Connecting with Kimya:

Connecting with Janelle:

It’s episode 84 and I’m chatting with Kimya Nuru Dennis, Ph.D. – a multi and interdisciplinary criminologist and sociologist who currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

As an educator, facilitator, trainer, evaluator, and researcher, Dr. Dennis helps local, national, and international communities, schools, companies, and organizations implement measurable inclusion, equity, and justice.

It was so enriching to connect so deeply with Kimya, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy listening in. We talked about her Black and Indigenous heritage, her career changes, intentionally racist city design and planning, the symbolism of moles, what it means to reach furthan than comfortable, and how the idea of excitement varies across culture.

Kimya specializes in a range of demographic and cultural identities and contributing factors that shape every component of people’s lives and experiences. Such demographic and cultural identities and experiences include race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, health conditions, health services, and religion.

When we spoke of her relationship to her creativity, we covered how to use creativity to not explain the same thing the same way over and over, how to get beyond what’s already done, and how creativity can include challenges and outrage.

Kimya also shared her own personal connection to music – singing, playing piano and harp, and how she brings her music into her sociology work. She talked about ancient mathematics, using shapes and colour, how creativity gives us our brain relaxation and how health equity needs to include artistic expression.

Kimya then discussed the changes from being skinny to gaining a freshman 45, and her different experiences in her body, and acceptance. She spoke about how certain body types are cultural, and her Gramma Helen, who appearance took after her Blackfoot ancestors. She talked about loving her hips, Sarah Bartman, whose body is still in a museum, and medical inequities.

We got into a conversation about mirrors and wondering how they really work, and our self perceptions. What a full and rich conversation.

Enjoy our ramble through her chosen tale as well as her relationship with her body and creativity.