Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
Our True Colors is a podcast about identity, belonging, and life in the in-between. We explore what it means to be mixed race, multiracial, multicultural, racially ambiguous — or to grow up across cultures, through adoption, or in any space where identity doesn’t fit neatly into a box.
What’s it like to feel like you fit everywhere yet belong nowhere, all at the same time? If you or someone you love has ever been called a racial riddle, an ethnic enigma, or a cultural conundrum, this show is for you.
Each season, host Dr. Shawna Gann — a business psychologist and storyteller — is joined by a new co-host who brings their own lens. Together with guests, they share candid conversations, family stories, and professional insights that remind us we don’t clock in and out of our identities.
At its heart, Our True Colors is about connection: creating a space where mixed, multicultural, and cross-cultural voices can be heard, where belonging is explored, and where “otherness” becomes something powerful to claim.
Our True Colors is an extension of True Culture Coaching & Consulting, Dr. Gann’s practice dedicated to building stronger, more inclusive workplace cultures. Learn more and connect at www.truecultureconsulting.com
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
Settings and Social Identity with Guest Ashnie Butler
After a bit of a summer break, Yolandie and I are back with our guest Ashnie Butler. Ashnie's story starts on the island of Trinidad with roots going back to Southern India. She has lived on the east and west coast of the United States, currently residing in Portland, Oregon, with her non-binary teenager. Her passion for cooking took her to culinary school and started her journey of learning about cultures and people through their food. Once Ashnie completed her B.A. in American Multicultural Studies, she began seeking to affect change through economic justice. Her training in Theater of the Oppressed, Courage Conversations, Mindfulness and Coaching allows her to hold various racial and cultural identities with awareness, skill and presence, pointing individuals, groups and folks with organizations to their own best selves.
In this episode, Ashnie shares her experiences of exploring and coming to understand her identity as it manifest in different settings outside of and inside of the United States. Her story leads to a compelling conversation of self-realization and social identity.
Related to the convo:
"Double Consciousness and the Veil" by W.E.B. Du Bois: Summary and Analysis
If this is your first time with OTC, check out EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Continue the conversation on Instagram and find Season 5 episodes on YouTube.
Our True Colors is powered by True Culture Coaching & Consulting. Head to our website to find out how True Culture Coaching and Consulting can support you and your organization, and subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter, The Culture Clinic, for more great content. You can find us at truecultureconsulting.com where you can also contact us to schedule a free consultation.
Transcript coming soon
