I don’t know about you, but my mind is still swirling in a (post?)-pandemic way. What day is it again? And more importantly, what year did we just commemorate? Seriously though ... amidst this year’s intensity, my team and I at Don’t Call Me Resilient produced another two seasons of our podcast. On the pod, we tackle systemic racism through intimate conversations with scholars who discuss some of today’s most pressing issues (and some not pressing, but just really really fascinating): the education system, the changing meaning of the Canadian flag, the death of the Queen and the nature of race in comedy clubs.

It’s an honour and a privilege to be part of this mission-driven community of producers. Not only are we creating content for you, our listeners, but we are also working towards creating a new type of newsroom culture – one that centres the need for change and compassion internally, but also one that asks both journalist and listener: what can we do to help make change?

We are a small team: except for me, everyone works less than 12 hours a week. It can get creatively chaotic at times; working over different time zones, in different shifts, over Zoom. One producer called our season a fast-moving train. But even with the speed and virtual meetings, our producers say they love our fun, collaborative, supportive and innovative environment. No doubt, this team is passionate, hard-working and together with scholars, created fascinating content

Thank you so much for being with us and listening to Don’t Call Me Resilient through our 24 episodes! Thank you for sharing our content. We suspect we have some teachers to thank for our increasing numbers and we thank your students for listening.

We would love to hear back from you. Drop a note to say hello. Tell us what you loved or what topics you’d like us to cover. If you have listened to us and you appreciate what we do, please leave a review on whatever podcast app you use – it really lifts our spirits, and helps our fundraising efforts too.

And finally, if you haven’t already heard an episode of Don’t Call Me Resilient, what are you waiting for?

Vinita Srivastava

Host + Producer, Don't Call Me Resilient | Senior Editor, Culture + Society

Year in Review: Don't Call Me Resilient podcast

What’s so funny about race?

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation; Ollie Nicholas, The Conversation; Rithika Shenoy, The Conversation

Some comedians put race at the centre of their comedy, giving audiences a chance to release some tension. But how far is too far? Where is the line between a lighthearted joke and deep-rooted racism?

Why isn’t anyone talking about who gets long COVID?

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation; Lygia Navarro, The Conversation

Long COVID impacts one in every five people who’ve had the virus. In the U.S., early research shows people of colour are most likely to develop long COVID. It has been called a mass-disabling event.

Will Smith’s Oscar slap reveals fault lines as he defends Jada Pinkett Smith against Chris Rock

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

In this special edition of ‘Don’t Call Me Resilient,’ we chat about how “the slap heard around the world” is part of a layered story of racism, sexism, power and performance.

About the Queen and the Crown’s crimes (or how to talk about the unmourned)

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

In the middle of the tremendous outpouring of love and grief for the Queen and the monarchy she represented, not everyone wants to take a moment of silence. And there are a lot of reasons why.

Why you shouldn’t be afraid of critical race theory

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

In today’s episode of Don’t Call Me Resilient, we speak with two Canadian educators who explain how using critical race theory in their classrooms helps both students and teachers.

Has the meaning behind the Canadian flag changed?

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

What does it mean to be a settler of colour in Canada? Has the symbolism of the Canadian flag changed since the Ottawa convoy?

The unfairness of the climate crisis

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation; Ollie Nicholas, The Conversation; Dannielle Piper, The Conversation

Does the Global North have a moral responsibility to protect and compensate those in the Global South that disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change devastation?

How to decolonize journalism

Vinita Srivastava, The Conversation

Canadian journalist institutions have failed to address their ongoing colonialism and that has meant that urgent Indigenous issues have been ignored or sensationalized.