Nicole Cardoza practices radical imagination, and wants you to as well. She may be best known as the creator of the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter, which began shortly after the murder of George Floyd and now reaches hundreds of thousands of subscribers. But Nicole also manages Reclamation Ventures, which invests in projects committed to health and racial equity; runs the Banned Books Book Club; and is currently on tour as a magician. Host Jillian Anthony (writer, editor, and author of the Cruel Summer Book Club newsletter) asks Nicole what it was like to watch Anti-Racism Daily gain such sudden popularity, and the self-care practices she adopted to see her through an intense professional learning curve. Plus, they discuss closing the “wellness gap;” what it’s like to be a Black, queer, female magician; and Nicole’s pandemic months spent in the wilds of Alaska.
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Follow guest Nicole Cardoza:
Website and newsletter: nicoleacordoza.com
Instagram and Twitter: @nicoleacardoza
Anti-Racism Daily newsletter: antiracismdaily.com
Follow host Jillian Anthony:
Instagram: @jillathrilla
Twitter: @jillathrilla
Subscribe to the Cruel Summer Book Club newsletter
Time stamps
2:33 – Jillian is reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
4:41 – Jillian’s obsession: The Real Housewives of Potomac
6:34 – Introducing guest Nicole Cardoza
7:11 – Nicole’s obsession with radical imagination
9:45 – Nicole’s fall tour as a magician
11:13 – Being a good community member in Austin, a blue dot in a red state
13:30 – Nicole’s upbringing and early interest in magic
15:53 – Nicole’s growth in yoga and the wellness space
17:45 – What is the “wellness gap?”
20:44 – The beginning of Anti-Racism Daily and its growth
26:52 – How Nicole leveled up professionally
32:10 – How Nicole continually educates herself about social issues
35:18 – Nicole’s mental and physical wellness practices
37:28 – Nicole spent months in Alaska during the pandemic
41:01 – Breaking down Nicole’s other businesses
42:10 – Nicole’s goals for Reclamation Ventures and as a performer
44:14 – Nicole’s experience as a Black, queer, female magician
46:46 – Banned Books Book Club, and the rise of book banning in the USA
52:22 – Nicole’s art: “I Found My Smile Again” by Jaylen Pigford
53:48 – Nicole’s joy bomb: Morning walks with her dog to get coffee
55:42 – Where to follow Nicole’s work