In this episode, I interview Helen, a native Californian who currently lives in the Bay Area and works with equity and human rights issues, working to provide housing for people in her community to find stability and to thrive. Helen majored in Ethnic Studies at the University of California-Berkley and then went on to get a Master’s in Education in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus in trauma and resilience studies. In this episode, Helen tells us about a number of slang words that are commonly spoken and heard in the Bay Area. She helps us think about the importance of becoming more aware and conscious of inclusive language that takes into account people of diverse genders, races, and ability levels and that isn’t derogatory and that doesn’t reinforce structures of oppression. In this interview, we get insight into how powerful and creative language is and how it is constantly transforming and changing based on the dynamic surroundings.
