<p>Johanna Moise, a native Floridian, spent 17 years dancing and ultimately moved to New York City to follow a career in the arts. Throughout the episode, Johanna and I discuss the tug of war she finds not only between the arts and sciences but the battle between her aspirations and the expectations of a systemically oppressed society. While the American Dream lends credibility to a decadent life, Johanna reveals how she uses her identity to reinvent what the American Dream means to her. &nbsp;Johanna stands where she does today due to the immense perseverance she embodies as a Black woman succeeding in the arts industry.</p>

Mikem Nahmir for Tamir Rice

In 172, we interview 172 inspiring POC to commemorate the 172 reported black lives lost police brutality. We explore the themes of systemic racism and how it’s embedded within our culture. These galvanizing stories ground the audience in the realities many American minorities encounter. These same stories uplift our audience; they remind the audience that, despite the mechanisms of social norms squeezing them into an unnatural mold, human potential prevails. Their human potential reflects resilience. Their triumphs show how we can embody our own identities and attain our aspirations.