Story Power Podcast

Daniel Kastner calls himself a technology enthusiast, but I happen to think he's being modest. Daniel is the creator of Ruva, a new social media app designed with mental health in mind.  You can find more at www.ruva.app

Laura Davis is the author of six non-fiction books, including The Courage to Heal: For Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, The Courage to Heal Workbook, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be and I Thought We'd Never Speak Again: The Road from Estrangement to Reconciliation.   Laura joined Jen to talk about her new memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story, and how she helps people find connection and healing through words. You can find Laura, her new book The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story, and information about her writing classes at www.lauradavis.net    

Jahmeer Reynolds is a community activist, the Executive Director of the Marin County Cooperation Team (“MCCT”), and the Community Engagement Manager for the Sausalito Marin City School District.   MCCT provides Marin County's most vulnerable residents with comprehensive support services which address both critical and long-term needs.     As MCCT's ED and founder, Jahmeer is the architect of the Marin City Public Safety Initiative (“MCPSI”), the Frederick Leon Marcus Youth Academy ("FLMYA"), and the School to Life Project ("STL") (launching Fall 2021).    The MCPSI is an initiative about re-imagining policing and public safety, as summarized in Jahmeer's recent TedTalk: “Reimagining Policing for the Good of All”.    Named for the first Black Sheriff Deputy in Marin County, the Frederick Leon Marcus Youth Academy (“FLMYA”) is designed to empower students (grades 9th-12th, mostly) with the tools that they need to maximize their strengths and potential, become community organizers, and influence their world at large. Through a variety of partnerships with community-based organizations, and local public service agencies, students are equipped with civic engagement, social justice, wellness, financial literacy, coding, trauma response, and public safety training.   The STL is designed to interrupt the special education to prison pipeline,through the provision of skilled, trained mentors to build relationships and provide academic, social and emotional support to students with special education needs. For his work as MCCT's ED, Jahmeer received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Innovation from the U.S. Congress, a Certification of Recognition from both the California State Legislature and the Marin County Board of Supervisors, was selected as a Kron 4 Hero, and was given the “Excellence in Innovation” award from the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership.

Tasha Hunter is an Air Force veteran with a Master's degree in Public Administration and Social Work. She's a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and resides in North Carolina. She is the author of her memoir, "What Children Remember" and host of the podcast " When We Speak". Her private practice, Ascension Growth Center, specializes in the treatment of childhood trauma-related PTSD. She works to eradicate the stigma of mental health by speaking to others at workshops and seminars about trauma and related mental health topics. Driven and well-informed by personal experience, her mission is to spread awareness about complex trauma and to give survivors a safe space to heal.   Tasha Hunter, MSW, LCSW is the owner of Ascension Growth Center, PLLC Author of the memoir What Children Remember and host of the podcast When We Speak - Available on Apple Itunes, Google, Spotify, etc.

Nya Abernathy is the creator of The Dignity Effect, LLC and she joined Jen to talk about what motivates her to help people learn about "Social-Emotional Well-Ness + Unity Oriented Peacemaking."   You can learn more about Nya and her work at nyasabernathy.com

If you didn't catch the episode with Propaganda, this is a Part 2 of sorts where Kina and Jen talk about their interview with Prop and dig a little deeper into what Terraforming and building a new world could look like.  

On this episode of Story Power Podcast, Jen and guest co-host Kina Reed got to interview Propaganda about his new book, Terraform: Building a Better World.   "Propaganda is a poet, political activist, husband, father, academic & emcee   With LA flowing through his veins & armed with a bold message, Propaganda has assembled a body of work that challenges and guides. Propaganda's ideas stem from where he sits at the intersection. He sees how cultures cross and inspire one another, and can see the oneness of us all. Propaganda will cause you to nod your head, but more importantly, he will stretch your mind & heart."   You can find and follow Prop on IG and Twitter @prophiphop as well as prophiphop.com. 

On today's episode of Story Power Podcast, Jen talks to Melissa Florer-Bixler about her new book- How To Have An Enemy, Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace.   Melissa is the pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church and a graduate of Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary. She spent time studying in Israel/Palestine, Kenya, and England. Much of her formation took place in the L'Arche community of Portland, OR. Now she prefers the Eno River and her garden in Raleigh, NC. She is the chair of L'Arche North Carolina and a steering committee member in broad-based organizing in her county. Melissa's writing has appeared in Christian Century, Sojourners, Geez, Anabaptist Witness, The Bias, Faith&Leadership, and Anabaptist Vision. From time to time she publishes academic writing. She and her spouse parent three children.

Attorney, Abolitionist, Writer, Podcaster, and Speaker Amber Webb Sims joined Jen for this episode of Story Power Podcast. Amber talked about her life's work and passions, getting free from patriarchy and white evangelicalism, and the much talked about, but barely understood hot topic of the year: Critical Race Theory. Be sure to check out Amber's podcast Broke-ish, especially the latest episode Little White Lies: Critical Race Theory 101 https://brokeish.com/ep-48-little-white-lies-critical-race-theory-101 Follow Amber on Instagram @amberwsims

We're talking about all the things with Andre Henry in this episode. Andre joined Jen to talk about his latest song- It Doesn't Have To Be This Way (remix) which dropped on Juneteenth, and he stayed to talk about finding his voice as a musician, revolution, social movement, the power of everyday people to change the world, and why he's not anyone's antiracism concierge. Check out Andre's music and work here: https://www.andrehenry.co/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ64Ut8O46E

Kevin Nye is a homeless services worker and advocate living in Los Angeles. He has an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary and an expired minister's license in the Church of the Nazarene.   He is also a writer, reflecting on how theology intersects all aspects of culture and is currently writing his first book on Homelessness and Grace.   Follow Kevin: Twitter: @kevinmnye1 IG:@kevinmnye1

On this episode of Story Power Podcast, Bradley Mason joined Jen to talk about Critical Race Theory, what it is, what it isn't, and why it's such a hot topic at the moment. You can find Brad and his writings on the subject at www.alsoacarpenter.com  Follow Brad onTwitter @alsoacarpenter

Sundari Malcolm is the Director of BIPOC Wellbeing and a Host for The Dinner Party. Sundari joined Jen for this episode of the Story Power Podcast to talk about her work as a Birth and Death Doula, her journey traveling through the US and Canada for 2 years in a converted bus, why she moved to Curaçao, yoga and justice work, and so much more.   Sundari Malcolm is the Director of BIPOC Wellbeing and a Host for The Dinner Party  At 27, and after 7 years of being her Caregiver, Sundari lost her mother to Breast Cancer. At 31 years old, she lost her father to Brain Cancer. Since then Sundari has dedicated her life to the support of Caregivers and all those managing life after loss. Outside of her work as the Director of BIPOC Well-being for TDP, Sundari is a birth and death Doula. She is a Yoga and Meditation teacher and has just finished traveling around the US and Canada in a converted school bus for 2 years, writing about racial injustice on her blog NamasteUSA.blog and talking about designing your life post-pandemic on her podcast, The Collective Reset. She is now a recent ex-pat to the island of Curacao!

Sundari Malcolm is the Director of BIPOC Wellbeing and a Host for The Dinner Party. Sundari joined Jen for this episode of the Story Power Podcast to talk about her work as a Birth and Death Doula, her journey traveling through the US and Canada for 2 years in a converted bus, why she moved to Curaçao, yoga and justice work, and so much more.   Bio: Sundari Malcolm is the Director of BIPOC Wellbeing and a Host for The Dinner Party  At 27, and after 7 years of being her Caregiver, Sundari lost her mother to Breast Cancer. At 31 years old, she lost her father to Brain Cancer. Since then Sundari has dedicated her life to the support of Caregivers and all those managing life after loss. Outside of her work as the Director of BIPOC Well-being for TDP, Sundari is a birth and death Doula. She is a Yoga and Meditation teacher and has just finished traveling around the US and Canada in a converted school bus for 2 years, writing about racial injustice on her blog NamasteUSA.blog and talking about designing your life post-pandemic on her podcast, The Collective Reset. She is now a recent expat to the island of Curacao!      

It was an honor to have Dr. Drew Hart as a guest on the Story Power Podcast. We got to talk about Dr. Drew's work as a professor, author, pastor, and podcaster, and he shared insights into activism and justice work, liberating theology, white supremacy as a foundational part of the evangelical church, CRT, and so much more. Tune in, and be sure to share it with your friends.   Bio: Drew G. I. Hart is an assistant professor of theology at Messiah University and has 10 years of pastoral experience. He is the Program Director of Messiah University's Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice program and co-host of Inverse Podcast. Hart is the author of Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (2016) and Who Will Be A Witness?: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance (2020). He was the recipient of bcmPEACE's 2017 Peacemaker Award, the 2019 W.E.B. Du Bois Award in Harrisburg, PA, and was Elizabethtown College's 2019 Peace Fellow. Drew and his family live in Harrisburg, PA. (Twitter & Instagram @DruHart).    

On today's episode of Story Power Podcast, Jen is joined by Kelly Matlock to talk about the church and the LGBTQ+ community, and what the journey into becoming fully affirming was like for their small Texas church.   "Kelly Matlock is a wife, a mom of 4, and the lead pastor of Eikon Church in Kyle, TX. She has a heart that longs for people to find freedom from the confines of toxic religion and harmful theology. She is passionate about creating a fully inclusive faith community that pursues justice and invites people to be fully who they are and to wrestle honestly with their faith."  

Today's guest on Story Power Podcast is Justin McRoberts. Justin joined Jen to talk about art, humanity, and his new book It Is What You Make Of It. Justin's bio: "I create to provide language for the process of faith and life. What I create is to help you live generously as well as help you to faithfully produce good work in the world. For that reason, I really like teaching, storytelling, and songwriting, which I've done for nearly twenty years. I've written books, recorded albums, and also curate and host The @Sea Podcast. Whether I'm teaching, sharing songs and stories, leading a workshop on the creative process, or inviting folks to engage in the fight against global poverty, I value every opportunity to encourage, challenge, and inspire."

Sarah Quint is a citizen of the Mattaponi Nation of Tsenacommacah, Turtle Island (Eastern Virginia, USA).   In today's episode, Sarah and Jen talk about the ways "Christianity" steals identity, the power of dreams in Indigenous spirituality, and Sarah's journey into what she calls "becoming fully Mattaponi and fully a follower of Jesus."   More from Sarah's bio: She is a mother of two boys, River and Reed. She is a creative who remodels homes for a living and also has a love for plant knowledge and foraging. With the help of her Elders and the Holy Spirit, Sarah has been walking the decolonizing, contextualizing, and reconnecting Way of Jesus. Sarah leads in this integrating journey through writing songs in her Tribe's traditional tongue, connections to the land, writing, teachings and oral storytelling. She is a church planter, currently co-pastoring with her husband at Monroe City Church in Monroe, MI that is set to launch in 2021. 

On this episode of Story Power Podcast, Historian and podcaster Lettie Shumate joined Jen to talk about the importance of understanding history.   Lettie Shumate is a historian, antiracism educator, facilitator, and podcast host in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is the host of her podcast, “History Shows Us”, where she educates about history and bridges the past to the present, she discusses racial and social issues, and she doesn't hold back the truth. Her gift and ability to "connect the dots" is something that is critical to learning from the past. Lettie received her M.A. in History in 2015 where she focused on American history and specialized in Black history and race studies. She also completed her M.A. Conflict Management & Resolution in May 2020 which equipped her with skills to incorporate effective communication with hard topics and how to navigate these situations, mediation and facilitation knowledge, and this MA contributed greatly to her work as both a historian and antiracism educator.

Part 2 of this conversation really digs into Karla's work as an immigration advocate as framed by her experience as an undocumented immigrant. (Be sure to listen to part 1 first, but since this was a longer episode, I decided to cut it into more manageable chunks.) In this episode of Story Power Podcast, you are going to meet Karla Mendoza. Karla and Jen talk about Karla's life, faith, deconstruction, and her journey from silence to speaking about her life as an undocumented immigrant in the US.   Karla Mendoza is a writer, anti-racism speaker, and immigration advocate based out of Toledo, Ohio in Turtle Island. Originally from Peru, she has lived in the United States for 19 years. Karla is passionate about the liberation and joy that comes with decolonizing as well as the communal aspect of the Gospel. She loves sunflowers, single-origin coffee, and books. You can find her on Instagram at @DearKarla.

In this episode of Story Power Podcast, you are going to meet Karla Mendoza. Karla and Jen talk about Karla's life, faith, deconstruction, and her journey from silence to speaking about her life as an undocumented immigrant in the US.   Karla Mendoza is a writer, anti-racism speaker, and immigration advocate based out of Toledo, Ohio in Turtle Island. Originally from Peru, she has lived in the United States for 19 years. Karla is passionate about the liberation and joy that comes with decolonizing as well as the communal aspect of the Gospel. She loves sunflowers, single-origin coffee, and books. You can find her on Instagram at @DearKarla.

On this week's episode of Story Power Podcast, Jen is joined by Kristina Button, creator of Black Women Plant Seeds. Kristina is a co-host for the podcast Footnotes with Jemar Tisby, and she writes a syndicated column at The Witness: A Black Christian Collective. In this episode, Kristina shares her story about being one of the only Black people in predominantly white evangelical spaces and her passion for antiracism within the church.

On this episode of Story Power, Jen is joined by Camille Kirksey, creator of The Intuitive Homeschooler and author of the book "Coming Home: A Quick & Practical Guide for Preparing a Mother's Heart, Mind, & Home for Homeschooling."    

Hannah Naomi is the Founder and CEO at Lead with Me Impact Strategies, Founder and CEO at Lead with Me Racial Equity League 501c3, and works at Communications, Marketing and Impact Director at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church. Hannah joined Jen to talk about her passion and life's work, social impact through storytelling, and more.   Follow Hannah: IG @hannahnaomijones www.hannahnaomilead.com

The Story Power Podcast is thrilled to welcome anti-racism educator Kina Reed to the show for our first episode. Kina joined Jen to talk about her work, Anti-Blackness, and the events that led up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.   "Joquina M. Reed thrives as an educator, researcher, writer, public speaker, and community advocate. She is the creator and curator behind the social media platforms, The AntiBlackness Reader Project and Hug Your White Friends. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies and is a published researcher, conference presenter, and public speaker. Her public advocacy is largely inspired by her academic research relating to social power and race and gender identity constructions."   You can follow Kina: https://www.joquinareed.com/ IG- @theantiblacknessreader https://www.instagram.com/theantiblacknessreader/?hl @hugyourwhitefriends https://www.instagram.com/hugyourwhitefriends/?hl=en