Welcome to Episode 5! “Say My Name with May Malik (part 1)”

Today’s guest is a real live candidate running for public office living that #PostShame life!

May Malik is running for New York State Assembly District 73 which includes the Manhattan neighborhoods of the Upper East Side, Midtown East, Turtle Bay, Sutton Place, and Murray Hill.

If elected she would be the first muslim black woman elected to state wide office in New York State.

In the interview May is forthcoming about her journey as a Sudanese immigrant and growing up in a traditional household. Despite the fact that the “opposition research” she did on herself didn’t turn up too much she shares the ways her upbringing has influenced her journey processing her shame and the way it shows up in her commitment to service and being a mother.

May Malik is the former Deputy Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and former Director of Public-Private Partnerships at NYC Service within the New York City Mayor's Office.

In this episode May “comes out” about her given name at birth and what it’s like to live as someone whose brand IS their name.

We split this episode into two parts because the issue of naming ended up inspiring some story time for Adam about his own name in addition to revisiting the Six Steps of Post Shame.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Donate to May’s campaign

@Expirednfabulous on Instagram

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s Name Change Project provides pro bono legal name change services to low-income transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people through partnerships with some of the nation’s most prestigious law firms and corporate law departments.

If you don’t fall into that category but are still looking for help Lambda Legal offers an amazing resources page as well.

Find Your Light is made by rad humans:

Brand design is by Veta & Saloni

Our social media manager is José Rodriguez Solis on Instagram and Tiktok @cacidoe

Our theme music composer and editor is Zach Wachter

You can follow Adam on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at @adammacattck & @postshame