Let’s go on a 13-minute tour of “what’s up” in the June nighttime sky. This month we’ll celebrate the Sun’s solstice; follow the Moon through all its phases and close encounters; track down a couple of faint constellations; and shine a spotlight on the star Arcturus. So grab your curiosity, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour episode. The post …

Ben Wikler returns to the show again in this wild political moment both locally and nationally. As he is stepping out of his role as Chair of Wisconsin Democratic Party he is energized by a recent state Supreme Court win. Dr. Gee asks him about how the Black community fits into the vision of the Democratic Party in the current environment. Are Blac…

Angela Robinson Whitehurst returns to the show to bring her Broadway experience to discussing Wicked and the translation from stage to screen. Dr. Gee and Angela discuss the timing of seeing race brought to the forefront of this version of Wicked, compared to when the stage musical was first a part of our culture. The power of fantasy and musical s…

Dr. Alex Gee and his sister commiserate on some things lately that make them wonder what is going on - things that make them say "Hmmm..." You won't want to miss this honest conversation full of some real talk that explores some serious issues in their lives right now. These two leaders let you in some topics that make them a bit annoyed. And you a…

It's Season 11! And it's the 200th episode! This occasion calls for something special. Dr. Gee brings starts the season with his signature Mic Check to set the tone. He speaks to this moment with a spoken word poem and some commentary on what these times mean for us all. Dr. Gee lays out a call to audacity. Listen up! alexgee.com Support the Show: …

Dr. Gee returns to the discussion of his involvement in a university report on the Black Community Experience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In episode 188 he discussed the upcoming report with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and now that the report is public, he is joined by fellow board members on the ad hoc committee. Dr. Angela …

Dr. Gee returns to the topic of a childhood fascination with astronomy as he takes a journey through the cosmos with Eric Wilcots, University of Wisconsin-Madison dean of the College of Letters & Science and Professor of Astronomy. Both began their interest in astronomy at a young age with the same model of telescope. Professor Wilcots explains how…

Dr. Gee has an honest discussion with author and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Their conversation starts with southern cooking and how food provides insights into our histories and continues into how race relations impact policing. Ellison has written a book about his experience leading the prosecution when the Derek Chauvin case came t…

Dr. Gee and Leonard Pitts discuss bringing American history to life in order to reclaim the role of Black people in the development of the nation. Both men share the power of story to display the experience of the Black community in history and today. Leonard speaks to the Black experience through journalism, academic scholarship, commentary, and h…

Dr. Gee starts his conversation with faith leader and professional musician Marquis Hunt by talking about addressing young Black men to understand that they do have voice that can matter. Marquis wrote a letter to a “Black Brother” as “a call to every Black man who’s ever felt overlooked, undervalued, or trapped in a system that wasn’t built for us…

Dr. Alex Gee has a special episode to talk through and process the recent election from his perspective. He is joined by Black Like Me producer Jeremy Holiday for a raw conversation that seeks to break down first thoughts on how community and justice minded people look ahead in our current landscape. They share their raw feelings and reflections in…

Hear about how spiritual leader and author David Gibbons felt that he wrote his memoir as a way to process his life and his experience, calling the book The Shape of My Eyes. In an honest conversation, Dr. Gee and David break down what “model minority” means for Asian Americans and African Americans. They consider how this concept also worked towar…

Dr. Gee hosts a special episode recorded live with an audience and a young jazz group in summer 2024 at Cafe Coda in Madison, WI. The night was a celebration of the 10th season of Black Like Me and Dr. Gee brought together Black podcast hosts to talk about their unique position. Bianca Martin hosts the City Cast Madison podcast. She is skilled in a…

Black resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence and Malcolm X’s “by any means necessary.” Dr. Gee discuss how in her book, We Refuse, historian Kellie Carter Jackson urges us to move past this false choice, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses …

Dr. Gee talks to Michelle Behnke about how she is motivated by the commitment of the The American Bar Association (ABA) to make the nation and their community better. Michelle is inspired by the ABA's mission of defending liberty and pursuing justice through professional development throughout the nation. They discuss how to encourage Black people …

Hear the inside story on the transition from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate from Ben Wikler, Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Ben considers how Harris has been active as the Vice President and making energetic appearances but the broader media has chosen not to report on this angle of Harris until her presidential …

Dr. Gee has an in-depth conversation with University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin on what the university is doing to improve the sense of belonging for students of color. Their discussion covers Dr. Gee's participation in a committee working to recognize the universities history with students of color and what can be done moving…

Dr. Gee kicks off the new season with his signature mic check episode. Season 10 is going to be big and he is saying it loud! Hear Dr. Gee unfiltered and get a preview of the season. The Black Like Me Podcast is also creating some new opportunities for listeners to connect and interact with the show and other listeners. You can Join the Black Like …

This is the second in a series on Alzheimer’s on both a personal and medical research level, focused on the impact on Black and Indigenous people. Hear about Dr. Gee’s collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Alzheimer’s Research Department, including his guests Dr. Carey Gleason, MD and Dr. Fabu Carter. Dr. Carey Gleason shares the sci…

This is the first in a series on Alzheimer’s on both a personal and medical research level, focused on the impact on Black and Indigenous people. Rev. Lilada and Dr. Alex Gee share funny stories about their mother after the effects of Alzheimer’s. They discuss some of the signposts of Alzheimer’s for others dealing with those in their lives They al…

Dr. Gee welcomes Nolan Dunham, one of the founders of the Madison chapter of the Black Motorcycle Club. They connected while Nolan was working in the community. He explains the history of why the original Black motorcycle clubs were formed. Nolan also talks about misrepresentations of motorcycle groups with the club’s commitment to the community an…

Justified Anger had drastically shifted the experiences and thinking of the white people who have become connected through the educational opportunities. Andrea Dearlove was an early attendee of Justified Anger's Black History for a New Day course and it drastically transformed her personal and professional priorities. She discovered that when whit…

Dr. Gee talks with the experienced consultant, Jim Bower, about empowering visionary leaders to actually create the social change that they envision. Listen in on the ongoing conversation these two men have about how to approach the cross-cultural work of addressing racism in a local community, in particular through their work in developing The Cen…

Sandi Reinardy discusses how she and the Court Observer team have developed the program with the goal of holding the court accountable and advocating for a just system. Hear how it is unavoidable to see the impact of race in the courtroom and sentencing process. Sandi shares how the data they collect is used and how the system responds to informati…

What was it like to try to create systemic change after the release of Dr. Gee's Justified Anger article? Hear how the article was encroaching on white people’s territory with pushback to maintain the system from guests Rev. Lilada Gee and Harry Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins provides perspective on the release of the Justified Anger article from someone who…

Dr. Karen Reece explains Justified Anger's innovative research and strategic approach to Justice centered systems change work. As Justified Anger took off as a movement, Dr. Reece gives insight into the funding of Black-led organizations and the struggle to create long term solutions and change. Dr. Reece clarifies the difference between quantitati…

On this special episode, Dr. Alex Gee and his sister Lilada Gee reflect on the passing of their mother, Ms. Verline Gee. They celebrate her memory with stories and insights from her life. For decades, Ms. Verline created a profound impact in the Madison community as a mentor to young leaders, social worker, poet, published author, family therapist,…

Dr. Gee is joined again by his friend Kaleem Caire to look at the atmosphere around Justified Anger in the early years and how the initiative has created change over the last 10 years. They reflect on having breakfast together on the day that the original Justified Anger article was released and talked about how the truth of the article would be re…

Dr. Gee welcomes Renee Moe (President & CEO at United Way of Dane County) and Joe Parisi (Dane County Executive) to dicsuss how they experienced the release of the Justified Anger article and aftermath. They reflect on how the original article caused a stir in some of the civic and community arenas, displaying the racial disparity alive in these sy…

Dr. Gee considers his career, relationships, and community impact as he reaches the age of 60. His life-long friend David Smith joins the conversations as they recall stories of their youth, beginning as community leaders, and how the world has changed in their shared 60 years. You can be sure that they bring plenty of stories, funny anecdotes, and…

Dr. Gee welcomes Paul Fanlund, editor and publisher of The Capital Times, and journalist Phil Haslanger to the show to discuss the publication of Dr. Gee's article, entitled Justified Anger. Hear the inside story of how Dr. Gee’s groundbreaking articles changed the community and changed The Capital Times newspaper itself. The three men talk about t…

Dr. Gee returns to the original article that started the Justified Anger initiative, as he reads the article in his own voice. Season 9 is exploring the ten years of system transformation that has resulted from the wake up call to the racial disparities present in Dr. Gee's local community of Madison, WI. This reading and Dr. Gee's introduction set…

Are you ready for Season 9? Dr. Alex Gee is starting the season off with another mic check to set the tone for what is to come. Get a glimpse into what is on Dr. Gee's mind and heart for the new season. alexgee.com Support the Show: patreon.com/blacklikeme

Dr. Gee welcomes his friends and fellow podcast host, Henry Sanders, back to the show for a honest conversation about real leadership. Dr. Gee explores how leadership vision is not a sprint, but a marathon from his own experience. They cover the value of visionary integrity over time, the mentorship of community elders, and investing in new partner…

Dr. Gee welcomes Annette Miller to the show to discuss Black leadership and equitable community development in their local community. They have an in-depth discussion around the development and impact of Justified Anger's Our Madison Plan among the Black community. The early years of Justified Anger opened the door to the wider community to receive…

Dr. Gee brings Dr. Karen Reece back to the show to discuss the complexity of leading a Black focused organization in a majority white community. Dr. Reece brings first hand knowledge of working with white women in the non-profit sector with race relations involved. They talk about if you want different results in their kind of work, you need to try…

Tyler Nylen and Joel Ballivian return to the show to ask Dr. Gee how white men can face the accountability of their history and move forward. Dr. Gee works to help people understand that we are all broken, not saviors, and then we can start to get work done. The three of them dig deep into understanding the place of white men in the current racial …

Dr. Gee continues his Season 8 focus on leadership with one of the greatest highlights of his career, interviewing his first grade teacher, Alice E. Turner. Mrs. Turner is a vibrant 103 and has so much wisdom to pass along. In their conversation they cover Mrs. Turner's influence on Dr. Gee, the experience of being a Black teacher through so much h…

Dr. Gee welcomes his friend and fellow pastor, Peter Ahn back to the show to talk about authenticity in leadership development. They speak about different moments of crisis, such as the Pandemic, that bring new roads, roles, and rules. These two leaders bring a unique perspective on cross-cultural relationships and empowering others to live into th…

Dr. Gee speaks to a group of Black students from the University of Wisconsin that formed the Black Power Coalition in response to a video of a UW student using racial slurs and language that appeared online in May, 2023. The students from the coalition organized several marches on the UW campus as call to action demonstrations, including presenting…

On this episode Dr. Gee has a conversation with Jacquesha Hunt about growing up in his church, finding her first job with his non-profit organization, and now assisting with the podcast as well. With so much history together and being able to see Jacquesha develop in her life, Dr. Gee shares some new angles on his leadership and mentoring. alexgee.…

Dr. Alex Gee continues his heart-felt and truthful conversation with his white cousin, Brandon Cook, about their shared family legacy that dates back to American slavery. They are open about discussing the racial trauma that has carried through generations of their family history. In this second part of their conversation, they talk about the truth…

Dr. Alex Gee has a conversation with his long-time and wise friend, Rick Phelps. They share a thoughtful, sharp, and strategic approach to leadership for the greater good of the local community. You won't want to miss Rick's insightful and sensitive questions and the wisdom they bring out of Dr. Gee about his visionary leadership, including the dev…

Dr. Alex Gee has a heart-felt and truthful conversation with his white cousin, Brandon Cook, about their shared family legacy that dates back to American slavery. They are open about discussing the racial trauma that has carried through generations of their family history. Having both served as pastors and being committed to transformational leader…

Dr. Alex Gee gets interviewed by his accomplished guest, Jason Fields. They discuss how to develop leaders, professionally and spiritually, and the unseen loneliness and cost of leadership. Fields asks about how he observes Dr. Gee’s consistency of voice and personality in every environment. Jason Fields represents the United States as a senator of…

For this episode of the Pass the Mic Series, get an inside look at the cross-cultural production team dynamic of the Black Like Me podcast itself. Producers Jeremy Holiday and Eli Steenlage ask Dr. Gee about mentoring and leading 'eager white men' who want to be part of the racial justice movement. The conversation covers the importance of building…

The Pass the Mic leadership series continues with the return of Dr. Tony Chambers to the podcast. Dr. Gee and Dr. Chambers exchange stories and insights on their leadership values. In their conversation, Dr. Gee digs into the circumstances that led him to write the Justified Anger article in 2013 and recalls the exact moment that he felt the Americ…

Dr. Alex Gee is kicking off his new Leadership series with the Executive Vice President of his non-profit organization, Nehemiah. Harry Hawkins has studied Transformational Leadership like Dr. Gee and of how this powerful style of leadership has played out first-hand in their relationship. The two leaders discuss the difference between a Black lead…

Season 8 is here! Dr. Alex Gee is starting the season off with another mic check to set the tone for what is to come. Get a glimpse into what is on Dr. Gee's mind and heart right now, and why the Pass the Mic Series is going to be so special. alexgee.com Support the Show: patreon.com/blacklikeme

As a special treat to lead into the new season of Black Like Me, we are sharing this recording of a live event at Cafe Coda from December of 2022. In partnership with Justified Anger and Lean Into Allship sessions, Dr. Alex Gee brought together an exciting group of storytellers for a night of music, celebration, and community connection. The evenin…