With Love And Justice For All: Recent Episodes
project_SANCTUS
As founders of project_SANCTUS, Rev. Kelly Isola and Rev. Ogun Holder are committed to creating a safe, brave, online space to be our holiest selves together. This includes addressing the one thing that affects all of us, that has been responsible for much of the pain, inequality, and injustice in our country: systemic racism. Join them in this challenging spiritual work of healing and transformation as we create a world of love, justice and liberation. Learn more at projectsanctus.com
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on Rethinking Abundance - specifically, what generosity and sufficiency mean during escalating economic disparity. In this episode When Productivity Becomes A Religion we wrongly assume the problem is cognitive, but who would you be if you were no longer allowed to earn your worth?
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RETHINKING ABUNDANCE - specifically, what generosity and sufficiency mean during escalating economic disparity. In this episode The Body Knows Before the Mind we address the idea that most abundance teachings assume the problem is cognitive but what if the issue isn't what people believe? What if it's what their bodies learned?
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RETHINKING ABUNDANCE - specifically, what generosity and sufficiency mean during escalating economic disparity. In this episode we explore the idea that maybe abundance was never missing or something you attract - maybe it’s something you stop interrupting.**
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Tuesday, June 3, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of Rethinking Abundance. Free registration coming soon.
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RAGING WHILE TIRED - The challenge of staying engaged when we’re exhausted from being angry. In this episode we ask: How do we remain engaged with the world without letting outrage consume us?
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Monday, Mar 18, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of raging while tired. More info coming soon.
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Monday, Mar 18, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of raging while tired. More info coming soon.
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RAGING WHILE TIRED - The challenge of staying engaged when we’re exhausted from being angry. In this episode we ask: Why does caring about the world sometimes become a form of suffering or feel like it’s breaking you?
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Monday, Mar 18, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of raging while tired. More info coming soon.
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RAGING WHILE TIRED - The challenge of staying engaged when we’re exhausted from being angry. In this episode we address what happens when anger stops being a response and becomes the air we breathe.
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Monday, Mar 18, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of raging while tired. More info coming soon.
Welcome to The Unfinished Circle - a podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. This isn’t a place for quick answers. It’s a place to stay with the questions.
This month we are focusing on RAGING WHILE TIRED - The challenge of staying engaged when we’re exhausted from being angry. In this episode, Running On Anger, we are addressing: What happens when the anger that once fueled us begins to drain us?
SAVE THE DATE Join our Zoom gathering on Monday, Mar 18, 2026 from 7:30-9:00pm ET as we share and process our experiences of raging while tired. More info coming soon.
Kelly & Ogun return with a new podcast for people living inside questions that don’t resolve neatly. Welcome to The Unfinished Circle
In our rejection of fascism and authoritarianism, are we taking the time to explore how those energies exist within us as well? Rev Kelly and Rev Ogun examine how that which we oppose also lives within us, and our spiritual work is to inquire and transform.
Kelly and Ogun give an overview of their upcoming book club selection SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND HATE and why it's necessary for non-religious folk to have some Bible education to neutralize those who weaponize scripture for harm. They also give a brief recap of their No Kings protest experiences.
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Sign up today for our final book club selection of the year SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND HATE: A SANE PERSON'S GUIDE TO TAKING BACK THE BIBLE FROM FUNDAMENTALISTS, FASCISTS, AND FLOCK_FLEECING FRAUDS by John Fugelsang on Thursdays, Nov 6, 13, 20 at 7:30-9:00pm ET (Zoom) -- projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
The church has many faces: sanctuary, prophet, enabler, revolutionary. Rev Kelly and Rev Ogun discuss the ways church is, and should be, showing up for today. Rev Kelly also reflects on moderating a discussion with John Pavlovitz, a former youth pastor and author, known for his social and political writings from a liberal Christian perspective.
By calling God "Love" are we misunderstanding a spiritual principle and using it as an excuse to spiritually bypass? Rev Kelly and Rev Ogun discuss how the spiritual principle of LOVE is too often conflated with the comfort of emotional love, and why it leads to silence and inaction.
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SAVE THE DATES Our final book club selection of the year SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND HATE by John Fugelsang will take place via Zoom on Thursdays, Nov 6, 13, 20 at 7:30-9:00pm ET. Registration coming soon.
Revs Kelly & Ogun break down why, if you're a movement for love and inclusion, it's not a good idea to learn strategies from hate organizations.
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The Body Is Not An Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. Join our free book study on Thur, Sep 25, 7:30pm on Zoom. Everyone is welcome regardless of how much you've read. More info & free registration at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
Revs Kelly & Ogun discuss Charlie Kirk's murder, various reactions to it, and the struggle spiritual seekers are having as they try to live in the tension between empathy for a gun violence victim who also happened to be a vile bigot.
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So much has happened in the last few days, and there aren't many safe spaces to process. If there was ever a week to participate in an Antiracism Affinity Group, THIS IS THE WEEK! Join our free Affinity Groups every 1st & 3rd Wed at 7:30pm ET on Zoom. More info and registration at projectsanctus.com/antiracism-affinity-groups
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The Body Is Not An Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. Join our free book study on Thur, Sep 25, 7:30pm on Zoom. Everyone is welcome regardless of how much you've read. More info & free registration at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
In a recent interview, Democrat Rep Jamie Raskin challenged listeners to compare the Bill of Rights with the 10 Commandments. Rev Kelly accepted.
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Discover more about project_SANCTUS and make a donation at https://projectsanctus.com/
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If your body holds the wound, it also holds the way through. WHAT IT TAKES TO HEAL: HOW TRANSFORMING OURSELVES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD isn’t a self-help book. It’s a call to reclaim your wholeness in a broken world.
Join us for an 8:46 Book Club deep dive on Thur, Aug 28 , 7:30-9:30pm EST (Zoom)
Free registration now open at https://projectsanctus.com/846-book-club/
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Rituals of Justice: Sacred Practices for Collective Liberation is a 2-hour online experience for both individuals and communities who want to deepen their social justice work in ways that are rooted, sustainable, and heart-centered. Inclusive, trauma-aware, and designed to help you reconnect to what matters. This is for anyone longing to stay tender while showing up fierce.
Saturday, Sept 6, 10am-12pm EST (Zoom). Registration now open at https://projectsanctus.com/events/ritualsofjustice/
Revs Kelly & Ogun explore the importance of rituals in justice work, and give a preview of their upcoming learning pod.
Discover more about project_SANCTUS and make a donation at https://projectsanctus.com/
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If your body holds the wound, it also holds the way through. WHAT IT TAKES TO HEAL: HOW TRANSFORMING OURSELVES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD isn’t a self-help book. It’s a call to reclaim your wholeness in a broken world.
Join us for an 8:46 Book Club deep dive on Thur, Aug 28 , 7:30-9:30pm EST (Zoom)
Free registration now open at https://projectsanctus.com/846-book-club/
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Rituals of Justice: Sacred Practices for Collective Liberation is a 2-hour online experience for both individuals and communities who want to deepen their social justice work in ways that are rooted, sustainable, and heart-centered. Inclusive, trauma-aware, and designed to help you reconnect to what matters. This is for anyone longing to stay tender while showing up fierce.
Saturday, Sept 6, 10am-12pm EST (Zoom). Registration now open at https://projectsanctus.com/events/ritualsofjustice/
Rev Kelly and Rev Ogun share their thoughts about the Mehdi Hasan vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives debate, why some our clergy still struggle with addressing current issues directly, and how playing to both sides is not in alignment with our spiritual principles.
To learn more about project_SANTCUS, our upcoming events, and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Join our free book club discussion on The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century by Amia Srinivasan. Thur, Jul 27, 7:30pm ET on Zoom. More info & sign-up at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
Registration now open for our next learning pod Thriving In Troubled Times. This workshop is for anyone feeling grief, rage, exhaustion, or spiritual disorientation in the face of political cruelty and social collapse. We’ll explore spiritual tools for emotional survival, nervous system grounding, and small daily acts of sacred resistance. Sat, Jul 26, 9am ET. More info & registration at projectsanctus.com/events/thriving-troubled-times
Many of us are grieving the state of the world, our unrealized liberation dreams, and the justice work we did over the years. Rev Kelly & Rev Ogun talk about navigating this grief, and share rituals that can help us along the way.
To learn more about project_SANTCUS and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Join our free book club discussion on The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century by Amia Srinivasan. Thur, Jul 27, 7:30pm ET on Zoom. More info & sign-up at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
Registration now open for our next learning pod Thriving In Troubled Times. This workshop is for anyone feeling grief, rage, exhaustion, or spiritual disorientation in the face of political cruelty and social collapse. We’ll explore spiritual tools for emotional survival, nervous system grounding, and small daily acts of sacred resistance. Sat, Jul 26, 9am ET. More info & registration at projectsanctus.com/events/thriving-troubled-times
Rev. Kelly and Rev. Ogun discuss the relationship many spiritual seekers have with the word and idea of resistance, as well as the complexities of making a decision to flee the country in the face of oppression.
To learn more about project_SANTCUS and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Join our free book club discussion on The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century by Amia Srinivasan. Thur, Jul 27, 7:30pm ET on Zoom. More info & sign-up at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
Registration now open for our next learning pod Thriving In Troubled Times. This workshop is for anyone feeling grief, rage, exhaustion, or spiritual disorientation in the face of political cruelty and social collapse. We’ll explore spiritual tools for emotional survival, nervous system grounding, and small daily acts of sacred resistance. Sat, Jul 26, 9am ET. More info & registration at projectsanctus.com/events/thriving-troubled-times
Rev Kelly & Rev Ogun return for a 5th season with a recap of their time off and inspiration for the work ahead in these dark times.
Recording on May 1st (International Workers Day) Revs Kelly & Ogun draw parallels between celebrating the struggles and rights of laborers and the Gaelic spring pagan festival of Beltane.
Revs Kelly & Ogun talk about the death of Pope Francis, his papacy, and how we might be more religious than we think.
Revs Kelly & Ogun view the Easter story and Jesus' life from a paradigm of revolution against Empire.
Rev Kelly recounts her "Hands Off!" demonstration experience and discusses with Rev Ogun how our paradigm of freedom determines our attitude and action around justice.
Revs Kelly & Ogun continue their discussion about lent with a focus on joy, justice, reinvention, and finding comfort in unmade plans.
As we explore what Lent means for us today, we discuss loss, grief, and lamenting as a healing spiritual practice.
Revs Kelly and Ogun explore the potentially debilitating impact of shame, while also acknowledging that it may serve a useful purpose in justice work.
Revs Kelly & Ogun talk about prophetic spirituality as a path to clarity of conviction and commitment to justice.
Our unconscious beliefs and practices shape our language, and that language shapes our communities. Language matters, who we listen to matters, deepening our awareness of the ways we are tangled in systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism matters.
On this episode Revs Kelly & Ogun take a look at contemplative practices that can help us see more clearly and cultivate our commitment to liberation for all people using disability affirming, gender inclusive and affirming, as well as culturally inclusive practices.
Register for our Decolonize Your Prayers learning pod at projectsanctus.com/events/decolonize-prayer
Revs Kelly & Ogun talk about the challenges of cultivating belonging without othering those who would seek to inflict harm and death through isolationist policies.
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Sign up for our zoon book club discussion of BELONGING WITHOUT OTHERING on Feb 27, 7:30pm ET at projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
Revs Kelly & Ogun make a direct appeal to fellow clergy to be brave and emulate Episcopalian Bishop Budde in speaking truth directly to power.
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Free registration is now open for our 8:46 Book Club zoom discussion on BELONGING WITHOUT OTHERING on Feb 27th. The root of all inequality is the process of othering – and its solution is the practice of belonging. For more info and to register visit projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
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Registration is now open for our upcoming zoom learning pod DECOLONIZE OUR PRAYERS on Feb 15. We are looking at contemplative practices that can help us see more clearly and cultivate our commitment to liberation for all people. Economic Justice pricing available. More info and registration at projectsanctus.com/events/decolonize-prayer
The Apocalypse is officially here! Revs Kelly & Ogun talk about Trump's inauguration, his slew of Executive Orders, and how we can be the antidote to the Apocalypse.
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Free registration is now open for our 8:46 Book Club zoom discussion on BELONGING WITHOUT OTHERING on Feb 27th. The root of all inequality is the process of othering – and its solution is the practice of belonging. For more info and to register visit projectsanctus.com/846-book-club
DEI programs and initiatives helped bring awareness to the need for justice and equity while perpetuating and creating harm. More and more corporations are scrapping their programs that were likely performative, and as a show of allegiance to the incoming administration. Revs kelly and Ogun discuss this understandable yet alarming trend, and talk about a recent event in the Unity community that showed the need for DEI programs to remain. For more info, to register for our activities, and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly & Ogun return after a break with a recap of their time off and a few hints at new project_SANCUTS opportunities for 2025. To learn more and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
In the final episode of 2024 Kelly and Ogun explore the ways we can create new rituals and practices for Thanksgiving that are more aligned with liberation. For more info and to support the podcast visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly & Ogun share their post-election thoughts and discuss next steps for the liberation revolution.
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Find community and solidarity in our Antiracsim Affinity Groups. More info + free registration at projectsanctus.com/antiracism-affinity-groups
There have been many conversations about spiritual bypassing. In this episode Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about political bypassing, another way to avoid uncomfortable discussions about the bigger issues that continue to perpetuate systems of oppression.
Revs Kelly & Ogun discuss the legacy of colonialism and what we can do about it. They highlight some Indigenous activists you probably never heard of but need to know about.
LINKS:
10 Native American Activists You Should Know
Decolonize the Holidays: An Alternative to Columbus Day (and Canadian Thanksgiving)
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Sign up for our EMBODIED PRACTICES FOR THE ELECTION workshop at projectsanctus.com
As Indigenous Peoples Day approaches Revs Kelly & Ogun talk about the whitewashing and redacting of history.
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Sign up for our workshops and make a donation at https://projectsanctus.com/
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about the 2nd assassination attempt on the former president and the challenge of defining Justice.
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Registration now open for our workshops UNCONSCIOUS BIAS and EMBODIED PRACTICES FOR ELECTIONS at https://projectsanctus.com/events/
Kelly and Ogun briefly recap the presidential debate before sharing the importance of embodied practices as tools for navigating anxiety around the upcoming election.
Join us on Sept 14 at 10:30am EST on Zoom for our Embodied Practices For Elections workshop. During this 90-minute live, powerful, experiential session of engaging embodied practices we will connect with our own bodily wisdom and deep resources. Registration now open at https://projectsanctus.com/events/embodied-practices-for-elections/
Support our work with a donation at https://projectsanctus.com/donate/
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about their experience participating in and hosting Affinity Groups, and why everyone needs to be in one.
Join our online Affinity Group -- https://projectsanctus.com/antiracism-affinity-groups/
It's been a WILD 10 days! We review the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Republican National Convention, Biden's decision not to run, and the enthusiastic embrace of Kamala Harris as the Democratic presumptive nominee for President. We also talk about the anticipated misogynoir that will come the Vice President's way, Project 2025, and how spiritual communities and clergy can respond.
Links:
Summary of Project 2025 - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do
Misogynoir - https://www.blackburncenter.org/post/2020/02/12/what-is-misogynoir
For the Week of Visibility for Non-Monogamy we welcome Jennifer C Martin who writes and speaks about religion, politics, polyamory, sexuality, culture, entertainment, and more. Jennifer lives in Richmond, VA with her two partners, two children, two dogs, six chickens, one cat, and one frog. She is a member of the United Church of Christ. We talk about her journey to polyamory, her coming out at church experience, and what she's teaching churches about being inclusive to non-monogamous people and familes.
Learn more about Jennifer at https://jennifercmartin.com/
Learn more about the Week of Visibility for Non-Monogamy at https://www.weekofvisibility.com/
In the lead-up to celebrating the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, we talk about how the effects of colonialism are still very much with us.
We revisit one of our book club faves HOSPICING MODERNITY in a unique way while putting Rev Ogun on the spot. Get your very own GESTURING TOWARDS DECOLONIAL FUTURES card deck at https://decolonialfutures.net/gtdf-decks-of-cards/
Welcoming spaces aren't necessarily inclusive spaces, and does inclusive mean everyone has to be there?
LINKS:
Inclusive Spaces Workshop - https://projectsanctus.com/events/inclusive-spaces/
People of African Descent New Thought Group - https://padntg.com/
We talk about Juneteenth and how to talk to your people about Juneteenth and other potentially uncomfortable issues.
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Register for our workshop TALKING WITH YOUR PEOPLE: BUILD MORE AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS on June 15, 10:30am ET and learn how to navigate difficult conversations about uncomfortable issues -- https://projectsanctus.com/events/talking-with-your-people/
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LINKS:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/style/opal-lee-juneteenth.html
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1106193407/celebrate-juneteenth-the-right-way
https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/my-pride-is-black-my-juneteenth-is-queer
May is Masturbation Month and on this episode Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about self-pleasure as a path of activism and liberation, overcoming shame and taboos, the dangerous anti-masturbation movement, and ways to celebrate this and every month.
LINKS:
Origins of Masturbation Month and ways to celebrate -- https://www.tryquinn.com/blog/masturbation-month
Myths and benefits of masturbation -- https://www.tryquinn.com/blog/benefits-of-masturbation
The anti-masturbation and NoFap movement -- https://www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1198916105/mens-health-masturbation-abstinence
Incels -- https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/incels-involuntary-celibates
Pleasure Activism -- https://adriennemareebrown.net/2010/11/11/the-return-of-the-pleasure-activist/
We return for our 4th season with an exploration of obstacles to and solutions for access to mental health services for marginalized and minoritized folks.
To learn more about project_SANCTUS and to make a donation visit https://projectsanctus.com/
Revs Kelly and Ogun continue their discussion on reparations and dismantling capitalism. Learn more and make a donation at https://projectsanctus.com/
LINKS:
https://decolonizingwealth.com/
https://decolonizingwealth.com/liberated-capital/
https://thehill.com/policy/international/4559692-un-chief-slavery-reparations/
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/dem-congresswoman-suggests-black-americans-should-be-exempt-from-taxes-as-form-of-reparations/
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/magazine-lead-stories/2958920/against-the-reparations-racket-this-progressive-scheme-compels-us-to-make-a-false-confession-about-our-nation/
This first of two episodes on dismantling capitalism covers various facets of reparations.
Learn more and donate at https://projectsanctus.com/
After completing their book club exploration of "Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism” by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, Rev Kelly and Rev Ogun review one of her many invitations for transformation: Composting our shit!
101 ways to avoid dealing with shit
During Black History Month we are highlighting Black folks doing the work. On the episode we welcome Phyl Flanagan (they/she) the Justice, Equity & Belonging Program Manager at YWCA Columbus, OH and founder of The Reconnection Circle consulting firm.
Phyl grew up in Cincinnati, OH among their large extended and multicultural family. Their academic and professional background includes health & wellness, human development, embodied activism, restorative practices and macro social work. They spent over a decade working in early childhood education and development, as well as direct social service before transitioning into social justice and community devepment. Phyl studied at The Ohio State University, International Institute of Restorative Practices, Boston University and The Embody Lab.
To learn more about Phyl's work visit https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/social-justice/justice-equity-and-belonging-training/
Mother Jones article referenced in Headlines -- https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/02/florida-desantis-black-history-month/
Learn more about the Black History Project at https://www.blackhistoryproject.org/
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day we continue our exploration of what he truly meant when he invited us into Beloved Community. It's not nearly as kumbaya and touchy-feely as we might imagine. We also cover a few relevant headlines. To learn more and donate to support our work visit projectsanctus.com
Headline Links:
https://religionnews.com/2024/01/12/in-iowa-and-beyond-evangelicals-follow-their-party-more-than-their-faith/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/01/south-africa-israel-amalek-netanyahu/
https://apnews.com/article/dei-diversity-corporations-affirmative-action-309864f08e6ec63a45d18ca5f25d7540
As we approach Martin Luther King Jr Day we kick off 2024 with an exploration of what he truly meant when he invited us into Beloved Community. It's not nearly as kumbaya and touchy-feely as we might imagine. We also cover a few relevant headlines and introduce our new 8:46 book Blub selection. To learn more and donate to support our work visit projectsanctus.com
In the final episode for 2023 we take a look at how systems of oppression influence the ways we observe Christmas, and explore ways to decoloonize our celebrations.
We conclude our series on Dismantling The Patriarchy with a discussion about parenting, family, and eldercare.
We continue our discussion about how patriarchy shows up in our everyday lives. In Pt.4 we focus on perpetuating patriarchy in religion, spirituality, and spiritual communities.
After a break for travel and covid, Revs. Kelly and Ogun resume their "Dismantling The Patriarchy" series. In this episode they explore how the patriarchy influences our beliefs and practices of self-care and pleasure.
We continue our discussion about how patriarchy shows up in our everyday lives. In Part 2 we focus on work.
Transcript: coming soon
Links:
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/03/01/the-enduring-grip-of-the-gender-pay-gap/#:~:text=The%20gender%20pay%20gap%20%E2%80%93%20the,every%20dollar%20earned%20by%20men.
https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace#!
https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prize-economy-224c204c0cc20843636e5525d6a61673
We naively thought we could talk about dismantling the patriarchy in one or two episodes. In real time we realized this needed to be a series. in "Dismantling The Patriarchy" we explore how all perpetuate patriarchy, how we are all harmed by it, and ways we can begin to dismantle it across five everyday life categories. In Pt.1 we explore the patriarchy's impact on our relationships, identity, and sex life.
Transcript: Coming soon
MEN: BETTER TOGETHER is an online support group for adult men (18+) seeking a safe space to connect and converse around healing from internalized patriarchy and becoming increasingly better versions of ourselves in all areas of life: relationships, work, pleasure, spirituality, identity, parenting, family, and more. All men are welcome to participate regardless of identification, orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, income, education, religious beliefs or relationship status. Register now.
Please visit our sponsor Bliss Books & Wine and support a Black-woman owned independent bookseller. Use code 846BOOK for 10% discount.
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about latest developments in voter disenfranchisement, women yet again being overworked and underpaid, Texas doing a good thing for once, and other headlines you might have missed, but all after going on a bit of a tangent about grief and prosperity teachings.
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ewPIGe8Lrou6jT03hB4xlb8R9-4G6bnTWD-W3hZPcAE/edit?usp=sharing
Links:
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/public-schools-rely-on-underpaid-female-labor-its-not-sustainable/2023/08
https://thegrio.com/2023/09/14/alan-moore-asks-dc-comics-to-reroute-royalty-checks-to-black-lives-matter/
https://thegrio.com/2023/09/14/the-other-black-girl-what-you-need-to-know/
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/29/texas-crown-act-law/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/13/darryl-george-suspended-locs-texas-crown-act/
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/09/trump-pennsylvania-automatic-voter-registration/
https://thegrio.com/2023/09/15/people-convicted-of-felonies-in-miss-should-get-their-voting-rights-back-democratic-candidates-say/
Kelly and Ogun talk about how the big 3 systems of oppression (white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism) impact grief, and Ogun gives an update from Morocco.
We commemorate the anniversaries of Emmett Till's murder and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and he talk about the recent racist killings in Jacksonville, FL and how PragerU is rewriting history.
Transcript: Coming Soon
Links:
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/26/1196190910/march-on-washington-mlk-dream-speech-anniversary
https://theintercept.com/2023/08/28/march-on-washington-jobs/
https://apnews.com/article/deadly-shooting-florida-store-race-bd2bf9591f40903a923dbd8a46d8fb97
https://www.theroot.com/what-are-the-similarities-in-the-jacksonville-buffalo-1850781610
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4141994-what-is-prageru-the-conservative-education-platform-now-in-florida-schools/
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/education/2023-08-09/what-parents-should-know-prageru-kids-videos-florida-schools
We take a look at the ongoing assault on voting rights as well as spotlight the activist Fannie Lou Hamer.
Transcript: Coming soon
Links:
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamer
https://19thnews.org/2023/07/fannie-lou-hamer-disability-voting-rights-activism/
https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/much-to-the-gops-chagrin-majority-still-rules-in-ohio/
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/six-anti-voting-lawsuits-rebuffed-by-courts-this-summer/
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/what-happened-to-floridas-5th-congressional-district/
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/60-years-later-alabama-lawmakers-defy-the-u-s-supreme-court-again/
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-voting-restrictions-america
Black folk at the Montgomery, AL docks showed up, Black women being body-shamed AGAIN!, a new Black-woman owned business to support, and other headlines you might have missed.
Transcript: Coming soon
Links:
https://www.theroot.com/the-reason-black-folks-are-rejoicing-over-the-montgomer-1850717512
https://blacknews.com/news/isha-mason-black-female-employee-costco-manager-body-shamed-her-work-attire/
https://thegrio.com/2023/08/07/edward-blum-fearless-fund-racial-discrimination-lawsuit-black-women-business-owners/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/7/former-us-police-officer-sentenced-for-role-in-george-floyds-killing
https://thegrio.com/2023/08/07/black-people-knew-what-jamie-foxx-meant-by-they-perhaps-others-should-understand-too/
https://people.com/white-mom-accused-of-trafficking-biracial-daughter-sues-southwest-airlines-7570500
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/06/jef-goodell-heatwaves-racism-the-heat-will-kill-you-first-book
https://thegrio.com/2023/08/07/democrats-see-michigan-and-minnesota-as-guides-for-what-to-do-with-majority-power/
https://blacknews.com/news/original-collard-greens-cultural-festival-celebrate-history-traditional-african-american-food/
https://blacknews.com/news/michelle-watson-black-woman-entrepreneur-organic-tea-products-inspired-grandmother/
August is National Black Business Month. We explore the historical and contemporary obstacles that contribute to racial wealth inequities, and share steps we can all take towards economic justice.
Transcript: Comin soon
Links:
https://nationaltoday.com/black-business-month/
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/wealth-disparities-in-civil-rights/barriers-to-racial-wealth-equality/
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/black-owned-businesses
https://blkgrn.com/pages/never-list
Florida is rewriting history AGAIN, it's Barbenheimer weekend, State Attorney Generals protecting abortion rights, and some other headlines you might have missed.
Transcript: Coming Soon
Links:
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-no-public-education-isnt-too-woke-its-barely-even-awake/2023/07
https://www.theroot.com/fla-approves-new-watered-down-black-history-curriculum-1850659247
https://www.theroot.com/vice-president-harris-speaks-out-against-floridas-contr-1850663242
https://apnews.com/article/texas-am-diversity-inclusion-487edd40ee9a57faa0cfe94e8e4684e6
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/07/wesleyan-legacy-admissions-affirmative-action-ivy-league-harvard-supreme-court/
https://www.them.us/story/texas-judge-303-creative-decision-refuse-same-sex-marriages
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hispanic-homesteaders-and-the-los-alamos-national-laboratory.htm
https://www.theroot.com/black-women-that-have-barbies-made-after-them-1850656396
https://www.sciencealert.com/regular-short-naps-could-be-the-easiest-way-to-reduce-the-risk-of-dementia
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/8-ways-state-attorneys-general-have-protected-abortion-rights-since-the-fall-of-roe-v-wade/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/world-cup-indigenous-flags-first_n_64ba2e05e4b09a3b48921a02
Our featured guest for Disability Pride Month is Caz Killjoy. Caz is a Disability and Sexuality Freelance Educator and Consultant. Caz (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is currently on medical sabbatical. Prior to that sabbatical, they spent their life focusing on the things that make most people uncomfortable: accessibility; sex and kink; pain, disability, and illness; death and poverty; advocacy; and digital harm reduction. Caz is a white, genderqueer, queer person who practices non-monogamy as a relationship anarchist. Caz is also an abolitionist, an anarchist, an atheist, and an anti-Zionist; a lumpen-precariat; a formerly unhoused person; a former sex worker; a proud GED recipient; a writer and storyteller and blogger; and they are multiply disabled; Caz’s disabilities are the least interesting thing about them. In Slavic, “Caz” means “the famous destroyer of peace,” but “Caz” is also an abbreviation of their first name, hence the name “Caz Killjoy” – which started out as a joke and now they’re stuck with it. To learn more or get in touch, find Caz at http://ConnectWithCaz.com .
Episode Transcript - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ILqV07ej2zF4iGKdl_NdGFjJ_1em4A6f/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117188677819474678160&rtpof=true&sd=true
Links
How many disabled people are there? by Peter Torres Fremlin at Disability Debrief
Resources on Ableism
How do these representations of disability in music make you feel?
- Wheelchair Sports Camp: “Yess I’m A Mess”
- Ellie Goldstein (lip syncing): “The Disability Serviceland Song”
- Delta Spirit: “What’s Done is Done”
Book
- Skin, Tooth, and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People (2019) by Sins Invalid. Not only did they write the book about disability justice, they birthed the concept.
Articles
- No Roles for BIPOC Disabled Actors in Hollywood: I’m A Black, Disabled Actor. This Is How I’m Making My Place In Hollywood. by Regina F. Graham at refinery29. This article interviews three disabled women of color who are actors about their struggle to find roles in Hollywood due to ableism and racism.
- Violence in Language: Circling Back to Linguistic Ableism by Lydia X.Z. Brown. This blog post covers ableism in our language and includes a link to a glossary of ableist phrases.
Short Film (streaming for free)
- Jeremy the Dud, available in full for free on YouTube (2017): A great cast of several actually disabled actors, including Chloé Hayden who went on to play Quinni in Heartbreak High. The short film is a comedy set in a world where everyone has a disability, and those that don’t are treated with the same prejudice, stigma, and condescending attitudes people with disabilities face in our own society.
Social Media
- Imani Barbarin is a Black cis woman who has cerebral palsy – and has the internet’s hottest takes on ableism and other disability-related issues. Check her out on TikTok as @crutches_and_spice.
TV Show (subscription required)
- Queer as Folk, available on Peacock (2022): Stars actor Ryan O'Connell as Julian Beaumont. Ryan is a white gay cis man who has cerebral palsy. Also features biracial actor and dancer Eric Graise in a recurring role as Marvin. Eric is a bilateral amputee who uses a wheelchair in the show (he does not use a wheelchair outside of the show). Guest stars actor, model, and activist Nyle DiMarco, who is a white Deaf cis gay man, as Leo. Amazing portrayals of ableism, including internalized ableism, particularly as they relate to sex and relationships.
Resources on Archiving
- Awkward Archives: Ethnographic Drafts for a Modular Curriculum (2020) by Margareta von Oswold and Jonas Tinus. (free PDF book.)
- Gracen Brilmyer’s Disability Archives Lab.
- Preserving Disability: Disability and the Archival Profession (expected late Fall 2023; book) published by Litwin Books.
- Society of American Archivists AMRT/RMRT Working Group on Accessibility’s Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities.
Disability Pride Month (July) celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism. It is a time for the disability community to come together, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices and be heard. Disability pride has been described as “accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.”
Links:
https://www.them.us/story/what-is-disability-pride-month-ableism-disability-allyship
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/humandevelopment/become-a-disability-ALLY.html
https://enablingdevices.com/blog/8-ways-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month-2023/#:~:text=July%20is%20Disability%20Pride%20Month,with%20disabilities%20around%20the%20globe.
https://oae.stanford.edu/students/advocacy-community/national-disability-organizations-and-resources
https://www.pbs.org/articles/disability-pride-month-and-the-disability-rights-movement/
We review some of SCOTUS's recent controversial decisions, check in on CA reparations, and other headlines you might have missed.
As we continue to highlight LGBTQ+ stories, we have a conversation with Alex, a trans woman living in North Carolina. We talk about what it means, and how it feels, to live in state that passes legislation which invalidates her existence. More importantly, we get to know someone simply trying to be who they are: a human being. Our conversation is equal parts vulnerable, enraging, heart-breaking, and wonderful.
Much of the anti-LGBTQ+ justification comes from some Christian circles weaponizing just seven Bible verses. We took a look at some of those verses and break down why they're really not about homosexuality as much as we think.
Resources:
Amy-Jill Levine: How to read the Bible’s “clobber passages” on homosexuality -- https://outreach.faith/2022/09/amy-jill-levine-how-to-read-the-bibles-clobber-passages-on-homosexuality/
What Does the Bible Say About Transgender People? -- https://www.hrc.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-transgender-people
Illinois Passes a Ban on Book Bans, the Supreme Court did a good thing, Elton John is done with the USA, and other headlines you might have missed.
Links:
Track and learn about anti-trans legislation in your state - https://translegislation.com/
HRC Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Affirming Booklist for Middle School and High School - https://www.hrc.org/news/books-not-bans-hrc-foundations-lgbtq-affirming-booklist-for-middle-school-and-high-school
Minnesota's Democracy for the People Act - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/minnesota-governor-enacts-the-democracy-for-the-people-act/
In addition to making the connection between Pride and Juneteenth, Revs Kelly and Ogun share the stories of their own gender/identity/sexuality journeys.
Additional resources:
The Genderbread Person - https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2018/10/the-genderbread-person-v4/
https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/my-pride-is-black-my-juneteenth-is-queer
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2022/06/18/pride-month-would-not-exist-as-we-know-it-if-juneteenth-did-not-happen/
It's Pride month and a very challenging time to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community right now. Given the increase in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation, it's easy to forget we're talking about real lives, real people. Today we share some of their stories.
For more stories visit https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/cc-unheard-voices-interviews-and-transcripts.pdf and https://rainbopedia.org/
For more info about project_SANCTUS and to make a donation visit https://projectsanctus.com/
We return to exploring some headlines you might have missed, like the AP's year-long report on how racial health disparities have harmed generations of Black Americans, travel advisories for the USA and Florida, and more. Visit projectsanctus.com to learn more and to make a donation.
Last month, Somerville, MA became the first city in the United States to extend legal protections against discrimination to people in polyamorous relationships and other nontraditional family structures. We talk with lawyers Heron Greenesmith and Andy Izenson from The Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition (PLAC) who were both instrumental in the passage of the ordinances.
Learn more about PLAC at https://polyamorylegal.org/
Support the podcast with a donation and learn about our opportunites for further learning at https://projectsanctus.com/
It might be our spiciest episode yet! As part of our ongoing series for International Masturbation Month, we talk about masturbation (sometimes in graphic detail), healing sexual shame, and how sexual self-touch is a vehicle for justice and liberation. To support this podcast with a donation please visit projectsanctus.com
May is International Masturbation Month. All month long we will be having conversations around touch, self-pleasure, sex, sexuality, relationships, and more. On this episode we warm up with a conversation on non-sexual touch, why it's important to touch ourselves, and how our tagline "Let's Get Our Holy On!" is related to it all. To learn more about us and make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about the ongoing war on trans people, British reparations, some Republicans coming to their senses, and other headlines you might have missed. (Please ignore Rev Ogun's confident declaration that it's Ep.89)
Article links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/26/montana-transgender-zooey-zephyr-censured-expelled/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/17/anti-trans-bills-map/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/27/kansas-bathroom-bill/
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/25/1171942739/texas-ag-commissioner-dress-code-biological-gender
https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1b355128e99f3d7ef0fc260db35f4df5/Dress%20Code%20and%20Grooming%20Policy.pdf?_ga=2.47549284.2142763211.1682447709-1656175563.1682447709
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/27/south-carolina-nebraska-abortion-bill/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/24/amazon-teamsters-delivery-union/
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2023-04-26/judge-temporarily-blocks-missouri-attorney-generals-transgender-health-care-restrictions
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/27/pope-women-vote-bishops-meeting/
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1171593635/british-aristocrats-ask-king-charles-to-join-a-slavery-reparations-movement
https://nypost.com/2023/04/22/ohio-senate-candidate-floats-reparations-for-white-people/
https://caricom.org/caricom-ten-point-plan-for-reparatory-justice/
Revs Kelly and Ogun discuss the invention and history of white people, the difference between white people and whiteness, and the harm whiteness causes today in its current iteration: American exceptionalism.
Kelly and ogun talk about marijuana justice, AI racism, the good old days of lynching, and some other headlines you might have missed. Visit projectsanctus.com to learn more and support the podcast.
Article Links:
https://thegrio.com/2023/04/20/national-cannabis-policy-summit-capitol-hill-equity-420/
https://boingboing.net/2022/08/23/book-banned-at-a-school-named-after-its-author.html
https://www.thedailybeast.com/googles-ai-chatbot-bard-spews-misinformation-and-hate-researchers-find
https://religionnews.com/2023/04/04/how-black-clergy-are-reframing-approach-on-abortion-with-congregations/
https://religionnews.com/2023/04/20/religious-zealots-go-postal-again/
https://thegrio.com/2023/04/20/oklahoma-commissioner-quits-recording-lynching-black-people/
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about the shooting of Black 16-year-old Ralph Yarl when he rang the door bell of the wrong house by its 85-year-old white owner, and the likely internalized white supremacy and white identity norms that caused it. For more info and ways to support us visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly and Ogun are joined by Rev Derrick Weston to continue their discussion on Climate Justice. Derrick Weston is a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, speaker, and Theological Education and Training Coordinator for Creation Justice Ministries. He is the co-host of the Food and Faith podcast and producer of Spoon, Spade, and Soul, a podcast highlighting food and land-based ministries in the Episcopal church. He is also the producer of the short film series "A Wilderness Like Eden" highlighting the work of churches engaged in food justice work, and the co-author of the book "The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration" now available for preorder.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
https://www.agrariantrust.org/initiatives/faithlands/toolkit/
https://www.creationjustice.org/resources.html
As Earth Day approaches it's a good time to talk again about the connections between Climate Justice and Racial Justice, as well as some daily action steps to help save the planet. To learn more about our work and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly and Ogun talk about The Tennessee Three, the never-ending double-standard for Black women, good and bad news for trans folks, as well as other headlines you might have missed. For more info and to make a donation visit projectsanctus.com
Revs Kelly and Ogun return from a break with the first episode of Season 3. They talk about some of the joys and struggles from their time off, preview some upcoming happenings, and briefly discuss Trump's indictment and arraignment.
Dr. Joel Brown joins our season two finale to talk his recent publication "The Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice."
Dr. Brown is the Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, LLC. He works strategically with a variety of organizations, including non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, churches, and institutions of higher learning to build consciousness, capacity, community, and collective esteem. His work spans 5 continents and his mission is to facilitate liberation for every global citizen.
Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, Dr. Brown conducted a study to illuminate the lived experiences and cultural values of the LGBTQ+ community. Based on that research, he developed 9 leadership dimensions that show how understanding the cultural imprint of the LGBTQ+ community is essential for organizations to be employers of choice and for global communities to maintain their vitality.
Learn more at pneumos.com
We take a look at 10 Black women Innovators and the awesome things they brought us plus a few Black History Heroes you may never have heard of.
https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2016/03/21/10-black-women-innovators-and-the-awesome-things-they-brought-us
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/news/g4431/black-history-month-unsung-heroes/
Recorded on Valentine's Day, we talk about the capitalist, patriarchal, mono-normative expectations around love, the holiday, and relationships in general. We discuss alternatives to these cultural norms, and considerations for decolonizing relationships regardless of what kind being practiced.
Author and wellness activist Kerri Kelly joins our 8:46 Book Club on the final night of our exploration of her book "American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal."
We're joined by community organizer and wellness activist Kerri Kelly. She is the author of American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Healand the founder of CTZNWELL, a movement that is democratizing wellbeing for all.
She works diligently to dismantle oppression within herself and the systems and culture she is a part of. She works in support and solidarity with BIPOC leaders and organizations to explore how to work across lines of difference to advance equity and build community resilience.
As a white woman of privilege, Kerri is committed to dismantling systems of oppression and doing her part to bring about the more just and equitable world that we all deserve. She understands that the toxic impacts of these systems land differently and disproportionately on BIPOC people. Because of this reality Kerri gives attribution and reparation to the long long lineage of first responders, healers, activists and organizers that she comes from.
Learn more at ctznwell.org
Just in time for Black History Month the College Board strips down Its A.P. curriculum for African American Studies, a neo-Nazi homeschool network is uncovered, and we recognize World Hijab Day, plus other headlines you might have missed.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/01/black-history-month-facts/11155620002/
https://www.foxnews.com/media/miami-mocked-africa-themed-police-black-history-month-cannot
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/us/college-board-advanced-placement-african-american-studies.html
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34ane/neo-nazi-homeschool-ohio
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-fewer-people-migrating-united-states_n_63d2b010e4b04d4d18e47738
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/01/i-proudly-wear-a-hijab-forget-the-stereotypes-its-a-sign-of-style-and-strength
Both the traditional and New Thought Christian message of Self-Love come with implied directives of individualism, isolation, and rejection of parts of ourselves, especially our bodies. On this episode we take a look at how loving ourselves is an opportunity for deconstruction, with embodied practices to help us return home.
Florida bans AP African American studies class, International Holocaust Memorial Day, Black killer cops, and other headlines you might have missed. Learn more about project_SANCTUS at www.projectsanctus.com
Article links:
https://thegrio.com/2023/01/27/international-holocaust-remembrance-day-should-unite-blacks-and-jews/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/25/pope-francis-homosexuality-not-crime/
https://outreach.faith/2023/01/like-it-or-not-pete-buttigieg-is-legally-married/
https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/19/ron-desantis-bans-african-american-studies-florida-schools
https://popular.info/p/florida-teachers-told-to-remove-books
https://thegrio.com/2023/01/27/memphis-braces-for-release-of-video-in-tyre-nichols-arrest/
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2023/01/sam-smith-album-gloria-review/672848/
We continue our discussion around creating safe[r] spaces with visual artist and workshop facilitator Jenny Hahn. Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in fine art, and her acrylic paintings and giclée prints are collected around the world as well as licensed for inspirational products including book covers, calendars, posters, and most recently the Wisdom of the Shadow and Wisdom of the Divine Feminine oracle card decks.
Her workshops help people recover their innate wholeness and creativity using painting as a tool for mindfulness and self-discovery. Her innate magic is to uplift and inspire with images that feed the heart and soul. She says her painting is her connection to the mystery.
Learn more about Jenny and purchase her work at jennyhahnart.com
Learn more about our work at projectsanctus.com
Beloved community, a term popularized by Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, was not simply a welcoming space as determined by majority comfort. It's a community in which everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger, and hate, in which we work to eradicate what King called the Triple Evils: Poverty, Racism, Militarism. To create such safe spaces involves the uncomfortable and sometimes messy work of examining how we uphold the Triple Evils, both individually and collectively.
Visit projectsanctus.com for more
We talk about modern-day reparations, Covid catching up to white bodies, Trans folk being dishonored even in death, and some other headlines you might have missed. Article sources below. Visit projectsanctus.com for more info about our events and to make a donation.
https://www.theroot.com/minnesota-city-creates-committee-to-give-reparations-to-1849955784
https://www.theroot.com/la-based-bank-to-pay-largest-redlining-settlement-ever-1849984361
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/10/19/covid-deaths-us-race/
https://thegrio.com/2023/01/12/how-reforming-our-organ-donation-system-can-save-black-lives/
https://19thnews.org/2023/01/trans-people-misgendering-death-certificates/
https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2023/01/04/black-americans-outdoors
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/09/1147440285/golden-globes-2023-hfpa
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-recaps/jerrod-carmichael-golden-globes-monologue-racist-hollywood-foreign-press-association-1234658985/amp/
https://news.yahoo.com/beat-michelle-yeoh-tells-golden-192604908.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90cmVsbG8uY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMUAKbpBDb0Tur_-aWGCl60Vg3nyE-RraBtiSMD4a5s7cPWuABjP8PJM1378wZ_y1W-1jHke8fuABSO46LBnT5EkL3cmGKzsIGwYzLnbQCWYIxJuf51N_7lF2PwiV5ZNMgAnXsolj5uGEaANLFd32dIDEOycgAXDZhWG48Iyxjke
Ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr Day and the National Day of Racial Healing we have a conversation about how "Healing" has been conflated for maintaining comfort, what healing actually means, and how MLK Jr's concept of Beloved Community invites both connection and discomfort.
Learn more at projectsanctus.com
We're back after the holidays with a discussion around our 2023 intentions as individuals and as a platform and community committed to creating an antiracist culture.
More info + event registration at projectsanctus.com
Problematic AI selfies and facial recognition, Black people dying sooner because racism, RIP Dorothy Pitman Hughes, and other headlines you might have missed. Links to articles referenced in show below:
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-gloria-steinem-d5c11ee749bfc94f4834622b28b2bcc4
https://www.prri.org/spotlight/the-majority-of-lgbt-americans-are-religious-who-they-are-and-why-they-matter/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/12/musk-twitter-harass-yoel-roth/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/fatal-police-shootings-unreported/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/neurologists-say-accelerated-brain-aging-black-people-can-countered-li-rcna59243
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/12/19/federal-study-confirms-racial-bias-many-facial-recognition-systems-casts-doubt-their-expanding-use/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/02/tsa-security-face-recognition/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/08/lensa-ai-portraits/
We welcome Rabbi Eli Freedman for a wonderful and enlightening conversation with about Judaism, antisemitism, and what's our to do at time when misinformation is fueling a rise in antisemitic rhetoric and violence.
Rabbi Eli Freedman serves the Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to joining the clergy team at Rodeph Shalom, Rabbi Freedman served as Rabbinic Intern at the NYU Hillel, spent three years of rabbinical school in London and ran the outreach and engagement program at Columbia/Barnard Hillel. Rabbi Freedman’s major areas of work at Rodeph Shalom include RiSe Up! (Social Justice) Initiative, Families with Young Children, and young adult work.
Advent is already underway, but it's not the only holiday observed at this time of year. When is it appropriate to celebrate other traditions not created for our race or ethnicity? We discuss, as well as take a deconstructed view of Advent.
In a recently published article, writer and activist adrienne maree brown invites us to embrace a few key activities and perspectives that will help create a future that is nourishing for all of us.
https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2022/11/29/murmurations-collective-accountability
We talk about Giving Tuesday as a tool to upend capitalism, real life aftermath of abortion laws in Texas, the colorism of Black Panther Wakanda Forever, and other headlines you might have missed. Links mentioned in the episode below:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21727010/giving-tuesday-explained-charity-nonprofits
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21728843/best-charities-donate-giving-tuesday
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/28/us/merriam-webster-word-year-2022-gaslighting-cec/index.html
https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/abortion-texas-roe-v-wade-data-maternal-morbidity.html
https://www.vox.com/culture/2022/11/21/23467145/black-panther-wakanda-forever-latino-colorism-racism-namor-tenoch-huerta
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/beyonce-ap-taylor-swift-lizzo-jayz-b2226004.html
https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2022/10/17/child-poverty-social-safety-net
As the Club Q mass shooting showed us, these are more dangerous times for some, and it's being fuels by dangerous speech. In this episode we take a look at what constitutes dangerous speech, how it's different than hate speech, and what we can do when we see and hear it. We use some recent exchanges from our social media accounts as examples. Links mentioned int he podcast below:
DANGEROUS SPEECH: A PRACTICAL GUIDE -- https://dangerousspeech.org/guide/
Rev Ogun's Instagram Post -- https://www.instagram.com/p/ClTmKP9uf2Z/
The right’s moral panic over “grooming” invokes age-old homophobia -- https://www.vox.com/culture/23025505/leftist-groomers-homophobia-satanic-panic-explained
THE GLOBAL RIGHT WING’S BIZARRE OBSESSION WITH PEDOPHILIA -- https://fpif.org/the-global-right-wings-bizarre-obsession-with-pedophilia/
How age-old homophobic language is being used to miseducate voters -- https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/27/us/rhetoric-lgbtq-midterms-race-deconstructed-newsletter-reaj
In the wake of the Club Q mass shooting, we connect the dots between such senseless acts of terror against the LGBTQ+ community, the current conservative political rhetoric, and white supremacy cultural norms.
In a welcome surprise, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced their support for the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill enshrining protections for marriage equality. We discuss this and other headlines you might have missed.
We recap the midterm elections results up to the time of recording, as a well as some other headlines you might have missed.
We're recording on election day so we might be a little stressed. Today we discuss how we, and Democracy, will hold up and navigate not just through today, but in the days, weeks, months and, heaven forbid, years to follow.
With volatile midterms weeks away, and the holidays right on the heels, we see more and more people struggling to have difficult conversations about racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. Very often these become intense disagreements, drawn in party lines, or instead are people opt for staying silent, and ignoring the elephants in the room, which feels inauthentic and hopeless. In advance of our upcoming workshop TALKING TO YOUR PEOPLE we discuss the challenges of such conversations, and tease the framework we will share in the workshop. More info and registration at projectsanctus.com/events/talking-to-your-people
Rihanna makes us cry with new music, Toni Morrison gets more flowers, voter intimidation is still a thing, and other headlines you might have missed. Links to articles from episode below.
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/rihanna-lift-me-up-fans-react-1235162702/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-27/masked-poll-watchers-are-showing-up-at-voting-sites-with-handguns-and-kevlar-vests?leadSource=uverify%20wall
https://thegrio.com/2022/10/25/black-voters-thegrio-kff-funding-police/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/18/dangerous-beauty/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/27/loreal-lawsuit-hair-straightener-relaxer/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drag-queen-story-time-protests_n_63578cc1e4b0b7f89f6527c5
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/19/health/racial-disparities-infant-health-ivf/index.html
https://thegrio.com/2022/10/25/toni-morrison-ernest-j-gaines-honored-with-stamps/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/griner-russian-penal-colony-difficult-prisoners-say-rcna54180
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/us/texas-guns-permitless.html
In advance of our upcoming conscious antiracism event LOVE & RAGE: A CONTEMPLATIVE PLAYSHOP ON LIBERATION THROUGH ANGER, we talk about redefining our relationship with anger, loving ourselves deeper, and decolonizing towards wholeness.
More info and registration for the event at https://projectsanctus.com/events/love-and-rage/
Even more restrictive laws may be coming down the road, a student-painted mural stokes panic, two legendary actresses get their flowers, and more.
Intersectionality is the complex, cumulative manner in which the effects of different forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect”. It means that different forms of discrimination don’t exist in a vacuum – for those who embody different marginalized identities, these often overlap and amplify each other to create a unique experience of discrimination that is more than just the sum of its parts.
In anticipation of our upcoming workshop, we have preliminary discussion about Intersectionality, including a real-time activity that puts Ogun on the spot.
For more workshop info and registration visit https://projectsanctus.com/events/intersectionality-why-a-new-prism-is-needed/
Redlining-induced pollution is still causing harm, a tale of two Ericks, no commonsense from the Supreme court, and other headlines you might have missed this week. All articles from the episode are linked below.
How Air Pollution Across America Reflects Racist Policy From the 1930s
Everything we know so far about the shooting of teenager Erik Cantu by a San Antonio police officer
Eric André Sues Over Police’s ‘Racial Profiling and Coercive Stops’ at Atlanta Airport
Howard Schultz’s fight to stop a Starbucks barista uprising
Conservative judges’ new gun-law rulings show ‘originalism’ beyond parody
Why NOBODY should be using the 'thumbs up' emoji in 2022 - and the 10 symbols only 'old people' use that have Gen Z rolling their eyes
'World's coolest' neighborhood for 2022 named by Time Out
As the culture wars escalate, classrooms have become battle grounds for fragile parents who have been indoctrinated to believe that long-running well-established teaching techniques and education principles are Trojan horses for “woke” liberalism. On today’s episode we explore one of the latest casualties: Social-Emotional Learning.
How social-emotional learning became a frontline in the battle against CRT -- https://www.npr.org/2022/09/26/1124082878/how-social-emotional-learning-became-a-frontline-in-the-battle-against-crt
We take a look at the senate race in Georgia, the misuse of COVID funds, how redlining has evolved, as well as other headlines you might have missed, including some life-affirming news.
Book bans are all the rage as the culture wars escalate. Today we talk about the dangers of book bans, and we take a look at some of the most banned books. You might be surprised what made the list. For more visit https://www.rd.com/list/banned-books/
We take a look at the Republican party’s recently released Commitment To America: who and what it’s really committed to, who it harms, and how can we not give consent to the commitment.
A podcast helped free a prisoner, poor people in Mississippi or Puerto Rico can't catch a break, the pandemic really isn't over, and more.
Our world has become so focused on trauma and healing, we wonder if maybe there’s a few things we got wrong. Is there a hidden curriculum to healing, perhaps the journey is the destination? What are our wounds, and what are they doing and what are they building? Are we using terms like “growing edge” or “meaning-making” as ways to obscure recovery because we are simply framing healing and transformation as a return to something familiar or getting to something we’ve been told is what we should be achieving? Are our responses to the crises of today actually becoming part of the crises?
Special guest Nell Geiser joins us to talk about unions, the labor movement, why they matter, and what we can do to support them. Nell is director of research for the Communications Workers of America, a labor union representing workers in telecommunications, media, technology, public service, airlines, manufacturing, and other sectors.
The midterms are fast approaching. As evidenced by recent actual and proposed changes to laws, it’s not hyperbole to say that these might be the most important midterms ever. We discuss what’s at stake, and what we can do to ensure greater equity and liberation for everyone. Spoiler alert: VOTE!
We talk about the death and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, why some people aren't shedding tears, and we give Serena Williams her flowers.
Welcome to Season 2! Revs Kelly and Ogun return from break to share their adventures and mishaps, plus a conversation about the labor movement and unions having a resurgence.
On a recent visit to the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City to view an Art Deco installation, Rev Kelly was inspired by what was conspicuously absent from the exhibit. It reminded her that we have still not accepted Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr's invitations in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
What can reclaiming pleasure bring into our lives? How can it help us change our world for the better? And what do the voices of marginalized peoples and ancestors have to teach us when it comes to practicing and reclaiming our joy?
Pleasure is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, or direct social, political, economic, or environmental reform or stasis with the desire to make improvements in society. Pleasure activism is the work we do to reclaim our whole, happy, and satisfiable selves from the impacts, delusions, and limitations of oppression and/or supremacy.
On July 5, 1852, abolitionist Frederick Douglass took the stage before a a predominantly white audience at Rochester’s annual Independence Day ceremonies to deliver a speech now known as, “What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?” Sadly, 170 years later, much of his speech still holds up. What is Independence to the oppressed today?
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade thereby eliminating constitutional protections for access to an abortion. We share our thoughts and feelings about the ruling, discuss the other precedents and protections that might be in jeopardy, and provide ways to support women during these perilous times. This is a follow up to Ep.29 which we recorded when a draft of the decision was leaked to the public.
We revisit Juneteenth, Rev Ogun shares about his Juneteenth #blackjoy experiences including meeting a member of The Squad, and we talk about what liberation means for all of us.
It's our Pride episode. We take a look at Pride history, black pride trailblazers, rainbow washing, and we have an impromptu conversation about our own sexuality. We also talk about Juneteenth and offer some recommendations for our white bodied friends.
It has been well-known and documented for decades that factors such as race, income, and ZIP code are big influences on whether a person will live a long and healthy life or not. But, none of these factors stands alone. Each of our identities—as a woman, a person of color, being LGBTQ, having a disability, among others—are inextricably linked to each other. Recognizing that we all carry many identities that come with varying levels of power and privilege is called intersectionality.
Revs Kelly & Ogun share their thoughts and feelings about the recent act of white supremacy terrorism in Buffalo, NY as well as the white supremacy cultural norms and ideologies that continue to foster such acts of deadly violence.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (52.9 million people in 2020). While People of Color (POC) have rates of mental health disorders similar to whites, these disorders are more likely to last longer and result in more significant disability for POC.
It is worth reflecting on the racist origins of the anti-abortion movement in the United States, which date back to the ideologies of slavery. Just like slavery, anti-abortion efforts are rooted in white supremacy, the exploitation of Black women, and placing women’s bodies in service to men. Just like slavery, maximizing wealth and consolidating power motivated the anti-abortion enterprise.
Decolonization is the process of undoing colonizing practices. It is a process, not a one-time event. It is essential to keep reflecting throughout, and not to be discouraged that it’s not always straightforward. Decolonization involves reflecting on the structure of educational institutions, and their role within the larger society. It is also important to confront the power relations within these institutions. Within a diverse population of students, part of decolonization is learning how to be an ally, and to work in solidarity with each other—not just among students, but staff as well.
In response to the rhetoric of racism, xenophobia and isolationism that is rampant in our country, Kelly and Ogun take a look at “identity.” We each hold a personal identity, a sense of self that develops as we age, and a social identity, which is our collective understanding of who we are, and of who other people are.
Join us for WALKING EACH OTHER HOME: AN EMBODIED ANTIRACISM MINDFULNESS PRACTICE Thursdays 10am ET.
Through mindfulness practices, focusing on antiracism, we increase our emotional resilience, recognize our biases, and make real our common humanity.
Join us on Zoom or watch the livestream on FB Live. There will be space for discussion after the practice on Zoom only.
Mindfulness practices hold the key to grappling with interpersonal racism because they help people tolerate the discomfort that comes with deeper discussions about race. These practices build the resilience we need to stay in those conversations and to deepen community when the going gets tough. We can’t just think our way out of racism or other biases; we need to go deeper than intellectual understanding.
Emerging in the mid-1980s, womanist theology is the work of African-American women theologians, church historians, ethicists, sociologists of religion, and biblical scholars. The term draws on poet, novelist, and activist Alice Walker’s four-part definition of womanism, which calls for “radical subjectivity, traditional communalism, redemptive self-love, and critical engagement.” Womanist thought helps to describe oppression and empower the oppressed in order to create change. Bishop Yvette Flunder has served her call through prophetic action and ministry for justice for more than 30 years. This call to blend proclamation, worship, service, and advocacy on behalf of those most marginalized in church and in society led to the founding of City of Refuge United Church of Christ in 1991, uniting a gospel ministry with a social justice ministry.
The National Day of Racial Healing is an opportunity for people, organizations, and communities to call for racial healing, bring people together in their shared humanity, and take action together to create a more just and equitable world. Racial healing is a process that restores individuals and communities to wholeness, repairs the damage caused by racism, and transforms societal structures into ones that affirm the inherent value of all people. It makes it possible to acknowledge and speak the truth about past wrongs created by individual and systemic racism and to address present-day consequences for people, communities, and institutions. Rev. Ogun and Rev. Kelly talk about what racial healing might look like, how to bring it about, and if it’s even really possible.
It's easy to read a headline about events that are emotionally charged and put yourself on "one side or the other." But do you find yourself flip-flopping as you process these events and media stories? Join Kelly and Ogun as they unpack some recent big headlines to help understand the collective stories behind the stories reported.
The work of anti-racism takes courage, accountability, and discomfort—even sacrifice. Audre Lorde, a self-described Black lesbian, mother, warrior, and poet said, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” In this episode, Kelly and Ogun take a look at the pitfalls of many tools of anti-racism: book studies, DEI programs, and workshops and trainings that are actually more effective in reproducing racial inequality.
White people don’t bear the weight of racialization. They move through the world without the sense of existing as a racial being. Often people assume that if they are attending a class or workshop on race, then they’ll be talking about Michelle Obama’s race. Because of this, in our society, it becomes a psychic weight or burden that people of color are always holding. They’re seen as the holders of the answers.
Our current economic model, built on the economics of slavery, materialism, and limitless growth, is wreaking havoc on nature and keeping millions trapped in poverty. The New Economy Movement is gaining momentum as more and more people, entrepreneurs, and businesses say enough is enough and get busy creating healthier ways of doing business—all of which is part of creating an anti-racist culture. In this episode our guest, Cylvia Hayes—teacher, speaker, author, and strategist in economic evolution—will explore some of the current norms in our economic system that need a changeup, and we’ll learn about some exciting alternatives.
For most white bodies, an understanding of the impact of race is largely nonexistent. Ask yourself this: What are some of the ways in which your race(s) has shaped your life? What patterns emerge and what do those patterns illustrate about whiteness? In this episode, Kelly and Ogun will tackle some of the patterns that emerge from these questions.
Between 1863 and 1877, the U.S. government undertook the task of integrating nearly four million formerly enslaved people into society after the Civil War. The white slaveholding South was forced to change its economic, political, and social relations with African Americans. While the war may have destroyed the institution of slavery and pushed for economic and political changes for an egalitarian society, Reconstruction was short-lived, and from the moment the Civil War ended, whites who had enslaved Blacks searched for any and all means to dismantle it—and they eventually did. Reconstruction can be called “America’s Unfinished Revolution.”
Black history is American history. Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America—our faults, struggles, progress, and aspirations. This is why it is imperative that we take time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans, honor the legacies and achievements of generations past, reckon with centuries of injustice, and confront those still alive and well today. The long shadows of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and so much more all point to the systemic racism that still underpins America, essentially holding back all of us from reaching our full promise and potential, individually and collectively.
Black is not a monolith. To consider those words is to consider the full breadth of the human experience. Black people don’t move, think, or speak as one. Yet often Black people are crammed into a box built by society, by white-body cultural norms, despite their vast array of cultural and ethnic backgrounds and lived experiences. Black people are not a monolith, and neither is the way they navigate or deal with whiteness.
Sometimes much of who we say we are (spiritual seeker, ally, anti-racist) is less practice and more performative. As we begin to observe and celebrate another Black History Month, how much does our support extend beyond February? This week on With Love and Justice for All, we talk about the origins and importance of Black History Month, as well as the performative problem of the occasion.
Think voting conversations have no place in spiritual communities? Guess again. Faith leaders have a moral imperative to encourage love and justice for all, which includes having everyone’s voice be heard. Voting should be as easy and accessible as possible. The door slammed shut again this past week on federal legislation to create new protections for access to voting. Suppression efforts disproportionately impact people of color, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities. When an unjust rule stands in the way of justice, it is a moral imperative to break that rule.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the entire nation pauses in remembrance of a civil rights hero. At least that’s the point of the federal holiday, a day off for many, that takes place on the third Monday of each January. MLK Day was designed to honor the activist and minister, who was assassinated in 1968 and whose accomplishments have continued to inspire generations of Americans. Listen as Rev. Kelly and Rev. Ogun share a little history about MLK Day, which is now Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service, some unknown facts about the man, and ways this day can be a day on rather than a day off.
The anti-racism work of decolonizing ourselves is about reclaiming our imaginaries, our hopes, and our collective playgrounds of life. Think about the territories we inhabit, specifically unceded, never-surrendered, and occupied land. In ironic ways, decolonizing ourselves is about recognizing the wounds of the conquerer, identifying what we have known as the unbridgeable categories of violence, distrust, and fear placed on humanity and nature. Decolonization is not about trying to erase those lasting marks of colonization; instead, it is about finding the ties that bind us all together, restoring our faith that we can know a world of equanimity, justice, and love for all.
We receive a lot of feedback from classes, conferences, workshops, articles, and pretty much any of our anti-racism work out in the world. Some of it inspiring and some of it … well, not so much. We’d love to hear from anyone and everyone because your thoughts, perspectives, and feedback help us in clarifying, educating, and dismantling racism and creating a culture of caretaking.
Because it is Pearl Harbor Day, our conversation is focused on race and the military. Even though the armed services were integrated more than 70 years ago, it is still a fact that Black people are more likely to be disciplined and less likely to be promoted than whites.
So many of us think we are progressive allies, but we might actually be making things worse. Plus, headlines, recommendations, and listener feedback.
Special guest Derrick Weston is a food justice activist. He is committed not just to securing better meals for everyone but to dismantling structures that have exploited workers and consumers. Derrick has spent the last two decades serving churches and faith-based nonprofits in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. He currently manages a community garden on Baltimore’s east side and was recently awarded a Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Project grant to develop a food and faith network.
We talk about wanting to be open to “all perspectives,” but are we really? When it comes to racism or systems of oppression, are all perspectives valued? Do we have the capacity for both/and thinking to honor multiple realities? Does every viewpoint carry the same weight?
Everyday words and phrases have racist connotations, yet many don’t realize what they are saying. Terms like master bedrooms or blacklists and whitelists in computing are so entrenched we don’t think twice about using them—even though these terms are directly rooted in the nation’s history with chattel slavery.
Heather McGhee’s illuminating and hopeful new book, The Sum of Us, is predicated on the idea that while the primary victims of racism are people of color who are subjected to it, little will change until white people realize what racism has cost them too. Racism has costs for everyone. It is the common denominator of our most vexing public problems, the core dysfunction of our democracy, and a major component of the spiritual and moral crises that grip us all.
Heather McGhee’s illuminating and hopeful new book, The Sum of Us, is predicated on the idea that while the primary victims of racism are people of color who are subjected to it, little will change until white people realize what racism has cost them too. Racism has costs for everyone. It is the common denominator of our most vexing public problems, the core dysfunction of our democracy, and a major component of the spiritual and moral crises that grip us all.
We talk about why rest is so much more than a spiritual practice. Plus, headlines, recommendations, and listener feedback.
Are you using spiritual teachings to avoid difficult conversations? You might be on a spiritual bypass. We discuss how spiritual principles can be used to prop up white supremacy, as well as responses from Rev. Ogun’s latest Unity Magazine® feature. Plus, headlines, recommendations, and listener feedback.
What’s this show all about? Revs. Kelly and Ogun introduce themselves, talk about their new venture project_SANCTUS, and discuss what to expect on With Love and Justice for All.