the Avocado Moment
One evening, a young-ish lady was slicing avocados to prepare for dinner. As she was slicing, she overheard an interview on NPR that would change her life. An NPR journalist was speaking to a woman about building the wall along the Mexico border. The woman in favor of the wall, began to state "facts" that were entirely false about Mexicans, immigrants, and trade.
While shaking her head in disbelief, the young-ish lady noticed the label on her avocado read: "Hecho en Mexico". Realizing she could one day go without avocados and thus spiral into an endless fried food binge, she shouted in anger: "What in the world is wrong with people!?" Lo and behold, America gets most of its avocados from Mexico. If you were a Mexican politician setting rules for sending Americans avocados for expensive salads and body butters, what would do?
What in the world? is an attempt to make issues such as trade, migration, national security, and all those other fancy topics, relevant. Foreign policy is in everything we do, eat, drink, wear, and everywhere we go. Since that's the case, this show will hopefully help you understand what's going on out there in the world and why it matters to you, the regular American just trying to eat a healthy salad.
creator & producer: Bunmi Akinnusotu
The Oprah of Foreign Policy
Somewhere in DC posing on a corner I probably shouldn't!
Bunmi Akinnusotu is a first-generation American who spent countless hours listening to her Nigerian relatives argue and debate world politics. Though born and raised in the rebel state of Rhode Island, the idea of a world outside of America has always been part of her consciousness and is the motivation behind this show. She's got lots of degrees, worked for amazing organizations, and smiles at a dope Excel spreadsheet. Bunmi is a recovering collegiate volleyball player, the world's biggest Nina Simone fan and still has a love affair with Chicago. When she’s not podcasting, Bunmi is working on diversity and foreign policy issues at a prominent University in Washington, DC.
Production Assistant: Mandy Kwan
Mandy was born and raised in Seattle, Washington where everywhere you are in the city, mountains and bodies of water can be seen if you just look up and out. She credits her multicultural perspectives to her exposure to different languages and cultures at a very young age. Growing up speaking English and different dialects of Chinese, she saw at an early age how national and global affairs deeply influenced culture, economic development, and human livelihood. She decided to learn a third language, Spanish, and instantly discovered how her world expanded even more. Very much committed to social justice and human rights, she is always discovering new ways that countries and people are interdependent. She's had opportunities to live in different countries and most importantly, work with and learn from inspiring people across the world. She is honored to make foreign affairs accessible and relatable to EVERYONE in the United States by highlighting womxn and BIPOC voices through What in the World?