Episode 4: Real Talk about Privilege and Authenticity with Evan Whitehead

Real Talk with Barbara and Nicole

About Evan Whitehead
Evan Whitehead is the Executive Director of Private Therapeutic Day Schools that focus on working with students with Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, and Severe Learning Disabilities. He’s also a national consultant, trainer, and presenter with Dr. Ruby K. Payne’s Aha! Process, Inc., provides local and national training, presentations, and speaking engagements. Evan is also a certified mindset and accountability coach.

Throughout his 20+ career, Evan has served as a special education paraprofessional and teacher, Latino parent outreach coordinator, dean of student discipline, community outreach coordinator, Director of Title 1, Special Services, Bilingual Education and ELLs, and Assistant Superintendent. He is also a passionate mental health advocate, mindfulness practitioner, and proponent of equity, diversity, and intercultural competency.

Evan's 3Bs, Balance, Boundaries, and Breaks, promote a lifestyle of self-advocacy in the areas of mental health, mindset, self-care, and well-being. Evan’s 3Bs made it to the mainstream and pop culture in 2022 when platinum-selling recording artist, actress, and Entrepreneur Saweetie adopted and implemented them into her life. Saweetie has shared the 3Bs wisdom with other celebrities and entertainers such as Mary J. Blige, Oprah Winfrey, and Kelly Rowland.

How to reach Evan
Bio at https://www.ahaprocess.com/consultants/evan-whitehead/
Twitter (X): @evanwhitehead00 #BalanceBoundariesandBreaks
Topic and Question for this episode:
Does everyone have the privilege of being authentic?
Questions we discussed with Evan:

1. How does privilege affect authenticity?
2. In what spaces or situations do you feel that authenticity is a privilege?
3. We generally think of authenticity as a form of freedom of speech but how does authenticity and privilege relate to other areas of self-expression? (i.e. The CROWN Act)
4. Do you think that anyone has the privilege of authenticity in reality? (Marx quote)
5. Even once we’ve identified that privilege exists and is consequential, the question remains as to what we should do. (Unearned Privilege: Psychology Today)
6. What will it take to be ready to challenge our blind spots and embrace discomfort? (Privilege Awareness and Authentic Allyship)
7. How can society or people in their interactions mitigate this issue and create more equity around authenticity?

Some of the resources we mentioned in the podcast:

“Authenticity & Privilege”
http://freedavid.co/posts/authenticity-and-privilege.html
The CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act (SB 188) https://www.wikiwand.com/en/CROWN_Act_(California)
Privilege Awareness and Authentic Allyship: A Journey to Equity
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/privilege-awareness-authentic-allyship-journey-equity-cheraine-ncube/
Unearned Advantage: What to Make of Privilege?
“Anyone can be ‘privileged’ if it suits someone else’s argument.”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/202007/unearned-advantage-what-make-privilege