It's Giving: Valerie June

What if joy is its own form of activism? In this episode of It’s Giving, Ingela sits down with singer-songwriter Valerie June for a conversation about staying centered, grounded, and connected in a divided world.

Valerie reflects on her lifelong journey of speaking up – tracing her activism all the way back to fourth grade when she sang Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" for her class. She also opens up about living with diabetes, her participation in Power to the Patients’ Super Bowl ad for healthcare price transparency, and why she strives to make her live shows a welcoming space for people from every walk of life.

Fresh off tour with Ani DiFranco, Valerie makes a powerful case that real cultural change requires all of us – from frontline activists to quiet meditators. Drawing inspiration from Tricia Hersey’s philosophy of rest as resistance, she reminds us why taking a nap or pausing to recharge is a radical and necessary act.

“I choose to focus on joy and positive activism. If I can just turn on that light switch for them and keep that light switch lit, then that torch is gonna go farther than me just picking a lane.”

If you loved this interview, please leave a rating, drop a review, and subscribe to support the show so I can bring you even more artist interviews! Don't miss next Wednesday's episode, where I'll introduce another incredible musician leveraging their platform for meaningful advocacy!