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(Saphia sits in front of a white background.)

SAPHIA: Hi, my name is Saphia. I’m the creator of Off the Hook, and I’m back to let you know that we are coming back with season two next Tuesday at noon. And as I said in our wrap up for season one, we are focusing on communalism. Now, bell hooks talks about communalism in Where We Stand: Class Matters as it pertains, of course, to class, and in reading her work and ideating about this season, I broke it down into five subcategories of communalism. 

The question of boundaries comes up—what does it mean to be in community and also maintain personal boundaries and sovereignty? Then there are resources—bell hooks talks about the sharing of resources, and the first step to that is to live simply so that you have more to give. Then there is rehumanization—she talks about needing to rehumanize those who live in poverty, that their agency has been taken away, and that as we have moved into a culture of consumerism we equate people’s value with their monetary abilities, what they’re able to acquire. And so the poor are often dehumanized, so there’s a rehumanization that needs to happen. Then, of course, interdependency—the way in which we are interdependent, as a society, as human beings inhabiting this earth. And then finally, a value shift—a value shift away from consumerism, and towards prosperity for all and simple living. 

There are a lot of ways to approach these topics, and we have a maximum of three minutes for about six episodes, so we are going to begin to ask these questions, and we encourage you to continue those conversations, and, as always, to let us know what resonates, what doesn’t, what questions you have, what thoughts are circulating in your mind as you also think about communalism. 

So, once again, next Tuesday, we will be back. Thank you so much for being here, and I will see you very soon.

(Fade to outro.)