Spotlight: One Drop Of Love: Fanshen Cox
She went to Columbia University to get a teaching degree. She has an MFA and TV and film. She's also an awardwinning playwright and an actor and a producer. And I want to also sort of say before I introduce you fanshin, that we're living at a time right now when race is so front and center, but so many people are awkward and feel like they get messy in the conversation and they just don't have it
Hey, I mentioned fans website and I'm gonna post it here along with just a note that her onewoman show is called One Drop of Love. Thus the title. And just in case you're wondering about it. And that was produced by herself and her childhood friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. And that's kind of cool. So here's the URL right here
Fanshen Cox
@Fanshen · 2:10
So I realized that there was a way to kind of blend my love of performance with my love of education. And so I started to do that. And that ultimately led me to create a show that is both entertaining and and educational, which is one drop of love. So that's how I fell into teaching and consider myself a lifelong teacher and learner
What are you noticing right now or in the past of people where they could improve upon and what's the number one thing you say? God, I wish more people were able to blank. Can you fill in that sentence and talk a little bit about that
Fanshen Cox
@Fanshen · 2:52
And what I mean by that is that we have to begin with telling the full truth. And I think one of the reasons we often lack empathy is because we have not told full historical stories. So we've learned half the story. I think a really clear example of that is that so many of us grew up, even if we were raised in progressive households, we grew up celebrating Columbus Day without really knowing the full story of what happened with Columbus and that actually he was not an empathetic person
Empathy. Yes. I was just talking to a teacher yesterday on Voices as well about social, emotional learning and how it prepares young people in ways that standardized tests do not teach people different what they call soft skills. Unfortunately, they shouldn't be called soft skills. These are the main skills that we need to use to deploy when we have difficult and challenging and wonderful opportunities out there. Non dominant narratives
Fanshen Cox
@Fanshen · 4:28
Okay. So here goes a nondominant narrative. And it actually it sounds surprising when I first tell people that the topic of this nondominant narrative that I think we all really need to dig in and understand. But the the nondominant narrative we need to know is the origins of whiteness. And it's a tough one because I think when we think of what the dominant narrative is, whiteness is a big part of that
I've seen a couple of her shows and I find that her modality as a storyteller on stage, assuming the roles of other people and making us so viscerally connected to someone else's. Pain is so powerful. And I feel like I want to talk about evolution with you because there's something there's tendrils of hope with evolution
Fanshen Cox
@Fanshen · 2:24
Hi. So sorry for that delay. I expected it to be a little shorter. Ooh, how do I choose a story? And when is a story ready? So I first of all want to say, because I think it's so important to encourage storytellers, the story is never really ready. So your story might actually be in a place where you can share it with people. So just keep that in mind
And I want to talk about your podcast in a second, by the way, because I'll reference this back because I think you're really talking about the industry and the art and the business of storytelling, especially for women of color, specifically. Right. But let's just go with the story concept for 2 seconds when you recommend to people how to birth their story, do you believe in a process that's first raw and then it gets crossed and written down or the other way around?
Fanshen Cox
@Fanshen · 2:25
So I always start with the Raw and encourage others to start with the Raw. That's the realness that's the gem. This has been amazing. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to more of this yesterday, but I just most importantly, want to leave everyone listening with the knowledge that your story matters. Your story is important. It's both important for yourself telling your own story, and it's also important in your family, in your community
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:09
So I'm going to link your podcast here for those of you who would like to join in there and fans, I hope we see you hear more and I'll look out for you and it's just a great place to connect and keep it raw and keep it real. So anybody else who's hearing this Swell never end. So join in. Your voice is valuable