White Awakening: Annie & Brian's Journey Into Anti-racism.

Brian & Annie met Andre Diaz via Instagram during our car rally for Vancouver, WA NAACP. Andre reached out for tips and created a similar event 10 times the size in Michigan. We're so grateful to go from strangers to friends and for his willingness to share his strategic movement from mono-cultural environments to diversity at all levels of leadership. Check out Andre's podcast, "What It's Like to be White." Book mentioned: My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem Andre's shirt: Apparel – EJI Shop

Listen in as Brian and Annie chat about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s letter from a Birmingham Jail. Read his letter here: Birmingham Jail (csuchico.edu)

Brian & Annie have the privilege of hearing from Jo Saxton, creator of Ezer Collective. Annie attended the event last Fall and it has inspired her leadership in all areas. Women leaders, we encourage you to make it to Ezer Collective this Spring and check out Jo Saxton's website for coaching. She believes in your abilities, calling, talent and trajectory! Click here to register for Ezer Collective: April 21-23 in Southern CA, Buy tickets / Join the guestlist for Ezer Collective Leadership Intensive: Southern California with Fellowship Monrovia Church at Victory Bible Church, Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:30 PM - Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:00 PM (tickettailor.com) Click here to register for Ezer Collective: May 9-11 in Northern CA, Buy tickets / Join the guestlist for Ezer Collective Leadership Intensive: Northern California Hosted at Midtown Church Sacramento at Midtown Church-Sacramento, Mon May 9, 2022 6:30 PM - Wed May 11, 2022 3:00 PM (tickettailor.com) Check out josaxton.com for her books and events. Annie's favorite: Ready to Rise, Jo Saxton

Mary Yang Moua is a Hmong American woman currently residing in Portland, Oregon. She has been married to her husband, John, for 16 years and has one daughter, Bliss, who is 9 years old. She currently serves as the Disciple Making Director for the Portland Hmong Alliance Church, works as a Human Resource Analyst for the State of Oregon, and is serving as the Co-Chair for the Asian & Pacific Islander Network (APINet) Employee Resource Group (ERG) for the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). Her passions include Bible Study, mentoring, volleyball, and binging series across all platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu).

In this episode, our friend and Be the Bridge Educator, Mariah Humphries, a Mvskoke woman, shares with us on what it's like to be an Indigenous American in a predominately white context. Mariah was one of the first people to help Brian and Annie take important steps on their white awakening journey. Check out these resources mentioned. https://tinyurl.com/Everyday-Chinook @bethebridge Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw

Letter from Birmingham Jail (csuchico.edu) Listen in as we read and discuss the first half of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. We love every line. It's convicting, informative and explanatory of his non-violent strategy. So good. You can hear his whole recording here: Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King Jr. - YouTube

Brian & Annie chat with friend and fellow pastor, Joel To. Joel serves as a pastor at Missio Community in Portland, OR. He is first generation American born, in a Vietnamese refugee family. He shares his childhood and racial thoughts with us!

Annie & Brian finish out Latasha Morrison's 16 tips for white peacemakers. You can find her curriculum here: bethebridge.org In this episode, Annie mentions a post you can find on Instagram on the account @pushblack posted on 9/12/2021. Please like, subscribe and leave feedback! We especially appreciate questions or corrections from people of color or Latasha Morrison's Bridge Building Team.

Join us as we chat with Reverend Damion Young, pastor of Seeds of Greatness, who is celebrating one year of his church plant! We welcome feedback! If you're a white listener, how is it going? Discomfort on the journey is normal! Please let us know how you are and if you have any questions. We'd love to address them on a future podcast! If you're a Black or Brown listener, we'd be honored to have your perspective, advice or correction. We're seeking to learn from leaders of color, and we know we will get it wrong sometimes as we fall forward in this white awakening. Thanks for listening!

Brian & Annie chat about Latasha Morrison's Tips for White Peacemakers. Tips 7-11. Buy Be The Bridge curriculum by clicking here: bethebridge.com

Jasmine Rucker Tolbert has served with our local NAACP Vancouver since January 2018. She currently serves as president. She is committed to moving the Racial Equity needle forward in Clark County (location of this podcast recording) and dismantling systemic racism. She grew up in Vancouver, WA and graduated from WSUV in 2017. She enjoys her work as an HR Professional and shares life with her husband, dog, family & friends. In this episode Jasmine talks with us about her faith, work and observations about policing in our area.

Latasha Morrison and her Be the Bridge Team developed 16 tips for white peacemakers. Listen in as Annie & Brian reflect on Tips 1-6. Please purchase a copy of her curriculum at bethebridge.com Be The Bridge: 16 Bridge-Building Tips for White People In this episode, Annie has real-time awareness of some potential whitesplaining to her daughter who is a person of color. Mariah Sinclair Humphries, an Indigenous friend, generously offers her guidance.

Brian & Annie interview Gift Wango, a social worker in Seattle, WA who reflects on white supremacy in the church and in her first country of Kenya, Africa. Gift-Noelle Wango first came from Kenya to the United States when she was 13 years old. She is a mama to the best little superhero! Her experience of blackness comes from being a descendant of colonized Africans which mirrors that of the descendants of enslaved people of African Descent. Since she did not descend from enslaved people of African descent, she acknowledges the privilege she experiences from standing on the blood and sweat of enslaved people, their descendants, and allies from whom she benefits from the anti-racist work already done, and the better opportunities that this country offers from the foundation of stolen labor, knowledge and skills, albeit still unequal/inequitable across races. She offers insight and perspective on being a Black woman in America. Her favorite Bible verse is "She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:13‬.

Annie & Brian are two white former pastors who are wrestling with what racial reconciliation looks like in their own hearts and in Jesus believing churches. Our hope is that we would welcome white people to the conversation of how to step into discovery, confession, lamentation, education, conversation and action of how they might live into God's kingdom justice for all people.