The Breathing Room Podcast

At some point, we all arrive at the proverbial fork in the road. Which route will we choose? Will we play it safe or take a risk? Will we dig our heels in or embrace a new way of thinking and acting? As season one of this podcast comes to a close with this episode, we'll consider how one decision to reject neutrality and live demonstrably can affect positive change. 

We've all been in those situations when we couldn't believe that someone actually did what we saw them do or say what we heard them say. There is a movement afoot in our country that revels in saying the quiet part out loud, deliberately making it harder for people of color to vote, boasting about their bigotry, and daring anyone to do anything about it. Who knew we'd have to fight for the franchise of voting 56 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. Everything old is new again. Old habits die hard and racial injustice is a stubborn disease. In this episode, we address it head on and hear from experts who are telling us that democracy is on the line in this country. Believe it or not.

Sometimes we learn the most about others or ourselves from how we respond to events we didn't see coming. What's beneath the surface can seep or burst through our filters. We can leak. In many instances, we're not even aware of our own pre-conditioning and shaping. Our patterns of thinking and reacting have developed over many years and are not easily changed. Though it can be really difficult and painful, becoming more self-aware is actually a good thing ultimately. In this episode, we look at how the hidden beliefs and values people become more apparent in their reactions and the emotional energy behind them. 

We as a society are progressing in some areas and regressing in others. This odd push and pull, this mixture of emotions, the simultaneous holding of desperate thoughts seems to be heightened now as much as ever. In this episode, we begin to process the historic milestone of Juneteenth becoming a national holiday, the painful history that it reminds us of, and the repeating of ugly 20th century history emerging in this 21st year of the 21st-century.

From the founding of our nation until now, there's been an open question of who we are as a country.  Whose country is it? To whom does it belong? Which people make up the “real America?” Who is wanted and welcomed and who is “othered” and shunned? What is our true national identity? Are we more of a split personality entity? Are there two Americas? Is racism  actually a prominent part of our national DNA? We all know that there is no way to solve a problem or repair what is broken if those involved don't agree that there is a problem or that something is broken. Here's to hoping that we can engage this issue, make actual progress, and let data and lived experience trump opinion and ideology.

A recent Washington Post article was entitled “Tulsa isn't the only race massacre you were never taught in school. Here are others.” The number of race massacres and hate crimes that occurred in the late 19th century and early 20th century boggle the mind. To add insult to injury, these sinister acts were covered up, hidden, and denied for decades. When you understand what really happened, the dysfunction that vexes us today makes more sense. A through line emerges. In this episode we take a look at some of this painful history in order to learn from it and hopefully forge a better future because of it.

100 years ago this past Monday and Wednesday, a white mob massacred hundreds of black grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, babies, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and cousins in Tulsa Oklahoma. This act of white supremacist domestic terrorism was an expression of the racial hatred and sadism that has been in the DNA of the USA from its inception. 100 years later in the age of #BlackLivesMatter, there is a through line from then to now that we would do well to note. In this episode, we'll learn about the stories of some who were murdered and some who survived the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. 

I uploaded this podcast on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. It was exactly one year to the day when the entire world watched a white police officer murder an unarmed black man in broad daylight. The officer was convicted of two counts of murder and one of manslaughter last month. That notwithstanding, anger, pain, despair, trauma, and exhaustion in the lives of people of color remain. What did we do with all of it? Acknowledging and voicing it are good places to start.

“The attacks on the US capitol on January 6th, 2021 will have ripple effects for years to come. We're no longer in the September 11th era. We're now in the January 6th era.” ― Oliver Markus Malloy, American Fascism: A German Writer's Urgent Warning To AmericaIn this episode I discuss the impact January 6th had on millions of US citizens of color and me, how we got there, and the danger this new era poses for minorities in this country.

I have said things in the past that I wish I could take back. I bet you have too. Jesus' brother James told us that taming the tongue is easier said than done. We've learned that words have consequences. In this episode, I want to look more closely at the consequences of not using words when they are desperately needed and choosing to be silent instead. “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)

On December 1st, 2020 at 12:20pm I got this DM on Facebook: Kevin, X here from the Y&Z Church. "I would really appreciate some time to chat with you about racial justice and the church. Even just to touch bases for a few minutes. I could really use some help calibrating my feelings and getting an action plan. I don't want to take a lot of your time, so whatever time you have would be very helpful. I am in desperate need of some guidance. I appreciate anything you can offer. Thanks!"This podcast is designed to include as many people of color and faith as feel a need for this kind of crucial conversation and connection. Welcome!