In this Harvest Series episode, Rose Claverie sits down with journalist-filmmaker Rokhaya Diallo and author Thomas Chatterton Williams to explore courage, race, and identity across two continents. Recorded in Kaplankaya, this conversation examines what it means to challenge dominant narratives in societies with very different approaches to discussing race.

Rokhaya shares her path to becoming a leading public voice in France, shaped by personal experience and the absence of representation in French media. Thomas reflects on his transatlantic perspective, contrasting the reception of his work in the U.S. and France, and discussing race as both a fiction and a lived reality.

From intellectual courage to personal passions — including anime, sport, and literature — this episode offers a layered conversation about identity, visibility, and the price of speaking out.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Harvest & introduction

00:29 – Raising your voice in a quiet world

01:19 – First impressions & arrival in Kaplankaya

02:01 – Rokhaya’s background and roots

02:50 – Thomas’s background and roots

03:33 – Becoming public voices on race & identity

04:20 – Gender awareness from a young age

05:04 – Discovering racial perception in adulthood

07:01 – Representation in media: France vs. U.S.

08:51 – Impossibility of seeing oneself in French media

10:23 – Visibility changes & ongoing gaps

11:12 – Representation in French cinema and culture

12:08 – Thomas on becoming a public writer

13:22 – Race as a prism in writing

15:01 – France vs. U.S. discourse on race

17:10 – Contrasting receptions of their work

18:16 – Race as fiction with real-world impact

19:10 – Misuse of each other’s work in debates

20:20 – Expectation of “gratitude” from minorities

22:10 – Complexity of national identity and history

23:20 – Audience reactions and defensiveness

24:25 – The impossibility of a racism-free society

25:01 – Left-wing critique vs. accusations toward minorities

25:27 – Balancing debate fatigue with mission

26:07 – Intellectual courage and respectful discourse

27:04 – Handling online criticism & resilience

28:06 – Superpower: not needing strangers to like you

28:59 – Fatigue from being misunderstood

29:17 – Desire to speak beyond confrontational topics

30:04 – Media reception and debate framing

31:15 – Topics beyond race & politics: anime, sport, literature

34:09 – Current projects and upcoming books

36:07 – Graphic novel biography of Angela Davis

37:27 – Magic wand changes: better dialogue & equal storytelling

39:19 – Closing thanks and reflections

If you had the courage to change one thing in your society, what would it be?

Rokhaya is the author of Dictionnaire Amoureux du Féminisme :https://www.babelio.com/livres/Diallo-Dictionnaire-amoureux-du-feminisme/1785634

Thomas is the author of « Summer of Our Discontent »

You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.

Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.

Credits:

• Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequences
• Technician in Kaplankaya: Joel Moriasi
• Music by:

In this Harvest Series episode hosted by Rose Claverie, Galahad Clark — founder of Vivobarefoot and descendant of the Clarks shoemaking family — explores how reconnecting with our feet might be the first step to reconnecting with ourselves and the planet.

He reveals how conventional shoes harm the body's skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems, and explains why barefoot movement restores natural strength and cognitive vitality. From ancient sandals to modern tech-enabled shoes, the episode traces footwear’s surprising role in health and sustainability.

How did we lose our connection to the ground beneath us — and what would it mean to reclaim it?

2:26 — Start of the interview.

3:22 — Why create shoes that feel like you're not wearing any? The physiological needs of the skeletal system, the muscles, and tendons — and the myth that children need overly supportive shoes.

9:00 — The nervous system: how the brain makes better decisions when it receives accurate information… and why padded shoes block this vital feedback from your feet.

11:31 — What does the science say?

12:21 — The origin story of Vivobarefoot and how the idea of barefoot-inspired footwear was born.

17:45 — Why were heels invented (hint: it has to do with horse riding) and how we slowly lost touch with the natural function of our feet.

21:00 — Is it safe to run barefoot on concrete? Yes — but transition gradually and let your muscles adapt.

23:00 — Are flip-flops really good for your feet?

27:00 — The dark side of the shoe industry… and why there’s still hope.

31:30 — The fascinating history of the Clarks family: the Quaker ancestors of Galahad Clark.

35:00 — The most courageous thing Galahad has ever done.

To know more about VivoBarefoot.

You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.

Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.

Credits:

• Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequences
• Technician in Kaplankaya: Joel Moriasi
• Music by: Chambord

Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital Partners

Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

Studies provided by VivoBarefoot : .

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304271421 WEAK TOE GRIP STRENGTH CORRELATES WITH HALLUX VALGUS IN 10-12 YEAR OLD GIRLS.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33035819/ LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A SCHOOL BAREFOOT RUNNING PROGRAM...

This is a special episode of the Harvest Series podcast in Spanish with Nemonte Nenquimo.

Episodio esepcial de Harvest Series en español con Nemonte Nenquimo – Lideresa indígena waorani, activista y defensora del Amazonas, Nemonte Nenquimo nos invita a escuchar la voz de la selva. En este episodio, exploramos la resistencia espiritual, la sabiduría ancestral y la urgencia de proteger la Tierra como un acto de amor radical. Una conversación profunda y transformadora.

Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.

Nemonte's associations : Re-wild and Allianza Ceibo

About her book : We Will be Jaguar

2'25 — Inicio de la entrevista: cómo mantenerse conectada con una misma.

7'31 — Cómo llegó Nemonte a Turquía para defender su causa.

10'00 — Nemonte cuenta la historia de su pueblo y cómo viven en Ecuador.

14'04 — Explica su lucha por proteger la Amazonía, por qué es una causa que nos afecta a todos, y recuerda su papel como la primera mujer presidenta de su comunidad.

19'50 — ¿Cómo seguir luchando contra un sistema tan poderoso?

21'00 — Qué le da miedo a Nemonte, y qué le da paz. Habla de las asociaciones con las que colabora.

27'10 — La importancia del canto para Nemonte y las mujeres indígenas. Nos regala un canto para cerrar este episodio.

Credits:

• Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequences
• Technician in Kaplankaya: Joel Moriasi
• Music by: Chambord

Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital Partners

Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel