Welcome to the The Class of 99 Podcast: The Podcast For (and About) The Other 99% Of Us.
Even though this an “organic” project–which we’re not defining too strictly at this early stage–The Class of 99 Podcast is dedicated to telling (and hearing) OUR stories. The experiences we all share–through sacrifices, obstacles, opportunities, defeats, and victories–that helped us go, or the people we know, from “ordinary people” to “extra-ordinary people.”
That is, the hard work–one way or another–we’ve put in to improve ourselves and our families.
This is the hub for this exciting project, where you can get latest news and–more importantly–access, follow, and like the podcast from its own site or through your favorite platform for podcasts.
The Class of 99 Podcast is project related to, and inspired by, the Tale of Two Harvards campaign–which I invite you to explore as well–but, excitingly, it’s its own thing.
And, of course, focused on the fascinating, hilarious, infuriating–and every adjective in between–stories that we’ve experienced as members of that 99%, 99.5%, or 99.9% people. Stories that nobody wants to tell, but all want to hear.
Some of these will be my own–some about my good, bad, and ugly experiences at Harvard. But many more will be about my life before, and apart from it. I go to Harvard. But I don’t think I am Harvard. Some people do, and I’m not one of them.
But, more importantly, I invite you to share your own stories.
Whether that’s been at a quote-unquote “elite” university, behind a desk at an office, on a so-called “blue collar” worksite, and everywhere else in between. We all have our stories. About the jerk boss, about getting the short end of the stick, about sometimes winning, about being “effed over,” or about landing into an amazing opportunity. Whatever you think is interesting. Because I’m sure it is.
I have more stories than I know what to do with. And I want to tell those–in fact, I’ve already started to in the podcast’s first episodes.
But I know–from talking to people all over the place about the Tale of Two Harvards initiative–that pretty much everyone has their own set of stories like mine (better than mine!). In all kinds of places and under all kinds of circumstances.
If we’ve learned at all anything in the past weeks, it’s that we have a lot more in common than we have different. This isn’t about politics. This isn’t about color. This isn’t about religion. This is about what actually brings us together, rather than divides us. So “they” can “conquer” us, and rob us blind while we’re distracted.
This is about working our asses off in a world that increasingly punishes those who actually work hard for a living. (And give up near-half their paychecks.) Who live honestly, look out for other people, and who speak real opinions. Ideas that don’t fit neatly into the presets they try to program into us.
So, let’s do this thing together. Listen, share, like, subscribe, comment. All of that.
And, if you can, contribute to our fundraising campaign. Any amount makes a difference to the important work of both projects–and beyond. I’m just trying to do my part, in the face of people that don’t want me to.
But, you can hear those stories in my videos on the website. But–I think–far more entertainingly, in these episodes and those to come: