Learn more about the alumni behind the podcast, their goals for it, and links to listen in the article written by Nancy Joseph on the College of Arts & Sciences news page. Start reading below…
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n the past year, Tiana Cole and Brad Blackburn III have spoken with Black civic leaders, broadcasters, business owners, educators, nonprofit directors, and other successful professionals about their careers — including how race has factored into their journeys. Their unfiltered conversations are now streaming on Identity Unboxed, a podcast launched in 2023.
Cole (BA, Journalism and Public Interest Communication, 2021) and Blackburn (BA, Political Science, 2021, MPA, 2023) created the podcast to serve as a mentorship resource for young Black professionals. They see it as an opportunity to learn from established professionals who have been through a similar journey.
“We’ve met so many exceptional people who have inspired us and helped us along the way on our own journeys,” Cole says. “We thought a podcast would be a great way to learn how they’ve gotten to where they have and provide those stories of inspiration and resilience.”
Learning from Listening
Blackburn and Cole met as students at Tumwater High School near Olympia, Washington. Both came to the UW with plans to pursue health-related majors, convinced that would ensure a stable and lucrative career. They quickly realized their interests lay elsewhere. Cole discovered a passion for journalism and storytelling. Blackburn’s interest in social justice led to courses in political science and law, societies & justice, and later a master’s in public administration.
The two alums recently started their professional journeys — Cole as a program administrator in the UW’s Continuum College; Blackburn as community engagement and in-kind manager at YouthCare, a Seattle nonprofit — but their podcast has already helped them in their own lives…
