Ep. 25 - Race, Friendship & Emotional Truth: A Conversation with Dr. Marcella Runell
In this episode of the CivilTalk Podcast, Topacio Althaus sits down with Dr. Marcella Runell —award-winning author, educator, and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Mount Holyoke College—for a deeply reflective conversation on the power of emotional intelligence in leadership, friendship, and social justice education. With decades of experience bridging identity, spirituality, and student development, Dr. Runell brings a unique and grounded perspective to the question of how we create more emotionally intelligent institutions and relationships.
We discuss her co-authored book UnCommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race & Friendship, a collection of essays exploring the emotional labor, tension, and transformative potential of cross-racial friendship between women. Dr. Runell shares what she learned curating those stories, the importance of truth-telling in friendships, and the often invisible work required to sustain meaningful connection across difference. We also explore her innovative student-facing programs like Faith Zone and the Hip-Hop & Pedagogy Initiative, which have reshaped how campuses talk about identity, belonging, and expression.
Dr. Runell’s work has been featured in The New York Times Learning Network, VIBE, and academic journals like Equity and Excellence in Education. She continues to serve as an advisor to organizations like EmbraceRace, and her writing on parenting, spirituality, and racial justice continues to shape dialogue. You can explore more of her published work here and listen now to our conversation below that invites us to lead—and live—with more courage, care, and emotional clarity.