White Women Wake Up
Episodes
Why Change Feels Hard (And Why That Is Exactly Why You Need It)
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Change is not a character flaw. It is biology. In this episode, Karen brings a deeply personal topic to the table: why change feels so threatening, ev...
The First Story We Believe: Anchor Bias and the Judgments We Didn't Know We Made
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jonelle and Karen know we all carry a first story. The first thing we were told about a neighborhood. The first image we saw of a person. The first fr...
Re-Release—S1:EP43-BRAVE Conversations: Finding Meaning in the Mess
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hard conversations shape us—yet too often we avoid them, shut them down, or mistake venting for dialogue. Karen and Jonelle take a closer look at wh...
Re-Release S1:E39 Breaking the Niceness Trap: Choosing Clarity over Comfort
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle unpack the tension between cultural expectations of “niceness” and the need for authenti...
When White Grief Wakes Us Up and When It Shuts Us Down
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines how white women experience grief when violence, injustice, or loss suddenly feels personal and why that grief often arrives late...
Unwritten Rules: When White Comfort Becomes Control
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines how white entitlement often hides inside everyday expectations that feel neutral, polite, or “just the way things work.” Kar...
When Empathy Isn’t Equal: White Grief, Fear, and the Limits of Awareness
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines a difficult but revealing tension for white women on the path of awareness: why some forms of violence and injustice trigger dee...
Whose History Gets Protected and Whose Gets Erased
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle examine how historical narratives are shaped by power, protection, and selective memory. The...
The Watchful Dragon: When Defensiveness Blocks Growth
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the idea of the “watchful dragon,” a concept borrowed from C.S. Lewis that describes the unconscious in...
Accountability Over Empathy: What the “Male Loneliness” Narrative Reveals About Emotional Labor
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle unpack the growing conversation around the “male loneliness epidemic” and ask a harder q...
Re-Release_S1:E10-From Awareness to Action: Challenging Our Own Narratives
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle dive into the complexities of authentic allyship. They share personal stories of confronting...
Re-Release_S1:E1- Starting the Journey: Learning, Growing, and Waking Up
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces a space for honest conversations about self-reflection, personal growth, and navigating privilege. We’ll unpack inherited bi...
Who Controls the Story? White Women, Book Bans, and the Battle for Empathy
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle dig into the rising wave of book bans and why they matter for anyone committed to waking up. Using their own childh...
The Ladder and the Hole: Giving, Systems, and the Stories We Never Tell
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore why stories of generosity often stop at the surface. Using examples from holiday giving, volunteer work, an...
A New Season, A New Way to Wake Up
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 opens with a new way to approach growth. Instead of rigid goals shaped by productivity culture, Karen and Jonelle introduce their Bingo Card ...
What We Learned This Year: Honest Reflection, Hard Lessons, and Waking Up Together
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this anniversary episode, Karen and Jonelle look back at one year of conversations, discomfort, learning, and unlearning. They revisit the ...
When Expectations Break Us — Acceptance, Grief, and Letting People Be Themselves
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle dig into the uncomfortable truth behind accepting people as they are. What starts as a conversation about expectati...
Rewriting the Script: How Movies Shape What We Believe About Gender and Power
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle explore how decades of movie tropes have quietly shaped our collective ideas about gender, r...
The Hard Work of Letting People Be
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Karen and Jonelle dig into what it really means to let people be—without needing them to think, act, or believe like us. Karen shares how...
From Equity to Exclusivity: The Quiet Shift in Dual-Language Schools
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dual-language preschools were created to celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity, yet many are now being reshaped by privilege. This episode looks...
The Tradwife Trap: When Branding Masquerades as Empowerment
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle take a hard look at the tradwife movement—a social media trend romanticizing “traditional” h...
Beyond the Food Desert: Naming Food Apartheid and the Cost of Systemic Neglect
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Karen and Jonelle explore how language shapes awareness—and accountability. What many call “food deserts” are not barren by nature bu...
From Apathy to Action: Naming White Women’s Burnout
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Karen and Jonelle explore a term that’s been circulating in activist spaces—white women apathy. But as they dig deeper, they realize the issue isn...
Psychological Safety: Building Trust Beyond Words
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle explore the concept of psychological safety and why it matters in both personal relationship...
BRAVE Conversations: Finding Meaning in the Mess
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hard conversations shape us—yet too often we avoid them, shut them down, or mistake venting for dialogue. Karen and Jonelle take a closer look at wh...
Inside and Out: How Social Identity Shapes Our Reactions
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle examine social identity theory—the idea that our self-esteem is often tied to group member...
From Bias to Belonging: The Power of Interdependence
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle explore how interdependence transforms the way we challenge bias and build belonging. White ...
Unmasking Ableism: Rethinking Neurodiversity and Inclusion
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 40 of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle turn their attention to ableism and its everyday impact. They explore how neurodivergent peopl...
Breaking the Niceness Trap: Choosing Clarity over Comfort
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle unpack the tension between cultural expectations of “niceness” and the need for authenti...
Wellness or Whitewashing? Decolonizing Our Self-Care Practices
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle unpack the hidden layers of cultural appropriation in today’s wellness industry. From yoga...
Decoding the Dog Whistle: How “Soft” Words Shield Hard Truths
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 37, Karen and Jonelle pull back the curtain on coded language—those seemingly harmless words that hide bias in plain sight. They introduc...
Beyond Borrowed Voices: Reading for Authenticity
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Karen and Jonelle tackle when imaginative empathy crosses into cultural appropriation. Jonelle defines appropriation as writers “taking ownership…...
Peace at Any Price? Rewriting Our Family’s Bias Scripts
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 35 explores the roots of bias inside our households. Jonelle opens with eye-opening research: babies only exposed to their own race 90 percent...
Believe First: Trusting Lived Experience Over Comfort Bias
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle step into the awkward pause that follows the question, “Are you sure?” They dissect why white women often doubt...
Echo Chamber Check: Algorithms, Bias, and Your Feed
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle dive into the hidden power of echo chambers on social media. They compare their own TikTok feeds to reveal how algo...
Decolonizing Daily Habits
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle move beyond theory to confront how a colonial mindset shows up in choices. They define the colonial mindset as beli...
When the Majority Feels Marginalized: Unpacking Reverse Discrimination
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 31, Jonelle and Karen zero in on the surge of reverse discrimination claims and why they differ fundamentally from racism. They start by de...
Moving Beyond Me: The Language of Individualism
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a brief conversation about how cultural backgrounds influence trauma responses, Karen and Jonelle dive into the concept of individualism as a de...
Triggered or Traumatized? Cultural Clashes, Friendship Friction, and the Cost of Centering Ourselves
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the emotional terrain of being triggered and the deeper layers of trauma shaped by culture, history, and id...
Beyond Nice: White Female Friendships and the Cost of Competition
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deeply personal episode, Karen and Jonelle explore how colonial patterns have shaped white female friendships, often embedding competition, sc...
Colonization, Scarcity, and the Stories We Tell
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle go deep on the colonial mindset—not just as history, but as a living framework that still ...
Burning the Myths: Plantations, Patriotism, and the Cost of Erasure
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle tackle the uneasy allure of Southern plantations after a fire destroyed Louisiana’s lucrative Nottaway plantation...
God & Government: White Women Confront Christian Nationalism
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle unpack the viral images of an all‑white evangelical worship service held in the West Wing—...
Dandyism & Discomfort: When Met‑Gala Glam Confronts White Women’s Comfort
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This White Women Wake Up episode centers around the 2025 Met Gala’s “Superfine Tailoring” celebration of Black dandyism. Jonelle and Karen trace...
Tears, Boundaries, and Toxic Positivity: Unpacking Emotional Whiteness
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be “too much” in a world that tells you to quiet down? In this episode, Karen and Jonelle wrestle with emotional regulation, ...
Your Body Isn’t Broken: How White Supremacy Taught Us to Hate Ourselves
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this raw and emotional episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle tackle the hidden biases white women carry about their own bodies—and th...
My Body Is Always Political
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to move through the world in a body that’s always political? In this episode, Karen and Jonelle unpack a powerful statement from a...
Protest or Rally? Performative or Powerful?
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this raw and revealing episode, Karen and Jonelle unpack their differing views of protest, rally, or march. They explore how white women often conf...
Sexism, Solidarity, and the White Woman’s Blind Spot
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this powerful and deeply reflective episode, Karen and Jonelle explore how white women’s proximity to white male power—shaped by sexism—impac...
Unpacking Language: The Hidden Bias in Everyday Idioms
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle dive into the unconscious bias embedded in common idioms. Building on previous discussions a...
Cultural Fit or White Gatekeeping? Unpacking the Bias
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, we dive into the concept of “cultural fit” in hiring and its potential to serve as a form of white gatekee...
Beyond Colorblindness: Why Erasing Race Erases the Full Story
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this powerful episode of White Women Wake Up, co-hosts Jonelle and Karen welcome Dr. Raedene Copeland, a brand strategist and leadership expert, to...
Breaking the Discomfort Cycle: From Defensiveness to Action
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle delve into the "Discomfort Cycle" — a recurring pattern of defensiveness, shame,...
Whitesplaining and the Super Bowl: A Conversation About Entitlement
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle dive into a conversation sparked by the 2025 Super Bowl performance by Kendrick Lamar. What ...
DEI Backlash: Unpacking White Exhaustion
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle tackle the growing backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They...
The One-Third Rule: Moving Beyond Performative Allyship
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the "one-third rule," a practice used by Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff. Th...
From Norm to Noticing: Unpacking White Culture’s Influence
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle dive deep into the concept of white culture, its historical roots, and how it continues to s...
From Awareness to Action: Challenging Our Own Narratives
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, Karen and Jonelle dive into the complexities of authentic allyship. They share personal stories of confronting...
Bias and the Power of Perception
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Karen and Jonelle explore the shifting public perception of the Menendez brothers’ case and use it as a springboard to discuss soci...
Breaking the Comparison Trap: Listening with Intention and Awareness
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up co-hosts Jonelle and Karen explore the pitfalls of comparison. They examine how comparisons can diminish others...
Fear, Facts, and Trans Rights: Breaking Down Barriers to Understanding
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of 'White Women Wake Up,' co-hosts Karen and Jonelle discuss the relationship between fear and policy, particularly focusing...
The Fight for Safe Spaces in Education
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, hosts Jonelle and Karen explore the complexities surrounding a policy requiring teachers to inform parents if ...
Cancel Culture: Growth or Shutdown
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's discussion centers on the provocative idea that cancel culture may inadvertently reinforce white supremacy. The hosts reflect on how canc...
Unpacking Triggers: Bridging Perspectives and Fostering Growth
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of White Women Wake Up, hosts Jonelle and Karen dive into an honest, raw exploration of the words, biases, and perspectives that trigg...
The Myth of Neutral: Race, Gender, and Accountability
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonelle and Karen discuss the unintentional harm caused by well-meaning actions, particularly microaggressions, which dismiss and invalidate marginali...
Performative Activism vs. Meaningful Change: Lessons from a Sundown Town
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode delves into the complexities of allyship and systemic racism through the lens of a viral TikTok controversy involving the town of Coleman...
Starting the Journey: Learning, Growing, and Waking Up
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces a space for honest conversations about self-reflection, personal growth, and navigating privilege. We’ll unpack inherited bi...