Say Anything: Individual Experiences with Racial Inequality

Raisa Johnson, Masters in Public Policy ’17, was a Pablo Eisenberg Public Interest Fellow from 2015 to 2017. During her 2016-2017 fellowship at the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, she conducted research on racial equity and cross-sector work in D.C. Raisa created Say Anything – an interview podcast series that explores themes of race, equality, and the lived experiences of historically marginalized groups. She conducted interviews with five individuals whom all identify as black and as residents of the greater D.C. area. Interjecting minimally during both the interview and audio post production processes, she aimed to provide “a space for the men and women who experience these inequalities, injustices, and micro-aggressions to speak these experiences from their own words.”

Say Anything ultimately invites the audience to learn through listening to the interviewees’ unique stories and experiences. “Despite my insistence of the theme of racism and racial equity in D.C., there was no monolithic narrative for me to summarize,” Raisa acknowledged. “And I think that’s the point. There is no panacea for racism because [it] is one of the most insidious problems faced by our country. The podcast isn’t an attempt to answer any questions, but a chance to get more stories from people of color out into the world.”

We invite you to listen to the interviews:

Corner of Hope and Life
Harlem in D.C.
Blacktivist
Black on Black Crime

The endowed Pablo Eisenberg Public Interest Fellowship was created in 2006 to honor the work of Senior Fellow Pablo Eisenberg, an eminent nonprofit leader and critic of American philanthropy who has played an important role in the Center’s development since its founding. Every year, two students at the McCourt School of Public Policy receive fellowships for demonstrating strong commitment to social and economic justice and potential to play a leadership role in the public interest arena. Each Fellow has an opportunity to work for and be mentored by a current leader in the nonprofit sector.