this podcast conversation, our host Dr. Tracine Asberry chats with youth author Miles Asberry-Wallace and his best friend Connor Walford about games as a tool for learning. The young people share insights on their favorite games for fun and education, while the conversation delves into creative ways gaming is used and can be used to teach literacy, problem-solving, creative thinking, and more! In fact, if you’re available today between 4p – 6p join us at SPYS’ Annual LIT Party to learn (and play) for yourself! Click here for details
This conversation took place as part of the launch of Miles’ first published comic book, Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros, Book #1 on Wednesday, February 7th. The youth-led event explored the power of dreams, the power of our stories, and the power of a beloved community that wraps its arms around one inspiring young Black man named Miles.
About Miles Asberry-Wallace:
Miles Asberry-Wallace is a young black man who was born on February 7, 2011, and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started drawing comics at five years old and made his first comic series, Miles TGM and the Giant Zombie. He loved making comics so much that he started selling them at school. He now has a comic book business named Stickman Legacy.
About Guest Host Connor Walford:
Connor Walford is in the 7th grade and is Miles Asberry Wallace’s best friend.Order Comic Books Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros
Order Sweatshirts Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-sweatshirt
Join SPYS’ Annual LIT Party: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-paul-youth-services-presents-spys-annual-lit-party-tickets-873306050907?aff=oddtdtcreator
Find us Online:
Contact US about the podcast: [email protected] St. Paul Youth Services: Facebook YouTube Instagram Twitter Buzzsprout*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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Pushing limits is quite honestly a healthy part of youth development. How we respond to young people when they act out can dramatically alter the course of their lives for the better or much, much worse. At SPYS, we’re creating a community-wide culture in which young people feel not just welcome, but wanted everywhere they go. We are showing youth that they matter. In this episode of Rewriting the Rules, host Dr. Tracine Asberry, Executive Director of Saint Paul Youth Services (SPYS), speaks with two youth at SPYS for our first ever Pre-Charge Diversion Symposium.
We hope that this conversation can offer fertile ground to continue to think about how we can transform cultures and practices towards a new vision of society.
About Pre-Charge Diversion:
SPYS’ Pre-Charge Diversion program offers an alternative to juvenile court for a range of first-time offenses such as shoplifting, property damage, disorderly conduct, and curfew violations and gives youth a chance to learn from their mistakes.
We provide a restorative justice approach that holds young people accountable for their actions while working with them to develop skills to make better decisions, avoiding the detrimental impacts incarceration has on their lives and on our community – in terms of education, employment, homelessness, and other measures of well-being.
About Jamesha:
Jamesha is a sophomore, and she’s a Varsity Cheerleading Captain and her high school and hopes to pursue a scholarship for college.
About Orien:
Orien is in 9th grade and hopes to be on TV in the future.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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In Part 3 of our “LIVE” Event Recording! Series, guests who joined us to hear from youth author & illustrator Miles Asberry-Wallace asked him questions about his creative journey. In this episode, you’ll hear insights from Miles about his process and plans for the future.
The launch of Miles’ first published comic book, Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros, Book #1 took place on Wednesday, February 7th. The youth-led event explored the power of dreams, the power of our stories, and the power of a beloved community that wraps its arms around one inspiring young Black man named Miles.
Listen & learn why St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for youth.
About Miles Asberry-Wallace:Miles Asberry-Wallace is a young black man who was born on February 7, 2011, and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started drawing comics at five years old and made his first comic series, Miles TGM and the Giant Zombie. He loved making comics so much that he started selling them at school. He now has a comic book business named Stickman Legacy.
About Guest Host Connor Walford:
Connor Walford is in the 7th grade and is Miles Asberry Wallace’s best friend.
Order Comic Books Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros Order Merch Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros
Show Links:*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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In Part 2 of our “LIVE” Event Recording! Series, Youth Host Connor Walford conducts “man on the street” interviews with guests joining us to hear from Youth Author & Illustrator Miles Asberry-Wallace and share their favorite books, authors, and reasons why reading is important to critically and creatively make sense of and navigate our world, our lives and specific circumstances that come our way. All of this takes places during the launch of Miles’ first published comic book, Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros, Book #1 on Wednesday, February 7th. The youth-led event explored the power of dreams, the power of our stories, and the power of a beloved community that wraps its arms around one inspiring young Black man named Miles.
Listen & learn why St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a leader in reimagining how our community engages with and holds itself accountable for youth.
About Miles Asberry-Wallace:Miles Asberry-Wallace is a young black man who was born on February 7, 2011, and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started drawing comics at five years old and made his first comic series, Miles TGM and the Giant Zombie. He loved making comics so much that he started selling them at school. He now has a comic book business named Stickman Legacy.
About Guest Host Connor Walford:
Connor Walford is in the 7th grade and is Miles Asberry Wallace’s best friend.
Order Comic Books Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros Order Merch Online: https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros Read the Podcast “LIVE” Event Recording article in the Star Tribune We invite you to share thoughts, ideas, and recommendations for the Rewriting the Rules℠ podcast that advance our progress towards our mission AND we welcome inquiries about the many ways our programs & services continue rewriting the rules of youth engagement. Contact us by clicking on the Telbee linked below. Telbee* Link: https://sayhi.chat/spysrtr
Show Links:*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For our second episode of Rewriting the Rules® Season 3, we’re launching a three-episode series resulting from SPYS’ Podcast “LIVE” Event Recording held on Wednesday, February 7th. The youth-led event explored the power of dreams, the power of our stories, and the power of a beloved community that wraps its arms around one inspiring Black young man named Miles.
For this first episode, Guest Host Connor Walford interviews youth author & illustrator Miles Asberry-Wallace about publishing his first comic book, "Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros.” Join us to connect the dots between Miles writing “mini” comic books for fun at 5 years old to publishing his first Comic Book (still) for fun at 12 years old.
About Miles Asberry-Wallace:
Miles Asberry-Wallace is a young black man who was born on February 7, 2011, and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started drawing comics at five years old and made his first comic series, Miles TGM and the Giant Zombie. He loved making comics so much that he started selling them at school. He now has a comic book business named Stickman Legacy.
About Guest Host Connor Walford:
Connor Walford is in the 7th grade and is Miles Asberry-Wallace’s best friend.
Show Links:
Order Comic Books Online:
Kings of Quests: A Tale of Bros
https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-a-tale-of-bros
Order Merchandise Online:
https://strivepubandco.com/strivestore/p/kings-of-quests-sweatshirt
Read the Podcast “LIVE” Event Recording article in the Star Tribune
https://m.startribune.com/with-new-coming-book-young-minneapolis-author-artist-makes-his-debut/600342813/?clmob=y&c=n&clmob=y&c=n*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For Season 3, Ep. 1, of Rewriting the Rules®, we are talking about L.O.V.E.— With everything going on in the world.
And all the things that we’re focused on locally and nationally, we rarely see or hear about the opportunities we, as adults, create to engage our young people in conversations about love. For this episode, we take time to speak with our youth leaders from our YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute about the ways that love shows up and stands out for them. Pull up a chair, lean in and be ready to... learn and listen about this thing called love!
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For our seventh episode of Rewriting the Rules℠ Season 2, we’re shining a light on Georgina Lorencz, whose work builds on power and genius fundamental to Black communities. Our host, Dr. Tracine Asberry, talks with Georgina about her work helping people to connect to their roots and identity. Our aim with the conversation is to tell the truth. We do this to respect those before us, those among us, and to conserve and preserve those who are yet to come.
About Georgina:
Georgina Lorencz is passionate about learning through travel. She custom-designs travel programs for individuals and groups so that they can explore and learn through firsthand experience, focusing on Africa and countries that offer significant African history, culture, as well as African heritage sites.
Georgina was born in Ghana and came to the US in the late 1970s to attend The University of Minnesota, earning her bachelor’s in international relations, then her master's in communications with an emphasis and broadcasting, doing a 6-month internship with KARE 11, an NBC affiliate.
She has directed International Students and the Study Abroad Programs at the university level, including 8 years at Hamline University, where she was Director of International Programs. She also worked with The University of Minnesota’s Student Program for Amity Among Nations.
Georgina has won numerous awards for her experience, including an Apex Award for Distinguished Contributions in Heritage Tourism, and an African Diaspora Tourism Award for Outstanding Cultural Heritage Educational Tours. She is also a two-time Finalist for African Business of the year.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-lorencz-a79a2013/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africantravelseminars/?hl=en
Georgina Lorencz’s business, African Travel Seminars
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For our sixth episode of Rewriting the Rules℠ Season 2, we’re continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen from the perspectives of our business leaders. This is how we continue Creating a Community That Wraps Its Arms Around Our Youth. For today’s episode, we welcome Frederick Bw’Ombongi, a leader in the health care field who is committed to ensuring health care access around the globe. Fred talks with host Dr. Tracine Asberry, Executive Director of St. Paul Youth Services, about the people, experiences, and messages that have helped to shape him as the person, the husband, the father, and the business leader he is today. We hope that this conversation can offer fertile ground to continue to think about how we're going to transform cultures and practices towards a new vision of society.
About Fred:
Frederick Bw’Ombongi is originally from Kenya and serves as vice president of operations at Minnesota-based Allina Health. Before that, he was interim Vice President for operations at KentuckyOne Health (now called CommonSpirit), providing leadership in the delivery of strategic, financial, quality, and operations results. He also worked at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in various leadership roles.
Fred cofounded two nonprofits, Opening Village Doors Foundation, which fights poverty in Kenya through entrepreneurship and student scholarships, and the Refugee Education Center in West Michigan. He’s also on the board of directors at Cure International and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.
Fred is the recipient of the Henry Dunant Global Impact Award by the American Red Cross of Greater West Michigan and the Community Champion Award by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. He was featured on the 40 Under 40 list by the Grand Rapids Business Journal in 2014.
Fred earned an MHA in health administration from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI and a BS in international business from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. He’s currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches as an adjunct faculty member.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For our fifth episode of Rewriting the Rules℠ Season 2, we’re continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen, from the perspectives of our mothers and grandmothers. For this episode, host Dr. Tracine Asberry, Executive Director of St. Paul Youth Services, has a Sunday Dinner Conversation with two of our loving experts from our last season, Chakita “Kita” Lewis and Eboun Wilbourn. Tracine talks with Kita and Eboun about navigating health and wellness for their kids, pushing back against stereotypes, and advocating for resources in proportion to the desired social impact. We saved a seat for you - Join us for Sunday Dinner!
About Kita:
Kita Lewis is an African American Black woman, a step-mother and loving godmother, auntie, and all of the above to all children that she encounters.
About Eboun:
Eboun Wilbourn is a Laotian mom, auntie, friend, and neighborhood mom to all the little neighborhood kids.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
Telbee* Link: https://sayhi.chat/spysrtr
* Telbee in a new way for listeners to connect with the podcast! Send us a voice note on what you want to hear or questions you may have. If you are a youth listener, let us know what adults are doing right and what adults can do better!
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For our fourth episode of Rewriting the Rules℠ Season 2, we’re continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen, from the perspectives of our mothers and grandmothers. This is how we continue to create a community that wraps its arms around our youth.
For today’s episode, we welcome back two of our mothers and loving experts from our last season, Michelle Dennard and Nyia Harris.
About Michelle:
Michelle Dennard is a strong Black woman who loves her grandkids. “I’m on the ride of my life,” she says. Dennard also works for the Osseo Area School district as an Education Support Professional working with special education students and was named “Education Support Professional of the Year” by Education Minnesota in 2020-2021.
About Nyia:
Nyia Harris is a wife, a mother of two girls, 11 and 13, a business owner, and a Brooklyn Park resident.
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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For our third episode of Rewriting the Rules℠ Season 2, we’re continuing our focus on being the adult we wished we had as a child and teen, from the perspectives of our mothers. For this episode, we’re taking a panel approach, mirroring a Sunday Dinner conversation. Through this conversation, we listen, learn, and build in community and see that we’re more connected, stronger, and powerful together. This is how we continue Creating a Community That Wraps Its Arms Around Our Youth.
For Season 2, Portia Jackson and Ajibike (BiKé’) Ojomo returned to the studio to expand on their “Respecting Mothers as Loving Experts” conversation from Season 1. They talk with Tracine about creating space, navigating parenthood, and managing individual needs in one household.
About BiKé:
BiKé Ojomo is a Public Health & Disability Advocate, Mental Health & Wellness Coach, Finance Professional, Author, Apparel Designer, and Mom of two. As a loving expert, BiKé writes “I’ve been that mother who allows her kids to be who they are and to just support them. I’m a hands-on mum.”
About Portia:
Portia Jackson is a Community Development Specialist with Ramsey County, former board member with PRG, leader of a Minneapolis affordable housing nonprofit, and mom of five and grandmother of one. As a loving expert, Portia says: “I give my children the freedom to be themselves and still be respectful.”
*The music you hear on the podcast is provided by Blue Dot Sessions and is used here under a Creative Commons License.
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