Outcast

In this season of warmer weather, many of us are daydreaming of upcoming trips and vacations that have been sitting on our calendars – trips that will inevitably bring us to new places and new people, and ideally new opportunities to take in different cultures and fresh experiences.

Travel – a powerful and potentially transformative function of life. I think one of my favorite statements regarding travel was by Anthony Bourdain who shared, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.”  I love that concept – the idea that we have the power to leave an impact of some kind on the world, and in return, our willingness to open ourselves up to new people, places and experiences leaves a lasting effect on us. Admittedly, over the last few years many of us had to curtail the extent of our travels and we mourned the lost opportunities. But for some, it was a chance to re-examine the approach to travel: Instead of looking at it as a physical relocation of one’s self to have new experiences and understandings, perhaps it could be a deeper exploration of the unique cultures, perspectives, and contextual stories of people living in their own communities. For one local non-profit, the New American Consortium, the desire to see this kind of exploration of community diversity manifested itself as a podcast called, Outcast.  The brainchild of on-air Co-Host, Marina Behm, Outcast features Fargo-Moorhead community members who bring their unique experiences as foreign-born or BIPOC residents to each hour-long segment. With guests hailing from Somalia, Mandan, South Korea, Chicago, the Congo, and more, the richness of their stories truly underscores the heart of what we all desire from our travels – and that is the ability to learn from other perspectives and cultures and the capacity to open ourselves up to new people and ideas.

So as we all begin our undertaking of the much awaited summer months, I hope that any travels you take bring you new and exciting experiences. And for those who care to “travel” with Outcast through our very own community, we invite you to pull up a chair, settle down for a listen, and open your minds and hearts to the stories of people living in our very own neighborhoods.

Sarah Dixon-Hackey is a graduate of Concordia College with a degree in Healthcare Administration and an M.B.A. from North Dakota State University. She currently serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Liaison for Clay County Public Health working to identify and bridge health gaps for under-served populations. In addition to her work with Public Health, she has spent 18 years as a business instructor in higher education and 8 years in direct programming for at-risk populations in Fargo, ND.  

Along with her work, Dixon-Hackey is deeply involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention-ND Chapter. From 2014-2021, she served as Walk Chair for Fargo-Moorhead, the largest Out of the Darkness walk in the state. In the Fall of 2021, she was appointed State Field Advocate, serving as the lead advocate in North Dakota for public policies supporting mental and behavioral health. She is an approved Trainer for the AFSP’s “More Than Sad” suicide prevention training for parents and educators, and is a certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, a nationally recognized program by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. 

June’s Featured Art:

Mark Holter’s painting, “Loved”, was inspired by the belief that somebody, somewhere, loves us for who we are.