The Real Ones: Authenticity, Code-Switching, and Agency with Maya Rupert

What does it really mean to be authentic—and who gets to decide? In this episode of The Space in Between, host Leigh Morgan talks with author, political strategist, and podcast host Maya Rupert about how race, gender, identity, and power influence who is perceived as “real,” trustworthy, and qualified.

Drawing from her book, The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic, Maya challenges the idea that authenticity is simply a matter of “being yourself.” She and Leigh explore how code-switching and adapting to different environments can reflect awareness and agency—not dishonesty. In today’s divided and distrustful climate, understanding these dynamics can help us recognize the conditions shaping our choices while still acting from a place of clarity, dignity, and power.

Topics Leigh & Maya Explore

Societal norms and dynamics influence perceptions of authenticity. The dynamics behind code-switching. How bias shapes our judgments of leaders. How grace, humility, and accountability can strengthen public life.

Key Takeaways

Authenticity is not a fixed identity waiting to be uncovered. It develops through experience, reflection, relationships, and changing circumstances.Code-switching can be a strategic response to real social conditions. The important question is whether we are making conscious choices or losing contact with ourselves.Feeling misunderstood does not necessarily mean we have failed to be authentic. Sometimes the discomfort or incongruence exists in the observer’s expectations and biases.Authenticity can require effort. Working to live according to our values does not make those values less genuine.Agency includes knowing when to engage, when to step away, and when to ask an ally to enter a conversation that we do not have the safety or capacity to hold.Perceptions of identity, especially those outwardly expressed (race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, etc) must be acknowledged as influencing and shaping perceptions of authenticity.

Why This Matters

In polarized times, people are hungry for leaders who seem “real.” But when authenticity is poorly defined or we aren't aware of its variability, bias can quietly determine who receives trust, forgiveness, and the benefit of the doubt. By asking better questions—What do we mean by authentic? What assumptions are influencing our judgment? What conditions shape how someone shows up?—we can become more discerning citizens, more humane leaders, and more powerful agents