Shows / Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
Our True Colors is a podcast about identity, belonging, and life in the in-between. We explore what it means to be mixed race, multiracial, multicultural, racially ambiguous — or to grow up across cultures, through adoption, or in any space where identity doesn’t fit neatly into a box.
What’s it like to feel like you fit everywhere yet belong nowhere, all at the same time? If you or someone you love has ever been called a racial riddle, an ethnic enigma, or a cultural conundrum, this show is…
Episodes
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingLiving in the Third Space: A Story of Transcultural Adoption with Kim Bell
MESSAGE ME HERE! Kim Bell was born in Korea, adopted at three and a half, and raised in New York City by a white father and a Chinese mother who shared her…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingOrdering the Whole Fish: Finding Yourself in the In-Between with Kim Middleton
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Dr. Kim Middleton joins Dr. Shawna Gann to talk about growing up Korean American and White in Las Vegas, being misread in…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingTransracial Adoption: Two Sisters, Two Journeys with Maeve and Shea Lucas
MESSAGE ME HERE! “We don’t look like we belong together, but we do.” That’s what Maeve and Shea Lucas’s mom used to say when strangers couldn’t see them as a…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingWho Cares? Drew Faulkner on Living Authentically in a World Full of Expectations
MESSAGE ME HERE! How would you answer if someone asked you what it means to "live out loud"? In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann and co-host…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMermaids, Mixedness, and Mixed Race Studies with Dr. Brittany Wiley
MESSAGE ME HERE! About This Episode Dr. Brittany Wiley has been teaching since before she had a classroom, assigning herself summer book reports and turning…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMike Brown and The Stories We Inherit
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, Shawna and Marcel talk with Mike Brown, a biracial Marine veteran, nonprofit fundraiser, veteran advocate…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingThe Grand Commencement with Melissa Muganzo
MESSAGE ME HERE! What a joy to spend time with our guest for this episode. Melissa Muganzo is an entertainer, entrepreneur, educator, and media producer based…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingPicking a Car: Andre Discusses Race, Prison, and Refusing to Choose
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna and Andre get into what he calls anti-mixed violence and how it gets folded into other categories. They talk about…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging"I am You, You are Me" with Dr. Natalie Hart
MESSAGE ME HERE! Dr. Shawna Gann and her co-host, Marcel De Jonghe, sit down with Dr. Natalie Hart — speaker, consultant, and educator — for a warm, funny, and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBirds, Belonging, and Becoming with Jamison Schulz-Franco
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it mean to reconnect with your ancestry when the journey doesn't come with a roadmap? In this episode of *Our True Colors*, Dr…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSPECIAL EPISODE: Refusing to Forget: Memory Culture in Action with Dr. Mirjam Rein
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it mean to have civil courage? And what happens when you refuse to forget? In this special episode, Shawna talks with her friend of…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingTeressa Plammoottil on Beauty Standards, Culture, and Creating Your Own Village
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann and Season 6 cohost Marcel DeJonghe sit down with Teressa Plammoottil, a first generation…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingJoshua Grant on Media, Law, and the Fight for Human Dignity
MESSAGE ME HERE! Five years after his first appearance on the show, Joshua Grant returns for a deeply layered conversation with Dr. Shawna Gann about…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingDr. Marc Guerrero on Monoracism, Belonging, and Building Community Beyond Categories
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it mean to live in between? In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann sits down with scholar and thought leader Dr. Marc…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingFrom Vitamin D Deficiency to Fibroids: Closing the Gap with Lauryn Walker
MESSAGE ME HERE! What if something as simple as vitamin D could unlock deeper conversations about health equity, research gaps, and advocacy? In this powerful…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingThe Belonging Wound: Raina LaGrand on Identity, Community, and Healing
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it really mean to belong when your identity doesn’t fit neatly into one box? In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Dr…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingRewriting the Story: Tara Moore on Identity, Healing, and Personal Agency
MESSAGE ME HERE! Content note: This episode includes strong language and explores childhood abuse, sexual abuse, and the lasting impact of trauma on identity…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMindful Inquiry and Better Questions with Ashnie Butler
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann sits down with returning guest Ashnie Butler for a rich conversation about identity…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSPECIAL EPISODE: Fire, Healing, and CMRSA: 2026 Critical Mixed Race Studies Association Conference in UCLA
MESSAGE ME HERE! Dr. Shawna Gann travels from Washington, DC to UCLA for the 2026 Critical Mixed Race Studies Association (CMRSA) Conference, themed Critical…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingFrom Luanda Angola to Los Angeles: Joy DuVivre on Mixedness Across Borders
MESSAGE ME HERE! What would people assume about you if they could only hear your voice? In this expansive and thought provoking episode, Dr. Shawna Gann and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingHalf of Many Things, Whole on Purpose: Conversation with Shaman and Reiki Master AB Caplan
MESSAGE ME HERE! Host Dr. Shawna Gann and co-host Marcel welcome their first guest of the season in this powerful conversation of Our True Colors. They are…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMeet Season 6 Co-Host Marcel De Jonghe: Mixed is a Whole New Recipe
MESSAGE ME HERE! Season 6 is here—and we’re starting with a Meet the Co-Host episode. Shawna welcomes back Marcel De Jonghe (joining from Birmingham, UK) for a…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSTART HERE: Learn About Our True Colors
MESSAGE ME HERE! Welcome to Our True Colors. This brief introduction gives you the full picture of what the show is about, who I am, and what you can expect in…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingOur True Colors - The Trailer
MESSAGE ME HERE! If you’re new here, this short trailer will give you a taste of Our True Colors. You’ll hear how the show explores identity, belonging, and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingDouble Feature Season 5 Finale: Our True Colors at Home
MESSAGE ME HERE! For the first time, I’m joined by my full family—my husband Chad and our kids, Christian and Ariana—in a double-length finale to close out…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBloodlines and Borders: Tracing the Truth of Mixed Ancestry with Victoria Kabeya
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this rich and vulnerable episode, Dr. Shawna Gann welcomes Belgian-French author, historian, and researcher Victoria Kabeya to discuss the…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingConversations in Color: From Research to Real Life
MESSAGE ME HERE! This week, Dr. Shawna Gann—joined by her co-host Kat—welcomes Dr. Geoffrey Greif and Victoria Stubbs, LCSW-C, for a thoughtful and timely…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingIan Gibbs-Hall on Curiosity Architecture and Rethinking Identity
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, Shawna is joined by co-host Rachel Sadler and special guest Ian Gibbs-Hall—a DEI advocate, thought leader…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBelonging by Design: How a Choir Became a Home
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this powerful episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann is joined by Cindy Ogasawara and Kara De Maine, leaders in the Resounding Love…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBridging Identities and Building Belonging: A Conversation with Hallie Pritchett
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann is joined by Hallie Pritchett — a public health leader, facilitator, and equity strategist…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMasks, Mirrors, and Metamorphosis: Londell Jackson on Living Unboxed
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna sits down with Londell Jackson—educator, strategist, and author of Between the Opposites—for a powerful conversation…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBoth/And: Belonging, Identity, and the Bridge-Building Superpower with Annemarie Shrouder
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this rich and candid episode of Our True Colors, Shawna is joined by Rachel, returning co-host and fellow deep thinker and wonderful guest…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingOrnamental No More: Dr. Kalya Castillo on Identity, Hypervisibility, and Healing
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this powerful conversation, Dr. Kalya Castillo—a Black and Japanese psychologist and trauma-informed therapist—joins Shawna to explore…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingThird Culture Stories: Identity, Belonging, and Finding Home with Urmi Hossain
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Dr. Shawna Gann and Rachel Sadler sit down with Urmi Hossain—polyglot, author, global citizen, and financial services…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingUntapped Leadership: Finding Your Authentic Leadership Identity with Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it mean to be a leader when traditional leadership models weren’t designed with you in mind? In this episode of Our True Colors, we…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSensitive Curiosity: A DEI Leader’s Journey with Marcel De Jonghe
MESSAGE ME HERE! What does it mean to navigate the world as a mixed heritage individual when belonging feels just out of reach? In this episode, Shawna and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBreaking Out of the Box: Multiracial Identity, Monoracism, and Belonging with Dr. Victoria K. Malaney-Brown
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Victoria K. Malaney-Brown, a scholar-practitioner at Columbia University and the first-ever Director of…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingFinding Self in a World of Assumptions: Multiracial Identity and Belonging
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna Gann is joined by graduate student Brieanna Hairston cohost Rachel Sadler. Together, they explore the complexities of…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMixed-Race Parenting: Insights with Dr. Jenn Noble
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this thought-provoking episode, Shawna sits down with Dr. Jenn Noble, psychologist, educator, and advocate for mixed-race families, to…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBetween the Lines: Black Identity, Mixed Race Realities, and a Nation Divided
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this deeply reflective episode of Our True Colors, Shawna and guest Shari Baker dive into the emotional aftermath of the recent…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingCafecito, Culture, and Connection: The Power of Sisterhood in DEI Spaces
MESSAGE ME HERE! Summary In this engaging conversation, Shawna, Rachel, and Kat introduce Hady Mendez, a DEI expert, who shares her journey and insights on…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingAuthenticity Under Pressure: The Evolving Role of DEI and Mixed-Race Identity
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this insightful episode, Dr. Shawna Gann sits down with DEI experts Lauren Dike and Katrina Liew Wilson for a candid discussion on the…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBeyond Your Zip Code Story: Exploring Background, Bias, and Growth
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna Gann and Rachel Sadler engage with author Christopher "CJ" Gross, an expert in cultural transformation, to discuss the…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMeet Kat: Creating Spaces for Underrepresented Voices
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna Gann introduces the new season of the podcast with one of her two co-hosts, Kat Aragon. They discuss their cultural…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMeet Rachel: Examining Layers of Racial Identity
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode, Shawna Gann introduces co-host Rachel Sadler, and together they explore the complexities of racial identity, particularly…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMixed Tape 4: The Close of a Chapter
MESSAGE ME HERE! Join the cohosts and me as we reflect on this journey and enjoy the sampler platter we've prepared for you as we talk about the themes we…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingBelonging and the Gift of Story: Discussions with Joquina Reed
MESSAGE ME HERE! This week I am joined by Joquina M. Reed, my colleague and dear friend. She is the founding steward of J Reed Consulting LLC. She is also the…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSPECIAL EPISODE: Drama and Identity Dramaturgy with Yolandie Hamilton
MESSAGE ME HERE! Yay! Yolandie is back after taking a few months to be with her little one (if you listen carefully, you'll hear a little bit from her, too!…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingRemoving Your Mask to Tell Your Story: Authentic Filmmaking with Dija Henry
MESSAGE ME HERE! Prepare to be inspired! On this episode of OTC, I am talking with Dija Henry. Together we discuss her work in film and how the work supports…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingI Belong to Me: Conversations with Velda Thomas
MESSAGE ME HERE! On this episode of Our True Colors, I had the opportunity to spend time with Velda Thomas - sharing our thoughts on identity, growth, and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSocial Justice on the Line: Talking Civil Rights with Joseph Huang-Racalto
MESSAGE ME HERE! What a fantastic episode I have for you this week! I am joined by Joe Huang-Racalto, a Civil Rights lobbyist, who works for organizations that…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingMultiracial Motherhood with Rach Kass
MESSAGE ME HERE! Rach Kass is a Nursing Station Technician (NST), life coach, and podcast host and joins us for this episode to talk about her experiences as…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingHey, Queen! Talking Racial Ambiguity with Christian Gann and Aimee Amour
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this very special episode, I have a one-to-one real-talk session with my son, Christian Gann and his drag persona, Aimee Amour, who is also…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingThe Velvet Punch: Talking Transracial Adoption with Amy Daniels (Part 2)
MESSAGE ME HERE! This week we are back with Part 2 of the interview with Amy Daniels. If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here. In this episode, Amy and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingThe Velvet Punch: Talking Transracial Adoption with Amy Daniels (Part 1)
MESSAGE ME HERE! This episode is the first of a 2-part interview with my friend, Amy Daniels. I'd been wanting to interview her for a couple of years now, and…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingConfronting Anti-Blackness with Daniel Washington
MESSAGE ME HERE! Daniel Washington is an I/O Psychology Master's graduate with a passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He was born in New York City but…
- Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging
SPECIAL EPISODE: The Little Mermaid of Color
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this special episode of Our True Colors, Yolandie and I discuss Disney's new live action Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingSettings and Social Identity with Guest Ashnie Butler
MESSAGE ME HERE! After a bit of a summer break, Yolandie and I are back with our guest Ashnie Butler. Ashnie's story starts on the island of Trinidad with…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of BelongingKickin' It with Karlton Hoskins
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this episode of Our True Colors, we welcome Karlton Hoskins, #1 International Best Selling Author, Business Owner, Real Estate Investor…
Our True Colors: Mixed Race Voices and Other Stories of Belonging3rd Culture Empathy with Payal Beri
MESSAGE ME HERE! In this fantastic episode with Payal Beri, we discuss what it's like living abroad for an extended amount of time as 3rd Culture folks. Along…