59. “Is It OK to Use the Term Black?” A Candid Conversation About Race, Parenting & Coaching Ft. Sarah Townsend

REPRESENTED with Annie Gichuru

This week’s episode is one of the most heartfelt and honest conversations I’ve had on the podcast.

I’m joined by Sarah Townsend an activator, coach, facilitator and graduate of REPRESENTED who shares what it really looks like to move from silence and fear to meaningful action in the work of anti-racism.

Sarah came into this work believing she was already “one of the good ones” conscious, inclusive, and kind. But as you’ll hear, what she uncovered about her own inaction, discomfort, and internalised beliefs completely shifted how she now shows up as a coach, a parent to 2 little children and a human.

In this powerful conversation, we talk about:

🎙 Why being “a good person” isn’t enough and what Sarah realised about her silence.
🎙 How she shifted from fearing discomfort to asking hard questions, like: Is it okay to use the term Black?
🎙 The moment she saw racism not as individual acts, but as a system and how that changed everything.
🎙 How doing this work made her a more courageous coach and conscious parent.
🎙 What it means to write an inclusion statement from the heart, not just to tick a box.
🎙 Why waiting until you're “ready” only prolongs inaction and what Sarah would say to those sitting on the fence of doing this work.

This is one of those episodes that will stay with you.

If you’ve ever felt unsure of how to begin or what it means to truly show up for racial equity especially as a white coach, Sarah’s story is one you need to hear.

LINKS:
Sarah Townsend
Website
Instagram
I'd love to invite you to dive deeper into racial inclusion work by joining me for the next round of my 10 week online program REPRESENTED. Check out all the details and join the live round 👉🏾 https://anniegichuru.com/represented
Come say hi on Instagram, let me know where you are tuning in from. I'd love to hear from you 👉🏾 https://www.instagram.com/annie.gichuru