Pray With our Feet

In honor of Women's History month, we're  highlighting ministries run by women. Our first conversation in this series is with Latarsha Haughton, a woman of deep faith, and the founder of Breaking the Silence Healing the Pain. Latarsha endured decades of trauma – including sexual and emotional abuse. With the help of God, prayer, and trauma-informed therapy after 30 years, she transformed pain into purpose, and now creates community for other survivors. She is also an author (Breaking the Silence), and transformational life coach, guiding people to release wounds, and embrace their power. She is the CEO of two Assisted Living Facilities in Baltimore, and Co-Owner of Another Caring Hands. Stay Connected with her work: 
https://www.latarshahaughton.com

@haughtonslove

@bts_healingthepain

Breaking the Silence...Healing the Pain (Facebook Group) 

Breaking the Silence...Healing the Pain (website) 

Support Pray with our Feet Podcast - 

If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

As Black History Month comes to a close, Mom and I sit down to discuss the ongoing attack on voting rights and voter suppression;  we also unpack the history of who received access to the ballot and who didn't, particularly folks in BIPOC communities.

And we examine the denial of voting rights from a Biblical perspective, lifting up the prophet Isaiah's warning to the powerful rulers of his day: "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people... (Isaiah 10:1-3). 

Resources for Further Study - 

- Read and meditate on Isaiah 10:1-3 
- History of voting rights (source of information - The History Channel 
- Listen to the testimony of Fannie Lou Hamer (civil rights and voting rights activist) who came before the Democratic National Convention in 1964. 
- Connect with the Work of Carol Anderson and listen to her interview on Democracy Now (on Jan. 6, 2022) about the connection between voter suppression and white supremacy. 

Support Pray with our Feet Podcast - 

If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our tee: Love is the Revolution, a collaboration with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

 

I caught up with Rev. Bri-Anne Swan, founder of Resistance Church, minister at Jubilee United Church, and singer / songwriter. She has a heart for all those who have been told they do not belong (check out Rev. Bri-Anne's full bio here). 

Resistance Church is a justice-focused, online ministry of Jubilee that reaches out to those for whom traditional church models are not always relevant or accessible. 

Throughout our conversation we delved into:

- Her own spiritual journey and relationship with Christ, along with the unique way church functined for her growing up - not as a place you went to on Sunday, but as a community. 

- How reading scriptures introduced her to an expansive relationship with Christ - particularly sititng with the books of Isaiah and Mark. 

- The ongoing work, mission and offerings of Resistance Church, rooted in "rest, hope and  community. Subversive faith & radical love in response to extraordinary times." 

- Why we should stop trying to make God into our own image and conform to our national ideals. 

- Her friendship with death row inmtate Ramiro Gonzales (she also now serves as his  spiritual advisor), and the ongoing work of forgiveness and beloved community.

Stay Connected with Resistance Church and Rev. Bri-Anne:

Resistance Church on Facebook  and Instagram 

Support finacially (choose Resistance Church on the drop down menu, and you may also support the work of Jubilee Church) 

Listen to Rev. Bri-Anne's music on Facebook. 

Mom and I are back after our 2021 holiday break, and we're celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by unpacking one of King's most radical and controversial speeches Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, given one year before his assassination on April 4, 1968. 

Focusing on three quotes (with clips), we'll explore how his prophetic words are ever-relevant, and a call for all of us to embrace the urgency of speaking up against injustice, despite
the challenges.

Resources for Further Study:

Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence (video)

A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence (print version, PDF) 

King's anti-war activism, short reference (Stanford University)  

Support Pray with our Feet Podcast - 

If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

If ever there were a time to cultivate space for conversations that spark change, it is now! I chatted with Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft, Executive Minister for Justice, Education & Movement at Middle Church about their latest offering - a year-long monthly discussion series, Freedom Rising Salons, featuring "thought leaders, organizers, poets, artists and modern prophets reflecting on crucial justice issues, addressing our nation’s most pressing moral concerns, and what we all can do to rise and meet them.

Throughout this discussion we delved into -

- The inspiration behind Freedom Rising Salons , an extension of the annual  Revolutionary Love Conference. 

- The upcoming December & January discussions on rising to a moral economy (Dec. 15, 7pm ET) and a King Day teach-in on the radical theology and politics of his last years (Jan. 16, 1pm ET). 

- Supporting Middle Church's work and ongoing efforts to recover after their building caught fire last year (Dec. 5). 

- Rev. Amanda's own work as an activist and writer, and what she believes is needed in this moment to reimagine what is possible.  In addition to her work at Middle Church, she is the Founder of Raising Imagination, a platform examining social issues through the lenses of race, gender, faith, and parenting.

Rev. Amanda is the mother of three kids, and lives with them and her husband Graham in Manhattan. Check out our conversation with her from Season 1: "Jesus is with us on the Picket Line."

Book Recommendation from this Episode:

- Mariame Kaba, We Do This Til' We Free Us 

Support Pray with our Feet Podcast - 

If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

We sat down with Godfrey Molen whose passion for making a difference in the world and honoring the legacy of his late Mom, Florence, led to the founding of FLOGiving, a faith-based non-profit in our hometown of Baltimore. Florence, a woman of deep faith who valued giving back, often said "Up, up ever… down, down never," which means stay positive and leave your faith in God.

Throughout this episode, we delved into - 

- FLOGiving's multi-layered mission and vision: providing food, clothing, furniture, and supplies for people experiencing hardship, and inspiring men, women, and children in need, helping them transform their lives through hope. You can see testimonials of folks whose lives they have improved here and areas they serve. 

 - What it means to love loudly and love our neighbors in an expansive way, not leaving out those who are living on the margins of homelessness and economic insecurity. 

- What Godfrey sees as the root causes of homelessness in Baltimore: addiction, eviction, domestic violence and mental health challenges.

- How Psalm 123 and regular prayer keep him grounded and spiritually sustained in this ongoing work. 

- Ways to Support the work of FLOGiving: donating, spreading the word about their work on social media (FLOGiving on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube), and for local folks volunteering when in-person events start up again - watch their website and social media for updates. 

Support Pray with our Feet - 

If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page.

Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

There is a growing crisis in the Christian faith today. Across the country, far too many church leaders are pledging allegiance to the false ideology of white supremacy, American nationalism, toxic greed and exclusion of folks living on the margins. We sat down with Dr. Obery Hendricks to discuss his most recent book - Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith (Beacon Press, 2021). 

Dr. Hendricks is a life long social activist, and one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is a Biblical scholar at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary. His other books include The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings , The Universe Bends Toward Justice: Radical Reflections on the Bible, the Church, and the Body Politic, and the novel Living Water. 

Dr. Cornel West calls him “one of the last few grand prophetic intellectuals.”

Support our Work 
If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page.

Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

We've missed you all! Mom and I are back with Season 3 of the podcast, and our guiding scripture is Mathew 25:40 (Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done it to me). We're unpacking what it means to embrace our faith in the margins - from welcoming immigrants instead of erecting barriers to helping those experiencing homelessness and poverty, while committing to anti-racism in our church bodies and daily lives. We're excited to be in conversation with one another, and host chats with ministers, community activists, artists and writers. Expect to hear our episodes bi-weekly on Fridays (with a few bonus episodes, too)! 

Support our Work 
If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page.

Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our friend Kris Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in Community with us on Social 
The conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Special thanks to my husband Keston De Coteau (founder of Keystone Productions) who edits all our episodes! 

One of the most powerful ways we resist racism and de-center Whiteness as representative of all experiences is to tell our stories.

Towards the end of June (Immigrant Heritage Month), I caught up with my good friend Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson, writer, founder of Spoken Black Girl and mental health advocate, about her debut novel: Departure Story, which highlights the Black immigrant experience through the eyes of Celestine Samuels, a young Guyanese woman immigrating to the U.S. to attend college, who is finding her voice and speaking up for what she believes in and staying rooted in her native country. 

Rowana and I delved into everything from the urgency of making space for writers of color to the role faith plays in her creative work, and why the Spoken Black Girl community she is building matters immensely, "our healing [as a community) is intertwined." Finally, you can hear more about her mental health advocacy and Spoken Black Girl Publishing on Season 1.   

Stay Connected with Her Work:

Spoken Black Girl 

Instagram - @SpokenBlackGirl 

Twitter - @SpokenBlackGirl 

Purchase the latest magazine issue from Spoken Black Girl Publishing in the SBG shop, along with other beautiful offerings.

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

In this bonus episode, Mom and I chat with Dr. Nicole Davis about the urgency of uprooting gender discrimination within the body of Christ. Her new book - Eve, Where Are You? Confronting Toxic Practices Against the Advancement of Women, is an essential read.  Within these pages, we come to understand why many women are discouraged, emotionally absent, leaving churches, or considering giving up religious pursuits altogether.

Throughout the book, Dr. Davis thoughtfully contemplates the scriptural significance of God’s creation of Eve; compares women’s leadership advances in the marketplace and church; and shares real-life stories and perceptions about women in leadership offered by present-day church leaders.

Dr. Davis is an author, mediator, facilitator, conflict coach, a certified Marriage Today and Marriage on the Rock trainer, as well as a marriage and relationship coach, and the co-founder of Empower to Engage, which she co-leads with her husband.  

Connect with her Work Here:

Eve, Where are You? Confronting Toxic Practices Against the Advancement of Women on Instagram 

Empower to Engage 

Eve, Where are You? podcast  

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our Pray with our Feet mug and The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

It's Juneteenth weekend, y'all!  And Mom and I are discussing an important documentary - White Savior: Racism in the American Church (directed by Aaron J. Christopher). Using a combination of interviews and research, White Savior traces the historic relationship between racism and American Christianity, present day segregation in churches and  and asks hard questions about racial reconciliation. The film is divided into chapters, Mom and I discuss four: Chap. 1 (White is Race), Chap. 2 (The Bible and Race), Chap. 6 (Christianity in Black and White) and Chapter 7 (The Problem of Reconciliation). 

We hear from an array of prolific thinkers and figures: Pastor Lenny Duncan (Jehu’s Table), professor Soong Chan Rah, author Jacqueline Woodson, Native American pastors Jim Bear Jacobs and Rev. Joan Conroy, Rethinking Mass Incarceration author Dominique Gilliard, historian Dr. Crystal Moten, and others who unpack U.S. Christianity’s links to racism and the false ideology of White supremacy. 

Resources for Further Study: 

Stream White Savior: Racism in the American Church

White Over Black, Winthrop Jordan 

The Cross and the Lynching Tree, James Cone

Can Multi-Ethnic Churches Help Bridge the Racial Divide?
Aired on NPR

You can listen to our offering for the National Day of Prayer on Instagram.

Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus and Justice 

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Pastor Kelsey challenges us to understand the multi-dimensional power of prayer as grounding our activist work, and offering a pathway to see God's spirit within everyone we meet. We also unpack the destructive rise of Christian nationalism, why there is such apathy and silence within churches (White evangelical congregations), and the power of art to break down barriers. She  sees creativity as deeply connected to the Holy Spirit, the artistic element of God.

Pastor Kelsey is a trained dancer, yoga instructor, and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She serves as a solo pastor at two churches just south of Milwaukee, WI, and is the Executive Minister and President of Dancing Pastor Ministries and host of the Lady Preacher Podcast.

She has performed, preached, and led retreats all around the United States and even in Costa Rica. Her life's work is based on
1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love,” and her favorite part of ministry is helping people experience the transforming love of God that moves around, among, and within us all.

Connect with Rev. Kelsey on Instagram and Facebook, check out her blog. 

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Far too often prayer is seen as passive. But we know, as Christians,  that speaking to God and listening to the voice of the Divine is powerful. During the month of May, we celebrate the National Day of Prayer in the U.S.

We honor this time by sharing some powerful thoughts around the urgency of prayer as resistance from Rev. Fran Pratt (Ep. 3), and Rev. Heber Brown (feat. on Ep. 4 and Ep. 5),  Patricia Taylor (writer and antiracist activist feat. on Ep. 7), and Walt Shelton -  writer, social justice advocate & environmental attorney featured on Ep. 9 and 10. 

Resources on Prayer:

You can listen to our offering for the National Day of Prayer on Instagram.

Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus and Justice 

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer

A Rhythm of Prayer

Join us for this bonus episode where Mom and I delve into King's legacy of freedom fighting, and his last book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?  written in Jamaica (1967) away from the pressures of the civil rights movement.  Given all we are facing in the U.S., and around the world, we couldn't think of a better moment to release this bonus episode (originally recorded in January of this year). 

We discuss King's first essay, "Where Are We?" Here he wrestles  with key questions we must all continually ask ourselves: Are we in this movement of liberation and revolutionary love for the long haul, or are we satisfied with surface-level reforms? King reflects on those who supported The Civil Rights Act (1964) and The Voting Rights Act (1965), but unwilling to stay the course for Phase 2,  ending vast inequality (economically, socially, etc.).

Mom and I discuss the relevancy of King's essay from the Reconstruction period to Black Lives Matter movement and our calls for collective liberation and radically reimagining what is possible. 

Resources for Further Study:

- Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?  Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

- Sit with these scripture: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9 and "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) 

- From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Join us for part 2 of our discussion with Walt Shelton, writer, columnist for Austin American-Statesmen), speaker, social justice advocate and environmental attorney. His new book The Daily Practice of Life: Practical Reflections Towards Meaningful Living centers Christ and mindfulness, while lifting up the urgency of living out our Christian faith by making a difference in the world. Walt reminds us: "Jesus is synonymous with social justice." 

We delved into quite a bit, including: 

- Jesus' powerful example of being in genuine relationship with people, and how embodying this way of being can transform us all. 

- The call throughout scripture to tear down walls we erect (because of difference), and embrace a radical love of our neighbors and community (Lev. 19:18 and Mark  12:31). 

- What the prophet Amos teaches us about resisting oppression and God's concept of justice. Check out Walt's essay within his book, Chapter 32: "Social Justice is Always in Season" 

- Reclaiming Christ's message of embracing service for others: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free." Luke 4:18 

Don't miss his ongoing event series - “Cultural Transformation: An Open Discussion of Respect, Inclusiveness, Racial Harmony, and the Pursuit of Justice” on Zoom from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday evenings, March 25 - April 29 Central Time.

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

What if we embraced our faith more deeply - moving towards a closer relationship with Christ? How could this shift our view of the world for the better? We're chatting with writer, columnist for Austin American-Statesmen), speaker, social justice advocate and environmental attorney, Walt Shelton about his new book: The Daily Practice of Life: Practical Reflections Towards Meaningful Living. 

We delved into quite a bit, including: 

- The importance of a mindful morning routine to ground our spirits in God's word. 

-  What is means to embrace your faith in ways which cultivate transformation of the heart, and roots daily actions in a love of  Christ, community, and building bridges across differences. 

- The lessons we can all learn from Walt's Dad, who took time to genuinely see people he encountered daily, living out God's call to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 

Stay Connected with Walt's Work:

Don't miss his upcoming event - you can register through
March 20: “Cultural Transformation: An Open Discussion of Respect, Inclusiveness, Racial Harmony, and the Pursuit of Justice” will meet on Zoom from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings from March 25 through April 29 Central Time.

Stay Connected with Pray with Our Feet podcast and Community: 

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Snag our NEW tee: Love is the Revolution, a collab with our sponsor, Earth is an Island Designs. Choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate to at check out, and we receive a portion of the proceeds. Use the CODE - Invest20 and save 20% off your purchase. 

Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Creativity is a powerful tool for change. We caught up with Kris, founder of Earth is an Island Designs (our Season 2 sponsor!) about the beautiful ways art can spark change, rooting our activism in sacred community, loving kindness and the practice of mindfulness. And what it really means to put your money where your mouth is! 

Check out our new tee shirt collaboration with Earth is an Island Designs: "Love is the Revolution." Use the code Invest20 to save 20% off! When you purchase your tee, choose Pray with our Feet as an org. to donate durning check out. Earth is an Island Designs will donate a portion of the proceeds to us!

More about Kris & Earth is an Island Designs: 
Kris works as a clinical psychologist with military veterans and in private practice. Through Earth is an Island Designs, a social enterprise, at the guidance of his customers, he invests in progressive organizations (donated 10K+ to date!) that promote peace, social justice, human and animal rights and mindful wellness on a liveable planet.

Kris aspires to be anti-racist, feminist, pro-social, and peace-loving, and is guided by the energy of biophilic lovingkindness for our beautiful, abundantly-giving Island Planet Earth, the elements and forces that offer life, and for all beings.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

The work of Yung Pueblo, Rev. angel Kyodo williams, and Lama Rod Owens. 

Support our Work & Stay Connected - Pray with our Feet Community:

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Stay in community with us where the conversation continues on IG and Twitter. 

Snag our The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Anti-racism work is daily; it's a choice to embrace discomfort, the uncertainty of how folks around you will react, and a commitment to unapologetic truth telling. This week's guest, writer (founder of the blog, Some Thoughts From Your Black Friend), anti-racism activist / educator, podcaster (Upside Down podcast), Patricia A. Taylor is on the journey.

We have long admired her work, and this conversation is full of thoughtful insights, we delved into:

-  Her journey -  aligning her writing with social justice and listening to the call from God to move into anti-racism work. 

- Why proximity to BIPOC communities doesn't absolve churches and individuals from doing the work of anti-racism. 

- How she embraces care for her mind, body and spirit, rooted in scripture from Jeremiah to the Psalms, and 2 Corinthians 3: 3-5.

- The necessity of lament and repentance for the church as it relates to racial and social justice.  

- Why spiritual bypassing is dangerous, and why being vulnerable around safe people (particularly for those in BIPOC communities) about what we're feeling is a form of self care. 

- What Patricia hopes those in her community take away from her work: questions that guide them toward action, and keep them rooted in compassion. 

 

More about Patricia Taylor // Follow Her Work: 

Patricia Taylor is a wife, mom and California native turned Georgia peach. She believes in Jesus, truth-telling, loving all our neighbors, and having critical conversations around racial justice with grace and honesty. Her work is rooted in anti-racism education, and she serves as the BIPOC Educator for Be The Bridge.

Patricia is also a cohost for Upside Down Podcast, which is an ecumenical faith space that has unscripted conversations around justice, spirituality, and culture. You may find her on Instagram @patricia_a_taylor and on Facebook at Some Thoughts From Your Black Friend by Patricia A. Taylor.

Announcements:

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Our podcast store is opening soon. In the meantime, get your The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Stay in community with us on IG and Twitter. 

Stay tuned for our NEW Instagram Live pop-up series, "Continually Awakening," where we make space to keep the conversation going around social justice and faith in between PWF podcast episodes. 

Credits: HUGE thank you to my husband, Kes, our podcast editor!  He is also a talented creative entrepreneur, videographer and photographer! You can work with him and explore his work here. 

 

As activists, we carry so much - emotionally, physically and spiritually. Take a moment to breathe, grab your notebook and get these tips from my Ebony Westbrook, meditation coach, vegan chef, and multi-passionate creative.

During this episode we delved into the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, caring for the body by listening to it deeply (with healthy eating practices, body scans using meditation), self awareness and more. 

Born and raised in Los Angeles California, as a young girl, Ebony grew a passion for singing/songwriting, jewelry designing and health wellness. She uses her gifts to bless others as well as blessing herself. 

Connect with her work here.  Listen to the podcast here.  And follow her on Instagram: @shine_with_ebony. 

Announcements:

Thank you to all who have donated to the podcast! If you're able to send a donation to further our work (on Venmo). We are working on a Patreon page. 

Our podcast store is opening soon. In the meantime, get your The Revolution Needs our Joy, Too mug now! 

Stay in community with us on IG and Twitter. 

Stay tuned for our NEW Instagram Live pop-up series, "Continually Awakening," starting in Feb. 2021, where we make space to keep the conversation going around social justice and faith in between PWF podcast episodes. 

Credits: HUGE thank you to my husband, Kes, our podcast editor!  He is also a talented creative entrepreneur, videographer and photographer! You can work with him and explore his work here. 

Tune in for Part 2 of our stimulating discussion with Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, Senior Minister of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network. 

We unpacked quite a bit during this episode, including: 

- Understanding God stands on the side of the oppressed (through the lens Black liberation theology) and thinkers like  Rev. Dr. James Cone (The Cross and The Lynching Tree) and Howard Thurman, author of Jesus and the Disinherited (among other books). 

- The essential work of believers in building bridges across generations and empowering ourselves. Check out his work with the Black Church Food Security Network, a partnership between black churches and black farmers around the country. 

- Being unapologetic about the beauty of blackness, and seeing this way of moving through the world as linked deeply to a loving and affirming God. 

- Why we must build beloved community (in the tradition of the Maroons, formerly enslaved people who set up their own communities), and understanding the unique finger print of God on not only individuals, but church bodies (each has a different calling). 

Announcements:

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Stay tuned for our NEW Instagram Live pop-up series, "Continually Awakening," starting in Feb. 2021, where we make space to keep the conversation going around social justice and faith in between PWF podcast episodes. 

Credits: HUGE thank you to my husband, Kes, our podcast editor!  He is also a talented creative entrepreneur, videographer and photographer! You can work with him and explore his work here.