Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Mixed Chicks


If you are not familiar with the Mixed Chicks, you are missing out.

The Mixed Chicks = Actress, Producer, Comedienne, & Educator Fanshen Cox, and Author, Attorney, & Blogger Heidi Durrow. These were the girls who finished #1 in everything in your High School... (& perhaps college too) they were the really gifted, extraordinary students.

They co-host their own weekly podcast on TalkShoe.com. Shows usually run for approximately half an hour. They usually get together to have interesting discussions about issues that impact mixed raced individuals and families.... sometimes focusing on racism and the social awkwardness that comes with being mixed or that comes with being in interracial relationships. They cover everything from racial identity, the use (or misuse) of words, to the absurdities that mixed raced people often face. Sometimes their discussions get deep and uncomfortable (metaphorically, they really strip themselves down sometimes for these discussions)...almost like intellectual/emotional S&M. (That's what makes the show work). But usually the show is a balance between humor and the uncomfortable. Some of their discussions can be a little edgy or controversial. They leave no doubt that the issue of race in America is still very real.

For a taste of a Mixed Chicks discussion, take a listen to one of their podcasts from earlier this month. This episode was a slightly different format from their usual show, because this installment was part of the Story Corps program.

You can find 3 links on my sidebar for the Mixed Chicks...yes, they have a lot of websites. But on my sidebar, you will find: 1. Lightskinned-ed girl (Heidi Durrow), 2. Mixed Chicks Blog, and 3. Mixed Chicks Podcast (scroll down to the bottom of their site for archived shows).

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting about the Mixed Chicks. I love their podcast.

There aren't many places to hear discussions about the issues that Mixed people face.

Brian said...

There are very few places to hear these stories.

Even though i'm not biracial or "mixed", I often find myself relating to the stories they tell...and to the different people they describe.

Anonymous said...

Hello from the Ghostchild. In Florida. Anyways, I find that whole 'Mixed Chicks' term odd. That would imply we define people from the outside in rather than the inside out. (I know I know, just because I see it that way doesnt mean millions of others do).