Podcast appearances and mentions of Julius Lester

273. Wise Living: Why to Get Outside and Travel and Read Aloud with Amber O'Neal Johnston   “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV   *Transcription Below*   Amber O'Neal Johnston is an author, speaker, and Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom who blends life-giving books and a culturally rich environment for her four children and others seeking to do the same. She recommends we offer children opportunities to see themselves and others reflected in their lessons, especially throughout their books, and she's known for sharing literary “mirrors and windows” on HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog. Amber is also the author of Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture and A Place to Belong, a guide for families of all backgrounds on raising kids to celebrate their heritage, community, and the world.   www.HeritageMom.com www.SoulSchoolBook.com www.APlaceToBelongBook.com www.instagram.com/heritagemomblog www.facebook.com/heritagemomblog   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Questions that We Discussed: Looking back, what would you say has helped to shape your children's character the most? What have you learned about the importance of getting our kids (and ourselves) out into nature? How do you actually make time to be a content creator and to also homeschool and travel and host?   Other Related Episodes from The Savvy Sauce: 53 Practical Life Tips with Blogger, Rach Kincaid 57 Implementing Bite-Size Habits That Will Change Your Life with Author, Blogger, Podcaster, and Speaker, Kat Lee 82 Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller 84 Ordering Your Priorities with Kat Lee 103 Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt 200 Planting Seeds of Faith in Our Children with Courtney DeFeo 204 Charlotte Mason Inspired Mini-Series: A Delectable Education with Emily Kiser 207 Cultivating Character in Our Children with Cynthia Yanof 212 School Series: Benefits of Homeschooling with Jodi Mockabee 253 Low Tech Parenting with Erin Loechner   Connect with The Savvy Sauce Our Website, Instagram or Facebook    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 2:01) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Inc. in Eureka. Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman's in Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at LehmanGM.com.   Amber O'Neal Johnston is my fascinating guest for today. She's an author and speaker and coach and she's just chosen to live a very wise life as a wife and mother, and I think you're going to enjoy gleaning practical tips such as the benefits of getting our children out in nature regardless of their age. She has teens and makes this super practical for things that they would enjoy too, and she shares these incredible benefits of what happens when we simply step outdoors. She's also going to share approachable ways to introduce our family to great art and other cultures, and she gives us a fabulous book list, so, make sure you stay tuned through the end of the episode so that you can see some of the top books that she recommends. Finally, if you don't have a copy of her own latest release entitled Soul School, I highly recommend you purchase that today. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Amber.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (2:02 - 2:04) Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.   Laura Dugger: (2:04 - 2:14) Well, I'd love for you just to start us off and introduce us to your family, and will you just share a glimpse of your values and lifestyle?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (2:15 - 3:48) Absolutely. So, I live outside of Atlanta, Georgia with my husband Scott and our four children. We are just entering birthday season, but shortly they will be 16, 14, 12, and 10. The girls are the two oldest. The boys are the two youngest, and they've been homeschooled from the beginning, so, we're a homeschooling family. I'm originally from Illinois. My husband's originally from Ohio, but we met here in Atlanta at the High Museum of Art, which is really special. We are art loving, you know, fine arts loving, liberal arts loving family, and so, the idea that we met at the museum, I will just cherish that forever. I came to, before homeschooling, I was a stay-at-home mom, and prior to having children, I have an MBA, and I worked in corporate America in like marketing and advertising, and Scott comes from a similar background with the MBA, and he was doing work in that area too, so, we had that as a connection point, but I have always stayed home with the kids, and you know, our values are rooted in our Christian faith, and we're an African-American family, and so, we have values and cultural aspects that enter our home through that avenue as well. We are world travelers, so, we enjoy that as part of who we are, and I'm an author and a speaker, and I'm just a very happy homeschooler.   Laura Dugger: (3:48 - 4:12) I love that, and it sounds like such a rich and abundant life, and there's two little connections that I have to go back to. My husband and I had a date at that same museum. I love that you met your husband there. Oh wow, that's wild! And so, we met when we were in Atlanta, but live in Illinois now, so, which part of Illinois were you originally from?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (4:12 - 4:33) I'm from Elgin, Illinois. It's out past O'Hare Airport, and I was born and raised there. My parents were both public school principals there. My dad was principal of Elgin High, and there's actually an elementary school, Ron O'Neal Elementary School in Elgin, named after my father, so, that is where I'm from.   Laura Dugger: (4:33 - 4:46) Wow, okay, so, then even with that piece, your father being a principal, and then you said you've homeschooled since the beginning. Did you always anticipate you would homeschool, or what was your journey into that?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (4:47 - 7:15) Oh my gosh, never, and it's both of my parents were principals, so, that's wild. My grandfather was an elected school board official. My sister was an elected school board official, so, public school is just, you know, in my blood from the very beginning, and that's what I assumed I would do for my kids at first. Once Scott and I got married, and we had discussed it, we decided that I would stay home when they were little, and when they were old enough to go to school, I would go back to work, and my salary would pay for private Christian school tuition, and as the years, you know, months really came to fruition for my oldest, my husband started backpedaling, and he started talking this crazy talk about homeschooling. I'm like, that's a switcheroo for you. What are you talking about? I was like, that's weird. I don't want to do that. I don't feel called to do that. That does not seem like a comfortable space for me. I don't want my kids to endure that, and ultimately, I lacked confidence in that. I couldn't even articulate it. It felt scary, terrifying. Why would I take something so weighty into my own hands, and Scott was very persistent, and I can't even explain why he was so persistent about it, but I think to me, I feel like it was planted in him by the Lord, and he felt that this was the way he wanted to lead his family, and he did it so graciously because I was very resistant. He asked, would you please try it for one year, and if you are unhappy, you don't think it's right. I'll never ask you about it again, and that gave me a softer place to land where I felt like it wasn't signing up for a long-term commitment because I knew I was going to hate it, and I said, sure. I will do that, and oh, my gosh. It was the most amazing year, and I laugh now because my daughter was four, so, she's like four and turned five during that year, and so, she was so young, and people were like, well, what were you really doing, but I took it so seriously. I was doing all things, and I joined a homeschool support group, and I was reading about it, and I realized on Friday, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and on Monday, I took on this identity of a homeschooling mom, and it's just been a beautiful journey for us. I'm so thankful that the Lord led Scott in that way. He knew what was right, not just for our children, but for me, too, when I had no vision for it, and so, I'm just, you know, very grateful.   Laura Dugger: (7:16 - 7:30) I love that story. That's such an encouragement, and, okay, your oldest is turning 16, so, when you look back, what would you say has helped shape your children's character the most?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (7:32 - 9:29) Well, I think the time that we've all had to spend together, like intense amounts of time, so, not just quality time or quantity time, but both, and I think that there's nothing else I could have done that could replace that, so, I think that's one of the things. I think my own acceptance of the divine nature of me being their mother and those being my children, and really that leading me to embrace my mother's intuition, which is something that I was hesitant for at first because there are so many experts, and surely they know so much more than me, and that's not to say that that's not important. I read so widely. I'm always reading expert ideas and views, but what I realized is that those things can help me as tools. They can mentor me, but they can't master me because the master has already appointed me as the perfect mom for these children, and nobody knows them, the little tiny details of them that nobody knows more than me, and so, when I leaned into that and I'm like, yeah, this says this online, this book said that, this thing says that, I can take what I can from those, but ultimately I feel the spirit telling me and leading me in this way with these children, and when I really leaned into that, I have a right to do that. I am their mother. That revolutionized things, and I think that's what's helped shape my children's character the most is my willingness to lean into how I'm led to lead them, and so, that's been a motherhood journey for me, and I hope that it's a legacy that I leave with my children.   Laura Dugger: (9:31 - 9:53) And do you have any specific stories that come to mind that were examples of that mother's intuition, something that really I think it is such a gift from the Lord and that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in some unique way as mothers to be in tune with our kids, so, is there a time that it really benefited them when you exercised your mother's intuition?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (9:53 - 12:42) Well, there was one time with my third, my son, my oldest son, his name is Beckett, and he was in the high chair eating while I was braiding my daughter's hair, and I heard him start making like these really weird noises, and I looked over and it was like he was choking and gagging, and I run over, and but he seemed fine, but then he would do it again, and he started sweating, and you know today I really would say, you should call 9-1-1, but I didn't, I threw all the kids in the car, and I rushed to the ER, and when we got there he wasn't choking anymore, he wasn't sweating, they did his vitals and everything, and they said, well mom, whatever happened passed, he's fine, and you guys can go home, and I was like, no, he's not fine, I'm looking at him, he's not my little boy, his vitals are checking out, but he's not looking at me the way he normally looks at me, he's not interacting with me, the little funny things that I can make him smile all the time, he's not responding to them, and so, like, I know you have your tests, but like my, I'm telling you something's wrong with my little boy, so, they have a doctor, he comes in to tell me everything's fine, and he's sending me home, and so, I was like, well I'm not leaving, I'll just spend the night in the ER then with all my kids, because I know something's wrong, and the doctor, who's this older man, he turns to me, he looks me in my eyes, and he says, you know, in all my years of medical training, there's something that they never told us, but something I've learned throughout my career, never doubt a mother's intuition, and he said, we'll take him and run more tests, and they took Beckett back to run more tests, and they came back and said, you were right, he has swallowed a coin, and it's like just teetering on the precipice, and so, at times it was blocking his airway, and at times it was shifted a little bit, and we have to go in immediately and get it, and that could have choked him, if you had just gone home and put him down to bed, and so, in that story, I took away two things, one, that I am his mother, and I don't care what the test says, or what the data says, or what the news, or a book, at the end of the day, I knew that something was wrong with my boy, the other thing is the graciousness of that doctor, to see my humanity and my personhood beyond just the insurance payment, or protocol, or whatever, it let me know that like there's something powerful about letting other people know that you see them, and that you are connected to them, as another part of God's creation, like he respected me on that level, so.   Laura Dugger: (12:43 - 13:35) That is incredible, I'm so grateful that that story has a happy ending, and that you were assertive to say that, I think sometimes as women, probably especially as Christian women, we can think, oh I want to be nice, or not push back on somebody, but I love that you were assertive, it was what was in your child's best interest, and like you highlighted, that doctor's humility is admirable, but Amber, you mentioned too that you're a writer, and you contribute a lot to things like the Wild and Free bundles, and I was always struck by the way that you would be out in nature, and there's so much to learn, so, if you had to boil it down, what wisdom would you have to share from what you've learned about the importance of getting our kids and ourselves outdoors into nature?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (13:36 - 16:49) Yeah, that's so funny, I love that you asked me that, because I like to tell people I was raised in the air conditioning, and so, there is no one who began motherhood further away from nature and being outdoors than me, like, and I can look back at those early days of like, I knew you could take your kids to the playground, and I did do that, but like what else would you do outside, you know, and people would be like, oh we went hiking on this trail, and I was like, where did you get on it, like where do you find a trailhead, like I mean this is back, like this is where I was coming from, and I was just like, and then what would we do, like we just walk, and do we talk about trees, I don't know any trees, I know Christmas trees are evergreens, you know, so, it was just like coming from this very like foundational place where I didn't know anything, but I believed, right, I believed, I somehow inherently believed when I read that being outdoors was important for children, so, I'm reading Charlotte Mason's work, and she's talking about nature study, I'm reading Last Child in the Woods by Louvre, and I'm hearing about this, he calls it a nature deficit disorder, and I'm reading all of these different kind of people who really respected childhood, and personhood, and really wanted the best for children, I'm reading a Christian perspective of the joy in connecting with God's creation, first and foremost, but also this idea of encouraging natural and authentic physical activity, running, climbing, balancing, exploring, developing coordination, and confidence, and the mental health components, you know, reducing stress, and improving mood, and not just for the kids, but my friend from A Thousand Hours Outside, she talks about how the first time she like took her kids out for the whole day, it was for her, because she was going crazy with these all these little kids, and the house, and the bags, and the diaper bag, and the snacks, and she didn't know what else to do, so, she just went outside, and how healing that was, and therapeutic that was for all of them, the idea of curiosity, of fueling curiosity, and creativity, I've never seen my kids come up with the most, I mean, they come up with imaginative things in our house, but outside, the, oh my goodness, the things they come up with, the things they create, and make, and the storytelling that comes out of that, and I think the family bonds, our experiences, it's another way of memory making, I mean, we make memories when we go see plays, and musicals, and travel as well, so, it's not the only way, but it's a strong way of that shared outdoor adventures, so, like a couple weeks ago, we were all whitewater rafting, it's funny, like a lot of funny things happen when you're out there doing crazy stuff, and so, we have a lot of laughter, and we have a lot of inside jokes that come from our time together, so, I think that all of those, it's not just one thing, it's one of those rare things where there are all the pros, and there really are no cons, and so, I intentionally embrace that for my family, even though it's everything that I didn't have growing up.   Laura Dugger: (16:50 - 17:41) Wow, that is so interesting, I love how books have really inspired you to make changes that have benefited your entire family, and I'm thinking back years ago when I was in grad school, studying marriage and family therapy, there was this book that we read, Letters to a Young Therapist, I believe the author is Mary Pipher, and she said something that I found to be very true in my life, she said, from childhood when we all look back, our memories typically boil down to three categories, one is family dinners around the table, the second is traveling with our family, and the third is anytime we were outdoors, and so, I'm wondering that legacy that you're giving your kids, they're going to have an abundance of memories in all three of those buckets.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (17:42 - 18:29) Yeah, I love that, and I had never read that, it's making me want to go and read her work, but I can't agree more, I mean that's what I've seen anecdotally, at least in my family, and it's definitely been the case for us, I can totally see that, the other thing I love about outdoors too is it's free, you know, so, there have, we've had times of plenty and times of not quite enough financially throughout our journey, due to layoffs, and you know, recessions, and all these different things, but that has been one thing that the travel hasn't always been as consistent as we wanted, but the nature, the time outside has always been accessible, even during COVID, that was accessible to us, so, I love it for that too, but yeah, that's really cool.   Laura Dugger: (18:29 - 18:41) Absolutely, okay, so, you started with, you were getting some inspiration from different books and speakers, but then when did you actually implement this? Do you remember how old your kids were?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (18:42 - 20:11) Right away, so, my oldest was like four, five years old, and we started going outside, now again, we had always been going to the park, so, they had been spending a lot of time outside, but I will say like that's like a very, you know, man-made structures, and you know, I can't think of it, like very cultivated space, so, we weren't spending time in uncultivated space until around there, so, maybe a four-year-old, two-year-old, and infant, and I know they started growing up in that way, and I had kids in an ergo on the back, and I remember hiking with a kid in an ergo on the front, and then snapped another one on the back, and you know, these are memories I have of being outdoors thoroughly by the time the boys were coming along, and I remember the story where we were at a creek, and I looked up for a moment, and just sheer panic that my little boy was gone, he wasn't in my eyesight anymore, and the girls were playing there, and I'm like, you know, and I look, and look, and look, and there's nothing, and no one, and all I can think you sees in the water, and I wasn't paying attention, and my heart's racing, and I'm like, girls, where's your brother? And my daughter says, mommy, he's sleeping on your back. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I just think, like, I was so tired during those years, and I just remember, I would just think, let's just go outside, and some days that's just the most I could come up with, but yeah, I was freaking out, and the little boy was sleeping on my back.   Laura Dugger: (20:12 - 21:50) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so, come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, LehmanEureka.com, or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'm wondering too, so, when you began, what did you start with? What did you do outside?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (21:51 - 24:13) So, we started with walking, and I also was very verbal about my, what I felt were my inadequacies with friends, and that's why, you know, I can't overemphasize the, I haven't brought that up yet, but the idea of community. You don't need a hundred friends, just a few people who either are doing the same thing as you, have done it, or know you personally so well. But I had a friend who was like this outdoor enthusiast, and I always admired her for that, and she'd be like, oh, I went to the hydrangeas, they're coming out today, and they're gonna bloom for four days, and you know, like, and she would be like, oh, do you want some wild blueberries? And I'd be looking at her with side eye, like, girl, I only eat blueberries from Publix, because how do I know that you know what you're doing? You know, those could be poisonous berries you identified wrong. So, we had this kind of ongoing thing, I just asked her, I was like, hey, could we go outside with you guys sometimes? And she was like, of course. So, our first hike was with her and her kids, and she showed me how to go outside and do nothing. Like, we didn't do anything, we just walked. And the kids let us, you know, they would stop and ponder things and ask questions, which she knew the answers to, but wouldn't answer. So, she was like, well, what do you think? Or that's something cool we can investigate, or whatever. So, I realized, wow, here's this expert naturalist who's not even using her expertise. I don't have any expertise, so I could do the same thing. Well, what do you think about that? So, the kids let us, we stopped when they stopped, we kept going when they kept going. We had plenty of water and snacks, which she had told me, which was important. And that was my first thing. It was a hike. And after that, I only went back to that place by myself with my kids without her, because that was the only trail I knew. I knew where to park and where to go, and I felt confident. And then lo and behold, I run into Charlotte Mason's work, where she talks about returning to the same place throughout the year, and having your kids compare what's happening their season to season. And so, different rationale for why I was doing that. But then I was like, look, there's beauty, even in the simplicity of me not knowing what else to do. So, that's kind of how we got into it. And then I started having more experience and going out and being more adventurous further away from home with my kids.   Laura Dugger: (24:14 - 24:24) Okay, so, then what other ways has it evolved? You mentioned whitewater rafting. So, you've got teens now. What does your time outdoors look like in this phase?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (24:25 - 26:02) So, lots of camping. So, you know, Memorial Day weekend, you know, we were camping in yurts with friends. This past weekend, we camped, we had a big Juneteenth celebration, and then we went camping for Juneteenth weekend. And so, I would say that kayaking, paddle boards, we have paddle boards, we take out fishing, I hate fishing personally, don't like it at all. But two of my kids enjoy fishing. So, I'm there for that. I'll just bring a book or whatever, because it's quite boring to me, but they love it. So, we moved. I mean, how much of a commitment is that we moved to a different house, when we were able to have our whole property is forest floor. So, it's completely shaded and intertwined with trees and plants and a kind of wild scape. And across the road is a lake where the boys can fish and I can call their names for lunch and they can hear me now. I have to yell it loud. It's kind of country. Other people probably like what is going on? I'm like, you know, but they can hear me right there. And so, the creek and just really everything. A lot, a lot of hiking, I will say we live near a mountain and we're in Georgia. So, the North Georgia mountains are not far from us. We have Appalachia or Appalachia, as my friend said, I mispronounce it. And yeah, there's nothing that isn't my one of my first dates with Scott was whitewater rafting. So, we've always kind of embraced that.   Laura Dugger: (26:03 - 26:37) Oh, that's a special way to tie in a married couple memory with your kids and get to pass that along. And water and mountains, those things are, they never get old. But I've heard others even say like, you don't have to take stuff other than water and snacks, like you mentioned, to go outside. But I like the practical tips that sometimes people take art supplies, and they can nature journal or a book to read aloud. Do you have any other practical tips like that, that you would encourage if somebody wanted to get started with this lifestyle?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (26:38 - 28:47) Yeah, I would say, um, we, okay, the best thing I can say is to just try it like I think that oftentimes I know my I'm like this, you want to try to be an expert at something before you actually put it into practice. And the point is, like, we're looking at someone's work or something that they're doing after years that they've been in practice. And then we're expecting to do that from the very beginning. And until we get there, we don't want to do it. So, for example, nature study, nature journaling, I always admired nature journaling. But when you look at people's nature journals that they people who are willing to share, there's usually a reason they're willing to share theirs because it looks beautiful. And mine didn't also look beautiful. But I was still willing to give it a try. And I love that. And I love my kids, what they've worked on. And I cherish all of our early beginning sketches. And quite honestly, I'm still not great. But I think having tools like watercolor pens and water pens where we can do watercolor on the go. And we've done many pictures out by the side of the creek on picnic blankets, especially like my older children while younger people are like, What do I do with these little ones like water, you know, like they love that splashing, making sandcastles and things while I'm painting or doing things watercolors with the with the older ones. And were they museum worthy? No. But there was a lot of enjoyment involved in a skill-based learning. So, I think asking questions and inquiry, using pictures, sure and painting, but also keeping track of things the the date that our cherry blossoms bloom, and our white cherry blossom blooms before the pink one every year and keeping track of that or paying trying to map all of the vegetation in our yard like we are, you know, know which trees what they're called where they come from that takes time. And those are things we've done. It's not like we're only just sitting there barefoot grounding ourselves and forest bathing. You know, we're out there learning as well. And I think that, you know, both are beautiful ways to enter into that.   Laura Dugger: (28:48 - 29:34) I love it. There's so many benefits. And you even mention grounding that helps so much going barefoot with inflammation and different body systems that are reset even by getting out and getting early morning light and the serotonin that's produced that turns into melatonin at night. So, we're happier in the day and sleepier at night, resetting systems in our eyes and like healing our body in different ways to an even how much better outdoor air is for us than indoor air. The benefits just go on and on. So, would you have any to add that either your family has experienced personally, or you've learned about just benefits of getting outdoors?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (29:34 - 31:29) Yeah, I think that one, even, you know, all the things you said, yes, and also the mental clarity. And that's why I don't like being time outdoors, being tied to a negative consequence for academic related behavior. So, the house across the road from ours, you know, I could say ironically, or just be like, God chose to gift us. It's a homeschooling family. They moved in a couple years ago, and they have some kids are some of our kids are similar ages. And our boys are just outside all the time together hours and hours and hours every single day. And I see the difference on days where the weather doesn't permit it or where one family or the other, you know, isn't available. There's a difference in terms of clarity and the work that's happening at the lesson table as well. And this came up, you know, my nephew, you know, they're not homeschooled, and his parents took him on a trip, which caused him to miss a day of school. And he missed an assignment that day, he didn't turn it in. And so, the school then when he got back to school punished him by keeping him indoors for recess. And I was helping, you know, my family craft a note that talks about two things. One, they punished a child for a decision the parents made. And that is grossly unfair, they should be talking to the parents about not missing school, if that's the important thing. And the second thing is, you took away the very thing that allows these children to have what they need to sit quietly and take in, you know, that that's not, that's not how you that's not an appropriate consequence. So, anyway, I feel that the mental clarity beyond the things I would have named the same things you already said, it would be the only other thing that I would bring in and why time outside actually helps us to achieve deeper and broader and more expansive learning when we are inside.   Laura Dugger: (31:29 - 31:54) That's good. And I love how you keep mentioning the piece of community that that's the best way to do this. So, regardless of somebody homeschools, or they don't, how can all of us actually prioritize this? And what's a good, healthy goal for getting started, even as specific as how much time outdoors, how many outdoors or how many days a week should we be outdoors?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (31:55 - 33:01) Yeah, that's, it's so different for every family, I think that you should go just past the point of comfort, you know, for most of us. So, if the point of comfort for you is like 30 minutes a week, then you would start out like aim for an hour a week, you know, 20 minutes, three days, if you're already outside for, you know, 10 hours, a couple hours each day, you know, I would say, maybe shake it up with what you're doing and see what would it be like to go on a really long outdoor excursion on a Saturday, or to take a day off or something like that. So, I don't want to say an exact number, because we're all entering in at a different place. For me, if someone had told me to spend eight hours outside with my kids, when I was first starting, and I'm used to going to playground for 20 minutes, that would have been overwhelming. And I would have been like; there's no way I'm ever gonna do it. So, I think like, just taking it, like, where do I feel most comfortable? And how can I push myself just past that point would be a great place to start and kind of a nice place to always stay? Like, what's the next thing that we can do to lean further into this?   Laura Dugger: (33:02 - 33:15) That's really good, very wise counsel. And Amber, you've mentioned that your family loves to travel. So, will you share any adventures that you've had as a family with world schooling?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (33:16 - 36:20) So, our goal, and it's just a fun thing, you know, I don't know if we'll totally do it, but I think we will, is to have children. So, for us, world schooling is where we're not on vacation, but we're actually deeply immersed in a learning stance in another country, another part of the world. And we're trying to do that on every continent, except Antarctica, before my oldest graduates. So, we have two continents left, we are going to be going to Asia in the fall. So, we'll be taking that one off of our list and for that particular feat. And then her senior year, we'll do Australia and hop over to New Zealand. That's the plan, if it's God's will for us to do that, that's what we would like to do, and that will complete our journey. And then we'll keep traveling, but that was just kind of a fun thing to help lead us, because there are so many places in the world to go, like how do you know? And so, that kind of helped us know, well, let's do this continent, let's do that continent. So, we took our first trip, we spent three months in South America, most of it spent in Bolivia. And I can tell you exactly the kids' ages, because my youngest turned two in Bolivia. So, they were two, four, six, and then one turned eight there. And so, that was, you know, diapers, I had a baby in diapers, a little one in diapers and still nursing when we went on our first trip. And I've never regretted that. People have said, why would you take kids so young? You know, they're not going to remember. And I think a couple thoughts. One, you'd be surprised, they do remember. They may not remember this artifact in some museum, but that's not what we spend most of our time doing. But they remember the people. And we've kept in touch with a lot of the people that we've met in these different countries. And we've even had visitors in our home, staying in our basement apartment that we met abroad. So, they do remember. They remember how things feel and taste more than they remember exactly, like historical markers and things like that. Also, I kind of compare it to like breastfeeding and nursing, like my kids, except for one little boy who held on way too long, but they don't remember that. But I believed that it was something good for them that was forming. It was helping to form who they were, not so much who they were personality wise, but their bodies as they were growing. And so, sometimes we do things that are foundational to our children's development, even if they don't have a conscious and direct memory of that thing. And that's how I see world travel. So, we've been to Europe, and we were in Greece when COVID hit. We were in the middle of a big trip there. So, we had the whole struggle to get back to the United States. We've been to West Africa, most spent in Ghana, England, France. We're going to Ethiopia this year. So, yeah, that's kind of, that's our thing.   Laura Dugger: (36:20 - 37:04) Wow. And those memories are incredible. Even let's say your children forget some of this, or if they're too young to remember all of it, you remember this and you get to share those stories with them and pass that along. I can't even imagine all of the learning that takes place from being immersed in those other cultures. But you also mentioned welcoming people into your basement apartment. So, you sound hospitable as a family. What does that actually look like? And I'm kind of going to throw two questions at you. What does that actually look like? And then both for world schooling and hospitality, what are tips for ways we can replicate that as well?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (37:06 - 39:52) So, one thing that's important to me to always share about world schooling, I have a whole chapter about our world schooling adventures in my first book, but one important thing that I call out there is Eli Gerzen. He's the guy who came up with the word world schooling. And he says, you know, we don't even need a passport to do it. That world schooling is really learning from the world around you. It could be your local library. It could be the internet. It could be your neighbors. And so, while I use this more global term of world schooling, because that's just what we call it in our family, the truth of the matter is it's a way of seeing the world and seeing all the opportunity to make connections right where you're sitting. And people are like, oh, you guys have so much money. I can't do that. First of all, we don't have so much money. Like, for instance, we have one car, right? So, there are sacrifices that we make that other people may choose to spend their money in a different way. So, we definitely don't have a ton of money. But more importantly, I'm thinking, yeah, you're saying that you don't have money, but how much have you explored your county? Like, what do you know about the history of your county? And have you been to your local historical society? And have you really, you know, got in? Have you been to an old the oldest cemetery within driving distance of your home? Have you gotten a tour of it to hear the stories of who's there? Like, you can have that same inquiry and curiosity without ever leaving. So, I'll say that first. And in terms of the hospitality part, it's like an it's an intention, right? You have to like, decide that you're going to do that, because it's so much easier not to have people at first view, like, oh, my house is not clean, and blah, blah, blah. And people don't just stop by the way they used to stop by, like my grandparents' house, it was so fun staying there in the summer, because people just folks just came in and out all day, just they come calling is what they call it, they come calling. And even when we read Jane Austin, people leaving the call guard, you know, when they came to visit, and you weren't there, like, there was this idea that you didn't have to have an appointment. And now you do, you have to let someone know before you're coming. So, it's a choice to be vulnerable, if you want to be hospitable in that way that people will see your, you know, dirty bones of your house. And you know that you're not always presenting this, like really sanitized version of your family and your family life. And so, I think that's intentional decision to say it's more important to us to be with other people and let them in than it is for us to always sanitize everything before they get here. And I don't mean sanitizes and clean the house that too, but I mean sanitizes and everyone's behaving the way that I want them to behave in front of people and all of that as well.   Laura Dugger: (39:53 - 41:05) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   Well, and I think it is a biblical command for all of us and it does bless the person or the people that we are hosting, but there are also rewards for us in the process. So, if you even just could think of one reward of a way that this hospitality has blessed your family, what would you say?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (41:07 - 41:55) Well, I would say John chapter five, it says, you know, this verse we've all heard, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit apart from me, you can do nothing." So, you know, when we talk about hospitality, we spend a lot of time talking about what my family is doing for other people. But also, that means that my family is constantly in contact with other believers and other people who are helping us with our faith to helping us to remain connected to Jesus. And without that connection, we know that there's nothing that we can do, nothing of any spiritual significance. So, while I'm inviting those people into our lives, it also ensures that my family is not alone in what we're trying to do in our faith. So, like, that's one of a very easy benefit, I can say right off the top.   Laura Dugger: (41:56 - 42:18) Then that one is truly invaluable for our children to get to witness the way other people live out their faith, and it impacts each of us. But I'm also curious, how do you manage your time so that you can be a content creator, and you can homeschool and travel and cultivate these relationships?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (42:20 - 46:08) So, first, let me say that it's not always easy. And there are seasons where I feel like I'm doing a really good job with that. And there are seasons where I feel like I'm not doing a good job. I always prioritize my family first. And so, during the seasons where I feel like I'm not doing a good job, it's very public. People can see I did not post on Instagram for a month, or I'm not speaking as much. They're finding it harder to find opportunities to hear me speak, or I have a long lull before books are published. Those are times where I've turned inward towards my family, where I felt like I didn't have the bandwidth for everything. And so, that's something I have to deal with on a constant basis, because I know that my business or my ministry is not as rich and robust as it could be. I have ideas for days. I have ideas and the ability to bring them to fruition. But I'm not willing to sacrifice the time that it takes to do those things in this season. Because even though I don't have little kids, I definitely have more time than I did when I had little kids. It's not even just time; it's more mind clarity as well. But I don't have as much time as people with little kids would think, because I want to be fully present, even for my teens. When they want to talk to me, I want to be talkable too. I want to be available to them. And we're going to places. We're doing things. They're busy. I'm busy. And I'm trying to prepare them for young adulthood. And that's just as time-consuming as trying to prepare my young children for the next stage of their development. So, I guess it's so messy. Oh my gosh, it's messy. It's chaotic. It's a little bit crazy. But in the center of it all, I really appreciate the opportunities I do have to do the things that help refuel, help me refuel. So, I'm a writer. So, writing isn't just about creating a book. It's that I get to create a book, but really it's about the process and how cathartic it is for me to sit in silence and wonder about things and be able to write them out. And oh, lo and behold, there's a publisher who is interested in publishing those things. But the real work for me is in the process of writing. Then when I come home from a coffee shop or I emerge from my room, I come back more enthusiastic about what it is we're working on and what we're doing. The other thing that I would share is that I don't do all of that stuff by myself. So, things that people don't, just like I say, I have one car and we travel the world, people are like, oh, okay, this is not what I thought. My husband does all the laundry, every piece of laundry in this house that the teens do their own, but all the laundry that's done, he does and has done for over a decade. So, that's a thing I have to say, because you might be picturing that I'm doing all of those things. Or when I wrote one of my books, I was struggling and Scott was like, how can I help you? And he was like, what if we get help to come in with the kids like a nanny or something a few hours a week? I'm like, no, that's the last thing I want somebody to touch. So, he's like, well, what is it? So, we hired a chef, and she would prepare all of our dinners according to like what I, how I like my family to eat and lots of whole foods and good things. And she would drop them off at our house. It was very expensive, but I used part of the money from the advance from the publisher to pay for that so that I could write the book. So, I think those are things that a lot of times people don't talk about, but I have support in place. I'm not super woman any more than anyone else.   Laura Dugger: (46:08 - 46:49) Oh, I appreciate that real picture and those creative ideas because as mothers, we don't just make goals for ourselves. Like you said, we have these dreams and ideas that we could put into practice, but we consider our relationships as well and how it will impact everyone. So, I love hearing practically how that plays out for you and the trade-offs that you've chosen to make. And I know that you and I also share a passion for reading aloud. So, if we could get really practical for a moment, what are some of your most recommended read aloud for families from a variety of age groups?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (46:50 - 53:05) Well, I'm always ready for that question, but I have to say, it's almost asking me, which of my children are my favorite? It's so hard in so many ways, but for younger elementary, I picked three books that I think kind of help show how expansive I feel like I want my children's reading life to be. So, this book is called Indigo Dreaming, and it's a book about two girls, one's in North America and another one we can believe is off the coast of Africa. And they're both doing what they do in their own homes. And it's beautifully illustrated also, but they're both doing what they do in their own homes while wondering, is there another little girl in this world doing what I do, liking what I like? Well, indeed there is. And it's poetic and it has soft paintings. It's just stunning. And then another one is called The Magic Doll. It's a children's book inspired by African art. And in this book, the mother desperately wants to have a child, but she's dealing with infertility, and she turns to the use of an infertility doll. And what would I say about that? My family doesn't believe that, but it's a book that I read with my children because we were going to visit this culture. And I wanted to explain to them how we can respect something and learn about it even without adopting it. And that you can understand the yearning of a mother's heart to hold a child in her hand and the desperation that that could bring about. And I wanted them to know that we would see fertility dolls there and what they meant and things like that. And it's also beautifully illustrated, which is important to me. And then this one's just a fun book. It's called I Had a Favorite Dress, but as the dress starts getting too small, she cuts it and turns it into a skirt. And then it gets turned into this. And then the little, small piece gets turned into some socks. And then it's just a little scarf and snip, snip, sew, sew, pretty hair bow. And so, the same piece of fabric, this favorite dress she had, every time she can't use it in that way anymore, it gets moved and shifted. Into something else. And this book reminds me to just, you know, sometimes we share heavier topics with our children, even beautiful topics, but sometimes it's just joy. Like that's the whole purpose of the book is to smile and have fun. And I'll move more quickly for the older elementary books. I have this book called Schomburg. It's a nonfiction book about Arturo Schomburg and the man who built a library, which is now housed. His home library is now housed as part of the collection of the public library system in New York. And he collected books about all types of black and brown people. And it was considered one of the foremost library collections. So, as a book lover, I love that story. This one's called Heart and Soul. It's the story of America and African Americans with stunning illustrations by Kadir Nelson. So, I love visual art. I always say my family, we can't afford to buy the most exquisite art for our walls, but we have an exquisite art collection through our picture books that I've collected. And then the last one is for that group is John Henry by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney illustrations. So, those are two powerhouses of African American author and illustrator. Both have passed. And it is the tall tale of John Henry told in a way that you've never seen before. For older kids, like middle schoolers, I love this one Big Open Sky because it's about some black exodusters who are moving west. And it goes so well for families who love Little House on the Prairie. But, you know, Little House on the Prairie, in some ways, there's some instances that are a little disrespectful to Native Americans and black people. And this is like a redemptive story, not instead of but alongside of it to say that there were black people that were also moving westward and what was their journey. And it's written in verse, like, oh, my gosh, I can't even tell you enough about that. This book, The Angel Orphan, my friend Leah Bowden wrote this book, and it's the story of Charlotte Mason. So, in chapter book form. So, there's also a picture book that someone wrote, but this is a beautiful story about Charlotte Mason. And my family's all-time favorite on my kids read aloud is The Winged Feather Saga by Andrew Peterson. And that whole series, oh, my goodness, that cemented so much of our family lexicon, because it's filled with like made up words. And it I mean, we have jokes and talks and sayings for days coming out of that series. For our older teenagers, um, or even early elementary, early middle school and early teenage years, the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is just like a such a classic, Mildred D. Taylor that many of us read. But she also wrote a young adult version where Cassie is entering young adulthood. So, different age audiences, but same author. And a lot of people haven't heard of the other book All the Days Past, All the Days to Come. So, for high school, I love that. And then I threw a couple things in for mama. I'm an epic story of called Homegoing about two sisters and the different paths their lives take during a time I'm part of it is told in Africa and part of its told in the United States. And the last book I have is this memoir, A Black Mother's Garden. It's called Soil. And she uses her actual real garden at her home to kind of give us this idea of life. And it's, it's, you know, it's, it's hard to explain, but it's her it's part memoir, part gardening, like learning and talking about the plants, but also how all of that can turn into kind of like the soil of your life and the people being plants, and she really focuses on wildflowers. So, it's a stunningly, like poignant and beautiful memoir. So, those are my favorite, you know, and now if you ask me tomorrow, you're going to get a different stack.   Laura Dugger: (53:07 - 53:27) I love it. What a gift to get to see all of those you and I share some of those favorites, and you've introduced me to some new ones. So, I'm very grateful and hope everybody listening feels the same. But speaking of books, you've authored more than one. But will you tell us about your most recent release entitled Soul School?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (53:28 - 55:58) Yeah, so, Soul School is it's Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture. And I know it's so hard with those. But it is a book of books. So, people who have enjoyed Honey for a Child's Heart, or The Read-Aloud Family, those types of books, which I have adored, and I have all of them, and I've highlighted them or, or Give Your Child the World is another one, highlighted them and dog eared them and have used them to check out books for the library for my children for many, many years. And, and at the same time, I was always very, you know, on my heart that the books that I spend a lot of time reading with my children that I choose and I select are never really included in most of those books.   And there was the season, you know, I'm like, frustrated, you know, I'm mad. I'm like, why? Why are they putting these books in here? And then the more I thought about it, I was like, the most you can ask for a mother to do when she's sharing these books, when it's coming from that is what she read with her children. So, am I going to be mad at her that she didn't read what I think she should read? No, do I wish that it had been more expansive? Sure, I do. But how many of us wouldn't go back and do something differently if knowing what we know today or whatever. So, I wrote a companion like the I see not to replace those books. But this book is filled with African American and black diasporic children's literature starting from preschool all the way through high school.   The first part of the book, I talk about what I'm looking for specifically in books about black American culture, and why those things are important. So, the first few chapters, first five chapters are really teaching the teacher. And then the rest of the book, which makes up most of the book are really rich annotated book lists with descriptions why I chose the book discussion questions, project ideas, and something called second helpings. Like when you think of a big soul food dinner, you go through the line the first time and you fill your plate, but then you go back for second helpings of the things that taste the very best. So, if your child likes this book, then here are two second helpings that they also would probably enjoy. And you know, the book was years in the making, I read all 300 plus books in there from cover to cover. And that's kind of my contribution to raising our children.   Laura Dugger: (56:00 - 56:40) Wow, I mean, it is a stunning piece of work. And there's so much for your family, but also for all of us. So, I think of being one of your kids, what a treasure that their mom read 300 books and put this together. But for all of us, I love books on books. And like you said, we can use it to go to the library or then once we read those and find which other ones we love, we can add it to our home collection. So, thank you for that powerhouse of work. And Amber, there's still so much more that you could share with us. Where can we go after this conversation to connect with you or to learn more?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (56:42 - 56:56) Go to heritagemom.com. And there you'll find all of my books and years' worth of blog posts and book recommendations and other things. My Instagram is @heritagemomblog and the same at Facebook.   Laura Dugger: (56:56 - 57:12) Wonderful. Okay, we will add those links to the show notes for today's episode. And you may be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Amber, what is your savvy sauce?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (57:12 - 57:50) Oh, this is such a great question. I love this part of your podcast. I would say that my savvy sauce is learning to be a really great listener. Like if there's nothing else, then that's listening to my husband and the things of his heart and listening to my children and my neighbors and my friends.   But also, people I don't know, people in other places. And also, people I disagree with and being willing to be quiet and listen and take what I can from what they're sharing as well. So, that is, I think my savvy sauce is being an introspective listener.   Laura Dugger: (57:50 – 58:13) That is well said. You are such an inspiring and creative soul. And I have thoroughly enjoyed this chat. And I know I've been hearing you speak on other podcasts and reading your work for years. So, this was such a treat to get to connect with you today. And I just want to say thank you for being my guest.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (58:14 - 58:16) Thank you so much for having me.   Laura Dugger: (58:16 - 1:01:59) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you.   But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves.   This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own.   So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a Savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute.   This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us.   Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place.   I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him.   You get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started?   First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible.   The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ.   We also have show notes including where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged.   Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

This is the 23rd episode of The Podgoblin's Hat, with Nina and Dave. You can find it on it's own feed wherever you get your podcasts. And just like that, it's the end of the season! We're going out on a story that actually shows us what happens when someone has a problem and wonders "What would Snufkin do?" Sniff is inconsolable over the loss of his favourite toy, a small dog called Cedric, with bejewelled eyes (?!). Even Moominmamma can't help him, so he wanders down to Snufkin's camp and gets told a story. It's a very classic story-shape about belongings not making you happy, but you know what we say? There's nothing wrong with playing the hits well! This story is a real two-hander between Snufkin and Sniff. It really wouldn't be the same without Sniff's many, pertinent, exasperating interruptions. We have a go at filling some plot holes, like: when did Sniff get back from wherever it was he went? Who gave him the toy dog, and why did this put jewels in its eyes? Next season we'll be reading the Moomin comics, so dig out your copies if you want to read along! Our Spirits of the Moomins this week are The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander and Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester. Dave has sneaked three (three!) Spirits of the Podgoblin's hat in this season finale to keep you going until we get back: Cane and Rinse, Girl Mode and Rainbow Road.

Week of 10/20/24 at the Library - Novelist | Hosts Dylan Posa and Barb Leitschuh go over upcoming events, talk about the Novelist recommendations, and for "Barb The Bookie" recommend several books.

Denisha Gingles joins us to talk about their papers, Leading the Charge: A Look Inside the Behavior Analysis in Practice Emergency Series of Publications on Systemic Racism and Police Brutality & Igniting Collective Freedom: An Integrative Behavioral Model of Acceptance and Commitment Toward Black Liberation   Show Notes   Remember to join us on Facebook to suggest articles to review and questions for authors. https://www.facebook.com/BApractice Acknowledgments Host and Executive Producer: Cody Morris, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA https://salve.edu/users/dr-cody-morris Assistant Producers Jesse Perrin Biancé Ferrucci Organizational Support ABAI https://www.abainternational.org/welcome.aspx Behavior Analysis in Practice Editor, Stephanie Peterson, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA https://www.abainternational.org/journals/bap.aspx Music Cruising Altitude by Jim Carr and his band New Latitude http://www.newlatitudemusic.com Link to Article Leading the Charge: A Look Inside the Behavior Analysis in Practice Emergency Series of Publications on Systemic Racism and Police Brutality | SpringerLink Igniting Collective Freedom: An Integrative Behavioral Model of Acceptance and Commitment Toward Black Liberation | SpringerLink Links from Article Behavior Analysis in Practice | Volume 15, issue 4 (springer.com) freire-pedagogy-of-the-oppressed.pdf (ucsc.edu) Let's Talk About Race book by Julius Lester (thriftbooks.com) References Gingles, D. (2022). Igniting collective freedom: An integrative behavioral model of acceptance and commitment toward black liberation. Behavior Analysis in Practice 15, 1050–1065. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00584-6 Gingles, D., Watson-Thompson, J., Anderson-Carpenter, K.D., Tarbox, J., & Peterson, S. (2022). Leading the charge: A look inside the behavior analysis in practice emergency series of publications on systemic racism and police brutality. Behavior Analysis in Practice 15, 1015–1022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00759-9 Matsuda, K., Garcia, Y., Catagnus, R., & Ackerlund Brandt, J. (2020). Can behavior analysis help us understand and reduce racism? A review of the current literature. Behavior Analysis in Practice 13, 336–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00411-4 Mizael, T. M., de Almeida, J. H., Silveira, C. C., & de Rose, J. C. (2016). Changing racial bias by transfer of functions in equivalence classes. The Psychological Record, 66(3), 451–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0185-0 Resources Can Behavior Analysis Help Us Understand and Reduce Racism? A Review of the Current Literature by Matsuda, K., Garcia, Y., Catagnus, R. Changing Racial Bias by Transfer of Functions in Equivalence Classes., Mizael, T.M., Almeida, J.H., Silveira, C.C., Rose, J.C. https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Talk-About-Race/dp/1580056776 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/72657

Welcome to episode 17 of series 3 where we're talking about how to raise good kids, which involves educating them (and yourself) about diversity, inclusion and consent. Jenni shares an experience she had with her daughter and Lisa talks about raising White boys, who need a lot of education to ensure they are informed enough to reject the White supremacist, heteropatriarchal and ableist messaging they receive from our social construct. We share books and other great resources for parents and caregivers that can support this educational journey. The importance of raising kind, inclusive children who expect to see and exist within diverse communities can't be overstated. The bottom line is that if you don't educate your kids on diversity, inclusion and consent, someone else will undoubtedly show them something different and it will make your job of forming their path to being a good human much harder. Here are some of the educational resource that we use:- 'Let's Talk About Race' by Julius Lester- 'Anti-Racist Baby' by Ibram X. Kendi- 'All Are Welcome' by Alexandra Penfold- 'I am Enough' by Grace Byers- 'The Pronouns Book' by Chris Ayala-Kronos- 'Inclusive Ninja' by Mary Nhin- 'Roxy the Racoon' by Alice Reeves- The Black Curriculum is an excellent resource for people based in the UK - check out their Instagram account @theblackcurriculum as well as at The Black Curriculum- Upgrade Accessibility is a disability rights and justice platform which regularly hosts workshops and events based on disability awareness, as well as on the intersection of LGBTQ+ and disability rights - check out their Instagram account @upgradeaccessibility as well as at Upgrade Accessibility- Stonewall is a UK-based LGBTQ+ charity who provide excellent resources for educating and providing support to children, young adults and parents/caregivers  and can be found at Stonewall- The Trevor Project is based in America but is the world's largest crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people under the age of 25 and provides education and support to children, young adults and parents/caregivers. It can be found at The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives

In the last episode we see Rambler perfom in the cafe. Morning comes and he is seated with Lucille who asks where he is going to play tonight. Rambler is reluctant, but he mentions that “he's got to keep moving”, he won't be staying. Part of Rambler hopes that one-day he sees Lucille again, but for now, he must keep moving.

In this episode 1 we read from the book ‘Long Journey Home' by Julius Lester. Story name- ‘Satan on my back'.

Joan Steinau Lester is an award-winning commentator, columnist, and author of critically acclaimed books, including Mama's Child and Black, White, Other. Her writing has appeared in such publications as USA Today, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post. Her latest book Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White chronicles her marriage to the Black writer Julius Lester, and tells the story of a writer and activist fighting for love and justice before, during, and after the Supreme Court's 1967 decision striking down bans on interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia. Speaking candidly about every facet of her life, Lester illuminates her journey to fulfillment and healing. Connect with Joan at www.joanlester.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dallas-woodburn/support

Stu Levitan welcomes the social justice activist, educator, award-winning columnist, and author Joan Steinau Lester. Her memoir Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White is just out from our very good friends at the University of Wisconsin Press. Along with her Madison publisher, Joan also could have joined us as a Madison author, with a Ph D from the fabled UW history department; but, for reasons we'll discuss, she was unable to accept the department's offer. Personally, and professionally, Joan Steinau Lester has been at the forefront of most of the great social justice movements of the last seven decades. As a teenager, she refused to sign an anti-Communist loyalty oath and picketed for civil rights. At 22, she married a Black man, the writer, educator and activist Julius Lester, in 1962, when mixed-race marriages were illegal in 27 states. At 64, she married a White woman when that wasn't legal anywhere.  In the late sixties, she was part of an early Women's Liberation group with such prominent feminists as Robin Morgan, Kate Millet, Flo Kennedy, Ti-Grace Atkinson and others. And long before diversity, equity and inclusion were common buzzwords, she used her doctorate in multicultural education from the University of Massachusetts to give anti-racism workshops, then co-found and direct the nonprofit Equity Institute in 1981. Her previous books include the novel Mama's Child, with a foreword by Alice Walker; the young adult novel Black, White, Other; a biography of her friend from Antioch College, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Fire in My Soul; Taking Charge: Every Woman's Action Guide, and The Future of White Men and Other Diversity Dilemmas. Her columns have been published in USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and  New York Times. She received the National Lesbian and Gay Siegenthaler Award for Commentary on National Public Radio and was a Finalist from the PEN/Bellweather Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, and for the Arts & Letters Creative Nonfiction award for narrative nonfiction. She lives in Berkeley California with her wife Carole, to whom Loving Before Loving is dedicated. It is a pleasure to welcome to MBB, Dr. Joan Steinau Lester. WORT 89.9 FM airdate - July 5, 2021

The work of fighting racism can be exhausting. This is especially true for Black folks and other people of color who have to work to dismantle systems that are actively oppressing them. Today April and Tracie talk a bit about strategies and frames to help counter the isolation and the internalized not-good-enough that comes along with the exhaustion and burn out for people of color and the ways in which white allies can provide support.Find April and Tracie's full bios and submit topic suggestions for the show at www.JewsTalkRacialJustice.comLearn more about Joyous Justice where April is the founding and fabulous (!) director and Tracie is a senior partner: https://joyousjustice.com/Read more of Tracie's thoughts at bmoreincremental.comResources and notes:Jonathan Metzl, Dying of WhitenessMary Winters Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and SpiritApril and Tracie's "Flip the Script" resource can be accessed here.Read more about and from Julius Lester.Find Megan Madison at her website.Learn more about Re-evaluation counseling.Load = Work / Resources * Time * EfficiencyDr. Harriette Wimms is a leader in the JOC Mishpacha project, which is convening a national Shabbaton for JOCs and their allies this May.Sign up to access the free three-video series, (Joyously!) Moving Toward Racial Justice.

In this episode, Nicole and Tori feature some fiction and nonfiction reads that are receiving some well-deserved buzz! For read and recommended picks, both the co-hosts dug up some reads from the past that had an impact on their thinking and their hearts. The resources talked about in this episode are listed below: The Stand tv show; On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King; Steel Magnolias movie; Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour; Behind the Scenes by Christina C. Jones; I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James; Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi; Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi; How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan; I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan; The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae; Insecure tv show; John Henry by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; The Block: Poems by Langston Hughes, collage by Romare Bearden

We're revisiting and re-releasing some of our favorite conversations while working on Season 6. This wonderful conversation was originally released on July 26, 2019. Well worth listening again. Cheers! **** Michelle and Emily welcome Francesca Passanise to the podcast. they share a delightful Argetinian Cabernet Franc, La Madrid. They have an enlightening conversation as they cover so many topics. Francesca shares her reactions to and perceptions of Puerto Rico after a recent visit there. They talk about Francesca's husband's style of art and when asked about her own artistic style, Francesca reveals she is a writer. She talks about being discouraged from pursuing writing as her career because she was always told she needed to do something that would support her. She chose to study business and marketing and has managed to marry her love of writing with her passion for effecting change in our world. She embraces her 'hopey-changey' part of her personality. The conversation flows naturally into a discussion about leadership differences between men and women, how women have a tendency to undervalue ourselves and our work, and equity vs equality. Francesca talks about her personal efforts to expand the cultural literacy in her children's school by reading to her daughters' class during story time during Black History Month and Women's History Month. She's been doing it for four years. She shares several books that everyone should read. Links to them are on our website http://cliterallyspeakingpodcast.com/season-2-43-flipping-the-script/ Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester (a St. Louisan) Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Vol 1 & 2 by Francesca Cavallo & Elena Favilli One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. They talk about how we hide behind the idea that we are a "polite society" and this irrational fear of making strife isn't helping our country with having open and honest discussions. Francesca shared an incredibly touching story about one afternoon during their reading of One Crazy Summer when a student asked if the book somehow would show them how or give them advice on what to do when you can tell someone is judging you. This leads to a rich discussion on privilege and removing the 'otherness' we apply to people. Francesca recommends working with St. Louis organization, WeStories, to develop tools to help create change in our community. She points to two artists who are creating particularly powerful pieces about racism and "other"ing that we should be watching:  Myloan Dinh & Myra Eastman. Thank you for listening and subscribing to Cliterally Speaking the Podcast. Visit our website: www.cliterallyspeakingpodcast.com Facebook: @cspeakpodcast Instagram: @cliterallyspeakingthepodcast Twitter: @cliterallyspea1 Please call our comment line: 812-727-0794 Watch our youtube channel (Cliterally Speaking the Podcast) for all the behind the scenes discussions during our recording sessions. And Subscribe, Like, Share our podcast with EVERYONE!

Hey ya'll, Its Beka and today we read these two extraordinary books, "Lies and Other Tall Tales" by Zora Neale Herston, and "Uncle Remus" by Julius Lester. Two perfectly written books! Their SOOO silly and creative! I recommend these children books. Peace Out!

Today, I would like to introduce you to Bruh Rabbit. The main character in the Uncle Remus tales also has origins in the central and southern regions of Africa. This episode contains the trio Bruh Rabbit, Bruh Fox, and of course Bruh Bear. What will happen you will just have to listen to find out.  Book Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales Compiled by Julius Lester. To Support Afro Tales Podcast: Website: https://www.podpage.com/afrotalescast/ Email: afrotalespodcast@yahoo.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/afrotalescast Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/afrotalespodcast TeePublic: https://www.teepublic.com/user/afro-tales Twitter (@afrotalescast): https://twitter.com/afrotalescast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrotalescast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Afrotalescast

Today we finally introduce Bruh Rabbit. The main character in the Uncle Remus tales but also has origins in the central and southern regions of Africa. This episode contains the trio Bruh Rabbit, Bruh Fox and of course Bruh Bear. What will happen you will just have to listen to find out.  All of Bruh Rabbits stories can be found in the Book Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales by Julius Lester.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/afrotales/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/afrotales/support

In this episode we interview SNCC Veterans Jennifer Lawson and Charles “Charlie” Cobb. They discuss their experiences organizing in rural Mississippi and Alabama with SNCC in the 1960’s at the height of the era we know as the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss working in small towns and rural Southern communities, and connecting with organizing traditions with origins in the everyday resistance to slavery. They each talk about the political evolution of the organization, changes in leadership and the international dimensions of the struggle at the time. Charlie & Jennifer both talk about the lack of contradiction between self-defense and nonviolence, as discussed in Charlie’s book This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed. Jennifer shares her reflections on the roles of women within the organization. Through conversation Lawson and Cobb make visible the pockets of resistance they tapped into in the South, and demystify some of the mythology of the Civil Rights Movement along the way. photo credit (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right): Danny Lyon/Magnum, Julius Lester, Alabama Photographs and Pictures Collection/ADAH, Maria Varela/Takestock. 

We begin our summer worship series in which we listen and learn from Black preachers. We start with Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. With him we cry in lament for Ahmaud Arbery and so many other Black lives lost to the violence of white supremacy. With him we reach back into the history, celebrating the ingenuity, genius and resilience of Black people in American from enslaved to this moment. With him we are called from prayer into action on behalf of Black lives. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.Hamba nathi (Come, walk with us) - Music & Words: South African Traditional; Arrangement by Anders Nyberg, ©1984 Peace of Music Publishing AB, admin. Walton Music Corp. Text: English translation by Gerhard Cartford, ©Lutheran World FederationThe Lord is my light - Music & Words: Lillian Bouknight; Arrangement by Paul Gainer, ©1980 Savgos Music, Inc., admin. Malaco Music GroupOther credits:You've got a place - Music & Words: traditional spiritualSermon - “The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery,” Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. To support the mission and ministry of Trinity United Church of Christ: http://bit.ly/TUCCSECUREGIVE, or CashApp: $TrinityUCCChildren's Time - Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

In this much-needed episode, we welcome three BIPOC Theatre Artists (Vincent/Vinchelle from Episode 2, Khalia Davis from Episode 3, and J. Andrew Speas current UNCG undergrad) who come together in conversation about the state of our country and the long-standing issues regarding race in our world as well as our drag and theatre communities. Listen along as they discuss their current and upcoming projects, misrepresentation by various theatre companies, the intersectionality of the LGBTQIA+ and Black Lives Matter movements, and loving who you are. This episode continues a much-needed conversation on a crucial subject-matter. We hope you enjoy it!Khalia Davis: Instagram: @khaliashdWebsite: http://Khaliadavis.comJ. Andrew Speas: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=j%20andrew%20speasInstagram: @jdaspeas Vincent/VinchelleInstagram: @_vinchelle_Resources on Racism:A Kid's Book About Racism by Jelani Memory: https://youtu.be/LnaltG5N8nEHowlround - Black Lives Matter: https://howlround.com/black-lives-matterTed Talk - The Danger of a Single Story: https://youtu.be/D9Ihs241zegFree Play Open Source Scripts Toward an Antiracist Tomorrow: https://madmimi.com/p/c371e01?pact=887436-158791335-7794761505-94063274f3bafed6fb0a60104a222498e50d767eLet's Talk About Race by Julius Lester: https://youtu.be/zoDUJY9u9JwBilly Porter's Message to America: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBB593Slll0/?igshid=19zwo98ejda23TYA USA BLM Resources: https://madmimi.com/p/3178d01?pact=882867-158683979-7794761505-a0f3231adcf76d232962e36d157297b47e39cec5PBS BLM Resources: https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racismLike what you're hearing and want to support us? Check out our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/theatrewithprideMusic by Ben PedersenArtwork by Frankie Fowles

Daniela, Hayley, and Kyra join us to help us all learn how to discuss racism and current events with our (nanny)kids and teach us as parents/nannies/colleagues/friends how to be allies at this crucial point in our history. RESOURCES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN:For ParentsBooks:·       Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum·       Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester, Illustrated by Karen Barbour ·       Unconditional: A Guide to Loving and Supporting Your LGBTQ Child (Book for Parents of a Gay Child, Transgender, Coming Out, and Readers of Always My Child) by Telaina Eriksen Websites:·       Scholastic.com (For childrens books, articles on parenting, and more info about diversity)·       Embrace Race (for finding children's books) (https://www.embracerace.org/resources/where-to-find-diverse-childrens-books)·       Edutopia (Race, Diversity, and Social Justice) (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-young-children-social-justice-jinnie-spiegler) Videos:·       How to Talk to Kids about Race (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNEKbVq_ou4)·       A Talk about George Floyd between a bi racial mom and her son (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnCYlRy2Ilg) For KidsBooks:·       Something Happened in Our Town by Ann Hazzard, Marianne Celano, and Marietta Collins·       A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara·       I am Enough by Grace Beyers·       I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel·       Red by Michael Hall Shows: ·       Sesame Street·       Steven Universe·       Avatar the Last Airbender·       Mira, the Detective·       Nella the Princess Knight Videos: ·       Discrimination Explained for Kids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uXgJA-VfjI)·       Explaining Race and Discrimination (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayoSRpQ8I-U)Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. Go to https://betterhelp.com/shenannygans for 10% off of your first month of professional online therapy!Find the Rayz Kidz App in the App Store or go here for more information: https://rayzkidz.com/And don't forget to check out www.TheVIPParolaz.com! Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/shenannygans)

From 2008 comes this interview with best-selling author Julius Lester, talking about "Let's Talk About Race" - which is intended in part for young readers but also as an aid to parents and other concerned adults wanting to talk with young people about complicated issues related to race and racial identity.

#15: It's been two weeks since we've last come through to your AirPods, and we couldn't be happier to be back. It's been a heavy week for all of us. Coronavirus is still here, numbers are actually rising in Arizona, but there's an even more important movement happening, #BlackLivesMatter, where we are fighting for justice of police brutality toward the black community. We go through some of our learnings, realizations, how we're progressing forward, creating a new normal and resources you can look to to educate yourself and others.   We also recap an controversial racist comment from a prominent Arizona magazine that circulated the internet and created a shitstorm (for lack of a better word) on their Instagram.   Here are some of the resources we mentioned in this episode:   Video On Argument About Black-On-Black Crime   Books: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn Caught by Marie Gottschalk White Fragility by  So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Movies: 13th The House I Live In Roots 12 Years A Slave Selma The Hate U Give   Podcasts About Anti-Racism: NPR Interview with Former Chief of Police in Camden, New Jersey Code Switch Still Processing Come Through with Rebecca Carroll Pod Save the People   Children's Books: Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara I Am Enough by Grace Byers Amazing Grace The Skin I’m In: A First Look at Racism by Pat Thomas Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester   Organizations to Support: Your local Black Lives Matter Chapter The ACLU Color Of Change The Innocence Project Cure Violence NAACP   To ask us a question, suggest a guest or just say hi, visit @betteroffpod or email betteroffpod@gmail.com.     Feel free to creep on your hosts a little further, too @thenikkibutler & @bbooks. Thank you for your attention and support!

Ten minutes with... is a special series presented by Coode Street that sees readers and booklovers from around the world talk about what they're reading right now and what's getting them through these difficult times. Nebula-winning author, editor, teacher, and workshop leader Eileen Gunn talks with Gary about the pleasures of researching old myths, legends, epics, and folktales, the skill of Julius Lester in retelling stories in a new voice originally popularized by Joel Chandler Harris, and how the lockdown can actually help to enhance your social life. Books mentioned include: Questionable Practices: Stories by Eileen Gunn A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales by Julius Lester The Mahābhārata The Golden Bough by James Fraser      

#1 Going deeper Interview with Julius Lester, Part One. I interviewed Julius 3 and a half years before his death in 2018. We spoke about his life, his work as a writer, musician, photographer, lay Rabbi, and more. He shared his thoughts about aging and race and more. The interview is continued in Part Two.

#2 Going Deeper Interviews with Julius Lester, Part Two. Julius talks about his exploration with his DNA and what that meant to him. He also sings briefly, the old gospel song "I love Everybody". A gem of an interview, so special since his death in 2018.

Please listen to the end for my personal pondersings of Asha and her soulful information. The gallery where Palette of Expressions students exhibited is Joyce Gordon Gallery and powered by Better Together. Episode booklist: Please read before reading to kids. Freedom Over Me by Ashley Bryan, 5+ What Lincoln Said by Sarah Thompson age 4+ Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester 6+ Chocolate Me by Tay Diggs 4+ If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America by Anne Kamma thru Scholastic books 7+ From Slaveship to Freedom Road by Rod Brown and Julious lester. 6+

Michelle and Emily welcome Francesca Passanise to the podcast. they share a delightful Argetinian Cabernet Franc, La Madrid. They have an enlightening conversation as they cover so many topics. Francesca shares her reactions to and perceptions of Puerto Rico after a recent visit there. They talk about Francesca's husband's style of art and when asked about her own artistic style, Francesca reveals she is a writer. She talks about being discouraged from pursuing writing as her career because she was always told she needed to do something that would support her. She chose to study business and marketing and has managed to marry her love of writing with her passion for effecting change in our world. She embraces her 'hopey-changey' part of her personality. The conversation flows naturally into a discussion about leadership differences between men and women, how women have a tendency to undervalue ourselves and our work, and equity vs equality. Francesca talks about her personal efforts to expand the cultural literacy in her children's school by reading to her daughters' class during story time during Black History Month and Women's History Month. She's been doing it for four years. She shares several books that everyone should read. Links to them are on our website http://cliterallyspeakingpodcast.com/season-2-43-flipping-the-script/ Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester (a St. Louisan) Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Vol 1 & 2 by Francesca Cavallo & Elena Favilli One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. They talk about how we hide behind the idea that we are a "polite society" and this irrational fear of making strife isn't helping our country with having open and honest discussions. Francesca shared an incredibly touching story about one afternoon during their reading of One Crazy Summer when a student asked if the book somehow would show them how or give them advice on what to do when you can tell someone is judging you. This leads to a rich discussion on privilege and removing the 'otherness' we apply to people. Francesca recommends working with St. Louis organization, WeStories, to develop tools to help create change in our community. She points to two artists who are creating particularly powerful pieces about racism and "other"ing that we should be watching:  Myloan Dinh & Myra Eastman. Thank you for listening and subscribing to Cliterally Speaking the Podcast. Visit our website: www.cliterallyspeakingpodcast.com Facebook: @cspeakpodcast Instagram: @cliterallyspeakingthepodcast Twitter: @cliterallyspea1 Please call our comment line: 812-727-0794 Watch our youtube channel (Cliterally Speaking the Podcast) for all the behind the scenes discussions during our recording sessions. And Subscribe, Like, Share our podcast with EVERYONE!

Hello Everybody, its Beka & Pops with another episode. Today we read "A Story A Story" by Gail E. Haley and "John Henry" by Julius Lester. Both of these tales are funny and hard to believe, but contain very valuable lessons. As always you can find stories like these by visiting your local library.

Freedom's Journal: The Art of Jerry Pinkney (Episode 4 of 5): Warren Oree, and the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble interpret “The Old African,” by Julius Lester. Warren Oree, composer and arranger, vocals and bass; Suzanne Burgess, vocals; Adam Faulk, synthesizer; Frank Butrey, acoustic guitar; Greg “Juju” Jones, drums; Larry Price, saxophone, and Doug Pablo Edwards, percussion.

The black Christian church has long been a cornerstone of African-American family life, political activism, and social change. However, in recent years, some social activists have called into question the relevance of the black Christian church in the lives of millennials and the continuing fight for freedom. Today, we tackle this topic by interviewing Dr. William David Hart, a professor at Macalester College whose work examines the intersection of religion, ethics, and politics.  During this conversation we discuss the historical and contemporary role of the church in the black community (20:11), myths and misconceptions about Black religion (23:28), the rise of alternative religious practices within the Black community (25:21), and myths and misconceptions about atheism (34:50). We then discuss the relationship between the Black church and the Black family (40:05), the link between religion and politics (45:30), and the future of the church in the Black community and ongoing freedom movement (53:20).   Other Topics Include: 00:30 - Catch up with Ty and Daphne 03:50 - BhD “Oh Lawd” News Segment 17:43 - Introduction of the Topic 18:50 - Learn more about Dr.  William D. Hart 30:25 - Trends in Religious Life and Practice 32:30 - Dr. Hart’s Personal Religious Journey 57:55 - The Black Church, Gender, and Sexuality 1:01:36 - Ty and Daphne reflect on the interview   Resources: Afro-Eccentricity: Beyond the Standard Narrative of Black by Dr. William D. Hart - https://www.amazon.com/Afro-Eccentricity-Beyond-Standard-Narrative-Religion/dp/0230111572 Black Religion: Malcolm X, Julius Lester, and Jan Willis by Dr. William D. Hart - https://www.amazon.com/Black-Religion-Malcolm-Julius-Lester/dp/0230605370 Pew Research Religious Landscape Study - http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/ The Age Gap in Religion Around the World - http://www.pewforum.org/2018/06/13/the-age-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/

We delve into the lives of two kids being disrupted by their dad shooting their mom in the face and the secrets that get revealed.

In Suffer the Little Children: Uses of the Past in Jewish and African American Children's Literature (New York University Press, 2013), Jodi Eichler-Levine, associate professor of Religion Studies and Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh University, analyses a theme in American religious history–suffering–through the lens of Jewish and African American children's literature. In her analysis of works by authors such as Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Jane Yolen, Sydney Taylor, and Virginia Hamilton, Eichler-Levine deftly examines the ways in which historical narratives of suffering are used by religious communities to claim their status as citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

In Suffer the Little Children: Uses of the Past in Jewish and African American Children’s Literature (New York University Press, 2013), Jodi Eichler-Levine, associate professor of Religion Studies and Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh University, analyses a theme in American religious history–suffering–through the lens of Jewish and African American children’s literature. In her analysis of works by authors such as Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Jane Yolen, Sydney Taylor, and Virginia Hamilton, Eichler-Levine deftly examines the ways in which historical narratives of suffering are used by religious communities to claim their status as citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Suffer the Little Children: Uses of the Past in Jewish and African American Children’s Literature (New York University Press, 2013), Jodi Eichler-Levine, associate professor of Religion Studies and Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh University, analyses a theme in American religious history–suffering–through the lens of Jewish and African American children’s literature. In her analysis of works by authors such as Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Jane Yolen, Sydney Taylor, and Virginia Hamilton, Eichler-Levine deftly examines the ways in which historical narratives of suffering are used by religious communities to claim their status as citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Suffer the Little Children: Uses of the Past in Jewish and African American Children’s Literature (New York University Press, 2013), Jodi Eichler-Levine, associate professor of Religion Studies and Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh University, analyses a theme in American religious history–suffering–through the lens of Jewish and African American children’s literature. In her analysis of works by authors such as Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Jane Yolen, Sydney Taylor, and Virginia Hamilton, Eichler-Levine deftly examines the ways in which historical narratives of suffering are used by religious communities to claim their status as citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Suffer the Little Children: Uses of the Past in Jewish and African American Children’s Literature (New York University Press, 2013), Jodi Eichler-Levine, associate professor of Religion Studies and Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh University, analyses a theme in American religious history–suffering–through the lens of Jewish and African American children’s literature. In her analysis of works by authors such as Maurice Sendak, Julius Lester, Jane Yolen, Sydney Taylor, and Virginia Hamilton, Eichler-Levine deftly examines the ways in which historical narratives of suffering are used by religious communities to claim their status as citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Students in my classroom are creating podcasts in which they interview characters from the stories we read. In this particular episode students are interviewing characters from the story Black Cowboy, Wild Horses, by Julius Lester. This story is about a former slave finding his freedom on the open range.

William Hart is Associate Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Politics in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. His areas of academic interest include religion and imperialism, the ethical-political dimensions of religion, African-American religious history, culture and thought, and critical theory of religion. Professor Hart's most recent book, Black Religion: Malcolm X, Julius Lester, and Jan Willis(2008), explores the spiritual dimensions of Malcolm X’s life: his journey from Christianity to Islam, social parasite to “race man,” and libertine to ascetic. It also explores affinities between Malcolm’s spiritual journey and the journeys of Julius Lester and Jan Willis. Earlier publications include the book Edward Said and the Religious Effects of Culture (2000), a study of the distinction between religion and secularism on which Said's cultural criticism is grounded. His current projects include Human Sacrifice: Dying and Killing for God and State, an exploration of human sacrifice in religion and statecraft.

Papa Juke doing Cucarachacha by Mad Dog Friedman with some lyrics and much inspiration by Julius Lester recorded on April 18, 2008, at the Rock and Soul Cafe in Boulder, Colorado. Please visit www.papajuke.com to find out more about the band.

Montage lavet af Jakob Christensen ved den amerikanske, professionelle eksverdensmester i sværvægtsboksning Muhammed Ali's, besøg i København, baseret på hans selvbiografi og tekster af forfatterne Julius Lester og Jose Torres, borgerretsforkæmperen for de sorte muslimer Malcolm X, forfatteren og borgerretsforkæmperen Eldridge Cleaver og præsten og borgerretsforkæmperen Martin Luther King.