The Toad Listens: Pain and Perspective (video parts 3 & 4)

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Beginning in late 2020 and finishing out on Martin Luther King day 2021, the Joplin Toad has proudly produced and released a series of 4 videos and 2 podcast episodes on the topic of anti racism in Joplin and beyond.

This was a tough topic. Typically, the Joplin Toad takes an a-political stance; our goal is to lift up our community and the art and culture within it, not to start fights or increase divisiveness.

That’s why we approached the subject so carefully, and why we took a stance not of standing on our own soapbox, but of listening and providing others a chance to do the same. We chose 6 respected and kindhearted residents of Joplin Missouri- all people of color- to speak their balanced perspective on what the issues around racism really are, both locally and nationally. These folks love their city deeply, and through that filter of love, lend their thoughts and stories about being a person of color in these times and in this place.

Previously, our interviewees talked about what they loved about Joplin, then about their personal experiences living here as folks of color. These third and fourth chapters- released on Martin Luther King Day- talk about what the ‘problem’ is regarding racism and how folks can help Joplin to be even more a city that helps everyone thrive and feel welcome.

part 3

[DISCLAIMER: this series was recorded in 2020. The protest/rioting mentioned in this series, refers to BLM/anti-racism protests in 2020, not to the MAGA related capitol protests of 2021. Both the Toad and our interviewees are against any violence during any protests, regardless of the issue at hand. If you’d like more explanation around the specific topic of violence as it relates to to the anti-racism protests throughout the last year, that question is addressed thoughtfully and more in depth in our podcast series. ].