Ep 02: Showing Up and Engaging in Activism with Shane Kenney

The Privilege Podcast

Learning to think politically for Shane started at a fairly young age. As an experienced activist, from the Anti-Keystone XL Pipeline movement to The Frisco Five, his personal encounters and observations shaped his form of resistance, namely, standing in solidarity, listening, and leaving room for others to speak. He speaks candidly about being drugged at a party, and how that night shaped his understanding of his own privilege as a man and helped him to empathize further with women and victims of abuse.

*As a trigger warning, this episode deals with conversations surrounding being drugged and being the target of sexual harassment and assault. If you are sensitive to these topics, please feel free to skip it or listen along with a trusted friend, counselor, or circle of support in order to digest this information in a healthy manner.

In this episode we discuss:

• 1:00 - Shane's initial understanding about his place in the world as a blue-collar middle-class white man
• 4:01 - Being viewed as a protector by a female passenger on the bus
• 8:10 - How Shane got involved with political activism, from the Anti-Keystone XL Pipeline to The Frisco Five
• 19:49 - How a fun night out ended with him and his friend being drugged
• 25:47 - Male vs. female expectations in handling emotions & gender disparities in taking precautions on a night out
• 31:59 - The power of being physically present as a white man
• 33:10 - Resources for continuing the conversation: The Politics of Trauma by Staci K. Haines & Bloom Homie Collective

Resources:

Bloom Homie: https://www.instagram.com/bloomhomie/

The Politics of Trauma: https://thepoliticsoftrauma.com/

Continue the conversation with us at www.instagram.com/theprivilegepodcast

Music: Etude Op. 10, no. 1 in C major - 'Waterfall'