~We decided to re-release this episode because we couldn’t think of a better voice to head during this time. We have chosen to mute ourselves and support #amplifymelanatedvoices through June 7th.

“We have inherited a system and there’s nothing we can do about it except acknowledge that and dismantle it. But if we don’t acknowledge it, then we are actually maintaining [it].” ~Derrick Dawson

A conversation that eloquently connects the dots between capitalism and systemic racism? Straight talk about our American way of life and the foundation of white supremacy upon which it was built? Yes, please, to both!

Derrick Dawson, co-program coordinator of the Regional Organizing for Anti-Racism, aka Chicago Roar, sheds light on the myriad ways white supremacy continues to fester and flourish. Using the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as metaphor and proving ground, Derrick hits our collective compliance with his high-powered truth rays. He exposes us to the vicious strategies employed by corporations and power-brokers hell-bent on destroying our relationship to our planet, our communities, and ourselves. Once you see the light, I guarantee you won’t be able to look away.

Derrick C. Dawson is Co-Program Coordinator for Chicago Regional Organizing for Antiracism (Chicago ROAR), and an organizer and trainer for Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training. He is also an ADA 25 Advancing Leadership 2020 Fellow. He served on the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and served several terms as Co-Chair of the Antiracism Commission of the Chicago Diocese. Before becoming an antiracism organizer and trainer, Derrick served in the United States Navy as a broadcaster and journalist in the Pacific, and worked for over 20 years as a corporate trainer for major law firms in Chicago. He studied English and Linguistics at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where he received a Bachelor’s degree.