“What about diversity, equity and inclusion is so powerful — and so fearful — that you would want to get rid of it all? That’s where the curiosity comes in.” ~ Moe Bryant

How might choosing to be curious help us keep the conversation open, hold onto history that’s being erased, and find moments for celebration, even still?

Monique “Moe” Bryant was my teacher and guide when I took a course called Challenging Racism back in 2015-2016. I had her on the show twice then, once before and once after I’d taken the eye-opening, humble-making, ultimately empowering program.

Given where conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion are now, I thought it was time to have her back.

We can be bold in how we live. We can be courageous in saying what we stand for. We can inspire our youth, our young people, our future generations — because they’re not just our future, they’re our right now. And how we are curious — how we show up — is going to give them permission to not only do the same, but to be even more bold in the future.

Listen to Ep. #281: Curiosity in Challenging Racism & Celebrating Juneteenth, with Monique Bryant

Monique “Moe” Bryant is executive director of Challenging Racism, an Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit that educates people about the prevalence of institutional and systemic inequities, giving them the knowledge and tools they need to create communities of belonging.

I was lucky enough to have Moe (then Brown, now Bryant) as my teacher — and my guest, both before I took the class and after.

If this felt like an important conversation, you might appreciate these C2BC Classics: Dialogues on Race & Equity, with Samia Byrd; The Human Library, with Ronni Abergel; and Curiosity & Racist Mindsets, with Narendra Keval.

Read more about Dan Kahan’s work on Science Curiosity & Political Information Processing.

Check out Barak Obama’s 2015 Statement by the President on the Observance of Juneteenth.

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Turning to You” by Landsman Duets, via Blue Dot Sessions.

You can subscribe to Choose to Be Curious on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.