Subscribe to Next Economy Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.
Racial equality and social justice cannot be achieved without all members of society playing their part. And as the historical makers of systems of segregation, white men need to start by looking inward. Joining us today to further explain a white man’s role in social justice is the Curriculum Coordinator, Facilitator, Immersion Coordinator, Change Maker, Equity and ABAR Specialist, and Founder of White Men for Racial Justice (WMRJ), Kevin Eppler.
The work that Kevin does today can be traced back to his childhood, as early life experiences revealed the heinousness of an unjust world. After understanding the white man’s complicity in segregation and inequality, Kevin set it upon himself to rally his fellows in the interest of driving the race to equality, forward. This led to him starting the American Truth and Reconciliation project, Allied White Against Racism, and WMRJ.
Our discussion explores how white men can position themselves as allies in the race conversation, why white men need to lead each other to the cause, the necessary work of WMRJ, and the undeniable value of learning from immersive experiences. Kevin also shares his hopes and dreams for the future of social justice and equality, and what you can do to support his vision.
---
Key Points From This Episode:
• Introducing Kevin Eppler as he shares his thoughts on the current state of the world. [0:01:25]
• Kevin’s background and how he got involved in the work he does today. [0:03:32]
• His American Truth and Reconciliation project, and everything before and after. [0:14:41]
• How white men can position themselves in the race conversation and as allies. [0:24:03]
• Why it’s important for white men to rally other white men to the cause. [0:28:46]
• What White Men for Racial Justice (WMRJ) does, and how to get involved. [0:36:18]
• Equity advisors: How WMRJ holds themselves accountable. [0:40:55]
• The value of immersive, experiential learning. [0:42:28]
• Kevin’s hopes and dreams for the future, and how you can support his vision. [0:45:51]
---
Quotes:
“We’re struggling. Struggling to find meaning, direction, connection, [and] perhaps a sense of purpose. I think this modern age that we live in, the access to so many images and audio clips from around the world in unprecedented ways and volume – it weighs on us.” — Kevin Eppler [0:01:46]
“[Growing up], I was very aware that there is wrong in the world; that there is evil in the world – And I also felt a sense, a call, to do whatever we could about it.” — Kevin Eppler [0:05:33]
“Seeing other men be willing to be vulnerable – and I don’t use that word lightly – but once we see other men do it, and we realize, ‘Oh, they’re okay,’ they actually gain a little bit more of my respect, because I see them as more fully human and I see them as courageous.” — Kevin Eppler [0:27:10]
“Anybody [who’s] ever threatened me, all of the fist fights I’ve ever gotten into in my life, all of the violence that I’ve witnessed or experienced or have been a victim of was perpetuated by a white man. All of it.” — Kevin Eppler [0:32:15]
“It’s a skillset, it’s an art to be able to say, ‘Hey, I messed that one up, I got that wrong and I owe you an apology, and let me tell you my commitment to be better next time around.’ I didn’t have that skillset 15 years ago.” — Kevin Eppler [0:35:43]
---
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kevin Eppler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-eppler-a0427b9/
Groundwater Institute: https://www.groundwaterinstitute.com/
White Men for Racial Justice: https://www.wmrj.org/
Dr. Zoe Spencer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-zoe-spencer-00145a10/
Paul Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-taylor-12abb5163/
Dr. Ali Michael: https://www.alimichael.org/
The Race Institute: http://www.raceinstitute.org/
Bryan Stevenson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanastevenson/
Equal Justice Initiative: https://eji.org/
---
Stay Connected To Next Economy News with our Newsletter!
Interested in receiving the latest news from the Next Economy? Sign up for our newsletter and receive monthly tips, advice, and resources from our team and partners: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter
---
Dive Deeper With The Next Economy MBA
Interested in exploring Next Economy principles in a community of practice with other entrepreneurs, changemakers, and impact leaders? Offered in the spring and fall, the Next Economy MBA is a nine-month online course for folks who want to learn key business fundamentals (e.g. vision, culture, strategy, and operations) from an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative perspective.
Join the growing global network of 500+ alumni who are catalyzing a global shift towards an economy that works for all life. Learn more and sign up for news about upcoming cohorts: https://lifteconomy.com/mba.
---
Show Notes + Other Links
For detailed show notes and interviews with past guests, please visit https://lifteconomy.com/podcast.
If you enjoy Next Economy Now, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps folks interested in Next Economy work discover our show.
Stay Connected With Us On Social:
X: https://twitter.com/LIFTEconomy
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifteconomy/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LIFTEconomy/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy
Music by Chris Zabriskie: https://chriszabriskie.com/