podcastepisodes

In this episode, our host, Heather Mizeur, shares her reflections on the lessons emerging from the national debate that was stirred from the standoff between the Covington Catholic teens and a Native American drummer at the Lincoln Memorial following the Indigenous People’s March on January 18th.  “Rather than engaging in an exercise of finger-pointing and assigning blame over whose version of what happened is ‘truth,’ it might serve us better to focus on what this moment teaches us.  There are some rich lessons here for all of us, should we choose to open ourselves to the opportunity.”

“How would the world be different if politics were rooted in radical love?”  In this kick off to Season 2 of the #SoulForcePolitics podcast, join Grammy and Oscar award-winning rock star Melissa Etheridge and our host, Heather Mizeur, for an in-depth discussion on how radical love can change politics as usual.

We end our first season of #SoulForcePolitics with the release of a special two-part series dedicated to exploring the healing power of love to conquer hate in the aftermath of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. 

Two years ago this week, forty-nine souls were violently and unexpectedly taken from us as they were on the dance floor shining their light, loving life, and celebrating LGBT Pride. The darkness that filled the hours after this vile attack was almost too much for many to bear. And then Melissa Etheridge came in to help us heal a little bit. She immediately wrote and recorded the song “Pulse,†which remains a powerful reminder of how and why we are all called to love one another. Melissa joins us for a brief interview as part of our #SoulForcePolitics podcast tribute to Pulse survivors, families of the victims, and the Orlando alliance that formed after this tragedy. 

I went to Orlando to meet and hear the stories of Barbara Poma, Pulse Nightclub owner and founder of the One Pulse Foundation; Víco Baéz Febo, one of the survivors of this heinous hate crime whose emotional wisdom is medicine for weary souls; Mayra Benabe-Alvear, the strong, big-hearted, and remarkably joyful mother of victim Amanda Alvear; and Robin Maynard-Harris, community activist and a founding board member at the One Orlando Alliance.  From this wonderful weekend together, I have curated a unique story of insight told through their woven and interrelated experiences. Through it all, is a story of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to rise above everything.  Love always wins.

In a time when so much of the news and focus is on the negativity and the poisoned relationships around us, this podcast can be your refuge for how to defeat it with a connection to all that is beautiful and positive in this world.

So stick with us through both episodes. You won’t want to miss a single moment.  And please, honor them with action. Choose only love. Be ONE.

We end our first season of #SoulForcePolitics with the release of a special two-part series dedicated to exploring the healing power of love to conquer hate in the aftermath of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. 

Two years ago this week, forty-nine souls were violently and unexpectedly taken from us as they were on the dance floor shining their light, loving life, and celebrating LGBT Pride. The darkness that filled the hours after this vile attack was almost too much for many to bear. And then Melissa Etheridge came in to help us heal a little bit. She immediately wrote and recorded the song “Pulse,†which remains a powerful reminder of how and why we are all called to love one another. Melissa joins us for a brief interview as part of our #SoulForcePolitics podcast tribute to Pulse survivors, families of the victims, and the Orlando alliance that formed after this tragedy. 

I went to Orlando to meet and hear the stories of Barbara Poma, Pulse Nightclub owner and founder of the One Pulse Foundation; Víco Baéz Febo, one of the survivors of this heinous hate crime whose emotional wisdom is medicine for weary souls; Mayra Benabe-Alvear, the strong, big-hearted, and remarkably joyful mother of victim Amanda Alvear; and Robin Maynard-Harris, community activist and a founding board member at the One Orlando Alliance.  From this wonderful weekend together, I have curated a unique story of insight told through their woven and interrelated experiences. Through it all, is a story of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to rise above everything.  Love always wins.

In a time when so much of the news and focus is on the negativity and the poisoned relationships around us, this podcast can be your refuge for how to defeat it with a connection to all that is beautiful and positive in this world.

So stick with us through both episodes. You won’t want to miss a single moment.  And please, honor them with action. Choose only love. Be ONE.

Today’s guest is one of the great humanitarians of our time — Chef José Andrés. He isn’t only a famous celebrity chef with amazing top-tier restaurants to satisfy your culinary desires. He is also leader of the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that has fed millions in the wake of disasters that range from earthquakes in Haiti and hurricanes in Puerto Rico to wildfires in California and volcanic eruptions on the Hawaii islands and just this week in Guatemala.

He told me that the first book he read in English was John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and he was particularly moved by a quote from the book that “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.”

José Andrés is always there.

He has a simple belief and powerful understanding of the role that food can play as a change agent. Born in Spain, Chef Andrés is a New American that exudes our nation’s can-do spirit and the knowledge that we are strongest in our unity together — we, the people, can do anything united!

Thanks for listening, and I hope that you will be inspired by José Andrés’ words, his work, and his belief that just by merely showing up with a big and open heart to serve your neighbor, you, too, can make a huge difference in this world.

Few have inspired me more in public life than Robert F. Kennedy.

Imagination, courage, and determination. Justice, fairness, and equality. Compassion, mixed with toughness and discipline.

He promoted unity over division.

He encouraged dissent to strengthen conviction.

His heart was in charge, and it led him to personally witness and uplift the despair, hopes, and dreams of America’s unfinished business in forgotten pockets of the nation – from Native American reservations to the fields of migrant farmworkers; from urban blight to rural hunger. Bobby Kennedy reflected the consciousness of our best selves.

He practiced Soul Force Politics.

50 years ago we lost Bobby Kennedy to an assassin’s bullet when he was shot after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California on June 5th, 1968. Fortunately, words themselves never die. And in his book, “RFK: His Words for Our Times,” author C. Richard Allen collects, edits, and introduces us to the core of Robert Kennedy’s work through the use of his own words from testimony and speeches Kennedy gave in his short but profound career in public service.

In today’s show, we speak with Rick Allen about this book, Bobby Kennedy’s life and contributions to public policy, political thought, and the imagination of what can still be accomplished to live up to our country’s greatest calling – the belief that we can always aspire to be a better, more perfect union where equality and justice for all are the cornerstones of our democracy.

Thanks for listening and I hope that you will be inspired to read this incredible book and find the Bobby Kennedy that resides in your own heart’s desire to act for good in the world. RFK’s words are most definitely a timeless call to action and we need his wise guidance now more than ever.

Today’s show connects you to two extraordinary, transcendental artists that are world-renowned pioneers in showcasing the exploration of consciousness and use of psychedelics to influence the visionary art realm and the expression of the sacred. I go to New York’s COSM — Chapel of the Sacred Mirrors – to interview Alex and Allyson Grey in their personal art studios.

You truly must have a sense of their art to fully appreciate this interview. This is where the limitations of audio production can be challenging – so be sure to capture at least a passing view of a few pieces of their artwork that we have showcased on our website and/or the MizMaryland Facebook and Instagram pages.

Beyond the appreciation of Alex and Allyson’s other-worldly artistic talents, I have always perhaps most loved our conversations about consciousness, connection, and explorations of the sacred realms. Their views are very much in alignment with our mission at #SoulForcePolitics.

And a basic warning I should offer with this episode. We engage in an open-minded discussion of the impact that psychedelic medicines have had on the Greys in forming mystical experiences that have had a deep impact on their visionary artistic expression and world-view. I am aware that this can be a controversial topic for some listeners. I invite you to be open to a different perspective, as I have had my own shift in understanding how these medicines might be beneficial to some if undertaken with the right intention and under responsible guidance.

I always relish the role of being a thought leader and having the guts to jump into these types of conversations that can be controversial – and at the same time, this topic is very near on the edge of becoming more mainstream as just this week, New York Times best-selling author, Micheal Pollan has released his new book, “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.â€

So it’s time for us to start having this dialogue more openly in our communities. Artists and other creatives are often on the front-lines of helping us explore the unknown.

Thanks for listening and I hope that Alex and Allyson and I will open up new inspiration for you to be more creative, more revolutionary, and more willing to explore the depths of your own consciousness and sacred connections as a result of our conversation.

Today’s guest is former New York Times journalist Warren Berger, the author of the provocative book, “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.” Explore with us the power behind one of the most underappreciated tools – one that has been available to us since childhood – the art of asking meaningful questions to ignite change and unleash innovation and creative mastery.

Do you have the courage to ask good questions of yourself and others? Are you willing to subject your bias to interrogation? Should your organization have a Mission Question rather than a Mission Statement? Most of us are quite familiar with the concept of brainstorming. What are the benefits of questionstorming?

Why? What if? How? – these are the tools of 21st Century excellence.

“How might we” is a beautiful invitation that successful leaders are incorporating into their philosophies of exploration. The value of questions is rising in our culture faster than the value of answers. Are you ready for this cultural shift?

Join us for today’s conversation to learn how you can use questioning to create your own shifts in politics, consciousness, and community engagement for a better world.

Today’s guest is Jennifer Hofmann, author of the super-popular Americans of Conscience Checklist, which provides her 70,000 online followers with a weekly advocacy list of clear actions to address the undermining of core values by decisions at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Jennifer Hoffmann’s unique approach promotes heartfelt engagement in the work of the Resistance without amplifying polarization. Her lists are free from partisan hype, insults, and vilification. Rather, she combines no-frills policy guidance with a reminder of the importance of self care, promoting gratitude, and noticing evidence of good in the world. Jennifer joins us from Salem, Oregon via our first experiment with a Skype-Studio recorded interview. Stick with us for a mind-meld with a fellow progressive activist and a supporter of thoughtful civic engagement to strengthen our Democracy.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski is the President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County – a college that made history during this year’s March Madness by being the first #16 seed to knock off a top-ranked #1 team in the history of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

We talk about what it’s like to truly be a Cinderella story – including the bright light it brings to shine on UMBC’s stellar academic record and unique approach to higher education, especially in STEM subjects and for minority students; their dedication to civic engagement on campus; and why the school calls itself “The House of Grit.”

We also get a deeper understanding of the impact that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s teachings and engagement had on the life of young Birmingham Alabaman, Freeman Hrabowski.

As a participant in King’s Children’s March in 1963 which sponsored noble acts of non-violent protest that brought the city of Birmingham to its knees, Hrabowski was spat on and jailed by Bull Connor and visited by Martin Luther King at the tender age of 12.

Join us this hour to discuss these topics and more – like the importance of curiosity, asking beautiful questions, and using critical thinking while also embracing a beginner’s mind at everything we do to find our pathways to success.

Today’s guest is a truly remarkable genius, tenacious innovator, and creative problem solver. She also happens to be one of the kindest, most generous, and caring humans I have met. If you have never heard Martine Rothblatt speak of the many ways she has conquered the impossible, then buckle up for a sweet ride on today’s show where we meet the blending of a genius mind with a noble heart.

Her insatiable curiosity has produced everything from satellite radio and life-saving pharmaceuticals to improved lung transplantation techniques, development of potential pig-to-human organ transplants, to the first prototypes for electric helicopters, and building robotic cybernetic companions.

She is a futurist of the highest order – one that does not just predict; Martine Rothblatt DELIVERS.

She has a law degree, an MBA, and a PhD in medical ethics. Dr. Rothblatt is the founder and former CEO and Chairman of Sirius XM satellite radio, the founding CEO and pioneer of an orphan drug at United Therapeutics that saved the life of her own child before making millions of dollars saving the lives of others, and a futurist that tells us what she sees in the fields of artificial intelligence, mind files, and the exploration of consciousness.

Each week at the end of our show, you hear me encourage you with words that I use as my own personal daily mantra:

Be the change you want to see.
Create the world you want to manifest.
Break through the illusions of impossibility.
Live your life’s purpose with clarity, intention, and truth.
Choose only love.
Be.
ONE.

Martine Rothblatt encompasses all of this in the most magnificent way. Thank you for joining us today to listen to her wisdom.

______________

In the first video below, Morgan Freeman meets the robot Bina 48 on his National Geographic show, “The Story of God.” And after seeing this, Whoopi Goldberg went to interview Martine and Bina Rothblatt for a segment for ABC’s “The View.”

Priscilla Renea is one of music’s freshest voices and most talented songwriters — a musical powerhouse exploding on the scene who has the ability to capture your attention through her vocals, her lyrics, her looks, AND her uncanny wisdom on how to navigate life, pivot around the barriers, meet fear with fierce truth and a heart of love, and rise above it all.

You likely know Priscilla’s work without knowing her name, as she has penned #1 smash hits for nearly every popular vocal artist in the industry. And now it is time for her to make her own mark with the debut later this summer of her new album, “Coloured.â€

Just this week, Parade Magazine, in a profile about this album, notes that Priscilla Renea “triumphs on Coloured with lush vocals, infectious grooves and a way with words that is unparalleled. The maturity of her artistic vision is like a breath of fresh air.â€

Parade Magazine sums up the experience of Renea’s new album by noting that, “spanning classic R&B, dark-edged country and urban-soul, Coloured is a fierce, political, and personal collection of stories that reckon with…love, heartbreak, and racial trauma.â€

If you live in the Washington, DC area, I hope you will join me at Priscilla Renea’s upcoming show at the City’s Songbyrd Music House on Sunday, May 20th.

Yes, I want you to buy and listen to her music; but I also want you to get to know her story; her heart; and her stance for fairness in the world.  Join us for a #SoulForcePolitics conversation with one of music’s most interesting new personalities, or as others in the media have noted: Priscilla Renea, “The Brain Behind Your Favorite Bangers.”

The melodious and angelic sounds of Sarah McLachlan’s voice have sold more than 40 million albums, launched a successful women’s Lilith Fair concert series, and garnered three Grammy’s and twelve JUNO awards to honor her work. McLachlan has a knack for showing people how to do well by doing good.  In her “World On Fire” video, she limited the production budget to the $15 cost of the video tape and worked with the record label to donate $150,000 (the usual cost of video production) to charitable missions providing access to food and water to poor villages across the globe.

Sarah McLachlan also donated all the proceeds she received from the Lilith Fair concerts to her foundation to create the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which provides top quality instruction at no cost for at-risk and underserved children and youth. Its tag line? Find Your Voice. We decided that was also the right name for this podcast interview as Sarah explores with us the importance of self love, kindness, and empathy mixed with the passion of a revolutionary seeking to find and stand in one’s power to change the world.

A movement of youth voices — led by those traumatized at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in February — has captured the attention of the nation and is shifting consciousness on how to move the needle on gun reform in this country.  By shining their light and showing their fierce bravery, these activists are giving permission and encouragement to youth across the country to do the same.  I captured some of these voices at the national March For Our Lives rally in Washington, DC last weekend. Today’s podcast is entirely devoted to their wisdom.  I spoke with black, brown, white, and Asian students, some with developmental and physical disabilities, from many varied socio-economic backgrounds representing communities up and down the East Coast. Though as diverse as could be, their messages were all the same — poignant, personal, emotional, driven, and hopeful…that the time for reforming our gun laws and making our schools and communities more safe is NOW.

To spend five minutes with Jen Tullock is to be in stitches. She carries comedic turns-of-phrase and brilliant language choices that sear into your heart, open your mind, make you think, force you to laugh, and leaves you begging for more.

Jen isn’t just a smart and lovable comedian, though. Her serious acting credentials are stacking up to build an impressive resume. She and her ever-present co-collaborator, Hannah Utt, created, wrote, and (Hannah) directed, and starred in the mega popular Super Deluxe Original Series, “Disengaged†– the story of a lesbian couple who stumbles into a hasty engagement on the eve of the Supreme Court’s ruling that legalizes same sex marriage and the ways that decision both strengthens and tests their relationship.

Later this year, Jen Tullock and Hannah Utt will team up again to star alongside actors Alec Baldwin, Judith Light, and Ludacris in a feature film they have co-created at Sundance Labs called, “Stupid Happy.”

And soon to be released as a Netflix original movie on April 6th, Jen Tullock joins Dave Franco and Abbi Jacobson in a film titled, “6 balloons†– a story of how a family struggles to deal with a brother’s heroin addiction and the pressures to enable his need for “just one more fix.â€

Listen for yourself to experience the talent and insight that oozes from one of our nation’s most promising up-and-coming LGBT artists.

Our guest today is Maryland’s senior United States Senator, Ben Cardin. He’s often referred to around the state as, “My friend, Ben.” While he has the common man’s touch – probably one of the most humble and approachable members of the elite U.S. Senate – Ben Cardin also displays an uncommon dedication to decency, fairness, and justice all rooted in his connection with, love of, and loyalty to family and community.

His wife Myrna – herself a fixture in Maryland politics as the person who has stood by his side for 53 years – says Ben is “the best mensch she knows.” Today we learn from Senator Cardin how the roots of his faith have influenced his public service.

We ask the Senator’s advice and wisdom on how to successfully lead the resistance against the dismantling of the country we love and how best to stand up for the values we share.

So here we have it – Ben Cardin’s guide on how best to be a social justice warrior and a really good mensch.

Our guest today is one of the co-founders and guiding forces of the new Baltimore Ceasefire 365 movement which is fiercely determined to turn around the City’s homicide rates through a grassroots initiative to promote new ways of thinking and being that honor life-affirming activities and interactions, peace, and connection to each other.  Baltimore Ceasefire’s successes have come from a collective consciousness that the cycle of killing CAN be broken and the power to do it lies in our OWN hands.

We are joined today by the incomparable, Erricka Bridgeford – named by the Baltimore Sun as its 2017 Marylander of the Year. Her words are laser incisions in your heart space, opening you to a deeper connection to your inner wisdom and spiritual promptings to show up in the world to make a difference.  Bridgeford is a kindred spirit to Soul Force Politics, as she wields significant influence to teach others how to bring their hearts into their civic actions. I’m excited about what she will awaken in you today.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Shouldn’t EVERY DAY be about love? How perfect that today’s show is dedicated to a discussion about the philosophy of love, patriotism, politics, and social justice with a man whose life, actions, and words are the very reflection of a fierce dedication to kindness, love, and compassion. Today’s guest is a United States Senator from New Jersey, and sometimes rumored potential 2020 Democratic candidate for President, Senator Cory Booker.

What I find most compelling about this public servant — above and beyond his dedication to an array of social justice issues that make my heart sing — is his non-apologetic devotion to love and his willingness to publicly proclaim his service to a higher good. That’s much of what our conversation centers around today, as Senator Cory Booker is the walking, living, breathing definition of what I mean by the need for Soul Force Politics in our country.

Have you seen “The Great Mystery Show” featured at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) until September 2nd of this year?  “From psychics to physicists, it artfully peels away the veil of the unknown, playfully exploring mystery as that one secret power behind great art, science, and pursuit of the sacred.”  My guest today is Rebecca Alban Hoffberger — the founder, director, and principal curator of AVAM.  She is a force to be reckoned with. She exudes genius. It’s hard to keep up with her rapid-fire thoughts and insights; her quotes and scientific journals; her sheer joy and wonder — but what a delight to try! She opens worlds for us to explore together.

For this hour, you will be treated to a discussion between two friends about the mystery of life, the role of the sacred, what is authentic joy, how does art and politics and spirit and community all interrelate? Do you know that the human heart has taste bud receptors? What does that mean? How does that relate to any of this? Oh, you will find out!!

We end our conversation with an exploration of the seven education goals she has used to frame the vision of her work at the museum — an institution that has always been dedicated to the work of freethinking self-taught innovators.