In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella Mestyanek Young (aka Knitting Cult Lady) speaks with Chicago educator and social work student Jamal Bruce about his experiences teaching, navigating race and identity, and how her memoir Uncultured influenced his career pivot from education to social work. Their conversation explores how America's educational and social systems function as cult-like institutions that condition compliance, suppress individuality, and reflect deeper cultural hierarchies. Together, they draw parallels between trauma survival, masking behaviors, racial inequity, and the ways storytelling can challenge systemic norms. They also discuss how white privilege manifests in subtle daily ways, the importance of listening across difference, and the transformative power of reading beyond one's own identity.

Daniella's Links:

Preorder for Culting of America: The Culting of America PRE-SALE (SHIPS BY JANUARY 20, 2026) – Knitting Cult Lady

Daniella Mestyanek Young's book:

• From Bookshop.org

• Uncultured Autograph:

Connect with Daniella on social media

• TikTok, Patreon, Instagram
• Youtube

Other Podcasts

Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women

Scot's Socials

TikTok: @thescotloyd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd

Haley's Tiktok

@nuancedmasculinities

Key Takeaways:

• Jamal Bruce, a Black high school teacher in Chicago, found Uncultured profoundly validating and inspiring, prompting his shift toward social work.

• Daniella and Jamal discuss how schools often mirror cult-like systems that demand conformity and suppress individuality.

• Both highlight how trauma survivors often overachieve as a coping mechanism—seeking safety in perfection and compliance.

• Educators of color are more likely to "see" marginalized students and advocate for them because of shared systemic experiences.

• The U.S. educational model has roots in Puritan indoctrination and continues to prioritize obedience over humanity.

• White privilege shows up in small, everyday ways—like who gets questioned, believed, or celebrated for multilingualism.

• The conversation emphasizes the need to believe marginalized voices rather than debate their experiences.

• Daniella reflects on how publishing, like education, gatekeeps whose stories are told and deemed "marketable."

• Both guests stress reading broadly and engaging with diverse perspectives as a way to dismantle bias and foster empathy.

• Uncultured demonstrates how personal trauma can illuminate collective social conditioning, inviting broader discussions of power, race, and belonging.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Uncultured Perspectives
02:41 The Role of Educators in Social Change
05:26 Personal Stories of Advocacy and Support
08:19 The Cult-like Nature of Education
11:20 Navigating Identity and Trauma in Education
14:10 The Intersection of Race and Education
16:44 The Impact of Trauma on Academic Performance
19:35 The Complexity of Privilege and Identity
22:33 The Need for Authenticity in Education
25:27 Conclusion: Shared Experiences and Collective Growth
29:03 Finding Your Audience in Storytelling
30:25 Relating Through Shared Emotions
32:33 Understanding Different Perspectives
34:53 The Importance of Believing Experiences
37:32 Recognizing Privilege in Society
40:32 Bilingualism and Perceptions of Intelligence
44:06 Challenging Gender and Racial Stereotypes
48:18 The Journey of Deconstructing Worldviews
51:06 The Power of Diverse Narratives

Produced by Haley Phillips, Lizy Freudmann, and Meghan Picmann

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella and Scot talk with brother-sister filmmakers Rebecca and Pete Davis, co-directors of the documentary Join or Die. The film explores the steep decline in civic engagement across America and how rebuilding community is the antidote to the loneliness, polarization, and manipulation that make people vulnerable to cults.

Together, they discuss the connection between isolation and extremism, how everyday community life has eroded over decades, and why showing up for local action is both a civic duty and a personal safeguard against coercive control. From Bowling Alone to the "cult of media," this conversation challenges listeners to ask one question:
What am I doing alone that I could be doing together?

Pete and Rebecca's Links:

Website

Movie

Daniella's Links:

Preorder for Culting of America: The Culting of America PRE-SALE (SHIPS BY JANUARY 20, 2026) – Knitting Cult Lady

Go Fund Me for Culting of America: https://tr.ee/fldwYRFTJI

Daniella Mestyanek Young's book:

• From Bookshop.org

• Uncultured Autograph:

Connect with Daniella on social media

• TikTok, Patreon, Instagram
• Youtube

Other Podcasts

Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women

Scot's Socials

TikTok: @thescotloyd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd

Haley's Tiktok

@nuancedmasculinities

• The ultimate inoculation against bad community is good community.

• 43% of Americans report belonging to zero community groups — a sign of deep civic decline.

• Cults exploit the human need for belonging that isolation leaves unmet.

• Healthy communities build "social capital" — the foundation of both democracy and resilience.

• Television, air conditioning, and social media each contributed to the privatization of daily life.

• Online groups offer connection but lack the embodied care of local, face-to-face relationships.

• "Civic reforestation" starts small — hosting a club, joining a group, showing up in person.

• Conflict isn't bad; learning to have it well is a democratic skill.

• Attention is power — Americans spend about 10 hours a day consuming media instead of creating community.

• Every movement in history began with about 1% of people showing up.

• Cult-proof your life by diversifying your relationships and commitments.

• Start where you are: know your neighbors, host a screening, join something local.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Introductions

02:00 – Why We Need Good Communities

04:00 – Isolation as a Weapon

05:30 – A 75-Year Decline in Connection

09:00 – Democracy and Social Fabric

12:00 – Air Conditioning, Modernity, and Lost Stoops

14:00 – What Are You Doing Alone That You Could Be Doing Together?

17:00 – From Online to Embodied Community

19:00 – The Cult of Media & Attention Theft

22:00 – Mono-Focus and Cult Vulnerability

26:00 – Why We Have Fewer Friends Now

30:00 – Learning the Lost Art of Organizing

33:00 – Lessons from History

36:00 – Conflict Is Good in a Democracy

40:00 – How to Watch or Host "Join or Die"

42:00 – Showing Up: The Real Inoculation

45:00 – Closing Reflections

Produced by Haley Phillips, Meghan Picmann, and Lizy Freudmann