Prophetic Resistance Podcast

Mary Novak serves as the Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. She is a lawyer, educator, chaplain, spiritual director, restorative justice practitioner, and activist who has worked in Catholic contexts for decades. Before leading NETWORK, Mary served as a Mission Integrator and Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. In this role, she worked at the intersection of spirituality, psychology, and the work of justice This episode explores how Mary's family origins led her into an intersectional journey as a Catholic restorative justice practitioner. That journey informs her tenure at NETWORK, where she pursues a vision at the nexus of solidarity across faith, race, gender, and generation.  We discuss the threats of WCN within our unfinished experiment we call democracy and how her organization is leaning into it. And we wrap with reflections on how she - in the words of the mystic Howard Thurman - “centers down.”   Social media:  Instagram : Networ_Lobby

Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is an activist, philanthropist, and public theologian who pursues a vision of a community marked by justice, peace, and love. As the president & CEO of the Children's Defense Fund  (CDF) and CDF Action Council, he advocates for children's well-being at the intersection of faith and justice. Previously, he pastored St. John's Church (The Beloved Community), a multiracial congregation in the city of St.Louis, while also serving as the president & CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, Rev. Wilson was appointed co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, which released the report, ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity,' calling for sweeping changes in policing, the courts, child well-being, and economic mobility. In this episode, my colleague, Dr. Cassandra Gould, joins me in this conversation with her seminary classmate. Together, we explore lessons from Ferguson and the wisdom it cultivated for Dr. Wilson's current tenure with the Children's Defense Fund. We discuss the impact of Black institutions in shaping his vocation and approach to social change leadership. We talk about his co-generational vision that reveres elders and prioritizes children. And we wrap up with reflections on how he finds rest amid the demands of the movement. Follow Rev. Dr. Starsky on Instagram @revdrstarsky  @childdefender1973  

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III  is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL,  and is a Senior Fellow with Auburn Seminary. In this episode, we discuss themes from his new book, Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times. We explore the reality of the Darkness and how Black spiritualities have historically engaged in the darkest moments in our history. And we learn the powerful story of Robert Smalls and the brilliant, embodied wisdom of his daughter Makayla. Referenced in this episode: Ruha Benjamin, Race After Technology : Inward Journey Podcast, hosted by Otis Moss III  Otis on IG: @otismossiii  @trinitychgo  

Amanda Tyler is the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C, she is also the lead organizer for Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Amanda also co-hosts the Respecting Religion series on the BJC Podcast, and she is an advisor to Faith in Action in developing a curriculum to confront white Christian nationalism. In this episode, we discuss her lifelong interest in the intersection of faith and public life. We explore what white Christian nationalism is and how her coalition, especially a dynamic array of women leaders, shapes this counter-movement. And  we talk about how multi-faith solidarity can be an antidote to white Christian Nationalism.

Just a note that this episode discusses sexual abuse and briefly mentions suicide.  If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 Romal Tune is passionate about teaching others how to heal the wounds of their past. He uses the power of storytelling to bring about meaningful change. Romal is the author of three books: God's Graffiti, Love is an Inside Job, and his latest, I Wish My Dad: The Power of Vulnerable Conversations Between Fathers and Sons. This episode is special to me because my story is featured in I Wish My Dad. Romal and I have been colleagues for close to 15 years, and our friendship deepened when he joined my family for a suicide prevention walk in the wake of the death of my brother Myron in September 2013. In this episode, we discuss the themes of I Wish My Dad, including healing, forgiveness, self-care, and the links between personal and social healing. Social Media Handles: Instagram @iwishmydad Twitter: @romaltune

Jonah Pesner is a Rabbi whose work encourages Jewish communities to reach across race, class, and faith lines while campaigning for social justice. He serves as the Director of the Religious Action Center and Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Pesner co-edited “Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority: Our Jewish Obligation to Justice.”   In this episode, we explore his roots in faith-based community organizing, the current threat of white Christian nationalism, and the power of multi-faith solidarity to help us face this moment and thrive in our beloved community. Social media handle  @jonahpesner https://www.instagram.com/jonahpesner/ https://www.threads.net/@jonahpesner

Aurelia Davila Pratt is a pastor, writer and sacred spacemaker. She is the lead pastor of Peace of Christ Church, Austin TX. An ordained Baptist minister, she is the chair of the board for Nevertheless She Preached, a national, ecumenical preaching event designed to elevate the voices of women on the margins. She is the co-host with Rev. Britanny Graves of the Nuance Tea Podcast. Aurelia is the author of A Brown Girl's Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step Into Power

It has been a long time coming, but Season 7 begins August 16. Check out this short greeting from our host, Michael-Ray Mathews. He reflects on the podcast hiatus and the theme for Season 7: Multifaith Solidarity.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Pastor Rhonda Thomas, executive director for Faith in Florida. She was the state-wide campaign director for the Let My People Vote campaign, and she helped to ensure the voting rights were returned to returning citizens. She runs the biggest, the baddest, and the most well-funded Souls to the Polls program in the country. Pastor Rhonda has a passion to build a beloved community in Florida so that all of the Creator's children feel a sense of belonging. Learn more about Faith in Florida Souls to the Polls here. Contribute to Hurricane Ian relief here. 

The Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould is no stranger to the podcast. She is now the senior faith strategist with Faith in Action. Today, we revisit her first appearance during our beta launch in advance of the 2016 general election. We talked about the work she was leading in Missouri and the power of her mother's story to inspire her commitment to organizing, activism, and voting.

Midterm elections are less than 100 days away, and the Prophetic Resistance Podcast is kicking off our Rise + Vote series — co-hosted by my dear sister the Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould — to explore all the ways our votes are both sacred and powerful.  I can think of no better way to kick off this series than with this week's guest, my friend and colleague, Rev. Nicole Barnes. Nicole is the national voting program director for the Faith in Action Fund, having come up through the ranks as an organizer for Faith in Indiana (then called IndyCAN). She also has a master's degree in divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary in addition to an MBA and a bachelor's degree in psychology. In other words, she's the perfect person to talk about the intersection of faith, politics, power, and community.

In this episode, we welcome my very dear brother, Simran Jeet Singh, father, runner, scholar, and executive director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute. We talk about his Sikh faith, religious pluralism, and his latest book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life which just hit the shelves last week. We explore his upbringing in San Antonio, Texas, the close relationship between race and religion, and the call to practice radical compassion. This conversation is for the head and the heart.

In this episode, we welcome the Reverend Doctor Emma Jordan-Simpson, the new president of Auburn Seminary in New York.  We discuss how her upbringing and grounding in the Black Church tradition have informed her approach to pastoral care, as well as her focus on the needs of children to help them thrive. In the recent wake of the tragedies in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Orange County, and Uvalde, we talk about how critical pastoral care is for grieving, healing, and the movement for justice.

Today's guest is Dr. Maureen O'Connell, an associate professor of theology at LaSalle University in Philadelphia and a clergy leader with POWER Interfaith. Maureen recently released a book titled, “Undoing the Knots: Five Generations of American Catholic Anti-Blackness.” Maureen and I dig into the history behind the book, including how Irish Catholics learned to define themselves as Americans by rejecting Blackness, going back as far as 1820.

Hey, Fam! We are pleased to highlight another episode from our cousin project, The Four, a podcast I co-host as part of fearsome faith foursome including Jacqui Lewis, Lisa Sharon Harper and Otis Moss III.

The Prophetic Resistance Podcast has a first cousin!! We are pleased to bring you the inaugural episode of The Four - a fearsome faith foursome talkin Black Life, Love, Power and Joy. This podcast is for everyone. I co-host this podcast with dear friends who have all been guests on the Prophetic Resistance Podcast: Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church in New York, Lisa Sharon Harper of Freedom Road in Philadelphia, and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. In this first episode we introduce ourselves as hosts and dig into our lives as prophetic Black faith leaders rooting this podcast in joy, justice and some playful irreverence. We have a good time.

We are pleased to bring you a special episode from our kindred project, Revolutionary Faith, hosted by Rev. Alvin Herring, executive director of Faith in Action. In this episode, Alvin speaks with Leigh Butler, CEO of Akina and Stephanie Roberts, Co-Founder. Akina is a hub for Black mothers and women who are eagerly searching for community, connection, and information resulting in better outcomes for our next generation.

Welcome to Season 6. In this inaugural episode we welcome back Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, Dean at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. A scholar-activist, Dr. Gunning Francis has been featured in the PBS Documentary The Talk: Race in America and the 2021 Sundance film, Ferguson Rises: A Racial Healing Documentary. In this episode, we dig into her new book, Faith After Ferguson: Resilient Leadership in Pursuit of Racial Justice. A follow up to her first book, Faith And Ferguson, Dr. Leah revisits the clergy and activists from the front lines of the Ferguson Uprising, to hear what they've learned in the struggle for justice and healing five years later.  We talk about what true change looks like when it comes to racial justice, and her unique perspective and experience as both a theological educator and mother of two young boys coming of age in a climate that is in a constant cycle of healing from trauma rooted in racism. Twitter: @DrLeahGFrancis https://chalicepress.com/products/faith-after-ferguson

Our winter hiatus is almost over!  And season 6 will drop in your feed on March 16th.

Today's guest is Rev. Jen Bailey, an ordained minister, public theologian, and national leader in the multi-faith movement for justice. She is also the founder and executive director of the Faith Matters Network,  a Womanist-led organization equipping community organizers, faith leaders, and activists with resources for connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment. This episode explored the life cycles of justice work, the need for seasons of rest,  the lost art of letter writing and Jen's new book titled To My Beloveds: Letters on Faith, Race, Loss and Radical Hope.  The book is available for purchase here. 

As we mark 20 years since 9/11, we are releasing an episode that we first recorded with Valarie Kaur in 2020, after the launch of her book, See No Stranger. The book is both a practical guide to changing the world and a very personal and communal chronicle of our lives since 9/11.  And the paperback just dropped. This week, our host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews joined Valarie, Rev. Traci Blackmon, Sr. Simone Campbell and many others in honoring Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh-American who was murdered in a hate crime in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He was a businessman, a family man and a beloved friend to Valarie.  She will tell you that it was his death that sparked her activism. And she will tell you that Americans still have a lot to learn about the decades-long impact of 9/11 on people of color. So listeners, tune into this episode to hear Valarie's reflections in her own words.

This August - and every August - Michael Brown, Jr. and Ferguson, Missouri are heavy on my mind. August 9th was the anniversary of Mike's death to police-sanctioned violence. My flesh recalls the uprising that followed and the demands of young activists that those of us in faith leadership positions show up in the streets of Ferguson, and stand up for all Black Lives. As we navigate through a global pandemic; and as the weight of police-sanctioned murder of Black people still presses on us - Ferguson is still teaching us. This podcast was born out of our experiences in Ferguson and one of our earliest guests was Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, author of the book "Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community.” This week, we are re-releasing my conversation with Dr. Leah.Dr. Gunning Francis's new book “Faith after Ferguson” was released on August 17th.  We invite you to check out her new book and to revisit this conversation with Dr. Leah Gunning Francis.   

Our guest today is Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes, author of I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation, and Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength, and contributor to the book A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal. Dr. Barnes, is a clinical psychologist, public theologian, ecumenical minister, and university and seminary professor.  In this episode, she talks with Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews about her call to ministry and centering the stories and experiences of Black women. She challenges “good Christians” to wrestle with their complicity in racism.  And she reminds us that racial reconciliation starts with actually doing the hard work of healing and justice. We invite you to listen to this conversation with Dr. Barnes and to read her books. Wherever we sit on the race, gender, faith, or movement spectrums, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes has a word of wisdom for all of us.   

Our guest is Robert P. Jones, the CEO and Founder of Public Religion Research Institute, and the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity,” as well as,  “The End of White Christian America. Robby's research, analysis and storytelling unpacks the history of the institutional white church in the production of white supremacy in our culture.  Robby and Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews I talked about Fredrick Douglass, James Baldwin, and their respective Georgian roots. And they talked about the specific responsibility that our white kindred have to disrupt the power of white Christian religion to perpetuate and produce white supremacy.  Disruption is uncomfortable, but it is a necessary catalyst toward a reimagined Beloved Community.  So we invite you into this conversation and encourage you to hang on for a special announcement.  Show Notes: Learn more at https://www.prri.org/

Breathe Again is a mid-season reflection by Prophetic Resistance host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews. As the weight of the pandemic causes our collective pendulum to swing from chaos to calm and we search for sure footing in a world colored by so many “new normals,” this short recording encourages us to meditate, reflect and feel all the feelings. It a reminder to breathe.   

Happy Juneteenth! In honor of this special weekend, we are sharing a reflection that Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews presented last year.  In this presentation, he reflects on the power of Akan teaching of Sankofa and cultural aesthetics of Afrofuturism to inform the ancestral wisdom that shapes our visions of a future where Black Lives Matter.  As we reflect on themes of emancipation, freedom, and liberation this weekend, may these words inspire our commitment to prophetic resistance rooted in revolutionary love.

Joining us on this episode are Reverend Nancy Frausto and Dr. Miguel de la Torre. Nancy is an Associate Rector at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Long Beach, CA.  She is a founding member of the Sanctuary Task Force for the Diocese of Los Angeles, and a clergy leader with LA Voice (a Faith in Action affiliate).  A previous guest of this podcast, Miguel, is an author, scholar-activist, and Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at Iliff Seminary in Denver, CO. In this episode, we examined how immigration justice is connected to just about every other organizing issue. We asked the question of “who is my neighbor?” and explored the root causes of pain in our communities.   We have waited a few months to share this conversation with you.  This episode was recorded in early April during our Keeping Faith Week of Prophetic Action.  We are intentionally releasing this episode on the week of the 9th anniversary of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.  Rev. Nancy is among a host of DACA recipients who are organizers and faith leaders with our immigrant rights program, LA RED.  Also timely is the fact that this is the second week of the Fast for Freedom.  LA RED and our partners with the We Are Home campaign have organized this monthlong fast to call on lawmakers to create a pathway to citizenship for essential workers and undocumented immigrants in any reconciliation package going to Congress.    

Joining us on this episode are Umar Hakim and Dominique DuBois Gilliard. Umar is a native of Compton, CA, and serves as Executive Director of ILM (Intellect Love Mercy) Foundation. He is the chair of the board of LA Voice, a Faith in Action affiliate. As an active alumnus of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (or AMCLI), Umar is a facilitator and trainer for its national program housed at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture.  Dominique is the Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) initiative of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). He is the author of Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores, which won the 2018 Book of the Year Award for InterVarsity Press. His forthcoming book is Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege, and it will drop on August 24th. An ordained minister, Rev. Gilliard has served in pastoral ministry in Atlanta, Chicago, and Oakland.  This episode is part of a series recorded in early April during Faith in Action’s Keeping Faith Week of Prophetic Action.  Umar, Dominique, and I have all lived in communities known for escalations of gun violence. In this episode, we shared some of our personal stories, unpacked root causes, and reflected on how addressing the issue of gun violence is a way to live out our collective faith.

The Prophetic Resistance Podcast has reached an important milestone - our 50th episode!  And it is fitting that our guest for this 50th episode is Stephanie Strong.  Stephanie is the Lead Organizer for Faith in Action Alabama (a Faith in Action affiliate).  She has been an enthusiastic supporter of this podcast since our beta launch in 2016, and we affectionately call her our Number 1 fan.    In this episode, we talked about Stephanie’s success in leading Faith in Action Alabama’s Freedom Vote 2020 campaign.  We talked about the emerging voting power of the Black electorate, how to be true to your purpose, and the many, many connections between God, faith, the earth, and gardening. Stephanie is also the host and creator of the Thre Things on Monday podcast. Check it out here.       

Rev. Adam Taylor is the newly appointed president of Sojourners and author of Mobilizing Hope: Faith-Inspired Activism for a Post-Civil Rights Generation. His forthcoming book, A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community, is out on September 14.   Adam is ordained through the American Baptist Churches USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention and he serves in ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. In this episode, Adam and Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews talked about how he defines the Beloved Community, the myth of America being a Christian nation, and how we inherited the unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Today’s guest is Rabbi Mordechai Liebling. Mordechai is a lifelong co-laborer in the multi-faith movement for justice. He founded and directed the social justice organizing program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College just outside Philadelphia. Currently, he co-labors with POWER, the Faith in Action affiliate in Pennsylvania, directing their reflection and renewal process. Recently, he joined the national board of directors of Faith in Action.  Rabbi Liebling is a mentor and teacher to many and he was part of the community of leaders who helped develop the Theology of Resistance, which became the basis for this podcast. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing as the child of Holocaust survivors and the values of faith-based organizing. And in the face of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racism, and Christian cultural privilege, Mordechai offers hope for those who wish to cultivate our multi-faith solidarity and deepen the practice of Beloved Community.

Revolutionary Faith is hosted by Faith in Action Executive Director, Rev. Alvin Herring. In this episode, Alvin meets with Denise Collazo. Denise is the author of Thriving in the Fight: A Survival Manual for Latinas on the Front Lines of Change. She is also Faith in Action’s  Senior Advisor for External Affairs. Show notes: Learn more at www.denisecollazo.com.  

Welcome to Season 5. We are honored that our first guest of this season is Lisa Sharon Harper. From Ferguson to New York, from Brazil to Germany, Lisa has led trainings and mobilized clergy and community leaders around shared values for the common good, with a focus on racial justice. She is the author of the book The Very Good Gospel, the Founder, and President of Freedom Road, and the host of the Freedom Road Podcast.  In this episode, Lisa describes her search for Shalom ---Shalom being “what the kingdom of God smells like, looks like and what it requires of its citizens.” She and Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews are both Auburn Senior Fellows and their history stretches back a decade. The conversation moves from the redefining of Evangelicalism to the stories of their third great grandmothers, and then the divineness of Black women imagining Beloved Community. There is a lot of joy in their voices, but there’s also pain as our conversation veered into the hard topics of sexual violence, white supremacy, antisemitism, and homophobia. Listeners, be advised. Show Notes: Learn more about Freedom Road, https://freedomroad.us/

 In this episode of Revolutionary Faith, hosted by Faith in Action Executive Director, Rev. Alvin Herring. In this episode, Alvin meets with Kamau Allen, a community organizer with Faith in Action Federation Together Colorado. Kamau has led the charge on several initiatives that Together Colorado has helped achieve, including being the first state ever to abolish slavery from the state constitution.   

We invite you to listen to this episode from our sibling series, Revolutionary Faith, hosted by Faith in Action Executive Director, Rev. Alvin Herring. In this episode, Alvin meets with Catalina Morales Bahena, an organizer who leads LA RED's Coaching and Formation work. 

We are busy working on new episodes for Season Five. In the meantime, we invite you to listen to this episode from our sibling series, Revolutionary Faith, hosted by Faith in Action Executive Director, Rev. Alvin Herring. In this episode, Alvin explores the lessons of love and justice with Louisville Food Justice Activist Shauntrice Martin. Revolutionary Faith is a bi-weekly Facebook Live show that centers everyday people who are leaning on their faith and leaning into the love for their family and community in these treacherous times.

Listen to this short episode, as our host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews leans into the learnings from our Season 4 guests. He reflects on the wisdom of our ancestors and unpacks a season that was scheduled to be about the Census, elections, and voting but ended up being framed around our collective experience of living through police-sanctioned killings of unarmed Black people, uprisings, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are excited to share with you a new sibling series to the Prophetic Resistance podcast.  Revolutionary Faith is a Facebook Live series hosted by Rev. Alvin Herring, executive director of Faith in Action. This bi-weekly show is centered on everyday people who are leaning on their faith and leaning into the love for their family and community in these treacherous times. As the chaos of this moment swirls around us and we are responding to crisis after crisis in our communities, in our country, and around the world, this series explores the question, what sustains you?  In this inaugural episode, Rev. Herring introduces himself and reflects the vision of this project and the conversations he will cultivate with his guests.  

In this post-election episode, we talk with Margaret Ernst, program manager for Faith Matters Network. When we planned this interview, we knew we would talk about post-election resilience and what it means to be a white clergy leader in movement spaces. We didn’t know that Walter Wallace, her neighbor in Philadelphia, would be killed by police just days before our conversation. So you may hear the anxiety and heartbreak in our voices.   In this conversation, Margaret lays out a timely call to action for white faith leaders. We talk about movement chaplaincy, the labor of spirit care work, and Margaret’s parent Carla - and Carla’s wisdom always to imagine themself forward. Margaret, who began her career in faith-rooted organizing with Faith in Action affiliate POWER Interfaith, is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a program manager with Faith Matters Network. Show Notes: The Role of Movement Chaplaincy in Social Change, by Micky ScottBey Jones and Hilary Allen  a 30-Day Wellbeing and Survival Plan https://bit.ly/2JnoaoB "Kyle Rittenhouse, Whiteness, and The Responsibility of White Faith Leaders: Notes from Conversations with Ruby Sales"  from Radical Discipleship 

This special episode is themed “ What My Mama Taught Me: Black Women, Voting Power and Prophetic Witness” and features Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould and Bishop Dwayne Royster. In this election cycle, with so much at stake for our families and communities, the Prophetic Resistance podcast and Faith in Action is mobilizing people of faith and moral values across our nation to exercise their vote as a fundamental expression of our faith commitment. Listen to Dr. Gould and Bishop Royster connect the wisdom teachings of their mothers - who were activists and organizers in their own right - to our current clarion call to leverage our voting power and lean into our prophetic witness on Election Day and beyond. Dr. Gould is the executive director of Missouri Faith Voices. Bishop Dwayne Royster is the interim executive director of POWER Interfaith and the northeast regional director for Faith in Action.  Show Notes: Learn More about Missouri Faith Voices here. Learn more about POWER here. Connect to the Rise + Vote toolkit here. Learn more about the film Rigged here.                

Our guest is Minister JaNaé Bates. A womanist theologian and Fulbright scholar. She is a journalist-and-organizer-turned-minister, specializing in the integration of grassroots faith-based organizing and narrative strategy.  She is also the director of communications for ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota, affiliates of Faith in Action and the Faith in Action Fund. In this episode, we covered some tough topics -  the global uprisings sparked by the police killing of George Floyd  - especially from her vantage point as a person who lives and works in Minnesota. We talked COVID-19, it’s personal impact on her family and the at-large impact that the pandemic is having on  Black bodies. Through it all,  JaNaéexpands our imagination around resistance to include hope and abundance, reminding us that in this moment of turmoil and struggle we are on the right side of justice and that we are actually winning the narrative fight.    

Brittany White is a brilliant organizer and strategist for Faith in Action’s LIVE FREE program. Brittany- who is herself a formerly incarcerated person -  leads the decarceration campaign, where she uses her voice and experiences to activate imaginations and cultivate lives of dignity for formerly and currently incarcerated people. In this episode, we talk about how Brittany is working to shift stories of incarceration from narratives of shame to narratives of liberation. We reflect on the COVID-19 crisis, its impact on our incarcerated kindred, and how faith leaders can meaningfully show up during moments of uprising.  And we learn how her leadership is rooted in her faith and grounded in resistance. Show Notes: You will hear Brittany address Rev. Mathews as "Merm." The nickname is derived from his initials MRM and is frequently used by his colleagues.  Visit http://www.livefreeusa.org to learn how you can support Brittany's work.                                                                                                            

In this episode, Rev. Ben McBride talks about defunding the police and outlines the vision of the HEAT, a program and strategy of PICO California, the statewide network of Faith in Action affiliate organizations.  Ben helps us see how the reconstruction of public safety is essential for the co-creation of communities of belonging. We also talk about how our current systems of policing are the descendants of slave patrols, how faith couldn’t save our ancestors from public lynchings and how defunding the police actually calls us to reimagine safe communities and develop deep relationships with our neighbors.  HEAT is an acronym for Hiring, Equipment, Accountability and Training.  The strategy invites us into an opportunity to reimagine and co-create communities of belonging.  That starts with firing racist police, defunding the policing system, and investing in strategies that center the experiences of people in communities.  Learn more about how you can participate in this work by visiting bringtheheat.info

Valarie Kaur returns to the Prophetic Resistance podcast to talk about her new book See No Stranger, which dropped June 16.  This extended conversation covers storytelling as an act of survival, how anti-Black racism contributes to racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and our thoughts on the wave of ancestral solidarity that has emerged out of the double crisis of COVID-19 and the police-killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.  Valarie is a seasoned civil rights activist, lawyer, filmmaker, and innovator. Inspired by her Sikh faith, she founded and leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice in the United States. Show Notes: Visit www.seenostranger.com to learn more about Valarie’s new book. 

In this extended episode, we sit down with Rev. Alvin Herring, who is the executive director of Faith in Action. This conversation was recorded just days after the police-killing of George Floyd, just as our beloved kinfolk were beginning to organize uprisings across the country and around the globe. You may feel the weight of the moment in our voices.  You may also feel the beauty of a poetic faith.  This contemplative conversation explores how and why Alvin, as a young person, fell in love with organizing; how the Ferguson Uprising changed him and his faith,  and how - in moments like these - art and poetry can help us to face trauma and the feelings of loss and disappointment.  Show Notes: Visit livefreeusa.org to learn more about our LIVE FREE Humanitarian campaign Masks for The People. The campaign is ensuring that the most vulnerable in our communities of color have access to masks.   Visit bit.ly/equityforallforum to register for the Equity Forum. On Thursday, June 11 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, nine leading national racial equity organizations will come together to demand that our elected officials prioritize racial equity in the HEROES Act and immediately pass federal police brutality legislation. These organizations include Faith in Action, NAACP, The National Urban League, Demos, UnidosUS, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Race Forward, Advancement Project National Office and the National Congress of American Indians. RSVP at bit.ly/equityforallforum and join the conversation with #EquityForAll.

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted our lives, amplified the disparities in our communities, and pushed folks who were already on the margins, closer to the edge. This crisis may have shifted how we organize, but it didn’t change who we are fighting for. We now organize to protect immigrants and communities of color online, using more technology than ever before. One way to get through times like this is by anchoring ourselves in the stories and witness those who came before us and leaning into their love and wisdom. In February,  Phyllis Hill, Faith in Action director of organizing and Rev. Deth Im, Faith in Action director of training reminded us of that when they opened our first national Faith Forum by calling in their ancestors and inviting those of us in the room to do the same. The audio in this episode was recorded over a span of nearly three months and in three settings:  before the pandemic on a hotel stage in Las Vegas, just before shelter in place orders at a street market east of downtown Atlanta, and amid the lockdown in Kansas City, MO (but on Zoom).  You will hear excerpts from the opening ceremony of the Faith Forum as well as follow up interviews with Phyllis and Deth.  We spoke with them about the ancestors whose wisdom shows up in their organizing work, and about solidarity in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Show notes: Visit www.faithinaction.org to learn more about Faith in Action.

Catalina Morales Bahena, Nicole Barnes and Koach Baruch Frazier are theologians in training and innovative community organizers of color, who are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. At the 2020 Faith Forum in February, they shared the stage with Megan Black clergy organizer for Faith in Action. With the upcoming election in view, Catalina, Nicole and Koach offer wisdom drawn from their respective Catholic, Baptist and Jewish traditions, as well as their lived experiences as faith organizers.  In this engaging panel discussion, they teach us to trust our instincts, to value human connections and to remember that freedom does not require assimilation. 

Rev. Billy Michael Honor is the director of faith organizing for Faith in Action’s partner in the state of Georgia, the New Georgia Project. In this episode, we spoke with Rev. Honor at his office in Atlanta. We recorded in March 2020, before the global call to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus pandemic required us to suspend travel and practice physical distancing.  Rev. Honor is a public scholar, faith leader, and civic organizer whose progressive and compelling insights have made him a sought-after preacher, lecturer, and social commentator. In this conversation, we talked about building a digital faith community, respectability politics, cultural imperialism and the ideology behind his upcoming book, The Miseducation of the Church Negro. Show notes: Learn more about Rev. Honor's work with the New Georgia Project here.

*A Production Note: The sound varies throughout the recording. Listeners may need to adjust their volume. In this episode, we talk with three powerful faith leaders about the stories, traditions, and practices that they turn to in times of crisis. We recorded the panel in February 2020, before the Coronavirus pandemic forced all of us to redesign the ways that we worship, organize and interact with one another. But this conversation with Imam Asad Zaman, Rev. Billy Michael Honor, and Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones still sparks our imagination about faith that can live outside our gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, and houses of worship and reminds us that by engaging the best of our traditions, we can build true human solidarity together.  Show Notes: Visit isaiahmn.org to learn more about Isaiah, a federation of Faith in Action.  Visit newgeorgiaproject.org to learn more about The New Georgia Project, a partner of Faith in Action. Visit pactsj.org to learn more about PACT, a federation of Faith in Action. 

This special episode breaks from our interview format. Listeners will hear directly from our host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews as he shares how the virus is impacting our movement kindred, how Faith in Action is called to respond and what listeners can expect from the Prophetic Resistance podcast in the coming weeks.

We traveled to Los Angeles to meet with Sarah Jawaid, a veteran community organizer who currently serves as the Director of Special Projects with LA Voice - a member of Faith in Action. She is also a driving force behind the Muslim Power Building Project which aims to train Muslim community organizers across the country.  This episode was recorded during one of the project's cohort gatherings. Throughout this episode, we will also hear the voices of Rashida James Satya, Ayan Jama, Maheen Ahmed and Abdul-Basit Haqq who are all graduates of the project - and returned as trainers and facilitators to coach another generation of Muslim organizers. They will share insights on what the cohort has meant to them and what they’ve learned through the Muslim Power Building Project. Show Notes: Learn more about the Muslim Power Building Project, https://faithinaction.org/news/a-muslim-power-building-project-that-strengthen-ties-across-faith-and-secular-communities/