In this episode of Intersectionality in the American South, host Dr. Katie Acosta speaks with Anton Flores-Maisonet, founder of Casa Alterna in Decatur, Georgia, about the organization hospitality and support of asylum seekers and other migrants. Flores-Maisonet shares Casa Alena’s evolution over nearly 20 years—from relationships formed through an immigrant church and cooperative housing, to accompaniment and hospitality near detention sites, to recent daily volunteer presence at Atlanta’s ICE field office. Casa Alterna volunteers provide food, information, risk screening, and referrals to attorneys, while facing increased scrutiny and restricted access. Flores-Maisonet discussed obstacles within the legal immigration system, rising detention numbers and harsh, inconsistent policies, and shares a story from his book Welcome Friends about one asylum seeker’s resilience.

00:00 Show Introduction

00:59 Meet Anton Flores-Maisonet

01:51 Casa Alterna's Mission

03:30 Hospitality And ICE

06:04 Work Evolution Framework

10:10 Pivots with a New Administration

11:28 Faith And Mutual Aid

13:12 Day At ICE Field Office

18:06 Detention Conditions Deteriorate

19:55 Barriers In the Legal Process

28:02 Benny 's Story From Welcome, Friends

32:05 Avoiding Burnout

36:50 Closing And Resources

Learn more about Casa Alterna's work by visitng their website https://casaalterna.org/

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Follow us on instagram @intersectsouth or visit our website at https://sites.gsu.edu/intersectsouth/

In this episode, Dr. Kendra Jason, an Associate Professor of Sociology at UNC Charlotte and Founder of Work for Change, shares her approach to creating inclusive workspaces in higher education and other professional environments. Dr. Jason shares her personal background and research focus on low-wage workers and their opportunities for social mobility. She recounts her University's diversity initiatives following the murder of George Floyd and the challenges faced with the closure of her insitution's diversity, equity and inclusion office in 2024. Dr. Jason also talks about her consultancy, Work for Change, which focuses on helping organizations build inclusive cultures and address systemic work process issues. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Jason invites us to look at challenging times as an opportunity to own our social justice work and carve out opportunities for its continuity with or without institutional supports.

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In this episode of 'Intersectionality in the American South,' host Dr. Katie Acosta dives into the ways tech is changing how educators and administrators approach their work higher education . Recorded during a symposium in Mainz, Germany, this episode features interviews with Dr. Kameelah Martin and Dr. Karen Jackson Weaver. Dr. Martin talks about her new research project looking at the ways digital platforms connect cultures across the diaspora. Dr. Jackson Weaver shares her views on using AI in education while emphasizing the need for digital ethics and inclusivity. Both guests highlight how tech can both advance learning and pose challenges for BIPOC communities.

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In this episode, We speak with Sig Giordano who offers a first hand account of their time in the West Bank picking olives alongside Palestinians during the annual olive harvest. Giordano candidly takes the listener through their learning journey as the granddaughter of Nazi holocaust survivors and advocate for Palestinian liberation. This episode offers a nuanced analysis of what Palestinian resistance looks like a year and a half into the War in Gaza.

To learn more about the International Solidarity Movement, the organization that Sig travelled to the West Bank with, visit their website.

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In this episode of Intersectionality in the American South, host Dr. Katie Acosta highlights reflections on the Gullah Geechee Immersive Field School taken by students from Georgia State University and the College of Charleston. Students share their thoughts and feelings about visiting historic sites like McLeod Plantation and Sullivan's Island, meeting Gullah Geechee elders, and learning about the harsh realities of slavery. The episode features insights from two students, Tiara Mbonisi and Zaree Ross, as they reflect on their family histories and the personal growth they experienced during the trip.

To see pictures and videos taken by the students, visit the Students digital archive on instagram @ fieldschool_gullahgeechee

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On this episode of Intersectionality in the American South, guest Dr. Jessica Berry shares a bit on the significance of the Gullah Geechee language for her personally and professionally. She shares experiences about her upbringing, the unspoken rule of code-switching inside and outside the Gullah community, and the challenges she faced in a predominantly white high school. Dr. Jessica Berry goes on to discuss her professional and community efforts to preserve and promote the Gullah Geechee culture and language, particularly through the Okra Soup Foundation. Listen now to hear about the transformative impact Dr. Berry's work has had on youth and her vision for preserving Gullah Geechee language and culture in South Carolina schools.

Dr. Jessica Berry is an accomplished and highly respected educator and researcher from Huger, South Carolina. With her B.A. and M.A. in speech-language pathology & audiology from Winthrop University and South Carolina State University, respectively, and her doctoral studies at Louisiana State University in communication disorders with a minor in linguistics, she is an expert in her field. Dr. Berry is a nationally certified and state-licensed speech-language pathologist who has dedicated her career to sharing knowledge about the Gullah Geechee language, culture, and history. As a dedicated higher education professional and the owner of Garden City Gymnastics, LLC in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Dr. Berry is a driven and successful entrepreneur, educator, and researcher.

She founded The O.K.R.A. Soup Foundation, a 501c3 organization that empowers Gullah Geechee youth through the We Been Ya: Geechee Girls Rock Program, reflecting her passion for creating equitable spaces for children who speak non-mainstream varieties of English to succeed. Dr. Berry is a wife and mother of two girls, and in her spare time, she enjoys leading praise and worship, recording new music, and reading. With her impressive accomplishments and unwavering determination to continue her work as an educator and researcher, Dr. Berry is an inspiration to all who know her.

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In July 2024, the Intersectionality in the American South Collective had the privilege of visiting the McLeod Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. In this episode, Dr. Katie Acosta speaks with one of the site's preservationists, Reverend Toby Smith, about McLeod's history, the opening of this historic site to the general public, and the intentional efforts to make McLeod a space where the history of slavery is told from the perspective of the enslaved.

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