Best of R&R Lab: Xhercis Mendez

<p><strong><em>We're still working on a new season of Radicals &amp; Revolutionaries Lab for your listening pleasure, but while you wait, why not revisit some old favorites? We're proud to re-air this episode as we look back on the roots of this show.</em></strong></p><br><p><em>For pennies a day, you can become a patron of the Radicals &amp; Revolutionaries Lab podcast and join a growing global movement of feminist badasses dedicated to radically authentic, intentional, and interconnected feminism. If you’ve been secretly dreaming of joining our community, now is the time baby. Go to </em><a href="https://www.continuumcollective.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>ContinuumCollective.org</em></a><em> for more.</em></p><p>___________________________________________________________________________________________________</p><br><p>This week’s revolutionary is Xhercis Mendez. She is a scholar-activist and constantly looking for any creative strategies that allow us to create the world we want to live in. Her academic works combine women of color and decolonial feminisms, while her focus remains on transformative justice and actively combating structural inequities.</p><br><p>Our conversation begins with Xhercis explaining how she took control of her own life, education, and grabbed her future by the reins. She essentially maneuvered her way into attending an upper-class boarding school and found ways to navigate between that world and her working-class roots. From there, Xhercis continues to share her experiences with race, class, identity, and how to find trustworthy community throughout a constantly shifting life.</p><br><p><strong>Some Questions I Ask: </strong></p><ul><li>What was your childhood like? (1:17)</li><li>What tools did you use to reintegrate into your family each time you came home from boarding school? (15:38)</li><li>How do you navigate the apprehension around the term and concept of feminism? (27:35)</li><li>Why do communities cling to the concept of sameness or oneness? (41:54)</